Captiva restaurant holds grand reopening after being severely damaged by Hurricane Ian

Robyn George, Fort Myers News-Press
·3 min read
The bar at RC Otter's Island Eats on Captiva is small, bright an cheery.
The bar at RC Otter's Island Eats on Captiva is small, bright an cheery.

RC Otter’s Island Eats is ready to welcome you.

Ten months after Hurricane Ian ravaged Southwest Florida, a grand reopening ceremony was held Thursday, July 27, for the popular Captiva Island restaurant.

“We opened on Father’s Day,” said owner Sandy Stilwell Youngquist. “We just wanted to get it open. Then we wanted to make sure it was running well. Now we are ready to have everyone back.”

Four years after Stilwell Youngquist bought Keylime Bistro on Andy Rosse Lane, she purchased RC Otter’s ― the restaurant located across the street.

“It will be 20 years this December,” she said. “It doesn’t seem like that long. But then we went through oil spills, Charley, other hurricanes, COVID, I guess it does seem that long.”

“It was flooded, but we were able to rebuild,” said Sandy Stilwell Youngquist, the owner of RC Otter's. “It’s the same four walls, same color scheme but newer. I think it looks better than ever.”
“It was flooded, but we were able to rebuild,” said Sandy Stilwell Youngquist, the owner of RC Otter's. “It’s the same four walls, same color scheme but newer. I think it looks better than ever.”

RC Otter’s 'looks better than ever'

But it was Ian that caused “substantial damage” to the award-winning, family friendly eatery.

“It was flooded but we were able to rebuild,” said Stilwell Youngquist. “It’s the same four walls, same color scheme but newer. I think it looks better than ever.”

Everything was replaced from the bottom up, including tables, air conditioning, roof, kitchen equipment and the hood system which took the longest according to Stilwell Youngquist.

“But we have the same artwork,” she said. “We pulled it off the walls and packed it up.”

Indoor, bar, outdoor umbrella covered and deck seating are available.

RC Otter's, a casual, family friendly restaurant on Captiva, serves a wide variety of items, including the popular crunchy grouper sandwich.
RC Otter's, a casual, family friendly restaurant on Captiva, serves a wide variety of items, including the popular crunchy grouper sandwich.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner served seven days a week

The menu will look familiar to returning customers as well.

“It’s almost exactly the same,” Stilwell Youngquist said. “And it’s a pretty vast menu. We are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

RC Otter’s is well known for its breakfast, especially the Captiva breakfast burritos, chock-full of black beans, onions, bell peppers, sausage, eggs and cheese.

“They are a big hit,” Stilwell Youngquist said. “People really love those.”

Omelets, waffles, pancakes, egg dishes and more are also offered.

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Lunch and dinner bring best-selling crunchy grouper sandwiches, fajitas, quesadillas and burgers.

“Not everyone wants a big dinner,” Stilwell Youngquist said. “You can order a sandwich here anytime.”

Fried baskets, soups, salads, pasta, steak, ribs, rice bowls and more are included on the wide-ranging menu.

There’s a kids menu too.

“It’s a very family oriented restaurant,” Stilwell Youngquist said. “At any given time there will be lots of kids around, dancing. It’s a fun place.”

RC Otter's held its grand re-opening on Thursday, July 27, about 10 months after being severely damaged by Hurricane Ian.
RC Otter's held its grand re-opening on Thursday, July 27, about 10 months after being severely damaged by Hurricane Ian.

Live music takes place seven days a week in the outdoor dining area during lunch and dinner.

While RC Otter’s was closed, the musicians were invited to play at Stilwell Youngquist’s Keylime Bistro in the historic train station on Boca Grande. The staff was welcomed there as well.

Keylime Bistro, Sunshine Seafood and Latte Da coming soon

Stilwell Youngquist owns several other Captiva restaurants as part of her Stilwell Enterprises & Restaurant Group.

Cantina Captiva, which features Mexican and Southwestern cuisine, was the first to reopen on Dec. 30.

“Back then, nothing was open,” she said. “We were able to feed all the workers and responders. We are cooking out of a food truck parked out front, but the restaurant is open and you can go inside. We will be fully opened (with the kitchen back) next month, hopefully.”

Guests can sit on the porch, under umbrella-covered tables, inside or at the bar at RC Otter's on Captiva.
Guests can sit on the porch, under umbrella-covered tables, inside or at the bar at RC Otter's on Captiva.

Keylime Bistro, across from RC Otter’s, is still closed.

“We are pushing to have it open in September,” Stilwell Youngquist said. “I’ve promised to be ready for the Island Hopper (Songwriter) Fest. I might have a food truck behind the building, but I’ll be entertaining for the festival.”

Sunshine Seafood Café and Wine Bar and Latte Da are also closed and are expected to open in October.

“It will be great to get those open too,” said Stilwell Youngquist.

RC Otter’s, 11506 Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva; open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, breakfast served from 8-11 a.m.; indoor and outdoor seating options; (239) 395-1142; rcotterscaptiva.com or follow on Facebook

Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to rhgeorge@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Hurricane-damaged RC Otter's on Captiva holds its grand reopening