When we found out our beloved Island Cow had burned down before Hurricane Ian in '22, we were heartbroken. On our last trip to Sanibel, hubs and I were so sad. Of course, we can always eat somewhere else, but our thoughts immediately went to the families whose livelihoods were affected by the fire. Since then, I've kept myself in the loop on everything happening on the island: what's reopened, what's gone for good and what's new. Enter Wickies, a breakfast, lunch and dinner spot with a full bar that fills a similar style to Island Cow. Even better, it's a collab between the former owners of Island Cow and another Sanibel favorite, the Mad Hatter. That definitely caught my attention. Wickies is on the smaller side and tucked in a little shopping plaza along Periwinkle Way. We first stopped in for breakfast and turned out to be a great choice. The breakfast crowd was lively and family-friendly with kids. I ordered the seafood omelet, which was packed with chunky, sweet crab meat and shrimp. The eggs could've been a bit fluffier and more moist, but the protein made up for it. Hubs kept things simple with a waffle topped with fresh berries, and we couldn't resist the two-for-one mimosas. Service was warm and attentive that morning. Our last night on the island called for a relaxing dinner and we decided to come back- especially after hubs spotted a chilled seafood platter on the menu that he wanted to try. The dinner vibe is calmer and more grown-up, making it the perfect place to unwind. I chose the baked grouper over seafood risotto and topped with a lobster cream sauce. It was delicious. Hubs ordered the bone-in pork chop and enjoyed it. Our server Candice was awesome every which way. One nice perk: after paying your dinner bill, you receive a 10% discount for ice cream next door at Magic Bus, which shares the same owner as Wickies. We gave it a try, but it just wasn't at all our favorite. Wickies totally impressed us on both visits. Tasty food, friendly service and a comfortable atmosphere was what we wanted. read more

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A lunch stop here this afternoon after we did a beach wal through the lighthouse area. Busy inside and outside so we found a couple of seats at the bar. Great friendly service! My EBLT, (EGG, BACON, LETTUCE, TOMATO AND AVOCADO SALAD), WAS WONDERFUL! I also had a Rotisserie and blueberry mojito which was refreshing! read more

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Food lacked flavor. Portions were ok. Service started out good and ended up bad. Once our server got more customers to serve we felt ignored. No "How's your meal?" or "Would you like a refill on tea?". Waited at least 15 minutes before our server showed up and we asked for our check. We did not get it. Ended up after another 10 minutes going to the hostess to ask for our check. Stood there while the hostess got the server to get us our bill. She thought someone else got us our bill. Have noticed on Sanibel, Florida that if you don't get alcoholic drinks the servers don't like to wait on you. We are thinking that it is because their tip will be smaller on our total versus those getting alcoholic drinks. Little do they realize that when we are treated like this, their 20-22% tip gets reduced to 15-16%. Won't be returning to Wickies. Ambiance was not good. read more

We had an okay lunch here. They were quite busy even early in the day with lots of regulars and tourists from this end of the island. We sat at the counter/bar to avoid waiting 20 minutes for a table. Samantha (called Sarah by one older patron) gave us good service between preparing drinks for the whole restaurant. My husband's lunch was better than mine. He got the BTLE salad which had avocado, eggs, goat cheese, bacon and romaine. It needed extra dressing which he added. He said it was very good. My grouper tacos were not good. Little bits of dry fish shredded like canned tuna fish were hard to tell that they were actually grouper. I asked for tartar hoping it would help. Their tartar sauce is very puréed -- more like ranch dressing. And the fries were coated -- my least favorite type. We did have a nice conversation, however, about living through Hurricane Ian with a gentleman who sat next to us at the bar. He recommended the breakfast here which he has every week. I'm glad we came. Now we know. read more

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This is a nice place to eat when the weather is good. Sit outside if you can and and people watch. Drinks were good. Food took a long time to arrive. read more

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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We rented an Apt near by and saw this cute place when we drove by! Always packed so we came to have brunch! It was awesome the food was very good and happy hour until 4 pm! Awesome service & good prices ! read more

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Absolutely amazing and delicious dinner at Wickie's!! They were fully booked for the evening, but we were able to grab seats at a high-top railing outside. I definitely recommend making reservations. After a disappointing dinner at Doc Ford's the night before, this was such a welcome surprise. The food was absolutely delicious, you can truly tell everything is made from scratch. I've heard the restaurant is fairly new and is a collaboration between two owners from former island restaurants that closed due to fire and hurricane damage, which makes it even more special to support. We started with the garlic shrimp and fried green tomatoes. I'm not usually a fan of green tomatoes, but wow these were incredible! For dinner, we had the grouper tacos and the grouper entrée over risotto. It typically comes with mashed potatoes, but they were happy to let us substitute any side, so I chose the coconut risotto--divine! I ordered my grouper blackened, and the seasoning was perfect and full of flavor. For dessert, I had the key lime pie, which was clearly homemade and so good--honestly one of the best slices I've ever had. We also tried the espresso crème brûlée, which was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. Our server, Emily, was amazing. She was friendly, personable, and truly a joy. She made us feel so welcomed and well taken care of. I highly, highly recommend Wickie's!! read more

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This is the pace to go for breakfast! Its clean and the booths are spacious. It seemed like we might have a wait but it was less than 5 minutes. Corned beed and hash...if you like it get it. If you find yourself in Sanibel check it out, especially during the week....less crowds. read more

This was one of the best restaurants I've been to for awhile. Great atmosphere and service. And the food! Everyone at our table raved. Highly recommend the short ribs, fried green tomato's and cheesecake. Oh, and the watermelon drink.... Yum! read more

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant - Short rib- yummy! - Diners Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

The best grilled grouper sandwich i had of 3 tried while on Captiva/Sanibel Islands-Florida Gulf Coast this was our last day here the fish was fat, juicy with tartar, lettuce and fries also the mahi taco were soft with lettuce perfectly cooked as well the chicken quesadilla. The shopping center had an ice cream shop really good and full enjoyed a 10% discount for staying in this location. Good service, ambiance with free ample parking. Sanibel has quickly recovered from Hurricane Ian hit September 2022 with lots of new constructions, remodelings, destroyed property demolitions including a new bridge that linked Sanibel entrance to the mainland, hurricane brought down. Captive is located all the way at the end of the 2 islands. I rate 4.5 read more

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My husband and I stopped here for brunch on our last day on the island after hearing great things, and it did not disappoint. During our time on Sanibel, we've tried several seafood Benedicts and omelets, and this place truly has the best--real seafood and incredibly fresh flavors. My husband ordered the seafood omelet, which was delicious and generously portioned. I had the shrimp and grits, and our waiter recommended making the shrimp Cajun-style--such a great suggestion! Everything was fantastic, and the service was top-notch. We highly recommend this spot for brunch! read more

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We were here for both breakfast and lunch while in Sanibel. Both were very good. I'd rate the following on a scale of 1-10: Coffee: 9. Eggs Benedict: 9 Omelette: 8. Plain Jane hamburger: 9 BLT salad:10 Service (Edgar/waiter): 10 Comfortable dining area: 8 Cleanliness: 9 read more

The service and food were fantastic! Loved having lunch here after the beach! Would definitely recommend

Nice place , friendly service and good breakfast options You can sit outside and soak in the sun read more

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Stopped by for a quick brunch on Sunday! Food was pretty good and service quick! We were seated at the booth and while I'm not overly big busted I had a hard time sitting in their booth - they're pretty tight and table cannot be moved. Also even though it was mid morning their ac couldn't keep up and it was a bit on the warm side inside although I do understand we were visiting in July. I had Espresso Creme brûlée French toast and it was delicious! read more

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We LOVE Wickies! The service is always friendly and the food is always amazing. It's a cute place that really reminds you you're near the water! We have enjoyed breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Wickies and have never been disappointed. The steaks are always made perfectly and the plating is spot on. It's a must whenever we are anywhere near Sanibel! read more

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What a fantastic lunch. Sat at the bar and enjoyed oysters and the Florida salad with blackened grouper. Adam did a great job and the space was cute, with both indoor and outdoor seating. My Bloody Mary was perfect, and included bacon and shrimp. Yum! read more

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Upon walking in on a Friday night, we experienced a warm greeting from the hostess. There was plenty of available seating inside but we chose the patio on a perfect Sanibel night. Our server was pleasant, knowledgeable and eager to please making recommendations that I was happy to oblige. Our espresso martinis weren't bad but they do need to get some espresso beans behind that bar. Food was prepared perfectly and was presented as beautifully as the island itself and the company sitting across the table from me! read more

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant - Fish Tacos (Black Grouper) - Diners Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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This place was conveniently across the street from where we were staying. We were lucky to beat the breakfast crowd and get a table in this cozy and fun restaurant. Our waitress was fun and attentive! She helped recommend some of her favorite dishes. Where ever I go, if biscuits and gravy are on the menu, I must order them. I was lucky to find some biscuits and gravy with eggs & breakfast potatoes. They were so tasty and filling! Such a delicious gravy! Well done! The scrambled eggs were just as good. read more

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

Need to add more stars. This place is the best on the island. Just fabulous food and service. Everything was so fresh and served with a smile. read more

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Great place for breakfast. We arrived mid-morning for our meal. The place was nearly empty but that was short lived as the place was half full 10 minutes later. Seated fast and waitress was right there with our drink order and shortly thereafter our meal order. The menu had a number of choices for all breakfast types. I decided on the breakfast wrap. Never had one before but have seen them advertised at a few places. The prep time was under 10 minutes and our meal was served to our party of 7. The meals had great presentations and were hot. The wrap was by far the best value but all choices looked good. The place is tiny but probably Large for Sanibel Island standards. Out door seating is available and they accommodated our larger party with no problem. Apparently this place is owned by same people that owned the Famous Island cow destroyed in the hurricane. A must stop. Huge gift shop next door, if you can't find it there they probably don't make it. read more

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We stayed across the street at tarpon tale inn and ate here twice- once for dinner and once for breakfast. Both the taste and quality of the food is pretty good, though you do kinda pay for it. For dinner we really enjoyed the garlic shrimp appetizer, although with just 2 crostinis at $18 it was a bit overpriced. I was less impressed with the grouper entree though my husband liked it. And we both really liked the espresso creme brûlée dessert- I considered walking across the street the next day to order just the dessert. The waitress was also so nice to our toddler and gave him lots of stickers. Our last day we came for breakfast and got smoked salmon benedict and espresso creme brûlée French toast. We were very satisfied. We much preferred the breakfast at Wickie's over what we had at the lighthouse cafe. It was our favorite restaurant that we tried on the island. Again prices were a bit on the high side, but they focus on quality over quantity. Would recommend! read more

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant - Espresso Creme brûlée French toast - Diners Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Food is awesome and the filet is one of the best I have eaten. Had more than one server on our visits but but server Robin ROCKS!!!!

We went here based on the great reviews, but honestly didn't love it. Our server was Hailey. My boyfriend had the fish tacos and said they were the worst fish tacos he has ever had. He said the fish tasted like it came out of a can. I had the pear gorgonzola flatbread and didn't find it enjoyable. There was way too much gorgonzola on it, which was overwhelming. I ate the two end pieces and took the rest to go. I did have two mixed drinks, but I disliked that every time we ordered a drink the drink menu was abruptly taken away from us. So if we did want something else we had to ask for the menu. It was very odd. We left very underwhelmed. It was definitely the place we liked least out of all of the restaurants we visited on Sanibel. read more

The place was super cute, right near the beach. The food was good. I've had better. Grouper is a super popular fish in this area and it's not that great. Super fishy. The tacos were pretty good. My husband had the blackened grouper and they were decent. Service was great. Super friendly. The vibe was nice. read more

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant - Fish tacos - Diners Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Love the concept. Casual atmosphere but obviously a chef inspired menu that is better than average. I will be back next year.

Great restaurant inside Sanibel Island. The food was superb as well as the service a must go if you are in Sanibel or Captiva Islands. We will be back. read more

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Went there for my Birthday on June 7th, Great Food, The Filet and Lobster Tail Dinner was outstanding, Heidi The Bartender makes Great drinks especially Espresso Martini, can't wait to go back read more

First time to this newer restaurant in Sanibel. We thought the offerings were unique and interesting. I had the fried green tomatoes. Super yummy with goat cheese and a creamy corn sauce. I'm a sucker for this dish and it didn't disappoint. Husband got the figgy burger with onion rings. Very good burger but a bit messy to eat but thoroughly enjoyed it. This will definitely be in our rotation when we return to Sanibel. Oh and we had lunch here. Dinner looks very good too. read more

I love coming to wiki's lighthouse restaurant every time I come to Sanibel Island. They have a great breakfast selection as well as lunch. Their food is made fresh to order and service is always great. My go to breakfast and brunch items are the Nutella and banana waffles and veggie omelette. I find myself day dreaming about it sometimes. The last time I came, I got the chicken salad sandwich for lunch and it was so good - packed with chicken and grapes. I will definitely order it again the next time I go! read more

We are not sure what's best about Sanibel- the shell collecting or the dinner here. Shrimp in horseradish Parmesan grits were memorable. Sesame crusted salmon with wasabi mashed potatoes were memorable. Can't wait to go back to Sanibel for this place! Breakfast the next day- good but not as memorable as dinner. read more

This is against my better interest as i should keep this a secret so I won't have any competiton getting a table at this gem. (But so worth the wait). Wickies is pretty new but it has a great history and they bring the best of the past to a wide-vareity menu. First, it is so darn easy to get to, avoid the usual on-island traffic by just making a left at the first intersection when you get onto the island and head for the lighthouse. Then sit down (in great "beachy" surroundings) and then good luck on making a decision from all the temptations. No matter what you pick, it'll "look pretty" and be yummy to eat (plus a lot of it). Ya gotta get the cheesecake! OMG. The staff do VIP treatment very well! read more

I wanted to like this place as it was recommended by a friend. The tacos were chopped fish and had little taste, The onion rings had too much breading and the frozen margarita was mostly ice. For we spent $75 for a sub par lunch. We won't be back read more

They do take reservations, but you've got to call and make them (not able to be made online). Something I learned tonight. Needless to say, we sat outside and had to deal with some no see ums, but the staff worked fast to make our food right away and also let us share their bug spray. ;-) The restaurant is small and quaint, with an upscale beachy type ambiance. However, we saw lots of people having dinner in extremely casual clothing (think golf attire). For dinner, we each had a daily fish special consisting of black grouper, mashed potatoes, and green beans which was delicious. I really enjoyed the food and the waitstaff were extremely friendly. We plan to return and try the breakfast/brunch menu. Great experience, but next time I'll plan to make a reservation and dine inside if it's at dusk. read more

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant - Black grouper special - Diners Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

This place is yummy. We were on search of a late lunch after some time at the beach, and a local family member suggested Winkie's and the Magic Bus for ice cream. So glad we decided to listen! We sat outside in the shade with a fan at us, which made the hot, humid weather (we're from northern CA and melted during our visit) seem not so hot or humid. Our server Lori was fantastic. She was super accommodating, attentive, and kind. Since we were late in the afternoon, we needed to order from the dinner menu. We weren't dinner portion hungry, so we decided to do some family-style sharing. We ordered the crab cakes, tuna tartare, fried green tomatoes, a half dozen oysters, and a quinoa romaine salad with grilled chicken. They also made a burger and fries for our pre-teen - and Lori clearly understood the assignment when we asked for a lot of ketchup for him. Every item was good. The salad was filling - flavorfully dressed, but not overdone. With romaine, quinoa, avocado, cucumbers, tomatoes, and the grilled chicken, it was filling without being heavy. The crab cakes were flavorful. Getting one A+ and one B+ from the discerning two who ate them. The tuna tartare was nicely done, served in a stack, with fresh tuna, avocado, wakame salad, and green onions. It was served with cucumbers and fried wanton chips with a flavorful drizzle. The chips were just ok, but the tartare was fab without them. The fried green tomatoes had this great creamy corn sauce on them. Cooked perfectly, they were a big hit. All told, this is fine dining worth the prices, in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. We'll be back! read more

Was wonderful such good brunch cute fun location! I had the crab cake Benedict and it was awesome! read more

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant - Crab cake Benedict - Diners Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

Started with Oysters on the shell and the Lobster-cargo - both good, but the Lobster was a very unique standout. Definitely one to not miss. The Braised Short Rib on Parmesan horseradish Grits was sinfully good. The Commodore (gourmet burger with pulled short rib) was enormous and fantastic. The wine list was reasonably priced, particularly for the island. Don't miss the Affogato for dessert. Our server was a local, very knowledgeable, and Wickie's is one of her favorite restaurants. Her service was pleasantly bubbly and very attentive. Definitely go!!!! read more

Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant - Lobster-cargo - Diners Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

Excellent service and food! The fried green tomatoes were about the best I've had. Enjoyed a wonderful salad and black grouper tacos. Our server did a great job. Love to see Sanibel bouncing back. read more

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Met the girlfriends for lunch here. Cute local feel. The food was amazing! We tried several different things, fried green tomatoes, conch hush puppies, fish tacos, oysters and my favorite, lobster escargot! Everything was delicious! Our service was as well, Samantha took great care of us! She was very busy waiting on tables, tending to the bar( making great cocktails!) taking great care of her customers! We highly recommend Wickies! It is a must when you are on the island read more

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The food was fresh and well seasoned. The service was quick and friendly, a must stop on your visit to the island!