Cape Coral ranked No. 1 for this in new WalletHub list of U.S. restaurants

Dave Osborn, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read

One Southwest Florida town recently made WalletHub's list of best foodie cities in the U.S.

Cape Coral was ranked 119th, better than any other Southwest Florida city. Only 10 other Sunshine State cities made the list.

And WalletHub did rank Cape Coral No. 1 for something: the "Ratio of Full-Service Restaurants to Fast-Food Establishments," ahead of Santa Rosa, California, Portland, Maine, and Burlington, Vermont.

Restaurant revival in Cape Coral post-Ian

Tito Ortiz just opened his first restaurant, Tito's Cantina, in downtown Cape Coral.
Tito Ortiz just opened his first restaurant, Tito's Cantina, in downtown Cape Coral.

Cape Coral has seen a restaurant renaissance of sorts after Hurricane Ian roared through Lee County in late September 2022, as News-Press food and dining journalist Robyn George has reported extensively.

There are several new restaurants, like Tito's Cantina that Tito Ortiz ― a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Famer ― opened this year.

Others include Stones Throw, 1339 Cape Coral Parkway E.; Sage on 47th, 1015 SE 47th Terrace; Next Door, 5971 Silver King Blvd.; High Tide Social House, 6095 Silver King Blvd.; Front Porch Social, 4721 Vincennes Blvd. and the first Jersey Mike's (1751 NE Pine Island Road); Bubbakoo's Burritos (1751 NE Pine Island Road) and I Heart Mac Cheese, 2209 Santa Barbara Blvd. in Cape Coral.

Then there are others that have been rebuilt because of Ian, a Category 4 hurricane when it made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28, 2022, like the Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill that reopened in July.

Patrons enjoy the re-opening of the Boathouse in Cape Coral Monday morning, July 10, 2023. The restaurant had been closed after suffering damage from the impact of Hurricane Ian last year.
Patrons enjoy the re-opening of the Boathouse in Cape Coral Monday morning, July 10, 2023. The restaurant had been closed after suffering damage from the impact of Hurricane Ian last year.

Criteria for the WalletHub list

For its list, WalletHub said it compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — "across two key dimensions, "Affordability” and “Diversity, Accessibility & Quality."

WalletHub said it evaluated those dimensions using 28 relevant metrics, including cost of groceries, cost of a restaurant meal, access to healthy food options, growth in the number of full-service restaurants from 2016 to 2021 and food trucks per capita.

Here's how all Florida cities ranked in 2023 of the total 182 from across the U.S.: Orlando (No. 1); Miami (4); Tampa (6); Fort Lauderdale (27); St. Peterburg (49); Jacksonville (67); Tallahassee (96); Pembroke Pines (118); Cape Coral (119); Hialeah (151); and Port St. Lucie (170).

Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and News-Press. Follow him on Instagram and Threads @lacrossewriter.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Cape Coral was No. 1 in U.S. for this in new WalletHub restaurant list