6 people for dinner. Out of the 6 - three ordered the watermelon salad. Dreadfully sad. Think spring mix salad out of a bag with a sprinkling of goat cheese and a very thin slice of tasteless watermelon. Typical vinegarette salad dressing in a plastic cup on the side. Woefully disappointing. Crab and corn bisque soup was very salty and a little bit watery. Order of crayfish was as expected. I believe this restaurant is overrated and obviously looking for ways to save $ It's cute with its logo and concept. High ceilings with live music made for difficult dining conversations. There are outside tables on a balcony and I would opt for those if I were to choose this place again. read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Crayfish platter - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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I am glad that most of the restaurants back to the island including this Cajun restaurant. When we visited was the big raining day. The restaurant is kind of empty due to the bad weather. The restaurant has two floor and allows for outdoor of inside seating. We pick the up stair because of the New Orleans style decorations. It is look like big easy. We start with the 1/2 dozen chargrilled oyster. It top with Parmesan cheese and garlic. It was delicious. I got the blackened grouper. The grouper is big portion compared to many place. However the blackened is kind of disappointing. Not blackened enough and not both sides blackened. However the fish is fresh. My friend got the jambalaya. He likes it. The only thing I like add is they don't have shrimp in it. Most jambalaya do has small shrimp. Overall we have good experience. Food is good. We love the food. read more

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We spent the day biking Sanibel and Captiva, and my boyfriend really wanted to enjoy some of his hometown New Orleans cuisine. He had looked up Mudbugs before and was set on coming here for lunch. We rode our bikes in, parked them easily at the bike lock and enjoyed our lunch in the outside patio. The inside was a bit too chilly for us, but then we had to combat the no-see-ums outside - thankfully our server had ample bug spray options to keep the bugs at bay. He got the red beans and rice and the Boudin Balls- I got a half dozen oysters on the half shell and the Grilled Watermelon Salad. He was thrilled with his choices, and said they reminded him of home! Oysters were absolutely incredible! They were from the Gulf near Louisiana it had so much flavor. Just a gentle squeeze of lemon with a drop of hot sauce was all that I needed. They were on the larger side, meaty, clean in their taste, and shocked without any issue. I asked about a mignonette as the brains of the vinegar blended with the shallots is one of my most favorite toppers for oysters. They didn't have any, but I'm hoping that with this review and anyone else that wants to support this, they may add it to the menu! Now let me preface the watermelon salad with the fact that watermelon is hands-down, my absolute most favorite fruit! I don't do anything to it, no salt, no Tajin, nothing. Just beautiful, delicious pure watermelon. I felt like I needed to vent out a little bit and try the grilled watermelon salad. I'm not gonna lie. It was a little strange at first. The watermelon almost tasted like it wasn't quite fresh - it was the caramelization of the sugars that changed the flavor palette for me. The rest of the salad was absolutely delicious! I would've only liked a small addition of nuts, and I think salted sesame seeds would've been the perfect compliment to that salad! All in all a great place for lunch or to enjoy the Louisiana vibes at dinner! read more

Loved the vibes! Food was average. Enjoy the style and atmosphere of this place- very fun!

Our waiter was very sweet and nice for our small group he was perfect the food was okay little overseasoned and honestly for us all getting different dishes they tasted similar but after a day at the beach we were just tired and hungry the drink was delicious and strong and the food was very similar to food in New Orleans but best part once again was the staff was friendly and prompt and the restaurant was clean read more

Right off the main road. Bustling ambience with live music, and a fun New Orleans-theme. The service was great and food was amazing! I got the Shrimp Po'Boy and it was delicious! The shrimp was huge and perfectly cooked. The veggies were fresh, plenty of pickles and the sauce on top was AMAZING! The sauce really made it pop and brought the whole thing together. I would definitely get this again! They have a wide range of menu options! read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Shrimp Po'Boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

Consistently good food , good service and great drinks . Oysters are so good, a must try! read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Cajun margarita. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Off we go to support more local restaurants after coming back from hurricane. Ian, this time Sanibel Island. My bugs is a famous Cajun restaurant on Sanibel Island. We started with a couple of drinks Cajun, Margarita and IPA. Service here is always very friendly. We sat upstairs and could see the street and the people riding on the share use path. If you haven't been here, the park rinds and cold drinks are awesome. For our main dishes we got the etouffee topped with blackened salmon and the jambalaya. With the jambalaya you can add the Cajun cream sauce which is what we did. Makes it more creamy. All food was prepared very well and portions are large. We had to take some home with us. Couldn't finish it. read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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We visited here last year so we came back, and we were really glad we did! Yummy! We split an order of the amazing gnocchi for our appetizer. Then ordered the crawfish etouffee which is seasoned just right and loaded with meat! Then topped off our lunch with the delectable beignets with raspberry and caramel sauces. Perfect lunch for two! Highly recommend getting in and giving yourself some time with the cajun kitchen! read more

We ate here tonight because of all of the great reviews. We only had to wait 5 minutes for a table. We did sit outside and the bugs are pretty bad but that did not dampen our mood. Hubby got the jambalaya which was plentiful I had the raw oysters and shrimpcargot. They had their live music cancel otherwise it would have been perfect. read more

Another 5 star experience at mug bugs! This time I got the happy hour grouper tacos, the fried green tomatoes again, crab, and corn bisque, and it was all divine! Gretchen was our server and she was wonderful! Not only is the food and decor incredible, but they play the greatest old school rock music. We had such a great time and plan on returning every time we're on Sanibel Island! read more

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Really great place, and would def come back to try more. The service was great. It was a casual yet fun atmosphere. The good: fried green tomatoes, calamari, fried crawfish, crab and corn bisque, ribeye, ribs, duck, cajun cream sauce and finally the beignets! Things that can be improved: mojito was watered down, the stuffed shrimp was a little bland, pork rinds were over salted and could use a dip of some sort...The mashed potatoes were dry and bland so def pick a different side...or top them with the cajun cream and mix in... Still, looking forward to returning on another trip to try other items read more

Pretty sweet New Orleans style food in a really fun, family friendly atmosphere. Highly recommend. read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - Dining room - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Sanibel, Florida

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Oysters Oysters Oysters. They are the best! Grilled oysters weee spectacular! Great service. Fun guy singing.

They're Bayou char grilled oysters were awesome. Better than the ones I've had in New Orleans.

I'm not sure what people see in this place! I found the restaurant very dirty. Upstairs is a waitress station right next to the bathrooms. It's very tight to get in. They keep a large garbage to clear plates just as you go into the restrooms. The smell made me sick! Not to mention the days of stuck on food around the can. We got the peel and eat garlic butter shrimp. They came whole. Meaning heads on, and not deveined. The other app was fried green tomatoes. They were fine but nothing to come back for. The plates were plastic and very warn. Scratch marks from many uses. My husband ate the shrimp and said they were fine but I couldn't stomach it! Everywhere I looked something was sticky! We definitely won't be back. read more

Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen has a great ambiance and overall vibe. The staff is friendly and professional and only add to the overall experience. The food was good and the drinks were cold. I would definitely recommend a visit to Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen. read more

The chargrilled oysters are amazing - do not miss! The Po-boys are huge and the fried oysters are done perfectly (either on a Po-boy or the platter). The blackened Grouper was also perfect. Service was very attentive. The only thing you need to look past is the live music - he plays the accordion well, but the vocals are rarely on key. Just look past it! read more

The food is amazing such large portions The staff is very knowledgeable about the food choices The decor makes you feel like you're eating in New Orleans read more

We decided to make Mudbugs our first stop in Sanibel. We drove down to Sanibel for the first time a few weeks ago, and stopped at Mudbugs for lunch. All the food was great, and the place has a fun vibe (will need to return in the evening sometime). I had the gumbo and it was so good! read more

Low expectations going in due to limited options on Sanibel Island, but this place is really good! Host was friendly and very kind to our kids. They gave Mardi Gras beads to the kids when we entered. The kids menu portions are really big and the chicken fingers and fries probably the best we've seen on a kids menu. The fries are a cross between potato wedges and seasoned fries and super addicting. I ordered the seafood etouffe which was packed with flavor. The shrimp might have been a tad bit overcooked. My husband's Cajun pasta with grouper was perfect. Grouper was perfectly cooked and seasoned. We also got the charbroiled oysters with crab cake mix on top and that was a good sized appetizer. 100% recommend this place for a meal on Sanibel island. read more

Everything was fabulous! The bread for the po boys was soft and delicious. Beignets!!!! They were as good as the ones in the French Quarter read more

Mud Bugs in San Edible Island, Florida is an absolute gem. The food was outstanding and the service was just as impressive. I ordered the Cajun chicken sandwich, and it was packed with flavor--perfectly seasoned, juicy, and cooked just right. You can really tell they know how to do Cajun food. Our waitress was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. She knew the menu inside and out and was able to answer every question we had without hesitation, which made the experience even better. It's always refreshing to have service that feels genuine and confident. I highly recommend the Cajun chicken sandwich and the jambalaya--both are must-tries. Great food, great service, and a welcoming atmosphere. I'll definitely be coming back. read more

Ambience A+++++ In our search of Southern Soul Food, we asked Google to take us to Mudbugs, 45 minutes later we find ourselves on Sanibel Island, looking at the beautiful water as we cross over the bridge and park at Mudbugs. We enter and it is delightful to say the least! Drinks? Exceptional! Bloody Mary with jalapeno vodka, YUM! The music for a Saturday afternoon was perfect! Upstairs, downstairs, outdoor patio seating, outdoor bar seating, inside seating, it happened to storm today and living in Florida, I felt I was on vacation! The service is great! The food was not packed full of flavor, but you know what? They have spices at the table so... that is what we did! Perfect place, perfect music, perfect day. Thank you Mudbugs! We will be back! Oh yeah, the Bowden Balls were yummy, Gumbo was good, hubby had Duck, it was all simple.... but, this was a great place! read more

We visited Sanibel for the weekend. We went here for lunch on Sunday afternoon. It wasn't too busy. We were sat upstairs. Our waiter was Daniel. He did an excellent job. Very attentive and helpful. We both ordered the shrimp platter. It came with 8 shrimp and two sides. For my sides I got the coleslaw and the jambalaya. The shrimp was REALLY good! Cooked and flavored to perfection! The coleslaw was also very good. The jambalaya was ok. The chicken in it seemed old and hard. I ate around it. My daughter got mashed potatoes and jambalaya as her sides. The mashed potatoes were also very good. She left most of her jambalaya. They have all kinds of hot sauces on the tables, which we appreciated. Other than that the ambiance is cool. They have outdoor seating. There's a bar upstairs that's half indoor and half outdoor. The music was good. I feel the menu is a little limited. Or check was about $60 before tip. I would go back again. read more

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Mudbugs is an easy 5/5. We had a delicious lunch outside on the second floor deck facing the main road. We started with the conch (pronounced conk, which makes no sense) fritters with a side of honey mustard sauce. The grilled watermelon salad is delicious with mixed greens, crumbles of soft goat cheese, red onion, side of balsamic and an added crab cake. We also had the grilled grouper sandwich with a red onion slice, lemon wedge, tomato slice, lettuce, and a pickle slice with a side of remoulade. The storm surge high water mark from Hurricane Ian in 2022 can be seen on the first floor brick wall, and there are a few pictures of the extensive damage done to the restaurant's interior. In fact, Ian's damage is apparent all around the area yet there's been a tremendous amount of new construction the last year, it's quite remarkable. Love the first and second floor interior and the various outdoor spots in the restaurant. They also have a Chihuly glass sculpture hanging from the ceiling, quite nice. Mudbug sells t-shirts and I decided to buy one. read more

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We came at about 7pm on a Saturday night and were promptly seated. We had friendly and quick service and were immediately greeted. The live music was a really nice touch!! We decided on the Cajun pasta and the fresh catch grouper platter. They were decent option sizes but not enough to take some home. We loved both of our choices, they were delicious!!! Of course we had to get the beignets for dessert and we are so glad we did. They are melt in your mouth and steaming hot!! My only complaint is that they keep the windows and doors open inside which creates a ton of flies and no-see-ums. I completely understand doing it for the ambiance but we felt like we were rushing through dinner since our legs were getting bit up. The flies were okay, as they have a special mechanism on each table that spins while you eat to keep them off your food. There was plenty on the menu we would have tried so we definitely will be back when on Sanibel! Overall great experience, minus the bugs! read more

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Great meal! I mean really good. Came here with wife and kids, ages 18 and 14 as we were staying on Sanibel. The place itself has. A great vibe, billing itself as New Orleans in Sanibel. They got it going! We were seated quickly and food does come fast, so space out your time. We got the BOUDIN BALLS-braised pork, Cajun Trinity, and rice, lightly breaded, flash fried, served with remoulade sauce . It was delish and can feed one or two. For our mains, I had the po boy BLT, my wife had the po boy Grouper, one daughter had the chicken Cesar salad and the other Mac and cheese and a watermelon sandwich. For drinks the girls had lemonade, my wife had a mojito and I had a Cajun margarita. The lemonades and my margarita was great. Very large and strong. Also spicy. I loved it. The mojito had a lot of berries in it and my wife did not love it. It was not bad, just not her thing. This place is great and I would recommend going twice. We sat inside and it was a great vibe with a good solo singer. That being said the outside looks fun too. Go. Here. Now. read more

Absolutely loved the ambiance. Super friendly wait staff. Tried alligator bites for the first time! What's it taste like? Well.. ya guessed it... Chicken! lol! Joking aside. It wasn't gamy. It seriously was kind of like chicken but the texture was firmer. Can't say that it had a distinct taste. Besides, that dipping sauce and the batter would caver it all up anyways. My favorite dishes were the peel and eat shrimp (so nicely seasoned and so plum and juicy. Yes, with their heads on! Tastiest part of the deal!) and their crackling (pork rinds). Their softshell crab sammich was quite nice, as was their corn chowder and the oysters. Once upon a time I really liked cajun crawfish boils, but, I dunno, didn't seem to feel the same way about them now (in retrospect, we should have only done 1/2 of that portion). I forget what that dessert was, but those puffy little pastries were awesome with their dipping sauce!. Definitely well worth the drive and the toll to get into Sanibel. Wasn't able to check in. Poor cellphone reception. read more

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Awesome decor inside and good fun live music. The food was really good. I'd recommend it. My husband can't wait to go back.

You should know going in, that Mudbugs are crayfish (crawdads). And as you can guess by their name, this is Cajun cooking. As you'll see, we had a bit of everything except .........., and enjoyed it. You can see from my pics, the upbeat, Cajun vibe. The staff was quick and helpful. As of this writing, June 2023, Sanibel Island is still recovering from devastation of hurricane Ian - but there is still plenty of life and happenings going on, so don't count this area out of your plans. We started with their Gumbo: very traditional and mildly flavored. There was a fair amount of meats in this dish. The Grilled Oysters were very flavorful. The oysters were cooked just right, not chewy, the garlic butter had the right amount of flavor kick, and the melted cheese had the right amount of texture and saltiness. The Grouper Po' Boy certainly had enough grilled Grouper, see pic. The fish was cooked very well: moist, tender and flaky. The fish barely had any seasoning. The flavor was added with the remoulade sauce (which did have a lot of spice and flavor). We enjoyed our visit and were super glad to support the area's recovery. read more

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Great and creative food! We really enjoyed it! They also had live music! Service was very attentive and the location was also nice! We will definitely go back and try some more of the menu! read more

We went to Sanibel Island for a day trip and found Mud Bugs on the way out. It's a great Island atmosphere with tons of people. We sat at a table near the bar so our server split her time as the bartender as well. She was busy with the bar patrons and making drinks for everyone so I'd recommend sitting at the bar or a table in the main area. The blackened grouper was tender and a generous portion. Get the the mashed potatoes I could have eaten a Bucket of those. Steer clear of the coleslaw, it may be homemade but it was bland. My wife had the brussel sprouts and shrimp. She really liked it, I can only vouch for the brussel sprouts and they were good. Unfortunately I didnt try a hurricane so have one for me when you get there. read more

Perennial favorite Sanibel. The ambiance is lively, like New Orleans and Sanibel met on the sidewalk and started a conversation. Food is excellent, consistently good across all the offerings - appetizers, mains and desserts. Kid and grown up friendly. The service has also been consistently very very good over the years we've gone there, regardless of season. There is care to what they do. Just go and enjoy! read more

Lot's of fun. Great service and food. The decorations were fun and the zydeco player kept things fresh and lively. Would definitely go back. read more

Food was good but overpriced. Sandwiches didn't come with sides. Service was mediocre. read more

we always love Mudbugs, great ambiance, and fun place! The menu can be a bit tricky if you want healthy non-greasy food. The lobster roll the last few times, has been overly loaded with mayo...a shame because the lobster meat is great...so that one is off the list. They have no way in the kitchen to make it with less mayo. (assume its mixed ahead, if if it last til the next day maybe more mayo is added, who knows) Doc Fords has a good one though, not overly w mayo. The french fries here are off the list too, the oil that's used is so so greasy on your fingers, that I'm pretty sure it must have pork grease in it. A shame because the actual potato itself is very good, but the oil they use is high grease, and it can't be canola, its super saturated. So, it can be challenging. There are many food choices, just need to work at it. Hope they change the frying oil to healthy oil on the fries! That would be great! read more

Good atmosphere good service and pretty great food. Walked right in around 430pm with no wait. Starters: Pork.Rinds , Calamari, Cajun benignets w/cream suace Dinner: Baked panko scallops 3 x Pink Gulf Shrimp boils corn tator bread Only complaint is the flies bc its a open layout read more

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Amazing experience! Drinks were great. Service great. The shrimp garlic cheese appetizer was out of this world.

Amazing food and amazing service! The Cajun beignets are soooo delicious. Crab and corn bisque was also great.