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    Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen

    4.4 (680 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen Photos

    Business Info

    MUDBUGS CAJUN KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen

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    Pina Colada
    Jessica F.

    Definitely one of the best piña colada's I've ever had it was creamy and sweet without overdoing it. This is a large, open two floored space was an indoor outdoor bar upstairs and with outdoor seating. The service was attentive and spectacular. Had my first boudin balls experience. They were perfectly fried and moist in the center. Shared the blackened shrimp platter plate. The shrimp were well seasoned and tender. Got sides of the dirty rice, jambalaya and Maque Choux while good were not my absolute favorite. When return here again to try more menu items and get the pina colada again.

    Outside of restaurant
    Spartacus S.

    19 March 2026 My friend and I went to Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen for dinner. Naturally the place is crowded, and LOUD ! ( snowbirds) Interesting decor. NOLA themed food , Cajun style , spicy. I had the crab cakes ( spicy ) My friend had the Grouper. This place is packed. A line outside waiting to get into the joint. Good thing we arrived early. No waiting and plenty of room in the free parking lot. As we left we noticed the parking lot was full. The restaurant has a wrap around balcony with outside seating on the second floor with outside patio dinning , also wrap around. This place is all filled up. Yup , come early if you don't want to wait for a table. The food is good. The place is nice. The customers are mostly seasoned citizens. Our server , Isabella , was attentive , polite and friendly. She explained everything on the menu including the special of the day. We might just make a return trip here. But ... we will come early !!

    Peel and Eat Shrimp Boil at Budbugs, Sanibel Island
    Julie C.

    I phoned first and asked if they allowed dogs and was pleasantly told we'd be welcome in the outdoor "dog park" area. Great little spot! We started with Crab & Corn Bisque, delicious! Then on to Peel and Eat shrimp boil which was amazing. Plenty of shrimp, some as large as six inches long. We really didn't have room for dessert, but a lady at a table next to us suggested the beignets. Hot and tasty with raspberry sauce, caramel, and chocolate. This is a restaurant I would love to keep coming back to until I tried everything on the menu. It all sounded so good.

    MudBugs
    Gene H.

    The Shrimp Boil was loaded with Shrimp and was served up with potatoes, corn on the cob, and potatoes....and I devoured all two pounds (Take that Man vs Food!)...I definitely need to get lessons on the correct method to use on peel & eat shrimps though! Terri ordered the Blackened Chicken Salad and said it was just spiced to her liking! The Sanibel Breeze and The MudBugs Mojito were nice finishing touches. Bryan, our server was fantastic and gave me some tips on dealing with the Peel&EatShrimp method...but as I said it needs a little work yet. The New Orleans decor was perfect and the live music from upstairs wasn't too loud and so added to the lively atmosphere.

    Menu 3
    Dave T.

    Tried for our Easter dinner spot. We started with some fried pickles as an appetizer, very good. I went with the fried catfish po boy sandwich. Also ordered a side of fries. Both the sandwich and the fries were huge. My wife went with a shrimp boil. Comes with corn on the Cobb, potatoes, and large shrimp. My wife said it was delicious and so was mine. Orders came out real fast and hot. We sat on the second story balcony. Great ambiance. Guy was playing guitar and singing classic songs. Will be back again.

    Phil E.

    Very busy Not an overloaded menu, but good choices Lots of specials (including happy hour deals) Live music Pricing is a little steep but the food is quite decent I loved the Fried Green Tomatoes BLT

    Kerri E.

    Went here for dinner, and the parking lot was packed but there was plenty of seating inside and outside. We were seated upstairs, right between the musician (was good but so loud we couldn't hear each other or the server) and the restroom (one person unisex so anyone waiting was staring at us) They have a happy hour menu with drink specials and appetizer desks 3-6. Our server was Daniel who took a bit to come to the table initially, snd forgot to bring our drinks and we had to ask him for them as the appetizer was already half gone , but he did a good job otherwise. We got the fried pickle fries that were great. I had the grilled shrimp platter with mashed red garlic potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Everything was delicious but the vegetables were cold. Portions were good sized and prices were Island reasonable. Will add this to our rotation list for when we're here.

    Jumbo shrimp creole. So good you and a generous portion.
    Sean M.

    4.5/5. Food 5/5. Service 5/5. Ambiance. Authentic New Orleans decor. Super fun with Mardi Gras beads included. We stopped to sample a few small bites and were not disappointed. We ordered the charbroiled oysters and were so good, we ate up before I could snap a photo. Perfectly cooked. The shrimp 'oh-my,fries a margarita and an orange cream cider in the can. I definitely recommend and wish there was more space in my tummy to try more.

    Conch Fritters are a must it's the islander in me
    Sid J.

    Always wanted to come here and it didn't disappoint I was very happy with my meal and the service

    Lobster roll
    Ingrid H.

    This place is wonderful. Right out of New Orleans! Savanah, our server, was top notch. Food, drinks and ambiance was fabulous. A must go when in Sanibel.

    Gator Tail
    Cameron S.

    Beyond thrilled to see Mudbugs survived through the series of hurricanes from 2022. Ron and his team are a huge part of the community and a staple of Sanibel Island. We always enjoy the live music when we come here. From the overstuffed Po Boy sandwiches to char grilled oysters...everything is top notch! The gumbo and jambalaya are also generously portioned. With just the right amount of spice, it pairs well with a mudbug mojito. When you stop in here, make sure you tell Ron that the Harbuck family sent ya!

    Blacked Gator
    Darrin B.

    Unless you are really into Cajun food, the food options are limited. Went with small group that really like Cajun food so they enjoyed it. I will admit the ambiance is really cool. I had the chicken something and it was bland and rubbery. I did try the blackened gator and had to spit it into a napkin. It was like chewing on a small rubber ball. But the others enjoyed it to cheers to them. The service was nice and we were well attended to during our time there.

    Steak bites, crawfish tails, conch fritters, and gator tail.
    Gee P.

    The service is a strong 5 STARS! In fact, it's the best thing about this place--good service and good, strong drinks. The food was OK. Here's the good: fried gator, blackened mahi mahi, grouper fish. Here's the not so good: steak bites were so salty, it was inedible. The jambalaya was dry, powdery and mealy...like rice that's been overcooked and reheated too many times. I was really disappointed with this dish. Jambalaya is a staple for any cajun restaurant, and this one really missed the mark. We also had blackened grouper, it was OK- rather plain and meh. Would we come back? Sure, for drinks and snacks. The vibe was good. I just really wished the food was better.

    Crème Brûlée

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    Food was delicious. Atmosphere was great. We had a nice table outside upstairs. Service was excellent.

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    6 months ago

    The restaurant had cute decorations. The service was great! The shrimp Po'Boy was perfectly seasoned! Worth a try!

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    6 months ago

    Great food. Great atmosphere. Love the live music. We just sat at the bar Service is great and quick.

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    1 year ago

    Love the atmosphere of this restaurant. Great service from the moment we stepped in. Food was delicious with large portions.

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    Page 3 of 17

    Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen

    Is there a kids menu?

    I can not say for sure? But I would think so, everyone does these days!

    Hi, Is there live music every night? What time does it begin? Thanks, kathy

    I think every evening. Entertainment is on second floor of building. Some tables downstairs can view. I would call and confirm

    What is the dress code there?

    Dress is casual. Masks are required indoors when not seated at a table.

    What time is happy hour?

    11 to 5 daily

    Are there any non seafood items?

    Yes. Salads, fried green tomatoes, jambalaya, red beans & andouille sausage, ribeye, chicken, burger, blt, pork belly, veggie pasta, roast beef....side dishes.

    Is there Live music?

    Sometimes

    Are there menu items for those who do not like spicy food (at all)?

    Yes, lots!!

    What's the happy hour situation?

    A few drinks and a few apps specially priced. We were there yesterday for Happy Hour. I'd suggest calling them: (239) 472-2221. Here are the food Happy Hour Specials, they also have drink special but I can't remember what they were. Sorry.… Read more

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    Gramma Dot's

    Gramma Dot's

    4.1
    (682 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    As good as it gets, & our best meal & drinks on the island!…read more We had expert server Nick & were so happy with him! He was extremely personable, fun, & sooo efficient at his job! He treated us like family, & took such good care of us. We started with cocktails: Miami Vice, Pina Colada, & a Pain Killer at Nicks suggestion. They were all delicious. Next up shared appetizers of smoked fish dip & crab cakes. I usually dislike crab cakes, but I wanted to eat all of them. The smoked fish dip was delicious too & whoever thought of frying the saltines is a genius! For our meals we each got a lunch for dinner platter which was plenty of food with the accompanying house made chips & super ripe fruit. Two of us got the coconut shrimp. They were large, fresh & delicious, very heavy on the batter. The pineapple dipping sauce was perfect with them. Two in our party got salmon & said it was excellent. They ate every bite of it. One of us devoured his lobster roll with great enjoyment. The only non- seafood eater had what he described as a really good burger. He's like Mikey from Life cereal, he hates everything...so that's very high praise for the burger. For dessert we shared both the chocolate cake & key lime pie. I usually don't like Key Lime pie because it's almost always too sweet. But theirs is amazing. Dense, creamy & very tangy, with grated lime zest all throughout the pie. The cake was delicious too. There wasn't a bite of anything left. The ambience is great. Very nautical with lovely views. The exterior is very pretty, & inside it is cozy, casual & approachable. The a/c works really well too. The servers were all cheerful & the other diners seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was such a great overall experience. Highly recommend!

    Great marina setting for this top notch seafood restaurant on Sanibel Island…read more You won't regret if you choose any of the fresh seafood entrees on the menu including either Mahi-Mahi or Grouper. I like that you can also order from the lunch menu while adding an appetizer to enjoy for dinner. Ample parking adjacent to the restaurant is plentiful and convenient.

    Photos
    Nice space
    Nice space
    Key lime pie
    Key lime pie
    Marina

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    Marina
    Lazy Flamingo

    Lazy Flamingo

    3.9
    (654 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    We came for lunch just before any rush. We were seated right away…read more I was happy to see that they're "back" and reopened. We came here many years ago and enjoyed their food. The place is casual, rustic, and come as you are. Got our drinks pdq. We decided to share a combo pot. But after some soup. Got the conch chowder. It came in a large, pretty plastic conch "shell". It was slightly spicy, but not much. In fact, there's hot sauces on the table if you need more heat. There was a nice amount of ground conch pieces in a tasty tomato based broth. It was big enough to share, btw. Then we got their combo steamed pot -- 1 dozen clams and 1 dozen oysters. This takes awhile to cook as we knew it would. So if you get one of these, order soup or an app while you're waiting. The clams are the cedar key ones. Small but tasty. We didn't use the melted butter, but asked for cocktail sauce instead. The oysters -- which you have to shuck with the provided knives -- were wonderful! I'd probably get all oysters next time. In the bottom of the pot are celery and onions which you can also eat. So glad we got to come here and enjoy lunch. We will be back next time on island.

    Not a bad wait at all on a Saturday night with a party of six...good solid food. Fried pickles,…read morefrickles, were good. Oysters outstanding! My catch of the day fish sandwich was good and nice that I could substitute a Caesar instead of having to have the fries. My husband loved his shrimp scampi, and daughter enjoyed her ribs. They were great with kids too! Bar atmosphere with lots of screens.

    Photos
    Kitchen is small but they crank out some delicious food
    Kitchen is small but they crank out some delicious food
    Combo steamed pot of clams and oysters
    Combo steamed pot of clams and oysters
    Lazy Flamingo

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    Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen - cajun - Updated June 2026

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