11 August 13-19, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | 3201 RICKENBACKER CWY, KEY BISCAYNE, FL 33149 305.361.3818 | WWW.THERUSTYPELICAN.COM BE SOCIAL WITH US! /RUSTYPELICANMIAMI Join us for SUNSET HOUR EVERY MONDAY-FRIDAY 4PM-6:30PM miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | 2012, Yardbird received a James Beard Founda- tion nomination for Best New Restaurant, while Bon Appétit recognized it among the country’s best new restaurants. Southern Living praised its fried chicken, and the Bourbon Review recognized Yardbird among America’s best bourbon bars. Its reputation ultimately transformed a Miami- born restaurant into an international brand. Yardbird expanded from Miami Beach to Las Vegas, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chi- cago, and Singapore. Its official website still de- scribes the concept as having begun “in the vibrant heart of Miami Beach.” However, there’s now one conspicuous city missing from Yardbird’s social media presence. As of Wednesday, Aug. 5, Miami had been re- moved from the restaurant’s Instagram bio. It now lists only: “Las Vegas • Dallas • Washington D.C. • Los Angeles • Chicago • Singapore.” For a restaurant born in Miami Beach nearly 15 years ago, that’s one hell of a change to wake up to. And while the signs on the door insist this may not be goodbye forever, for now, the original Yardbird is closed. Yardbird. 1600 Lenox Ave., Miami Beach; 305-538-5220; runchickenrun.com. Now closed. NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR ▼ UPPER MATECUMBE MARKET PRICE If you’ve driven through Islamorada even once, you know her. The enormous blonde mermaid lounging just off the Overseas Highway has wel- comed generations of Florida Keys travelers to the Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar. It’s where cold drinks, live music, fishing boats, and some of the best sunsets in the Keys have been part of the scenery for decades. Now, this iconic Florida Keys watering hole can be yours for a cool $18 million. Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar, located at 96 Madeira Rd. on the bayside of Upper Matecumbe Key near mile marker 82, is on the market. The news was first spotted by Ted Lund of the “Above The Fold” Sub- stack, which incorrectly reports the listing price. However, before Keys regulars panic, Lorelei is not closing. The beloved restaurant remains open daily, and neither the listing nor the property’s real estate representatives indicate that opera- tions are changing while its owners search for a buyer. Still, seeing a place this deeply woven into the fabric of Islamorada with a $18 million price tag attached to it is enough to make any long- time customer do a double-take. The waterfront landmark is listed for $18 mil- lion by The Lindback Team within Berkshire Hath- away HomeServices Keys Real Estate – Islamorada. The property and business are held under the family’s corporate entity, La Siesta Sea LLC. The team publicly announced the offering in October 2025 as the first opportunity in decades to purchase the landmark restaurant, business, and real es- tate. The Lindback family has owned the property for decades. But this isn’t exactly your average restaurant sale. According to the listing, the offering in- cludes not only the operating Lorelei business but also an enormous chunk of prime Islamorada wa- terfront real estate with more than 1,000 feet of frontage along Florida Bay and roughly 500 feet of exposure along U.S. 1. The property itself includes a 250-seat open- air restaurant with private event and fishing tour- nament areas, a full-service bar with a valuable 5-COP liquor license, dockage, a private beach and a boat ramp. The offering also comes with two boat slips in the neighboring Islamorada Yacht Basin and four on-site residential building rights that could allow a future owner to expand the property. There’s also a concrete building constructed around 2015 or 2016 containing the gift shop, bathrooms, laundry facilities, prep kitchen, and storage. A new parking lot, lighting, and drainage were completed in 2020. The Lindback Team is pitching it as both a turnkey hospitality business and a long-term de- velopment opportunity. They note the potential for additional dockage, private events, weddings, and future expansion. Anyone who has spent enough time in Islamo- rada knows Lorelei isn’t just famous for being an exceptional spot for sunset-watching and fresh seafood. Its marina and docks are deeply con- nected to the area’s legendary sportfishing cul- ture, serving as home base for charter captains who head out in pursuit of bonefish, permit, and tarpon across Florida Bay and into Everglades National Park. Right next door at 104 Madeira Rd. is another piece of that history: the Islamorada Fishing Club. Founded in 1950, the private club has counted fishing pioneers, tournament anglers, and world- record holders among its members. Its nearly 70-year-old building was demolished in 2023 and replaced with a new three- story clubhouse that opened in November 2025, breathing new life into one of Islam- orada’s most storied fishing institutions. Together, Lorelei and the Islamorada Fishing Club occupy a small stretch of Florida Keys shore- line with an outsized place in Keys fishing history. That’s part of what makes the potential sale so significant. The Lorelei’s roots date back to 1952, when it began as a simple gathering place for anglers be- fore growing into one of the Florida Keys’ most beloved waterfront restaurants. Known as “The Pulse of Islamorada,” it’s fa- mous for its nightly sunset celebrations, giant roadside mermaid, laid-back open-air atmo- sphere, and longtime traditions like its “Cook Your Catch” program, where anglers can bring in the day’s fresh catch for the kitchen to prepare. For generations of locals and visitors alike, the Lorelei has become as much a part of the Keys experience as the sunset itself. This is what makes the news worrisome. The property’s representatives make clear that they see its value extending well beyond the restau- rant currently operating there. With limited devel- opable waterfront land in Islamorada, they’re marketing the property as what they call a “gen- erational investment opportunity.” That raises the biggest question surrounding any eventual sale. Will the future buyer continue operating one of the Keys’ most recognizable insti- tutions? Or, will they envision something entirely different for the valuable stretch of bayfront land? For now, though, there is no indication that anything is changing. Long live Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar. Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar. 96 Madeira Rd., Islamorada; 305-664-2692; loreleicabana- bar.com. NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR FOR GENERATIONS OF LOCALS AND VISITORS ALIKE, THE LORELEI HAS BECOME AS MUCH A PART OF THE KEYS EXPERIENCE AS THE SUNSET ITSELF.
