Best Restaurants on Captiva & Sanibel?
 

Please share your favorite places to eat dinner & lunches on Sanibel & Captiva Islands. Thanks! It's appreciated.

Haven't been to either in awhile, but did enjoy The Bubble Room on Captiva; and MacVies and Flamingo in the Raw on Sanibel.

Last summer we visited Captiva. We ate to the Mucky Duck. It was o.k. not wonderful but reasonably priced. The staff were extremely friendly. The best part was it is right on the beach. The sunset is gorgeous. I would recommend it for a spectacular sunset.

I believe someone has recommended The Lazy Flamingo and McT's on Sanibel. I would say yes for Lazy Flamingo but I would say go to the one at the end of Sanibel (Cap-San village) as it is the original, kind of a beachy dive and just great for lunch or a casual evening. I do not see the charm of the other...another Sanibel/Captiva legend like the Mucky Duck (once my favorite) just resting on its laurels. <BR><BR>Here's some alternatives: Katie Gardenia's for dinner...crazy interior and excellent food and awesome desserts... very beachy alernative is RC Otters on Andy Rosse LN in Captiva...guitarist like James Taylor and good food in a very laid back atmosphere contrasting the cruiseship food-a-thon atmosphere that now rules the Mucky Duck down the street. <BR>

If you want a top of the line evening, try Chadwicks at South Seas Plantation on the end of Captiva. High class buffets in a relaxing atmosphere. Different themes every night but whatever the theme there is plenty to choose from in other catagories. Approx. $25 pp. but well worth it. If you want to commit suicide try the hottest wings at The Lazy Flamingo.

Chadwicks: there was a discussion about this lousy restaurant earlier this year. You can find the thread by entering Chadwicks and highlighting Florida. There is seldom a positive remark about this South Seas Institution. People at South Seas are somewhat a captive audience for the restaurants on the property given that the resort is so remote but it is time for Chadwicks to get an overhaul of menu and concept.

In two separate stays and a couple of day trips, we've only had one very good restaurant experience on Sanibel/Captiva, an Italian restaurant (Jacaranda?) near the Mucky Duck and I think it's now gone. Mucky Duck....a has been, but still nice to go out and have a drink as the sun sets. The wait to get in is absurd though, and the food nothing to write home about once you are in. McT's had been recommended to us as well and I thought the food was just plain miserable, plus the restaurant was extremely smokey. That should be a thing of the past, if not yet, then by June, with FL's smoking/dining laws passed in the last election.<BR><BR>The past two times we've been as day trips, we've had lunch at a small place, outside on a porch overlooking the water and marina at T'ween Waters. The food is OK, but the location is the thing there...the activity in the marina and on the water, the little otters that have discovered that this is a fine place to come for *their* lunch as well! Please don't feed them...but they are fun to watch. They have become so bold now the restaurant has put a baby gate up at their back entrance, otherwise they'd come in and dine at your table!<BR><BR>I don't understand why dining seems to be so mediocre in a locale where there are plenty who can afford more and would be willing to pay for it...but it's just not there. The same holds true for the Clearwater/St Pete area. There is only one restaurant in that entire strip that I could recommend for a great meal!

Might want to check out chowhound.com . Go to the FL board and do a search, or query.

I agree with Olive Oyl. We used to go up to Sanibel from Naples pretty frequently for theatre productions, but finding a place to eat was not an easy task. One of our last excursions including a trip to a place called The Mad Hatter, which people had raved about being the best place on Sanibel. We found the food bordering on miserable and the prices absolutely outrageous. I'm not even sure if it is still there now as that was a couple of years ago and I've not heard any more about it. I don't think I've ever had a meal on Sanibel that I'd rave about, and most places are just plain average. This has never made sense to me either for an area that is so &quot;upscale&quot;.

Don't get me started on the Mad Hatter. Abominable is the word and it gets rave reviews. Scallops in white chocolate, yeech.<BR><BR>Looks like Olive shares my opinion of the Mucky Duck. The Italian restaurant you mentioned is now inhabited by the Capitva equivalent of the San Francisco painted ladies (houses) and the whole Andy Rosse lane has taken on a Disney like aura which I find incongruous. <BR><BR>I like the Canoe Club (I think that is still its name) at Tween Waters and I love the crab races at their bar. It is a fun night. These places are for fun and atmosphere. Not great cuisine. <BR><BR>I currently go to the Mermaid Club when I'm on Sanibel or the Lazy Flamingo (the divey one near Captiva). Mermaid club has pretty good food in an amusing atmosphere. It's official name is Katie Gardenia's Kitchen and Mermaid Club.

Yes LilMsFoodie...It was the Canoe Club when we were there last fall (the otter place I described above). You're right, food isn't fabulous, but the atmosphere makes up for the short comings in that department and at least it's tolerable. The thought of scallops in white chocolate is just plain gross! We'll look for the Mermaid Club when we're down next time.<BR><BR>My take on the reason for the average or below restaurants is that they have you over the proverbial barrel unless you are willing to leave the island--and even then what do you get!! So, with no incentive; if you are going to get diners beating down your doors no matter the quality of food, why be the one to try harder? It really is a shame.

The best meal we had on Sanibel was the one we cooked ourselves on the outdoor grill on the grounds of our hotel. It was just an ordinary burger using ground beef from the grocery store, a freshly made salad and a bottle of wine. The location, the view and the great burgers - who could ask for more?

my point exactly Candy, maybe a few threads ago. I suggested someone charter a fishing captain and cook up their own memory of this very special place. Captiva/Sanibel is not New York, Naples or Miami and should be celebrated for this. LMF

oops, my post was to Mariana, but the sentiment is the same.

The worst and most over-priced rest. is the Bubble Room. Food is bad and not cheap.

Go to the Bubble Room for a yummy dessert. Kids love the atmosphere (i.e. all the junk on the walls). The dinners are terrible. The Lighthouse Cafe has excellent breakfasts but You can have a long wait for a table. Also like Matzaluna, Tween Waters &amp; McT's for dinner.

The Bubble Room has taken a lot of heat at this site in the past, but I took my parents there for lunch one day and had a real fun time. The food was decent, and the desserts were incredible. At least it was for our visit, about three years ago. I even have their fun menu framed and hanging in my kitchen in my small menu collection. Sorry to disagree, mrt, but we were all very pleased with the place and took it for what it was (sandwiches and split a dessert).<BR><BR>We sat upstairs, which I would recommend, and we arrived to the restaurant at 11:30 AM - a very long line forms after that time.<BR><BR>Happy Trails,<BR>Paul

Thank you for all the posts. I appreciate everyone's input. I can't wait to visit the Islands &amp; enjoy the food; along with the fabulous view, that comes along with it. Thanks again<BR>:-)

Here's another vote for the Bubble Room. We found the decor a bit much, but it was fun, and the friends that we took there absolutely loved the food. I've never had a bad meal there. I'll acknowledge it's a little pricy, but not outrageous.

We LOVE RC Otters and eat there several times during every trip to Captiva/Sanibel.<BR><BR>When you arrive on Sanibel, stop in at the Visitor's Center and purchase their &quot;menu&quot; book. It's about $4 and includes menus from just about every restaurant on both islands.<BR><BR>We can't wait to get back to Captiva later this year!