Restaurants in Sanibel and Captiva Islands
Much of the "help" on this affluent island dines at Jerry's Family Restaurant, 1700 Periwinkle Way, at Casa Ybel Road (tel. 239/472-9300; www.jerrysfoods.com), which serves wholesome, inexpensive diner fare. Both the restaurant and adjacent supermarket are open daily from 6am to 11pm. Breakfast is served from 6am to 4pm, and you can usually get a table quickly (which can't be said of Sanibel's other popular breakfast spots).
You'll find reasonably priced pub fare at Sanibel's sports bars, such as the Lazy Flamingo II and Sanibel Grill, 703 Tarpon Bay Rd., near Palm Ridge Road (tel. 239/472-3128), which serves as the bar for Timbers, the fine seafood restaurant next door.
For picnics at Sanibel's beaches or on a canoe, the deli and bakery in Bailey's General Store, at Periwinkle Way and Tarpon Bay Road (tel. 239/472-1516; www.baileys-sanibel.com), carries a gourmet selection of breads, cheeses, and meats. Huxter's Deli and Market, 1203 Periwinkle Way, east of Donax Street (tel. 239/472-6988; www.huxtersmarket.com), has sandwich fixings and "beach box" lunches to go.
Captiva Island
Sandwiches and picnic fare are available at the Captiva Island Store, Captiva Road at Andy Rosse Lane (tel. 239/472-2374; www.captivaislandstore.com). The beach is a block from here.
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16 Results
- AMERICAN
Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille
It was very wise of this Fort Myers mainstay to open at the front of the South Seas Island Resort. A large, fun (read: noisy), family-friendly spot, Doc Ford's offers a lively bar scene as well as an expansive menu of decent casual fare, including burgers, sandwiches, salads, and…$Sanibel Island - SEAFOOD
George & Wendy's Sanibel Seafood Grille
Fresh, local, and fun are the watchwords for this family-friendly restaurant cum art gallery. And when the families go home and to bed, George & Wendy's turns into a late night dining hot spot, too. We love this place for that. For dinner, try the full rack of slow-roasted baby…$Sanibel Island - SEAFOOD
Gramma Dot's Seaside Saloon
Gramma Dot's takes its name from a woman who traveled the world by ship as a teenager, before settling in Sanibel Island in 1963. The restaurant pays homage to her seafaring ways with an excellent selection of fresh seafood dishes, including Dot's "Famous Homemade Clam Chowder" (New…$Sanibel Island - SEAFOOD
Jacaranda
Although the late(r) night owls on the island consider the Jacko their dancing and drinking den, you may want to check the place out on the pre-9pm side of things. The place is straight out of the '70s and sort of even has the smell to prove it. Think fern bar, the kind of place…$$$Sanibel Island - SEAFOOD
Keylime Bistro
A cozy Key West-style bistro, Keylime is a small place with huge charm. Service is friendly and the food is good. Like most restaurants around here (The Bubble Room excepted), the décor is colorful, tropical, and beachy, with nothing to write home about. Outdoor seating on the…$$$Captiva Island - AMERICAN
Lighthouse Cafe
If The Island Cow is too overwhelming for your breakfast tastes, the Lighthouse Café is a calm, quiet morning alternative. There's also a dinner service seasonally from December to April, but we'd stick with the breakfasts, and even then food-wise there really is no competition to…$Sanibel Island - NEW AMERICAN
Mad Hatter
A cozy Gulf-front beach bungalow with only 12 tables, Mad Hatter is as foodie as it gets on Sanibel and Captiva islands, catering mostly to couples looking for a culinary departure from the fried fish of the surrounding restaurants. The nondescript décor doesn't take away from the…$$$Sanibel Island - AMERICAN
RC Otter's Island Eats
Across the street from the Keylime Bistro is this noisy, fun, upbeat place. It's family-friendly, with live music and paper and crayons on the tables. For the kids at heart, there's that pesky game of ring toss outside while you wait for a table. The menu is enormous, touting over…$Captiva Island - AMERICAN
Sanibel Cafe
Sanibel Cafe is a nice little nondescript strip-mall breakfast spot with Southern accents. The menu features country fried steak and eggs, fish and eggs, Benedicts, quiches, and really good omelets, waffles, and French toast—on the latter, don't miss the piña colada version. The…$Sanibel Island - NEW AMERICAN
Sweet Melissa's Cafe
It's not every day that a chef who has worked with New Orleans' lauded John Besh settles on Sanibel Island, but that's exactly what Melissa Talmage did, making Sweet Melissa's one of the island's—and Southwest Florida's—best. Don't judge the place by its bland, retirement home décor.…$$$Sanibel Island - AMERICAN
The Bubble Room
A shack of a restaurant bedecked in kitsch (imagine if Christmas exploded on top of the TNT channel, with assorted Santas perched high above photos of vintage Hollywood legends, along with a slew of old dolls and toys thrown in to make things even more dizzying, or, in the case of…$$$Captiva Island - AMERICAN
The Island Cow
A breakfast lover's dream come true, The Island Cow is as close as Sanibel Island gets to a local diner, with an unabridged menu covering a mind-boggling amount of breakfast, lunch, and dinner fare. The free corn muffins at breakfast are a big plus. The menu also has burgers, wraps,…$Sanibel Island - BAR FARE
The Lazy Flamingo
With a dive bar vibe and Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" kind of menu, it's no wonder this venerable Sanibel spot has been around for so long. It looks it, too, but don't judge a dive by, well, never mind. The fish shack ambiance is nothing original here, though it seems…$Sanibel Island - SEAFOOD
The Sandbar
A new addition to the island in 2013, The Sandbar has too informal a name for such an upscale, modern spot. The walls of this surf 'n' turf standout are adorned with funky local art, and, for the HGTV fans, crown molding. Emerging from the open kitchen are some of the freshest…$$$Sanibel Island - SEAFOOD
Timbers Restaurant and Fish Market
There are those who love Timbers and those who don't, and a middle-ground of fans that frequent the fish market more often than the sit-down restaurant. Like many places in town, the interior is wooden, rustic, and tropical. Paddle fans and patio umbrellas opened indoors remind you…$$Sanibel Island - SURF AND TURF
Trader's Cafe
This rustic, old-school seafood shanty slash general store is a favorite for those looking to return to the simpler times of surf and turf. Trader's Cafe harks back to the days before sushi and pizza, with a focus on steak and seafood. But there's nothing simple about this menu; the…$$$Sanibel Island
