Top 6 restaurants to visit from Captiva to Cape Coral before tourist season starts
The Southwest Florida dining scene is on the clock.
In just a few short weeks, season will be upon us and all the restaurants we’ve been walking up to for the last five months without reservations or wait times will be packed.
Now is your last chance to visit old favorites or discover those new restaurants you’ve been meaning to try before the crowds descend.
We’re taking this opportunity to inspire, coax and nudge you along with a few suggestions.
Think of it as your last call until April.
Blue Dog Bar & Grill
This Matlacha gem is home to one of our favorite sandwiches in Lee County — the blackened mullet. Co-owner Jesse Tincher gets the Pine Island fish fresh daily and goes through “600 pounds in a week.” It’s a hit with locals and the Floridians who come from all of the state for it. They also love the fish of the moment done their way — grilled, fried or blackened — in their favorite form — in tacos, sandwiches, salads, baskets, platters and pasta bowls. And we haven’t even mentioned their seemingly endless supply of stone crab claws. Get cracking and find your way there now. (4597 Pine Island Road, Matlacha; 239-558-4970; bluedogmatlacha.com)
Crow’s Nest Steakhouse
Liberty (spectacular small plates) in Fort Myers and Next Door (pasta and pastry perfection) in Cape Coral are two small stunners where seating is limited and reservations are necessary. Crow’s Nest on Captiva is the newest restaurant that fits this description. The small, intimate restaurant resting atop The Shipyard at ‘Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa made its debut July 6. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide breathtaking views of the Gulf from every table and bar seat. The menu is equally impressive with aged in-house prime steaks, Gulf fresh seafood and a dizzying collection of whiskeys. Between the on-site guests and island visitors, it won’t be easy getting a seat at this speak-easy-esque beauty. (15951 Captiva Drive, Captiva, 239 472-5161 (ext. 420); crowsnest-captiva.com)
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grill
When the Fort Myers Beach location reopened in late July, Joe Harrity, whose family owns Doc Ford’s Rum Bars with the Marinellos, said it was the “icing on the cake for us.” After undergoing severe damage from Hurricane Ian, the lower deck, two outside bars and the tiki bar are new, and upstairs received a makeover.
More: Irish pub in Fort Myers goes beyond beer with creative and crafty new menu — JLB
“We didn’t just put it back together,” Harrity said. “We really enhanced it.” Returning residents and vacationers will clamor to sample signature Yucatan shrimp at the waterfront restaurant named best “Everyday Eats” in the country for Tripadvisor’s 2021 Travelers’ Choice “Best of the Best” awards. Go there (and/or to the Sanibel location at 2500 Island Inn Road) to get yours without a wait. (708 Fishermans Wharf, Fort Myers Beach, 239-765-9660, docfords.com)
Flipper’s On The Bay
When we visited this Fort Myers Beach restaurant across from Lovers Key on the quiet north end of Black Island in early August, we were lucky enough to snag the last table in the bar area. The open-air dining room overlooking Estero Bay was full of early evening diners. Chef Juan Cruz’s flavorful seafood-focused menu is as wonderful as the waterfront view of rolling dolphins and painted sunsets. It blends tropical (picture coconut shrimp with mango coulis and Bohemian grouper with citrus mango relish) with classics (chicken fettuccine alfredo with shrimp grouper or salmon if you wish and 8-ounce prime filet). Call ahead to get your name on the waitlist. Soon. (8767 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, 239-765-1025; flippersotb.com)
Sage on 47th
Several visit-worthy restaurants have opened in Cape Coral recently, including Stones Throw, Front Porch Social and High Tide Social House. But there’s one — Sage on 47th — that seasonal residents got a taste of when it debuted late last season. The trendy restaurant saw three-deep at the bar and a packed dining room at the time. And there’s no reason to think this season will be any different. “Make a reservation,” said culinary guru and owner Ralph Centalonza, who was one of the driving forces behind Rumrunners, The Joint and Cork Soakers. Customers continually flock to this warm and inviting downtown restaurant for the locally focused, innovative, chef-driven menu and crafty craft cocktails. Even during September, a notoriously slow restaurant month, the glorious 68-foot bar can be packed. Go early, go often and go now. (Sage on 47th, 1015 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral, 239-542-0200, sageon47th.com)
Tito’s Cantina Tequila Bar & Grille
If you haven’t been to this Cape Coral hotspot (we haven’t) but you’ve wanted to go (it’s on our list), now is the time. The lively Southern California Mexican restaurant has drawn plenty of attention thanks to owner Tito Ortiz, a Hall of Famer and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Even before his cool, sleek and stylish cantina opened its doors two months ago, fans would drop by, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. And while Tito’s been greeting fans, shaking hands and posing for photos nightly, he’s also clearing tables, supervising the kitchen and overseeing everything. Wait times can be an hour or so on weekends and that’s during the slow season. In the ensuing months, it’ll just get busier and busier. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, go now — Tito’s waiting to meet you. (1334 Cape Coral Parkway E., Cape Coral, 239-205-6984, follow on Instagram)
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: Captiva to Cape Coral: 6 restaurants to visit before season begins
