People are gonna tell you that you HAVE to do this. You don’t. But if you have kids or you want a kitsch, nostalgic flashback to the 30s and beyond, THEN you have to. Every corner of this place — from the glass-topped showcase tables to the electric train that runs around the ceiling and the pics of stars from...

American cuisine The first of a chain that has gone nationwide, it builds upon its signature burger with awesome shakes, create-your-own salad, sandwiches of various sorts, and yummy onion rings. The menu may be cookie-cutter, but the in-the-round location here is significant. Sit down and play some trivia while you wait. A waiter once told me they’re not allowed to...

American Fare with a Side of Island History With a mural of historic island faces as its touch point, it recalls island history also with a bar that replicates the old Sanibel ferry that the causeway bridge replaced in 1963. It offers indoor, porch, and open-air seating. For lunch or dinner, order from a casual selection of appetizers, salads, pasta...

Seafood The owners of this new Sanibel restaurant own the wildly popular Clam Bake in Fort Myers, where Boston Red Sox fans flock each winter for spring training games. So naturally New England-style seafood would have a big following there. On Sanibel? Not so much, so it remains to be seen how well Maine lobster and clam “chowdah” do here....

Locals love this spot at ‘Tween Waters Inn as much as visitors because it’s the liveliest nightlife scene you’ll find on Captiva. There’s live contemporary bands most nights, a warm fireplace for those rare chilly nights, and let’s not forget the zany, long-running NASCRAB races. The funny and irreverent Commissioner Tim runs two shows every Wednesday starting with the 6...

If you love looking at boats bobbing in the harbor as you dine, here’s your place — located at Sanibel Marina. It’s open-air with seating outside and in. Specialties dwell mostly in the seafood department: coconut shrimp, fried oysters, curried lobster salad sandwich, mesquite grilled grouper, and bacon-wrapped shrimp. Save room for the key lime pie. Many on the island,...

Sandwiches and Pizza A favorite with families, this casual little strip-mall eatery also touts its selection of beer including local craft beers. Some of its pizzas are unusual, such as the Steel Curtain – a bacon cheeseburger pie including ketchup, mustard, dill pickles, and lettuce. Come in for munchies such as jalapeno poppers, hummus and pita, or create-your-own-nachos. There’s also...

Seafood/Continental Named for the sunset phenomenon where a blue-green flash of light emits just as the sun disappears at water’s edge, its sea views overlooking a mangrove island are more calming than flashy. Boaters dock for lunch, when the Green Flash veggie or turkey sandwich grilled with cheese on focaccia, fried clams, or shrimp quesadillas satisfy. Dinner leans more toward...

Take-Out Famous for its deli fried chicken, Huxter’s Market, Deli & Liquor has been the one-stop for groceries, sandwiches, beach needs from sunscreen to boogie boards, and booze for longer than my 30 years here. For beach picnics, choose the turkey club or design your own made-to-order sandwich from a complete selection of meats, salads, bread, cheese, and condiments. The...

American cuisine Here’s your best hedge against island sticker shock. Part of a grocery store, but achieving a good bit of ambiance with windows that look down upon lush gardens decorated with live parrots in cages, it’s a favorite of a loyal local following as well as families and visitors on holiday. Have a seat at the counter, a booth,...

Local Cuisine The original Flamingo startled the neighborhood between Sanibel and Captiva (a.k.a. Blind Pass) with its flaming pink color schemes more than a decade ago. Totally Key West style, it boasts the island’s first ring toss game (can’t explain, you’ve gotta see it) and does conch fritters, steamed platters, burgers, grouper sandwiches, and specials that are dang good. It’s...

A spinoff of the original at Santiva, this newer and larger incarnation differs only by the fact of table service (whereas at the original, you order at the bar and carry your own food and drink to your table). The atmosphere is similarly Pepto-pink and nautical. The menu is identical with icy raw oysters, A#1 Buffalo wings, and dependably good...

For fine dining, many point to this tiny restaurant as their island favorite. It’s not my favorite; I do appreciate the creativity and quality that goes into the ever-evolving menu, though I find it a overpriced for the most part. Sunset views contribute the best there is to be said for ambiance. So if you miss it, the setting is...

American The Normandie has undergone a recent makeover both in decor and menu to bring it to a place that pleases not only the guests at West Wind Inn, where it resides, but also a faithful local following.  Formerly loved as a breakfast spot, now its lunch and dinner menus are gaining favor. We recently sampled the Ultimate Grilled Cheese...

American Cuisine It’s mostly about breakfast, as its name implies, which it serves it from 7 to 3. It sports some creative selections such as the tasty egg reuben on a bagel and veggie or smoked salmon benedict. Problem with the bennies – the hollandaise sauce runs off the eggs. So either ask for extra on the side (which they happily...

The best and most unusual attribute of Pecking Order, a take-out newcomer, is its bar of tasty vinegars and sauces. It is known, however, for its broasted fried chicken, which you can order in every which was from by the piece to eat at the row of chairs outside or in 20-piece combos to go. The menu also lists chicken and...

American cuisine The gimmick here is glass-topped display tables filled with fossilized and newer shells, giving you a slight feeling of eating at the beach, without the grit. Most popular at breakfast (when you can order eggs with gator tail should you be so inclined), it serves waffles, muffins, omelets, pancakes, benedicts, quiche, and such until 3 p.m. The South...

Bar Food It’s under the same roof and ownership as Timbers, but has its own concept. If you want to find where the locals are hanging (or maybe you’d rather not :)) go here for drinks and munchies the likes of boneless chicken wings, pizza, burgers, and fried oysters. The food is good, the service iffy, the bartenders awesome. (Say...

Casual American Shipped in from Buffalo, New York, Schnapper’s butcher-shop hot dogs are at the top of the menu at this casual roadside eatery. Almost as popular are its pizza and Buffalo wings – some of the best on the islands. Dogs come in seven varieties – including foot-long or topped with kraut and sweet onions – plus there’s Polish,...

You MUST try the grilled Caesar salad, mounded with parmesan and drizzled with truffle oil. Then proceed with any number of small plates or entrée combinations. The menu changes every few months, but you’ll always find Chef Melissa’s amazing signature fish stew, finished with a creamy Cajun sauce. Most of the small plates make a sufficient meal. Winners all: conch...