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

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.

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.

I had not eaten here for many years but as we had three children with us and they have booths…read morethought I would give it another try. While they share a kitchen I do expect that the food may not be the same quality as Timbers next door. We had the shrimp and grouper baskets. The shrimp were over cooked and the grouper was very thin and dry. Fries were good, and the children's drink portions were large. Enjoyed the baseball memorabilia but don't think we will be back.

The Sanibel Grill is a sports bar through and through. It has lots of random sports memorabilia and…read morefun Sanibel-related license plates all over. There's numerous tv screens to watch all the games - some booths even have their own screen. Aside from the sports decor, The Sanibel Grill has a very similar menu to Timbers Restaurant next door - I'm pretty sure the two are one and the same and share the same kitchen. I ordered the Grouper Fish tacos. You can get them blackened, fried, or grilled. I opted for fried. Note that the Sanibel Grill is known for their signature cornflake crunchy batter - but the grouper fish tacos are the lightly breaded bites and not cooked in their signature batter. The grouper was nicely cooked - tender and delicate bites. They used corn tortillas, which didn't fall to pieces while eating, but they were pretty flimsy (it was easy for a grouper bite to roll out). The tacos are served with rice pilaf topped with black beans which was on the bland side (nothing to write home about). I would've liked a hit of lime to add to my tacos, but the waitress never came back to check on us. Service is minimal. This is bar service all around. My friend ordered the combo basket (Grouper and fried shrimp) and comes with a side of fries and cole slaw. You can hear the crunch - I can see why it's their signature. My sister ordered the shrimp scampi with rice pilaf (she was hoping for pasta but that was not a side option - it's either rice pilaf or potatoes - smashed, French fried, or sweet potato fries). It also came with fresh green beans. The shrimp were nicely cooked and super buttery. She also ordered the crab bisque which was creamy and had good crab flavor, but I wouldn't say it was overloaded with crab meat. We finished the meal with a slice of Florida's signature key lime pie. The slice was small but had giant key lime flavor. It was very sweet but this was my favorite key lime pie slice from our whole trip. The Sanibel Grill gave us average food and average service. No military discount here.

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.

Great experience watching a World Cup game at Tiki Bar! Bartenders were friendly, food came out…read morequick, and drinks were strong! Definitely recommend the gator bites and the nachos!

Shit service. Ordered shots chilled. Got them warm…read more Bartender was bitchy ALL NIGHT. To me get. Management narrow it down. I'm sure this isn't the first complaint about her.

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!

This is an authentic dive. There's other bars that only wish they could be this cool…read more How cool? My taco Tuesday lunch lasted four (4) hours.

Such a friendly welcoming outdoor tiki bar. We loved the atmosphere. Friendly and positive! It…read morewas mostly about drinking... Bottomless bloody Mary's for $10. Yum! Ask for Martha. This is a must stop if you are thirsty and downtown Cape Coral.

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!

Good food, good drinks, good service. Then why only four stars? Because it's hot. There's no ac in…read morethere. Just fans. I went around 8:30pm and it was just hot. I liked how there is live music. Even better that the live music's volume wasn't so loud you couldn't hear the person next to you or your own thoughts.

When on vacation to Fort Myers last week, Manny had recommended this restaurant…read more Know that it is pretty much all outdoors so you're eating outside, but they have a portion that is covered in the main restaurant, but all the walls are open. There were three of us and we ordered a wedge salad, ceviche, snapper, and some other shrimp plate. We all liked our food very much! I would definitely return!