Fort Myers Beach restaurant destroyed by Hurricane Ian impresses off island
Tom Houghton makes a great first impression.
The restaurant owner is warm, inviting and everything you had hoped he would be.
The same can be said of his La Ola Surfside Restaurant in Bell Tower in Fort Myers.
After the original La Ola on Fort Myers Beach was washed away by Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022, Houghton wasted no time.
“In October, I was driving around looking for places,” he said. “I knew I wanted to stay on the beach, but needed a safe bet too.”
He quickly accomplished both.
The aptly named Ola Express — a 16-foot food trailer — and clever use of shipping containers and decks had the Fort Myers Beach location back in Times Square by late November.
Houghton’s safe off-island bet came when he signed a lease in Bell Tower in February and opened in June 2023.
“There’s a lot of opportunity here,” he said. “Like being in the center of the courtyard again. And I love the fact there are so many other restaurants. There’s a lot of momentum going on here.”
It’s home to Burntwood Tavern, DaRuMa Japanese Steakhouse, Dave & Busters, Cantina Laredo and, most recently, McGregor’s Public House.
La Ola sits next to Blue Pointe and Grimaldi’s. All traces of the space’s previous tenants — Gap Kids, Blackhawk Coffee Café and Martinique Bakery Café — are long gone, replaced by La Ola’s cool, crisp beachy vibe.
Blue umbrella-covered outdoor tables, the restaurant’s cresting-wave logo and a surfboard over the door that would fit in perfectly on Fort Myers Beach greet approaching customers.
Inside, you’ll find a bright, wide-open dining room anchored by a long, spacious concrete-topped bar behind a half-wall of mismatched boards in varying colors. More beachiness can be found in the soon-to-be daily live music (follow on Instagram and Facebook for updates) and events (Taco Tuesday Trivia and karaoke on Wednesdays).
The menu here goes well beyond the Times Square location’s light beach fare. Some serious starters include garlic shrimp tapas, dips (crab, queso and spinach) and bacon-wrapped gulf shrimp.
The easily shareable ahi tuna tower we opted for was a creative display of fresh tuna seared with sesame seeds and layered with house-made guacamole, pineapple-mango salsa, tomato corn salsa and cucumber. It’s a meal for one and went a long way in filling two of us.
The cranberry walnut salad with salmon, one of Houghton’s favorites, was one of ours too. Crisp and fresh, it was a perfect blend with spring greens, dried cranberries, fresh strawberries and goat cheese crumbles topped with an outstanding raspberry vinaigrette and salmon.
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The tropical shrimp tacos, one of six signature ones offered, also was a flavorful joy with nicely seasoned shrimp, cabbage, more of the pineapple-mango salsa and cool sour cream. Other lunch options include quesadillas, wraps, flatbreads, burgers and sandwiches, including the catch of the day served with a winning la ola sauce.
Steaks, chicken, seafood and Italian dishes round out the well-planned menu.
Between the ahi tuna tower and our individual lunch selections, dessert was out of the question.
So we returned (yay!) another time for the Instagram-worthy homemade tres leche and the signature Surfsider — a modified pina colada.
Second impressions can be just as good as firsts.
La Ola Surfside Restaurant
13499 S. Cleveland Ave. in the Bell Tower, Fort Myers
Price: $$
Call: (239) 245-8737
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday
Web: laolasurfside.com
Sample menu
World famous nachos, $21 for full order, $14 half order
Taco salad, $15
GG Cobb salad, $14.99
Margherita flatbread, $12
Red snapper entree, $25
Chicken tenders, $15
*Hours and prices subject to change
What the symbols mean
$: Average entree is less than $15
$$: $15-$25
$$$: $25-$35
$$$$: $35-$45
$$$$$: $45 and up
Jean Le Boeuf is the brand under which our restaurant critics have written for more than 40 years. This article came from staff writer Robyn George. Connect: rhgeorge@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: La Ola Surfside Restaurant ups its game to impress in Fort Myers
