Perfect place to grab a quick lunch, a nice dinner with the family, or just an ice cream scoop with friends! Located in the middle of downtown, this place is a must-go when on Gasparilla Island. I have been visiting the island every year with my family for the past 15 years and my cousins and I always plan to eat here at least twice during our stay. My go-tos are the fried green tomatoes to split with the table as an appetizer with grouper fingers as my main. I definitely think they have the best grouper fingers on the island. They gave outdoor and indoor seating, which is nice for days where the weather is a bit Iffy. Other than a place for a quick sit-down lunch, they also have a dinner menu that is a bit more formal. I've only dined here for dinner once, but it was pretty good. This place is also the best because their ice cream shop area stays open until 9pm, which is later than any other ice cream place in town! read more

One of the most affordable restaurants on the island. Food is tasty with lots of flavors and spices. It's not bland at all. I ordered half a turkey sandwich and a bowl of the chicken white bean soup. I was surprised how good it was for something so simple. Friends had the cheeseburger and onion rings, shrimp with rice and beans and the reuben! All very tasty and the server was friendly, timely and accommodating. Outdoor seating is relaxing and there is a nice breeze. Inside is cool and dark. Great place to escape the heat. read more

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Decent food, okay service Good stop along the bike trail, I liked the beans and yellow rice. read more

Keylime Bistro - Inside, high ceilings and wall murals - American Near Me - Boca Grande, Florida

One of the worse meal experiences ever. Service was awful and food the same. Went there for a late lunch with my wife and friend. Gave us plastic ware to eat with for utensils. Literally, dropped a small bag of potato chips in front of my friend half way through our lunch. When asked to use the restroom, we were told to go inside to ask. We were given a key attached to an 18 inch pipe and told to walk around back of the building. Gross! Wasted $104 and left feeling ripped off. read more

I'm a fan of the Boca Grande wrap but not the price. It's good but not that good. What really gets me about this place is when I want ice cream at night and their website says they are open until 9:00, but they are closed at 8:00. Drives me insane... read more

Charged $1.00 extra to overpriced Grouper sandwich to grill it?? Tasteless and tartar sauce was more like mayo. Served with a bag of chips and a pickle. Outdoor atmosphere was nice though. read more

Love love love the Loose Caboose! They have some of the best coffee on the island and fro their salads to their omelettes, everything on the menu is delicious and affordable. The servers are always courteous and I like the way the restaurant has been observing COVID safety protocol. My go-to place on the island! read more

My friend picked this spot for lunch while visiting Boca Grande for the day. The menu looked tasty and the outside patio was inviting. Unfortunately that is about where the good stuff ended. I ordered the Grilled Shrimp Wrap. The menu states that you can substitute a side salad instead of chips for $3.50 so when I ordered my wrap I said I would like it with the caesar salad, and our waitress acknowledged me without any question. When the food arrived, I noticed that my wrap came with a bag of chips anyway, and I also got a medium-ish sized caesar salad. When the check came I notice that I had conveniently been charged for the wrap ($15) and a full caesar salad ($11). Needless to say I was pretty irked. I did not challenge the waitress on this (more on that in a minute) so part of the fault is on me for that one. The food overall was very bland. The salad, while not the worst caesar I have had was FAR from worth $11 (we're talking a standard 10" paper plate and it wasn't piled high). If I had ordered it outright as my entree I would have been really, really disappointed. My shrimp wrap disappointed as well. The shrimp which were supposed to be grilled were devoid of any seasoning and had no grill marks/charring that one would expect. They really seemed to have been boiled or steamed possibly. I finally resorted to dousing the thing in hot sauce to try to get some flavor happening. We were a party of 8 that split up between two tables, and prior to ordering we informed the waitress that we would need to do split checks. When we got the check she had combined both tabkes on to one check (along with the 20% gratuity for large parties). We asked to split the bill but said we were fine keeping the gratuity on (she had been friendly for the most part). She all but refused to split the check for us. We finally got her to at least split the two tables apart into two separate bills (she kept the gratuity on of course). Her attitude through all of this was pretty sour even though A) we were being very apologetic and B) we had specifically requested split checks before we sat down. I would have brought up the salad issue, but she was obviously not going to work with me at this point. So in the end I paid $40 for one beer, an awful wrap (with a bag of Lays I didn't eat) and a caesar salad that could have been made from a kit bought in a grocery store. Definitely would not go back. Only reason I am not giving 1-star here is because I take partial blame for the salad incident. read more

Stopped by for late lunch on a Sunday afternoon while biking through Boca Grande. Sat outside. I had a 1/4 lb beef hot dog that came with bag of chips and pickle spear ($9.00); just an average hot dog, so I think the price was way too high. I added side order of fries for $2.75; they tasted like Ore-Oda Zesties. Try it for yourself. This is just my experience. read more

Keylime Bistro - Hot dog with red onions, chips and pickle. - American Near Me - Boca Grande, Florida

Frustrating and tough to get a seat here. Loose Caboose does not have a hostess to seat people nor do they have a sign in sheet or any part of order. They let you fend for yourself to find a table. So not only is it frustrating to find a table, but it's also uncomfortable while you are eating for people to be hovering over you watching you eat in hope to pounce on your table when you are done. Poor business model. read more

This rating is based on the key lime pie (that is all I had during this visit). All of the food looked good, and I will try something on my next trip. Again, the Key LIme Pie was fantastic. My friend raved about the crust and I agree, but the pie was one of the best i've ever had!. And I am the Key Lime Pie freak boy. Hundreds of slices from Key West to Traverse City Michigan. read more

Stopped here on a Sunday with my husband daughter and son in law. Friendly hostess seated us outdoors as we requested we had our dog and they brought us a bowl of water for him- nice. Live music nice although a bit loud. Wait person nice and friendly. We ordered calamari and mussels - calamari good not fond of marinara mussel preparation and portions of both quite small for the price. Seafood chowder - husband said very tasty but very thin with not much actual seafood chunks. Son in law said grouper sandwich was good. My daughter ordered a Caesars salad - the bottled dressing tasted like creamy Italian - Not like any Caesar dressing any of us had ever tasted. The coup de grace was the $16 three "jumbo" shrimp" wish I'd taken a picture- medium sized shrimp at the most. So if you run out of actual Jumbo shrimp serve more then of the smaller size rather then three medium shrimp for $16. Sorry I couldn't give more stars thought the three I did allot was generous. read more

Save your money and go to SOUTH BEACH RESTAURANT up the island. Enjoy better service, prices, food and no extra fees charged at Loose cabshit. Also SOUTH BEACH has great views of the water. read more

Kids loved the ice cream and was welcomed With a warm friendly smile inside. Thank you read more

Keylime Bistro - My children enjoying a moment eating ice cream outside at Loose Caboose. - American Near Me - Boca Grande, Florida

Chef Tim made sure my lunch was both vegan and gluten free! Super tasty and fresh food though fully prepared. The Vegan Cold plate was amazing! Service was amazing, super prompt and friendly staff. My hubby is not not vegan and loved his Hog Fish BLT. I cannot wait to come back! read more

Keylime Bistro - Vegan Cold Plate - American Near Me - Boca Grande, Florida

Ate there yesterday, our first time in Boca Grande. Enjoyed walking around town, old Florida ambiance. Service at the restaurant was very good, took our order and food came out very quickly. Fried green tomatoes, Firehouse chili, and taco salad. Tasty food, but significantly overpriced, understand it's a tourist town, but two starters and a small salad over $30. Not sure if I would spend that again , will look for other options read more

VERY dissatisfied! First of all, our server was excellent. Whitney couldn't have been cheerier or more attentive. However, I ordered the grouper basket. After I ate the first 2 very good fingers, I discovered the rest were chicken fingers . Whitney was very apologetic and spoke with the manager. It would take "quite awhile " to cook up more grouper fingers for me-I did not wish to wait. She said the manager would be out to talk to me shortly as she was scooping ice cream. 15 minutes later-no manager. She sends the poor server back out to tell me she would only charge me for the chicken finger basket....which I did not order and could not eat. VERY POOR RESPONSE! Poor business response! That's not how you take care of your customers! read more

What a fantastic place! We just stopped in for a snack, my bf had the grouper fingers and I had the friend green tomatoes. Both were fantastic, but especially the grouper fingers. They were so good!! The staff were so nice. We had been in the area for the weekend and sought out dog friendly places as we had our dog with us. This place beat all the restaurants we had been to. They have a dog menu and they brought our dog, Amber out a free scoop of ice cream and a HUGE bucket of water to drink. They kept coming by to see her and she loved every bit of it. Highly recommend this place and looking forward to visiting again! read more

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Not recommended. We went in for what we hoped and should have been a quick lunch. We knew there was a problem when the drinks took 20 minutes. We ordered a burger, a fish wrap and 2 salads. They took an hour. Burger was a hockey puck and the wrap had multiple hairs in it. It wasn't even that busy. read more

A fantastic restaurant that really helps to make one's stay on Boca Grande (or in the area!) all the better. This little restaurant has a lot going for it, to say the least. As other reviewers have mentioned, the seafood at the restaurant is spectacular and really not to be missed. Local catch is the name of the game at the Loose Caboose, and the food really is great. Not to mention, of course, that it is really the most reasonably priced place to take advantage of while on holiday on the island. The staff - particularly the owners - really go out of their way to provide an excellent experience for customers. They are a genuine wealth of knowledge for those traveling or new to the area who want to take advantage of their fantastic surroundings. Finally, the ice cream is fantastic. Home-made and in a variety of interesting flavors (everything from Apple Pie to 'Love Potion'), the only real downside is that the don't necessarily have your favorite flavor every day of the week. Then again, simply asking for it can get you farther than you might expect here. ;-) Can't recommend highly enough. Definitely worthy of a visit. read more

I LOVE The Loose Caboose! Here's why: The service was amazing. She knew what she was talking about, she knew what foods to suggest, and she was nice and lively. The food was great. My boyfriend got the fried shrimp and I had a sandwich similar to a Philly Cheese Steak...I can't remember what it was called though. We LOVED it. The price is a little much, but I really don't mind paying a few extra bucks if the service and food are good quality. read more

Great alfresco lunch spot on great little Main st type atmosphere. Amazing fresh and house made ice cream and the most amazing Key Lime pie! read more

Keylime Bistro - Best Key Lime pie we have found anywhere! - American Near Me - Boca Grande, Florida

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This place is grossly overpriced. They serve your food on paper plates, cups and bowls. My salad tasted fine. My wife, her sister and their mother didn't like their food. All we got was 4 drinks, a salad with no protein, a burger, a wrap and some fries. $90.00 with tip. I was flabbergasted. Server was nice though. So there's that. read more

First time at this restaurant found service slow, overpriced for sandwiches, waited an hour and half for a mediocre meal and was refused a third beer because they had a two drink maximum?? read more

If you ever been to a "hoity toity" beach town and overpaid for food that was just meh, you will be able to appropriately set expectations for the experience at this place. The service is slow and prices are high. The food is okay but nothing stands out. I ordered the $15 grouper wrap and it was actually difficult to even find the "grouper" in the wrap! The taste was fine but that was thanks to some decently spiced rice and black beans. My wife ordered the crab cake salad which was supposed to have two crabcakes on it but only came with one. Thankfully, the waitress noticed the error and that dish was comped. The rest of the salad was equal to something you can get at Chilis. It took over 30 minutes to get our food which, once again, was offset by the fact waitress apologized and had one of our dishes removed from the bill. While we were grateful for that, we were frustrated again by the fact that they would not take American Express. I don't know about you but, I get tired of hearing merchants complain about AMEX fees. When was it that customer preferences stop mattering? Oh yeah, when you're dining at an entitled establishment in a rich little beach town. read more

I ate here with a big group (very big; had the place to ourselves, actually), which as always, means I got a good sampling of entrees. I emphatically recommend going with seafood. The snapper was tasty enough, but the pampano, apparently a regional specialty, was amazing. Very light and buttery tasting. The duck and NY strip steak were also good, but nothing you couldn't get at a nice place anywhere else in the country. None of the cake/pie desserts leapt off the page at me, but I was very happy with the ice cream. You have a broad selection of standards like mint chocolate chip, or signature flavors such as a delicious blueberry cheesecake. read more

Food was decent, very overpriced. Service was good and location (outdoor seating) was nice. If you are looking for a top shelf experience this isn't it - more of an average diner outfit with bagged chips and paper plates, cups, napkins etc. Pretty standard beach town meal out. We went end middle of the week at the end of June. Seated right away, place was fairly empty. Drinks came quickly though wasn't as expecting paper cups. Menu is large and varied - kiddo 1 had grilled cheese and fries (upcharged for fries is hefty, chips are standard), kid 2 burger and onion rings (hefty charge for substitution) mom had crab cake sandwich, dad Cuban and me the BLTA. Everything was tasty and well prepared. Everyone liked their food. Should always expect to pay more in beach town, but really didn't think food for value work d out regardless of location. read more

Have to say I'm not a fan of this restaurant. We waited for our food for over an hour, the waitress got half of our orders wrong, and half of our meals out of the 8 of us was not good. The other guests at tables surrounding us were equally disappointed with our waitress and the service as we overheard their conversations. Really disappointing as the place looked promising. read more

Appears to be a little unorganized as there is no one to check in with and no signs telling you just to sit where you want that we could readily see. Staff is nice, but it appeared they were either short staffed or didn't expect it to be this busy as the waitress was overwhelmed to a point that it effected prompt service and she had no time to be attentive. NOT her fault, though. She was hustling as fast as she could. The onion rings were ok . Did not appear to be hand battered. The sauce that came with them was delicious!!! The sliders were very good. Would definitely go back, but may question my returning depending on the crowd if in a rush or short on time. If nice weather, really nice to sit outside. No restrooms inside. We were given direction to walk around a building and so many doors down. With my mother being handicapped, this process was not convenient. read more

Disappointed in the Cuban, wasn't even on Cuban bread. Think it was some kind of pita bread

I'm sad that we had a disappointing experience at Loose Caboose because it looks so adorable!! It took a long time for us to get service even though we saw 3 servers outside where we were sitting. The food was also just OK and considering how many amazing places there are to eat in Boca it just couldn't compare. I got the shrimp wrap with tomatoes and artichokes. Should've been full of flavor but it ended up being kind of bland and messy to eat. I sadly didn't get to try the ice cream which seems to be a big hit.....will probably try 3rd Street Cafe next time over Loose Caboose. read more

I've been coming here for 20plus years and have put up with their rudeness because they have the best ice cream on the island. However, this year their service and rude waitresses hit an all time high. I'm so disappointed. read more

I read the reviews and still wanted to try it. I must have gotten really lucky because my waitress (Angela?) was awesome. She sat me 10 minutes before they closed and never once rushed me. My teenagers enjoyed the appetizer platters and we'll definitely visit again. read more

Big disappointment- very over priced and very average food. I got a basic salad with a crab cake added. It was served on a plastic plate with a plastic utensils. Despite asking what the price would be (told it would be $20 ) and that there was a comparable salad that came with a crab cake for $20, I was charged $28! When I questioned the waitress her attitude was basically "oh well"they charged you the appetizer price ($13) plus the price of the salad ($15). I'm not one who minds paying for good food. I do take issue with getting ripped off. read more

Worst Service. I am so disappointed they keep this woman employed here. From the reviews she has been running of customers for years. What gives. read more

Good food. Great service. The best ice cream. I come here every summer and look forward to eating the Cuban panini. The sliders are also delicious. The owner Blanche is so nice and is the main reason my family and I always stop at the loose caboose when we visit boca grande. read more

This is our favorite restaurant on this island. The food by far is the best ever. The owners have done their customers proud. It's a must for all our friends and family. read more

Very crowded and service reflected it. Fried green tomatoes were delicious. Other tables food looked very appetizing.

Natasha is one of the most unique servers I've ever met. She meets all your needs and beyond. This was one of the best lunches I've had on Boca Grande. read more

Keylime Bistro - Natasha delivered a extravagent dish that I've never tasted this delicious in my life. The Calimari was hands down the best I've ever tried - American Near Me - Boca Grande, Florida

Service with a smile. Great atmosphere, and the food is wonderful. Had the Chicken Cesar wrap, and it was stuffed with perfectly grilled chicken. The wrap was huge. Definitely get your money worth. read more