The Summary: Atmosphere - 5/5 Neighborhood - 3/5 Food - 5/5 Drinks - 5/5 Inclusivity - 5/5 Experience - 5/5 The Story: Came here for my birthday dinner and could not have wished for a better experience! My boyfriend and I were seated immediately at a perfect table upstairs, with a live band close by. Our waitress was a delight from beginning to end. We had so much fun - had beignets (was my first try, and had it as an appetizer!) and the shrimp etouffee, while my boyfriend started with the gumbo before enjoying the shrimp platter. *Everything* tasted amazing, so much so we wished we could fit a second round of everything. So happy I ended the day with a taste of NOLA, all thanks to Mudbugs for a great experience! read more

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WOW!!! Just wow!! What a great place. Outdoor deck is gorgeous, best gator and shrimp I have ever had. Connor is a brand new server/bartender just trying to help out it seems, but he is excellent and deserves the recognition. EXCELLENT service with a hiccup that was immediately fixed. A MUST here in Sanibel. This place has the best food around!!! read more

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On our island date lunch my wife and I opted for a little tropical ambiance so the Mudbug's patio fit the bill. Heaters, a fire tower and plenty of tropical foliage... plus great people watching from the bike rental across the street. We were sat immediately and our server came straight away to grab us drinks. That said, she was helping the dining room and bar and was a little distracted for our time here. I had a Sazerac and my wife ordered a Brut split. We ordered a dozen oysters ($1 each is a hell of deal), 8 Stone Crabs 1/2 cold and 1/2 hot, and their Brussels sprouts kabob with pork belly. The Sazeracs were ok but needed refining. Their oysters are a must try though!...Nice presentation and nice accoutrements. The Stone Crab I'd recommend HOT. If your prefer the cold just know they serve it with honey mustard....we'd have requested butter had we known. The mustard was a little strange. The kabobs I wouldn't recommend... or least not the pork belly selection. The second option was shrimp... likely a better choice. The belly was actually cold when it arrived, chewy, and not the buttery texture we hoped for. The negative aside we really enjoyed this place. Great ambiance and decent drinks and food with great oysters! read more

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First and foremost, the food was incredible!! It was not at all purely Cajun cuisine. The food definitely had a slight New Orleans twist, but just a subtle twist. To add to that the twist was right on the mark! Not at all the same old food as all the other places on Sanibel. My wife had the Clam Strips which were not the same old frozen and fried version. They were freshly made and bread battered there. They basically melted in your mouth. I had the Cajun burger which was a nice sized burger with this unbelievable tasting pimento cheddar cheese which I am almost positive it a mixture made right there. I saw a ton of dishes go buy our table that really caught my eye, and I definitely had to go back to get, but seriously I will have to get that burger again. My wife got one side of these curly style chip fries that I had never seen before in my life. Definitely an in house make. The other side was seasonal vegetables, in which I ate all of it as she is not a vegie person, and the seasoning on them was spot on. I had the coleslaw which had a mayonnaise/vinegar sauce that was also spot on. Never had coleslaw that left me wanting more, but this did. Our server was Isabelle, and she made us feel as if we always knew her and open to all my questions. I don't ever leave reviews but honestly have to say, we had lived on Sanibel for about a year and a half, and I wish I had visited Mudbugs a long long time ago and this is definitely our new favorite dine out spot. To end, first place with some real relaxing live music. Like I said, I am not the type of person to take the time to leave a review. But I felt I had to due to how blown away we were and to actually share the experience. Lots of places on the Island, but this is a must visit while on the Island. Sincerly, Dave R. read more

Awesome everything Make sure you try the beignets when you go. They are awesome - really really close to Caffe DeMont Wish they hAd the chickory coffee Excellent atmosphere read more

Great food , service, and ambiance. Well worth the drive to Sanibel Island for dinner

Casual place on Sanibel, featuring New Orleans style fare. I got the ettoufee which was yummy and my husband got the shrimp po boy sandwich. For an appetizer we got the Brussels sprouts skewers, one with shrimp and the other with pork belly. Both were tasty. Our server Nick was charming and efficient keeping us supplied with our wine during happy hour. Live entertainment adds to the ambiance. Overall a solid restaurant. read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Ettoufee - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

This place is amazing! The interior is decked out like Mardi Gras and has live music, while the outdoor porch seating is quiet and cute. We tried the garlic beignets, which literally melt in your mouth and are a MUST TRY! I ordered the fried green tomato BLT with goat cheese and my daughter tried jambalaya for the first time. We're only on Sanibel Island for the day, but Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen is definitely worth a stop!!! Our server was great, friendly and efficient, checked on us multiple times! read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Garlic Beignets - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Woweeee. This place crushes it! I'm not even an oyster eater, but tried their Char Grilled Oysters with Parm cheese and I'll definitely rethink my disdain for oysters. I also had the Cajun Bloody Mary. The Seafood Omelet was very very good. As the fork got close to my mouth the Cajun seafood flavor was noticed and appreciated. Very good taste. Fried green tomatoes and beignets finished it off. 5 stars!!! Kerri was an exceptional host. read more

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My wife and I love New Orleans and know from Cajun cooking. Mudbugs is the next best thing. They serve the best chargrilled oysters I've had outside of New Orleans, 3 styles to choose from, we like traditional garlic butter & parmesan;no need to spice them up with Cajun or florenteen preps. The fried oysters are excellent as well, either as a platter or po' boy sandwich. Local fishermen can bring in any fresh caught cleaned fish which may be prepared grilled, blackened or fried; There is live music every night from 5pm to 9pm We live on the island 6 months each year and eat at Mudbugs frequently highly recommended for food, service, and atmosphere read more

This place is fantastic, and it's a really nice change of pace in contrast to the rest of the island. Every time I've been here, the live music is legit. (Unlike the Buffett covers and bad Wagon Wheel renditions littered throughout the rest of the island.) But the reason to come here is the grub. I'm a Cajun food connoisseur, and this spot is authentic. Highly recommend the gator tail and the fried catfish. Service was very good, as were the drinks. We were there with two kids under 4 y/o and the staff was super accommodating, patient and friendly. It's also a really nice spot for a date night, they're just super versatile. Great quality food and great quality music, truly one of the best spots in the area. read more

What a cool place! It has the NOLA vibe going on big time . I had grilled oysters they were great. The grilled watermelon salad with goat cheese was very tasty never had watermelon served warm, but it worked. I recommend this place heartily. read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Sitting at the oyster table and I ordered oysters! With Jeanne and Joe on Sanibel Island. Grilled oysters is the picture above our table . - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

This restaurant was my favorite of all the ones we visited while on vacation. The aesthetic and ambiance are beautiful. It's lively and fun with live music which you don't really see on the island after the hurricane so this place was so refreshing and made me feel that vacation fun vibe. The food was also great. My party had the crab stuffed shrimp which was , the crawfish Mac and cheese (to be honest it needed more cheese flavor) but still great and the grouper. Everything was great and tasted fresh. However the best part of our experience was our server, Ian. It's been almost two weeks since we left and I sometimes can't even remember peoples names that I just met but I remember Ian because he is a very hardworking and kind server. I could tell he was taking care of so many parties as I watched him bop from table to table but he never showed it in his service because he gave every table his best. He gave us the best service we received on the entire island. Definitely ask for him when you go! read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

Everything was great. The bayou grilled oysters are incredible. Service was perfect. A must go to

We order from here whenever we're in Sanibel. Have never been inside. Gator bites were overcooked this last time but the the conch fritters were delicious. read more

We went to happy hour.. .great choice! The food was DYNAMITE! Our waiter, Tyree was simply amazing. The music was fantastic and the vibe was just what you want! read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Beignet.....caramel and chocolate sauce - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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The fish bites are to die for! I would get them everytime. The Crab/Corn chowder was definitely 0/10. it wasnt edible... BUT THE LOBSTER ROLL IS A LOBSTER ROLL. It was amazing. The drinks were also really strong which is a plus! I will definitely be back! The service and new orleans feel was more than great! read more

Tried this while on vacation not knowing what to expect and we were pleasantly surprised Drinks were great. The waiter guided us through the appetizer Menü and all his suggestions were perfect. Roasted oysters were tasty. My first ones. When he delivered me the bill for our group of 6 he made it a point to say the restaurants policy is to add a 20% gratuity to the bill so please don't add another tip by accident - at that point we added another tip because we were extremely pleased with the service and food. read more

This was our first tome to Mudbugs. Plenty of parking. The restaurant is 2 floors and will definitely give you a French quarter vibe. Happy hour is 3-6 daily. We went to try out a few items and loved it. Boudin balls were flavorful and crispy (although only 3 per order so be aware). Oysters were fresh and delicious. We tried a side of the jambalaya just to get a taste and it was yummy. Best thing we tried was def the corn and crab soup, super rich and full of flavor. Wish we were more hungry, want to try the gumbo etouffe and muffuletta! Will have to be next time! They have a decent beer and wine list, though we were hoping to see more Albita beers other than just Purple Haze. All in all a cute spot with good eats and chill vibes! read more

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Ambiance was amazing, live music every night, and great food? Only think that took away from 5 stars was the walk around we had to do to get a decent seat. Stopped at 2 tables before finally settling for the 3rd solely due to the fact that temperatures were all over the place even inside. It was either hot outside (to be expected) or hot inside. Other than that the service was attentive (second floor bar area) the food was to die for and the music definitely set the mood. Everything on the menu is a must try! They close early for us city folk so keep that in mind read more

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They drew us in with the concept. We have always enjoyed Cajun food and developed a deeper appreciation for everything New Orleans last year on vacation. This area has few venues that cater to cravings in this niche. They blew us away with the ambiance. I first noticed Mudbugs during an outing with my mom. We were passing and I instantly knew I wanted to check-out what they had to offer. The property has been designed with careful attention to landscaping. The building has great curb appeal. The use of iron railings and two stories featuring alfresco dining is awesome. Everything has a great NOLA/Cajun theme but still fits in very well with the Sanibel setting. You may notice the outdoor seating first but the interior also enjoys an amazing design. There are faux exposed brick walls, more amazing iron work, beautiful glass features and fun themed stain glass windows. They charmed us with friendly, efficient service. Kerri S took great care of us. She greeted us with a genuine smile and made sure we had what we needed. Our beverage glasses never went dry and we tend to be thirsty guests. They hooked us for life with the quality and taste of the food. They have Chargrilled Oysters! Everything about them was right. They disappeared FAST. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the Jambalaya. The Crab Bisque was delicious. It was a larger portion than I anticipated. It was served at a great temperature and filled with great corn and crab taste. There was an impressive amount of crab in this soup. To finish we shared an order of Beignets. These were maybe a bit crisper than others we've had but that didn't take away from taste. Finger licking good. Final Assessment: This is our new favorite spot to eat on Sanibel Island. We'll drive over the bridge (two bridges, really) just to come here. In my opinion, this place operates at a much higher level than most of the surrounding venues. Highly Recommended read more

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Place is clean and staff is friendly. In 2021 they allowed Dogs on the patio not sure about 2022. We sat in side since this time. I would not recommend the Green fried tomato BLT. It was on a big sub bun which was not needed. Didn't care for the pork belly, I would have rather had bacon strips on this. The shrimp Po'boy was on the sub bun as well, really too much bread. Chargrilled Oyster are excellent. read more

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Food, ambiance, service and live music all get five stars. In for a quick stop after an afternoon at the beach and grabbed appetizers and drinks. Service was fantastic and food was delicious. Tried the red beans and rice, fried green tomatoes, and beignets. If you get the beignets get the cream sauce- it's worth the extra calories :) happy hour drink menu looked good (pride and options) but I didn't try it as we were limited on time. read more

Just really good! Went for lunch, had a few of their signatures, which were all very tasty and presented nicely. My waitress was attentive and pleasant. The food was great. Best fried catfish that I've had in a long time. I also had the char grilled oysters, my only complaint would be that there could have been more delicious butter on them to soak up the bread that came with it. Nevertheless, I left full, happy, and little bit tipsy.. One of my new favorites in Sanibel, will definitely return! read more

Went here for Fat Tuesday and had delicious food and drinks. Music was great! They even gave us beads! We sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine! read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Great drinks and happy hour menu! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Service was really good. Our waiter was very attentive. The ambiance of the restaurant was really nice, and has a fun vibe. Live music wasn't super loud, allowing for conversation (it was a Sunday evening, not a party atmosphere). The food However, was only moderate. Wasn't blown away by anything we ordered. My wife got the crawfish Etouffe, and it was kinda lackluster. A bit too heavy on the butter, and not enough seasoning. My catfish was fried (I prefer blackened), and while it was tasty. It was a small piece and just whatever. I would recommend it, and would be more than willing to give it another shot, as I think there's a lot there. And am willing to think it's better than our first experience. read more

Please, please don't prop your door open! The no-see-UMN's ate me up the whole time I was there! Door wide open the whole hour we were there and we sat right inside. The lobster roll was not worth $29. Lobster good but put on a small, flat, soggy hot dog bun with wilted lettuce. Expected better as I asked if it was nice sized roll and was told yes. The side of jambalaya was not that. It was a scoop of lukewarm rice. Giving a 4 because the other 2 had ok meals and in 2021 had great food. Hope they come back strong! read more

Really enjoyed this place. The service was great, they have a fun and lively Cajun atmosphere also and there was live music

Though we didn't eat, the time spent was just great. Drinks at the bar upstairs was a perfect spot and the bartender made us feel at home. Thanks, from Buffalo! read more

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I saw this location on a past visit to Sanibel/Captiva Island. I was in the area again and dropped in for an early dinner. Upon walking inside I was surprised to see the spacious interior space. It was nicely decorated. The food was delicious, our waiter was a bit disconnected. Otherwise, highly recommend. read more

Music, atmosphere and terrific food. Grilled oysters are our favorites. The savory beignets are to die for. A regular place for our family. Live music makes it even better! read more

Great place in sanibel island. Nice looking place .showed up after 2 and was expecting slow service but service was super. Food was tasty. Had the etouffee. It was so good. read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Gnocchi - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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LOVE Mudbugs! Atmosphere is great and the food is fabulous. Highly recommend. Come check them out! read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Fresh Catch Creole - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

I love mudbugs. It has a fun atmosphere to get a few drinks with friends and family. We got the peel and eat shrimp and a dozen oysters, all fresh and delicious. The service was great, everything came out in a timely manner and our waitress check up on us regularly. Highly suggest this island spot. read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - These beignets are amazing. They don't need any sauces just flaky, sweet, chewy, light. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

Excellent! We just moved out to the island about a month ago and we will definitely be making this a regular stop. We had our three month old puppy with us and they were very accommodating so we could stay and eat. read more

The food was great, there were some people in our group that were nervous it would be too spicy but there was something for everyone. The appetizer and desert beignets were excellent as was the cajun Alfredo with grouper. The service was also very good and friendly. read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Cajun Alfredo with grouper - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Great service and food. The chargrilled oysters were on point. Fun atmosphere and we enjoyed the live music. Go and support Sanibel!

One of my favorite places to eat when visiting sanibel! Great happy hour drink specials! Highly recommend the Asiago gnocchi read more

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I love Mugbugs! Great food, friendly service, excellent drinks! It's just like being in the French Quarter right down to the Hurricane!! Live music most nights makes the evening fun! I highly recommend the char grilled oysters as an appetizer & the BBQ Duck! Can't leave without an order of Beignets for dessert! read more

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We enjoyed a tasty Easter lunch of fresh seafood on the upstairs patio and Cary was fantastic! We enjoyed the charred oysters, watermelon salad, Brussels sprouts & blackened fish. The location was clean, employees wore mask and were very friendly. Highly recommend as a seafood bar with great vibes! read more