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

We are vacationing with a group of 10 on North Captiva Island, and decided to spend the afternoon…read morepoolside. I'm so glad we did. This turned out to be one of our favorite stops on the island so far! We were lucky enough to have Rene as our server--friendly, upbeat, and genuinely helpful. She offered thoughtful recommendations and never missed a beat, even with a larger group. Let's talk food & drinks: Key Lime Frozen Drink - My brother ordered this and it was the standout of the day. Creamy, tart, and tropical. Like Key Lime Pie in a glass! Chicken Tenders & Fries - My daughter gave these a big thumbs up. The fries were golden, crispy, and super fresh--not greasy at all. Chicken BLT - I ordered this and skipped the brioche bun (though it looked amazing!). Even bun-less, it was flavorful and satisfying. Blackened Grouper Tacos - My dad went with these and they looked fantastic--fresh, vibrant, and full of flavor. He also had a Rum Runner, which was strong, smooth, and perfectly blended. (Not for the faint of heart!) The poolside ambiance was exactly what you want on a sunny island day--lively music, a splashing fountain, and a relaxed crowd. We didn't feel rushed, and it was easy to just settle in and enjoy the afternoon. Whether you are staying on the island or visiting for the day, definitely make time to stop here. Friendly service, great food, and that laid-back island energy. We will be back before the trip is over!

Our group had been boating for a few hours and were able to pull up at the dock around 3pm. There…read morewere plenty of spots. The dock was well maintained and the restaurant/bar has a decent feel with sand all around. It was a super hot day so we made our way inside and snagged one of the few tables that was in there. My brother and I made our way to the bar outside to order drinks for our group. We ordered 2 watermelon mojitos, a margarita, and a strawberry lemonade. The drinks were all served in regular plastic solo cup size cups. I paid $80. This is astronomical especially for what we received. I'm not new to the island hopping life but this was way overpriced. The Watermelon mojito had a sort of phoney taste to it. Maybe it was not fresh juice used. I was told the margarita was just mehhh. But that price for 3 alcoholic drinks and 1 plain lemonade still gets me. This is definitely not the spot to stay for a long time and enjoy many drinks over an afternoon.

BEWARE! SHADY 20% tip automatically added to bill labeled as "OPERATIONS CHARGE" (or similar name…read moreif i remember correctly) so that maybe you don't notice and still tip additional. Also, the bartenders lie about the prices to intentionally mislead customers. Extremely OVERPRICED drinks! I'm debating alerting the BBB about my experience. Mainstay offers a 16oz glass or a 20oz 'bucket' mixed drink choice. When ordering, I asked the male bartender on 3/17 (St Paddy's) the difference in prices and was told that "The bucket is a better deal if you plan to order two or more drinks since it's only $2 more and you only pay the extra charge for the bucket on the first drink". Great - i planned to order 2-3 drinks so it made sense for me to pay extra for the 20oz 'bucket' drink. When I went up to order my 2nd drink it was a female bartender who took my order this time. I held my empty 'bucket' up to show her I had already purchased it and ordered the Mai Tai in a bucket. I asked if I need to give her my bucket to refill and she said 'no, hold on to it we'll give you a new one'. Well, she did give me a new one but she also charged me $13 AGAIN for the 'bucket' charge. So I paid $20 for the drink + $13 for the bucket. $33 for the drink. The 16oz drink is $18. Bartenders intentionally mislead customers. BEWARE OF THIS PLACE.

A bit confusing because they've reopened or rebranded to Mainstay (but some of their signs and all…read moreof their merch still says Barnacles), but we stopped here on a boating day in Fort Myers! SPACE This is a casual spot to boat up to with outdoor covered seating, indoor dollar bar seating, bags/games to play and beachy vibes. SERVICE Service was great! The person taking our order was lovely, as was the team bringing out our food. FOOD Food was great! We loved the bang bang shrimp tacos, the mahi mahi plate, and the buffalo shrimp especially. DRINKS They've got a great cocktail menu with delicious frozen and tropical favorites. PRICE Prices are STEEP - but what else do you expect from a boat-up restaurant on an isolated tiny island? It's all part of the experience. ICE CREAM Most people don't know it, but upstairs is more rooftop seating - go inside up top and they have an ice cream shop with merch for sale too!

This restaurant is actually called Mainstay and Barnacle Bar. Came here with Adventures in…read moreParadise. Got Boom Boom Shrimp Tacos (a play on Bang Bang sauce). Very good--cooked perfectly and the sauce was yummy. Nice outside eating area, inside looked cramped and not overly clean. Server was pretty grumpy when taking our orders but must have stressed down because she seemed friendly when she said goodbye to our group. Do expect to pay a fairly high surcharge to eat here, not sure what that's all about, but expect it. And prices are high, but we're on an island only accessible by boat or plane, so keep expectations in line with that. Restaurant is in front of a gigantic island dump, so that's not wonderful. If you brave the walk by the dump you can see Salty Approach, this notorious air strip that's talked about a lot on boat tours down there. Pretty cool.

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.

Just ate here for the first time. The Cuban sandwich was…read moreamazing!!! Can't wait to try something else on the menu next time.

Very, very good food and service. I had almost eaten it all before I remembered to take a photo!!…read more The Cuban was amazing. Visiting here from the Florida Panhandle and we will probably stop here and get another Cuban for the ride home. Delicious!

I am giving RC Otters five starts because it has been a solid place to visit in Captiva for…read moredecades, and it also served me the most amazing end of vacation Bloody Mary ever just two weeks ago. Island eats are meant to be enjoyed on island time - without a rush, in good company, and in the sun. I've been coming to RC Otters since I was a little kid and rented the house down Andy Rosse lane by Mucky Duck. It used to be one of our treats to eat there for breakfast instead of at our house during our summer vacations. This past visit - we missed the breakfast cut off and had lunch there. I opted for the grouper sandwich. Something about a fish sandwich on an island is just luxury to me. They offer it grilled, blackened, bronzed, or fried. Bronzed sounded intriguing to me which is a mix of savory with a hint of sweet. Wow. It was awesome. I also ordered a bloody mary which was delicious. My sister in law got the ribs and loved them. Everyone else got the fish sandwich. Service is so friendly, and they usually have live music going on. A great, affordable place to enjoy a meal. They also have a lot in front for parking, but it's very walkable if you're staying in a house nearby or even the south seas resort.

RC Otters fits right in with the adorable and small central road of Captiva where all the eats &…read morebusinesses are. With its multi-colorful exterior it makes you feel in vacation mode just looking at it. They have an equal amount of indoor an outdoor seating, and we opted for outdoor when we came for breakfast. RC Otters is open the earliest of the few restaurants on Captiva, aside from Starbucks if you count that. All of the standard breakfast offerings were on the menu, plus a special of theirs is a breakfast sandwich that's an omelette wedged between two pieces of french toast. Kind of fun. The food was good, nothing stellar but it was decent. It was altogether an enjoyable morning with the colorful setting. They are open all day for other meals so can't speak to how the lunch or dinner food is, but we enjoyed the breakfast.

Tarpon Lodge & Restaurant is our date night location. So much charm! Indoor / outdoor dining in a…read morebuilding dating back to 1926, screen door out to the beautiful grounds, amazing food and wine menus and finally the SUNSETS! The menu focuses on locally sourced ingredients, served with Pine Island flare. The service staff is knowledgeable, attentive without being intrusive and always smiling. They really make you feel welcome and part of the family. Plenty of on-site, free parking. Make sure to plan your visit to walk the grounds and take in a sunset. Regardless of where you are in the cape or surrounding area, Tarpon Lodge restaurant is worth the drive. Cheers!

Unbelievable to witness this place rebound time and again, storm after storm, flood after flood…read more Not to mention the incredible amount of responsibility placed upon this family run hospitality business. Anyone looking to support a quiet waterfront community should certainly consider this gem. Parking in navigation can sometimes be tricky. So consider utilizing the paid parking and security offered by the Pineland Marina Safe Harbor next-door. The twisty windy Road past the historic post office, the Randall research center, and all the grounds of this archaeological treasure trove is worth the drive. But I would not encourage anybody to bike or walk due to limited unsafe pathways and frequent flooding. But once you find your sweet parking spot and don't have to worry about anything. Have lunch at the tarpon Lodge and then walk all through the community of pineland and gaze upon this country club-esque neighborhood that is anchored by an abandoned golf course. Local wildlife is rebounding in this potential preserve. Bird watches especially have opportunities to check rare sightings off of their ornithology list. Including spring time elusives like the Chuck Wills Widow nightjar, white pelicans, juvenile bald eagles looking for their life mates, pileated woodpeckers and so much more. And if you're lucky and you play your cards right, a local might give you a couple fishing tips and some secret spots. So always have a fishing pole and bait ready.

First time going there, it was a wonderful experience. Very nice servers, very patient and…read moreexplained the menu, me and my family were very satisfied with this place. It was kinda pricey, but worth the price. Food was freshly made and very delicious. Our server Anais was very helpful and gave wonderful service. Definitely worth the trip and money. Will be coming back.

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.

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.

Today was a super gloomy day and it almost looked like it was going to snow lol! Dave suggested…read morethat we head out to Matlacha and Pine Island and have a late breakfast at the Pine Island Getaway Cafe. Great idea! We love supporting our local community as it is still recovering from Hurricane Ian. We crossed the bridge towards St. James City and towards the Cafe. It was bustling and it looks like a lot of snow birds have found this hidden gem. Everything is homemade and baked there. We ordered our usual- Scrambled eggs piled high on a Croissant with bacon and cheese. A delicious crispy concoction that keeps us coming back! Not to mention the fresh ground coffee and the little patio outside overlooking a peaceful lake. We ate our sandwiches outside in the cool beautiful breezy weather. The sandwich is so yummy and you need a fork and knife to cut through the delicate croissant. Then off we go to our favorite little Publix on Pine Island to grocery shop. A lovely way to begin our day!

Incredible. Got a coffee and some desserts. The cream puff blew my mind. Will be gettin pot pie and…read moreFrench onion soup for sure next time.