The drinks were okay--not phenomenal--but the grouper tacos were amazing. We absolutely would've…read moreordered them again if The Oasis hadn't closed for the rest of our visit due to a storm. We loved eating by the pool, and I have to say... those grouper tacos were sooo good!! Grouper was high on our seafood must-have list while we were down here, and it definitely did not disappoint.

Poolside bar at Tween Waters on Captiva Island, nice place! Super service! Went with multiple…read morefood groups, Pina Colada and IPA!

Food, service, and ambiance are all 10's! Our server…read moreSerenity was the best and knew so much history on this place!

Wow! Everything about this place was great! The food, the drinks, the ambiance - It was a great…read moreexperience and I don't know why I haven't been here before. A couple things to know - go with an appetite, and make sure you get desert! I had the filet mignon with Risotto and the Red Velvet. The husband had the Prime Rib and cheese cake.

This is by far my favorite place to have dinner on Captiva Island. The food is excellent and the…read moreService is wonderful. We went twice in one week.!

My wife and I were tired of the same 7 restaurants that we seem to visit every time we come to…read moreCaptiva. The fact that 3 of those 7 have been permanently (or semi-permanently) shut down notwithstanding- we finally decided to explore a few new places. Sunshine popped up in Yelp! and it sounded interesting and looked like a cute little place (according to the wife) If you're not specifically LOOKING for it- you'll easily miss it, if that makes sense. It's located right next to RC Otters (their outside seating seamlessly segues into Otters' outdoor tables) and there's very limited parking. They do, in fact, have their own parking lot but, due to hurricane rebuilding construction, it's quite difficult to figure out the maze-like separation of fencing and one-way arrows, ha ha! Once we found a spot and wandered over to the restaurant, the hostess/waitress (and, I suspect? part owner?) came out to greet us. We were seated -outside at our request -at a nice table underneath an outdoor pavilion-style area. Ceiling fans were abundant and the air was redolent with the aromas of cooking from more than just one or two kitchens! My wife and I ordered the Focaccia bread with roasted garlic and a balsamic reduction, and the Lobster Bisque. The bread was-- JJ Walker style-- DY-NO-MITE! And the two condiments really worked well with amazing bread. My wife's soup was fabulous- it came in a crock baked with a puff-pastry shell over the top. Each bite composed of savory pastry, large chunks of lobster meat, and a sherry-sweetened seafood cream broth. We cleaned our respective plates with much sharing and crumb-making! My dinner was the Chef's take on Paella. It was very interesting- adding capers, Kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts to the standard shrimp, clams, chicken, and Chorizo, served over tender rice. My wife's dish was the star of the show- she had the fish special: Chilean Sea Bass with a Sweet Thai chili sauce served over blah blah blah with a side of whazzawhoozit. I'm sorry- the fish was SOOOO good that I've forgotten what else was on her plate! Either way- the piece of fish was absolutely enormous and the sauce was just fabulous. I'm fairly certain there were a few shrimp gracing the plate as well, but again- THAT FISH! We were both so insanely full that we didn't even think about perusing the desert menu. I'm sure that whatever they may have had on offer was fabulous but we just couldn't eat another bite. The service was impeccable. The food was to die for (That FISH!!! That SOUP!) and even the ambiance was totally "island time!" Sunshine Cafe is now on our rotation for next year! I highly recommend stopping in for a bite if you have the opportunity! EDIT: as noted in another review- my wife ordered the Sea Bass "special." While we never saw the special on the menu (it was read off to us as we sat at the table) we were also NOT informed about the "Special surcharge." It was $22.00. Look- I'm not a cheapskate. I don't usually look too closely at the prices while we're out dining on vacation. I'm a ridiculous tipper. If the service was decent- I'll always give 20, 25, even 30%. NOT all that long ago, I gave a $100 tip on a $200 bill. BUT- backdoor and hidden charges make me wildly upset. The Sea Bass was amazingly good. But it was $70.00 instead of $48.00 thanks to the "special surcharge". I took 2 stars off for deceptive pricing. I WILL examine the next check very carefully. I do NOT include tax and surcharges on the amount that I tip on. This will be reflected in my next tip, as well. Grrrrr!

Ambiance was excellent. Service was also excellent. However, the kitchen needs some work. You don't…read morewant to spend $70 on a steak to have it cooked all the way through.

Avoid this place. I…read moreplanned a birthday dinner here for my girlfriend and the experience was a disaster from start to finish. The address listed on Google is wrong. After arriving at the advertised location, we were told the restaurant had moved and had to take a trolley 10 minutes away in the dark just to find it. When we finally arrived, the restaurant was nearly empty, but manager Alex refused to seat us because we didn't have wristbands. Nowhere online, on Google, or at the original location was this requirement disclosed. We offered to pay cash or credit card and were still turned away. No apology. No attempt to help. No solution. The most troubling part came afterward. While waiting for the trolley back, I overheard Alex allow another couple without wristbands to dine, despite telling us it was against policy. The only obvious difference was that they were a white couple, while my girlfriend and I are an interracial couple. I don't make accusations lightly, and I rarely leave negative reviews. As a longtime business owner, I understand the impact reviews can have. But this experience was unacceptable. The only bright spot was a waiter named Knox, who showed genuine empathy and tried to help. He was the only person there who seemed to care about customer service. Every other restaurant in the area was packed that night. This one was empty. After our experience, I understand why.

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

No food available, no real drinks beyond generic beer. Nice service and decor though, would not…read morecome back for a second time, but glad I tried it once.

Excellent location vibe and tropical feel. Only issue is goofy 3 percent fee if using credit cardread more

Yummy, so fresh and so delicious. We had a great experience there and their staff are all so…read morefriendly. Quick service too. Yum!

Alexis was the absolute best ever!!!! Made amazing drinks, food was great. Will forever and always…read morereturn as long as Alexis is here!

We discovered the Shipyard last year and has become one we look forward to each year now! We…read morerecently visited again and it was just as good as we remembered! Shipyard is located at Tween Waters resort. There are actually a couple of restaurants at this resort, but they are open to everyone, you do not need to be staying here. We did make a reservation but it is not needed. Inside is on the smaller side, not a lot of tables. It can get really busy during peak seasons. They do have a bar with seats and this time we went early and had some cocktails and apps before sitting down. My only issue this time, was we did make a reservation. They sat our party of 5 at a table for 4 with a chair on the end. We were very cramped. We did ask for a bigger table towards the back but were told it was for a group of 14. I get that HOWEVER, we were finished eating, paid and left before that group of 14 even showed up. We could have gotten a better seating arrangement. My sister sat on the end and we were extremely tight at the table. The chairs are also not hip friendly so I was extremely uncomfortable the entire time. This restaurant does offer great sunset views with all their open windows. Captiva is known for their beautiful sunsets. At the bar, we ordered cocktails and 2 apps. For appetizers we got the Drunken Shrimp which are large peeled Gulf Shrimp, cooked in a zesty sauce of beer, chili sauce and butter with bread for dipping, as well as friend Calamari. I did not love these shrimp to be honest. They had a weird sweet flavor to them. They were gigantic shrimp though, but I would not get these again. For drinks my husband ordered a Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned, which he enjoyed. I ordered the Key Lime Pie Martini which had Vanilla Vodka, Coco Lopez, Key Lime Juice, Graham Cracker Rim and I loved this! I got it last year as well and just as good as I remembered. My sister ordered a Rum Runner which she loved and my mom, ordered a Cosmopolitan. She enjoyed this too even saying it was the perfect color! IYKYK at the table I also ordered an espresso martini and my husband ordered one as well but with Casamigos Reposado tequila. Both very good! For food myself and my mom ordered our favorite item on the menu, I think about this dish and will probably get it each and every visit. It is the Sesame Blackened Salmon which is pan-seared sesame blackened Scottish Salmon with coconut rice, crisp stir-fry veggies, "Red Pepper Jam," and sweet soy. 100 out of 10!! My husband ordered the Salmon Club which was Grilled Scottish Salmon on sourdough toast with pineapple tartar sauce, sugar-cured bacon, lettuce and tomato. It was very tasty and really good. He enjoyed it. In the future though he would ask for the tarter on the side, it was pretty heavy and hes not a huge fan of tarter. My dad ordered the Grouper Sandwich which he got friend. It had lettuce, sliced tomato, red onion and pineapple tartar sauce served on a brioche bun, he did ask for the tarter on the side. It was very tasty. My sister was the only one who did not enjoy her meal and actually sent it back. She ordered the Grilled Grouper which was Served on coconut rice with Piña Colada butter, pineapple salsa and vegetable medley. It was also one of the most expensive items on the menu. It was a really sad serving of grouper, and it was ice cold, as though it had been sitting for a really long time. Overall, I would highly recommend this location. This has become our first night tradition and we will visit each and every year. Add this to your list for sure!

The Shipyard is located at Tween Waters resort. You do not need to be staying here, in order to…read moredine here. The restaurant has a nautical theme throughout with buoys, boat ropes, lanterns and more. We did make a reservation but it is not needed. We arrived early so we decided to go sit at the bar and have some drinks and appetizers. Once seated at the bar we were greeted quickly by the bartender. We put in our order asap. For appetizers we got the Drunken Shrimp (Large peeled Gulf Shrimp, cooked in a zesty sauce of beer, chili sauce and butter with bread for dipping) and Calamari For drinks I ordered a Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned, my wife got a Key Lime Pie Martini ( Vanilla Vodka, Coco Lopez, Key Lime Juice, Graham Cracker Rim), my sister in law ordered a Rum Runner, my mother in law ordered a Cosmopolitan. The calamari was hot, crispy and light. The Drunken Shrimp has a nice mild spice and the shrimp large a succulent. The drinks were delicious and potent. We finish our appetizers before our table was ready in the main dining area. Once the buzzer went off we headed to our seats. Our server greeted us warmly and we knew exactly what we wanted so we put the orders in. We got second round of drinks. I got a Casamigos Reposado Espresso Martini, my wife got a regular Espresso Martini, mother in law ordered another Cosmopolitan. I ordered the Salmon Club (Grilled Scottish Salmon on sourdough toast with pineapple tartar sauce, sugar-cured bacon, lettuce and tomato) This was delicious. The sourdough toasted, salmon was well seasoned and hot, the only thing I should have asked was to put the sauce on the side; My wife and mother in law ordered the Sesame Blackened Salmon (Pan-seared sesame blackened Scottish Salmon with coconut rice, crisp stir-fry veggies, "Red Pepper Jam," and sweet soy) they said they enjoyed the meal. Quote the salmon is perfect; my father in law ordered the Grouper Sandwich (Your choice of grilled, blackened or fried fresh Gulf grouper with lettuce, sliced tomato, red onion and pineapple tartar sauce served on a brioche bun) he have it a 10 out of 10; my sister in law ordered the Grilled Grouper (Served on coconut rice with Piña Colada butter, pineapple salsa and vegetable medley) she unfortunately didn't like her meal. The grouper was cold a tough to chew. That was a bummer but staff was apologetic. All in all we will return to the Shipyard for sure.

Harbourside Bar and Grill is located at the marina of the South Seas resort. We went here on 4th of…read moreJuly. We were seated promptly - the hostess and waitress Yany were very nice. Service was quick and that was appreciated as we wanted to see the fireworks right after. My son had the cheese pizza which was goods I had the piccata - it was ok, could have been more flavorful and lemony. They serve garlic knots up front. We had a coffee with chocolate and whipped cream for dessert which was yummy. Note for future: you can probably see the fireworks from the outside tables.

Super friendly staff. Well mannered, enthusiastic bartender who paid much attention to the details…read moreof his concoctions. The bar area was our favorite spot. A mature clientele filled the restaurant. A few grand babies scattered throughout. Wasn't our first choice, but perfect for seniors , and those who enjoy historical venues. We appreciated its charm and history. The menu was impressive and the desserts we observed at a few tables looked delightful. 3.5 stars