Coco's Deli & General Store & Tackle

Coco's Deli & General Store & Tackle sits on Coco Plum Drive just off US-1 at mile marker 52 in Marathon, doing the work of about four separate businesses. The deli is the draw. Sandwiches are made to order and the Cuban gets the most attention: roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles, mayo and mustard pressed on warm toasted bread. There is also a pastrami Rachel, Italian subs, po' boys, clubs, BLTs, burritos, chicken salad, and breakfast sandwiches from the moment the doors open at 7.

The rest of the store covers whatever else the day needs. Groceries, cold drinks, beer and wine, ice cream, and a fishing counter with bait and tackle. Daily specials go up on the board. It is the kind of place you stop at once on the way out and again on the way back.

Coco Plum Drive is a turn most visitors never make, which is part of why the store works. Two minutes off the highway puts you out of the US-1 traffic for as long as it takes to order a sandwich, in a spot that also serves the boat traffic at the end of the road. Call (305) 743-7743.