Above: Captiva Island, Florida
Captiva Island is an excellent place to spend time with family and friends. There's plenty of opportunities to swim, jet ski, go shelling or just relax in the sun. When the day is ending, visitors to South Florida may want to settle in for a spectacular Gulf of Mexico sunset with some snacks and a cool adult beverage. The surrounding area does have several restaurant options that fall into the beach chic category with American-style food and drinks. Plus, the interior design of these bars sets them apart.
Mucky Duck
This is a pub that was once a residence, and before that, it was a hotel. Men's Journal considers it one of the Best Hidden Beach Bars in America, and it offers a breathtaking view of the sunset. Since the restaurant is located right on the beach, it's possible to arrive by boat and enjoy some food and drinks after a day on the water.
The atmosphere and the interior design is pub-style and its a family friendly environment for lunch or dinner, and even includes a kid's menu. The Mucky Duck is the perfect place for a cold beer that is so necessary on a hot Florida day. There are also a selection of wines and signature beach drinks to suit just about any dry mouth.
The Lazy Flamingo
This bright pink restaurant is designed with Florida tastes in mind and has locations in Pine Island, Sanibel and Fort Myers. The bar menu is limitedto beer and wine, but it flows freely during both afternoon and evening happy hours. The food features a variety of wings. Don't miss the Dead Parrot wings if a very hot and spicy dish is needed to go with a cold bottle of beer. There are also burgers, sandwich platters, oysters, clams and coconut shrimp.
The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. There is indoor and outdoor seating and the kid meals come with a pink frisbee, and the original location inCaptiva is right across the street from the beach, which is nice for walking off food and drink, and it's a great place to toss a frisbee.
Above: Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille
Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille
As the name suggests, the restaurant is designed around good seafood and rum drinks. There is a Caribbean flair to the food and drink as well, which makes it the perfect place to end a day spent playing in the sun and emerald-colored water. The menu is extensive and goes well beyond the usual fried fish sandwiches that often populate beach restaurants. Doc's menu includes conch chowder, a cuban sandwich, raw and steamed oysters, fish tacos and banana leaf snapper. Don't miss trying the Drunken Parrot Carrot Cake because it's spiked with a generous portion ofGosslings Rum.
The rum drink menu is also extensive and features many drinks visitors are familiar with including Rum Runners, daiquiris and Mojitos, There are Doc's location's in Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach.
Traders
This is a more upscale establishment and the interior design speaks to more of a bistro style restaurant with an impressive wine bar, and a comfortable interior design. The food menu is small and can be seen here, but everything is local and brought in fresh daily and prepared with an American flair. Specialities include crab cakes with roasted corn salsa, Florida style gumbo, steaks, chops and an assortment of local seafood.
The wine menu is a page all on its own, and it features selections by the glass or bottle. There is also a nice choice of champagnes and sparkling wines. Beer is available in bottles or on draught. There is a daily happy hour, and locals frequent this restaurant, so it's well worth a visit.
The Mad Hatter
This is the place to go for a romantic dinner on the Gulf. It features a late night bar where couples can dance the night away after an excellent dinner of blue crab cakes, black truffle sea scallops and homemade cheesecake. Children are welcome here, but they do need to be old enough to sit in a chair.
The sunsets are amazing and should be enjoyed with a cold beer or a favorite cocktail in the cozy dining room. It's the number one choice for special evenings, so don't be fooled by the ordinary looking restaurant design. The wine list is large and the staff knows what foods to pair it with.
Captiva Island the surrounding Lee County area is an excellent vacation spot. There are many things that simply can't be beat and after a day of playing, it's nice to relax with good food and drink with people who are glad to have visitors and locals stop by and enjoy themselves.
Tammie S. is a Florida native who enjoys a day in the sun and a good beach bar. She's a shameless fan of the Gulf of Mexico and goes as often as she can. Tammie writes fiction and non-fiction books and articles and loves to travel.
