Recently my wife and family when to Doc Ford's Rum Bar and…read moreGrille, on Sanibel Island. This restaurant is simply an institution on the island. It is without question a must do, when you're here. My family and I have been coming here for many years, and it only has gotten better each time. This location has two floors of seating, more importantly two bars you can sit at. After checking in with the hostess, our wait was only about twenty minutes. Once seated at our table all of us were ready to order. For drinks we ordered two rounds I got the Dark and Stormy for both rounds(Gosling's Black Seal Rum mixed with Gosling's Ginger Beer & a squeeze of lime) my ordered a mango and coconut mojito; my sister in law ordered a rum runner. We all loved our drinks. Drinks here are always made perfect. For an appetizer we shared the calamari. The breading was light and the calamari was tender. For entrees my sister in law and I ordered the Deep Water Mahi Mahi(Hand-cut mahi-mahi seared in sweet soy sauce, placed on a jasmine rice stir fry with a tropical vinaigrette) This dish is my favorite meal here. The mahi was tender, the sweet soy sauce and the tropical vinaigrette ties everything together. My wife ordered the Yucatan Shrimp with a side of jalapeño cheese grits. She gave me two thumbs up. My father in law Grouper Sandwich (Fresh grouper grilled, blackened, or fried. Served with Doc's tartar sauce on a freshly baked roll) He ordered his fried. He loves the grouper sandwich here and usually gets it. Again, this is another place we will always comeback to.

Since their move to the current location we haven't really been impressed with Doc Fords. We are…read morelifelong vacationers who have been coming since the 60s in my parents case and I have clear memories of the old location being great. The quality definitely slipped from that point when they moved 10 years ago. I never really understood why it continued to be such a popular spot. If you don't believe that we my previous review that's over 10 years old lol We returned for the first time since Ian 4 years ago and while the service is still very touch & go-our server seemed to be having a rough night. To be fair she had the table next to us that was like 12 seemingly college age kids who were really loud & obnoxious & who were also annoying us so maybe that's accounts for her mood. The food and drinks have really turned around. We came in the first night of our trip just to "check that it still sucks" but knowing it's an easy walk in without much of a wait in the September off-season and we were tired from all day spent in the sun & wanted it to be easy. But we were so surprised. The food was excellent. Fresh. Not clearly reheated (a common thing in the past). I asked for a mojito made with coconut rum rather than traditional rum and that kind of seemed to confuse our server. To be fore they have a coconut mojito that has a coconut cream in it but that's not what I wanted. After a bit of back & forth it came out as ordered and delicious (highly recommend trying it made this way-you'll never go back) We enjoyed our meal so much we actually went back for a midday drink and snack later that week. Unheard of for us. Had a really lovely conversation with a bartender who's been there forever about the state of things at the island. He remembered my drink order so I'm apparently notorious now lol. And once again the food orders this time was so good and fresh and hot (very hot-beware of you order fish fingers) So very pleasantly surprised! Whatever you changed in the past 4 years, keep it up! Where a lot of places seem to have gotten worse since Ian you guys improved on n a huge way and we look forward to coming back now

Lazy Flamingo is finally reopened! After the hurricanes a couple of years ago, this location was…read moreclosed as they rebuilt and recovered. I was so happy that it reopened again and we could not wait to get here! We did not have a reservation and did not have to wait for a table. The night we went must have a been a good night since it was not very busy. We do usually go for lunch but decided to do dinner this year. My family is very traditional and know what we like. We started with clam chowder and the garlic bread with marinara. The clam chowder, OMG this is so creamy, delicious, thick and so yummy. It's almost like a sauce it's so good. It is our favorite clam chowder around! The garlic bread is also delicious, it is crunchy, garlicky and delicious. If you want the marinara it does cost extra and honestly it is good but you can live without it. We actually dipped the garlic bread in the conch chowder. I've also tried the conch chowder also very good but very spicy. I ordered my absolute favorite dish, which is the steamer pot. It's 2 dozen steamed clams, in a steamer pot which comes with butter to dip. I think on its own, you might be hungry but adding the soup its a perfect meal. The steamer pot is actually on the appetizer menu. These clams are so delicious, served hot, with old bay. Honestly I could eat double! My mom ordered the fried shrimp and my sister ordered the buffalo shrimp. They both liked it but were not thrilled with the breading. The breading on both was very sweet and very strange for fried shrimp. My husband ordered the mahi tacos and where he loved the flavor and taste, the portion was very small for the price. He only got 2 and served with a small side of rice and beans. He enjoyed it but said he would not get it again. I do feel this is worth going. I think their prices have increased since re opening and portion sizes have decreased. My family strayed from their usual items and did not overly enjoy it. Next time they said they would stick with what the know is good. The vibe here is very chill and laid back, almost like you are in the hull of a ship. Its a very chill spot. Lots of beer selections as well. I definitely think you should add it to your list to check out.

The Lazy Flamingo is a Captiva staple and you'll find it on Periwinkle Way…read more We have been coming for many years. The atmosphere here is low key, which is especially great if you're coming straight from the beach. When you enter the restaurant you definitely get the sense of low key. The staff all wearing Lazy Flamingo t-shirts, that they sell to customers. Once we were seated our server came with waters and menus. We told her all of us were ready to order. For the table we got the Flamingo Garlic Bread with marinara. We always get this and it's delicious. For my entree I ordered the Shrimp Tacos (Lightly fried shrimp on flour tortillas with crisp slaw, topped with house-made mango salsa, & drizzled with a spicy cream sauce. Served w/black beans & rice) The shrimp was hot and well seasoned. It had a little too much breeding though. Loved the spicy cream sauce and mango salsa.The black beans were made perfectly. For drinks got a Land Shark. It paired well with the tacos; My wife ordered the Clam Chowder to start with and she loved it. For her entree she ordered the Pot (2 dozen select oysters or clams or combo, steamed in beer with special spices, celery, onions, all in their own fresh juices) This is here favorite meal here. Tonight it was still delicious. My mother in law ordered the Clam Chowder to start with as well. For her entree she ordered the Shrimp (Plump, pink, breaded (our own) prawns. Served w/cocktail sauce & French fries. She said the breading on the shrimp was a little too much; My sister in law ordered the clam chowder to start with as well. For her entree she got the Buffalo Shrimp (Six of our plump fried shrimps tossed in you of mild or hot buffalo sauce, Served w/celery & bleu cheese. All in all it was a good dinner. Again we come here every year.

Local diner. Great for breakfast. Food and service A+. Tried the crunchy French Toast. Yum.read more

Seems to be largely the same post Ian as it was before. My family has been visiting Sanibel…read moremultiple time per year since the 60s and this is always a must do and a favorite breakfast spot for us. It's brighter than it used to be but the menu is largely the same. The shell tables (very important) are the same. Service is still fast and not super friendly but that's always how it's been but it's fast & the food is good so it's just sort of part of it. Happy that the changes were minimal here and of course will be oncoming a few months

The bacon jam sliders were juicy and tasty. Reasonably priced for the portion size and the fact…read morethat it's at a resort. Slow season right now in Sanibel and all of the staff were attentive and kind.

We had a fabulous experience at BRGR Kitchen & Bar! I ordered the Mahi Mahi burger with truffle…read morefries, and it was phenomenal! The fish was fresh and didn't have that overly "fishy" taste that can sometimes come with seafood. The portion was large and the price was a pleasant surprise, about half of what many other restaurants charge for Mahi Mahi. Our waitress was friendly and genuinely sweet. The restaurant itself was spotless, vibrant, and had a welcoming atmosphere. It is just a short walk to the beach, making it the perfect spot for lunch or dinner after enjoying the ocean.

We,a party of six stopped by Grandma Dott's for an early dinner tonight. The food alone was 4.9…read morestars, but the star in the show was the service from the time we entered to the time we left the service was exceptional. It's not that hard to be nice and they were amazing. Thank you for the great food and a great dinner.

As good as it gets, & our best meal & drinks on the island!…read more We had expert server Nick & were so happy with him! He was extremely personable, fun, & sooo efficient at his job! He treated us like family, & took such good care of us. We started with cocktails: Miami Vice, Pina Colada, & a Pain Killer at Nicks suggestion. They were all delicious. Next up shared appetizers of smoked fish dip & crab cakes. I usually dislike crab cakes, but I wanted to eat all of them. The smoked fish dip was delicious too & whoever thought of frying the saltines is a genius! For our meals we each got a lunch for dinner platter which was plenty of food with the accompanying house made chips & super ripe fruit. Two of us got the coconut shrimp. They were large, fresh & delicious, very heavy on the batter. The pineapple dipping sauce was perfect with them. Two in our party got salmon & said it was excellent. They ate every bite of it. One of us devoured his lobster roll with great enjoyment. The only non- seafood eater had what he described as a really good burger. He's like Mikey from Life cereal, he hates everything...so that's very high praise for the burger. For dessert we shared both the chocolate cake & key lime pie. I usually don't like Key Lime pie because it's almost always too sweet. But theirs is amazing. Dense, creamy & very tangy, with grated lime zest all throughout the pie. The cake was delicious too. There wasn't a bite of anything left. The ambience is great. Very nautical with lovely views. The exterior is very pretty, & inside it is cozy, casual & approachable. The a/c works really well too. The servers were all cheerful & the other diners seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was such a great overall experience. Highly recommend!

Pros: Best seafood pasta I had ever had. Like, amazing and huge portions!…read more Cons: overpriced. So so so overpriced.

While visiting one of the most magical places in Florida, you should check out this place! My…read morefriends brought us here and said I wouldn't regret it, correct!!! First anything to bring the island back to life after hurricanes is necessary! What a great place to stop after the beach and seashell hunting! Another hotter than hades day, but the beach was amazing and it was the perfect after beach escape with ICE cold beers, amazing and a great waiters! The place is charming with its own gift shop that is stacked with amazing items you won't find anywhere! We had appetizers as our meals and 1 special - Prime rib sandwich on a croissant! All of it was great, not a complaint. It was busy at 2pm but a few locals and tourists! I highly recommend this place lunch or dinner! Love it, and you will too!

Finally retired after years away (post Ian) as a lifelong Sanibel visitor (2x per year my whole…read morelife and my family has been coming 2+ times per year since the 1960s) so Sanibel is our second home. While I was so sad that they had to move, I think is one of the rare improvements since Ian. There's more space. The feel of the place is the same bit upgrade (but not modern like so many places have chosen to go) Staff were friendly. Service was quick. Food was good as ever. Live that there's outdoor seating now. The rare improvement in a sea of disappointing downgrades post Ian. Thrilled for them and can wait to be back in a few months

If you're looking for breakfast on Sanibel, Lighthouse Cafe absolutely deserves a visit. We love…read morebreakfast, and after trying so many places over the years, it can start to feel like every menu offers the same dishes prepared the same way. Lighthouse Cafe managed to make a classic breakfast memorable. We ordered the French toast, and the portion was huge and easy to split. More importantly, it was absolutely delicious. The eggs we ordered were cooked exactly as needed, the bacon was perfectly crisp, and the cheese grits were rich, creamy, and full of flavor. We literally cleaned our plates and ate every bite despite our intentions to simple stop by for a taste. One of the biggest surprises was adding fish to breakfast. It's not something I would have ever thought to eat for breakfast, but it ended up being one of the highlights of the meal. The fish was incredibly tender and paired surprisingly well with the rest of the meal. It was such a unique addition that it changed the way I think about breakfast. We intentionally ordered some standard breakfast items because we believe that's the best way to judge a breakfast restaurant. If a place can make the classics exceptionally well, that's usually a great sign. Lighthouse Cafe exceeded our expectations across the board with their delicious plates and service. Not to mention it is nice to visit a locally owned restaurant whose owner is present and working alongside their staff. From the quality of the food to the generous portions, everything was excellent. If you're on Sanibel and want a breakfast that goes beyond the ordinary while still nailing all the classics, Lighthouse Cafe is a great place to visit.

By far best restaurant in Captiva or Sanibel, food is fresh, staff so friendly, helpful. Must do!read more

A very posh place with very posh customers. The food has such an interesting history and yet is a…read moresimple and lovely fare. All of the items I had--3 different appetizers shared between me and one other, plus dessert--were perfectly cooked and equally satisfying. The tables and room were small but I felt this fit with the idea of a small French bistro. The ceiling is quite unique.

We had visited this restaurant over ten years ago and we're excited to see they reopened after the…read morehurricane. With reservations for a birthday dinner we were a little early but seated right away in a busy dining room. I ordered a Shrimp Livornaise with housemade pasta. The dish was tasty and the shrimp were large but the pasta was minimal and just ok. We split a Cedar salad and saw a $5 charge on our bill for the kitchen splitting the salad, of which we were not informed when ordering. Also our bill included a 3% "COST OF DOING BUSINESS" charge when first presented, not knowing if we were paying by Cash or Credit card. Not the same experience as our first visit.

We had a decent dinner here. They've remodeled since we were here last -- over 10 years ago…read more Luckily, they didn't suffer much damage at all from Hurricane Ian. But as we left, we both said to each other that something was off and we wouldn't be back. I can't put my finger on it exactly. It didn't help that they charge an extra fee for doing business (!) that was on the bill presented to us --even before they knew whether we were going to pay with cash or a credit card -- and that they had a splitting dish charge of $5 (which I had them remove; as it was never explained, only offered). Or that they never acknowledged my husband's birthday. But they did have our reservation correctly and we were seated immediately. The room is large and airy and open. But it's also without any warmth or personality. The large loud table of young couples seated next to us -- who didn't know what most of the menu items were -- didn't help. Our service was okay, too. But here again something felt a tad off and fake. We started by sharing a caprese salad. We added extra balsamic glaze. For our main dishes, my husband had the shrimp Livornese. Large shrimp served with olives and capers in a tomato sauce. The pasta was skimpy and he doubted that it was housemade. I had their salmon. It came with mashed potatoes and a couple asparagus spears. It was good. For dessert, we had the berry cobbler without the ice cream. It was disappointing. And would have been better served hot -- not barely lukewarm. I'm glad we came back to try them. Now we know.

Came here while staying in Captiva, it's a 20 min drive and so worth it! The restaurant is located…read morein a cute shopping plaza surrounded with little shops. Extremely clean and the staff is friendly and very attentive. We went for breakfast (didn't take pics lol) and it was so good we went back the next day for lunch! Large menu. Outdoor seating that allows . Breakfast: The special avocado, bacon, tomato Benedict was scrumptious. My boyfriend enjoyed the meat lovers omelette and the biscuits and gravy. Lunch: loved the buffalo chicken wrap. The chicken was very crispy and delicious. The pasta salad was refreshing.

I was excited about everything about over easy café from the location, ambience, dog, friendly…read morenature and overall aesthetics. Unfortunately, that excitement faded as soon as we sat down. I know people love this place. I wanted to love this place. Our waitress was fine, just fine a little lackluster, but she got the job done. Here's what we ordered for three of us: cinnamon roll, the shrimp omelette, something like the veggie omelette, and eggs Benedict. We also had a side of corned beef hash, and one of us had a coffee. The shrimp omelette was flavorless. It came with a side of hollandaise sauce, which unfortunately was so gelatinized that it kind of was like pudding but thicker. The coffee was so weak. My companion didn't even want a refill. The cinnamon roll had no lovely layer of the cinnamon butter sugar mixture that normally is in a cinnamon roll. To boot it felt like it was microwaved because the bread was hard and Chewy. It was difficult for us to even cut through it. My eggs Benedict had that same gelatinized hollandaise sauce on it there was no zing from the lemon that should have been in there. Now this is my favorite breakfast meal, and I generally devour the entire dish: unfortunately in this case, I left the entire other half with the dark, heavy congealed hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise sauce should not be so thick it doesn't move. The corned beef hash was yummy. Thankfully. The other omelette was fine but just fine; rather flavorless and watery due to the vegetables in it. The potatoes were fine just not my preference for potatoes. In my opinion, our waitress should have seen the vast majority of food left over on our table and asked us what was up. I would have loved to tell her, but I didn't want it to seem like it was just a bunch of complaints. It's just amazing how every single item except for the corned beef hash fell short. Hopefully the owners read this. But maybe I am just an anomaly in guests here as people love this place.