'Kind of breathtaking': Another Doc Ford's location named best in the country
Another Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille has been named best “Everyday Eats” in the country for Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice “Best of the Best” awards.
The locally owned restaurant at the base of the St. Pete Pier just earned the 2023 honor, following in the footsteps of the Fort Myers Beach location which won in 2021.
“It’s awesome,” said Joe Harrity, a partner in the Sanibel-established HM Restaurant Group, which owns four Doc Ford’s and Dixie Fish Co.
“It’s a heck of an honor for sure.”
Harrity learned the good news via email from Tripadvisor.
“They sent out the list and lo and behold we were No. 1,” he said. “It’s quite humbling. Especially to be No. 1 in the country. Just in St. Pete, there’s a lot of competition.”
To be named tops in the country takes it to a whole new level.
According to tripadvisor.com, “Fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings are awarded Best of the Best.”
“It’s kind of breathtaking,” Harrity said.
Same dining experience from Sanibel to St. Pete
Although the St. Pete Pier location won the honor, you’ll get the same experience at all four Doc Ford’s, according to Harrity.
“We want to provide an all-encompassing experience wherever you go,” he said. “Customers write their reviews on the whole dining experience. Our servers are trained really well. We make connections with customers so they want to return.”
The Caribbean-flavored, seafood-heavy menu also keeps guests coming back. Its signature Yucatan shrimp — steamed jumbo peel and eats coated in butter, garlic, red chilies, cilantro and lime — are a huge hit.
“They’re the most popular for sure,” Harrity said.
If you can’t get to the country’s No. 1 location in St. Pete, no worries.
“They each have their own quirky personality, but the menu is the same, the training is the same,” Harrity said. “They’re all outstanding.”
Just two other Florida restaurants made the top 25 — Florida Keys Steak and Lobster House in Marathon came in at No. 3, while Florida's Fresh Grill in Cocoa Beach was 11th. For the complete list, go to tripadvisor.com.
Dining review: Open-air, waterfront restaurant in Cape Coral swimming in possibilities — JLB
Doc Ford’s are on Sanibel (2500 Island Inn Road) and Fort Myers Beach (708 Fishermans Wharf) and in St. Petersburg — at the pier (610 2nd Ave. NE) and in Jungle Terrace (8790 Bay Pines Blvd.).
For more information, go to docfords.com.
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: Locally owned Doc Ford's has a location named No. 1 in the country
