Today was a super gloomy day and it almost looked like it was going to snow lol! Dave suggested…read morethat we head out to Matlacha and Pine Island and have a late breakfast at the Pine Island Getaway Cafe. Great idea! We love supporting our local community as it is still recovering from Hurricane Ian. We crossed the bridge towards St. James City and towards the Cafe. It was bustling and it looks like a lot of snow birds have found this hidden gem. Everything is homemade and baked there. We ordered our usual- Scrambled eggs piled high on a Croissant with bacon and cheese. A delicious crispy concoction that keeps us coming back! Not to mention the fresh ground coffee and the little patio outside overlooking a peaceful lake. We ate our sandwiches outside in the cool beautiful breezy weather. The sandwich is so yummy and you need a fork and knife to cut through the delicate croissant. Then off we go to our favorite little Publix on Pine Island to grocery shop. A lovely way to begin our day!

Such a cute café and restaurant with delicious pastries and sandwiches! There's a great patio out…read moreback overlooking the water -- part of it is even screened in, which makes it the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the view. We tried the almond croissant, coffee éclair, gyro sandwich, a Cuban coffee, and a café olé -- everything was fresh and flavorful. If you find yourself on Pine Island, don't miss this little gem just off the beaten path!

The Yucatan never dissapoints! We made reservations even though we're in not in the season, and our…read moretable was ready as we arrived by boat. We were greeted by our server Natalie, who provided exceptional service to us, showing us what some of the dishes looked like. The food, as always, was excellent and you can't beat the water view. Great job Natalie and the staff and chefs at The Yucatan!

Let us start eleven months ago when I composed a scathing review of our GO TO restaurant. In that…read morereview we literally wrote-off Yucatán Waterfront after years of monthly visits. This past Friday our kids were visiting and insisted on going to YW and so we did. Folks, the storm clouds have parted! The ship came in! The underdog horse won the race. We "got over Macho Grande." Yucatán Waterfront is back and in a big way. Small drab portions..GONE! Don't give ---- service..GONE! Food..plated beautifully, tasting fantastic...YES! Our party of five, including a three year old, were served by Ashton, who never missed a step. My escargot was done differently than before, much better, with tasty garlic bread which is HUGE improvement over the stale mini roll from before. My wife's Taco Salad, son's Blackened Shrimp, Daughter-in-law's fried shrimp and grandson's burgers were all perfect. While I didn't try their dishes, the adults food looked like it came from a master chef. If you, like us, had a bad experience a year ago and stopped coming to Yucatán...it's time to go back.

The food and service defines the experience. Blue dog never changes. Daily printed menus of fresh…read moreofferings, friendly familiar faces of staff and customers every day, the only downside is trying to find parking during peak times. This place thrives on volume and pure mayhem. But quality never suffers. The food is always amazing. I wish they had liquor, be aware all alcoholic drinks are beer based. A minor complaint which doesnt even effect my five star rating. The food speaks for itsself.

Blue Dog Bar & Grill is another local "must do"! Daily specials based on what is fresh, Friday…read morenight Prime Rib, and a fantastic everyday menu. The food is always super fresh, hot and delicious! Any choice from the "Fish of the Moment" is guaranteed to be amazing and I LOVE their Prime Rib! Staff is always friendly and quick but can become overwhelmed at peak hours. We tend to "stagger" our orders to prevent our entrees arriving while we are still eating our appetizers. Matlacha charm and Island Time feel will melt your day away, especially with a frosty Blue Dog lager in hand. Grab a seat at the bar if possible. Parking can be crazy during season. Cheers!

Tarpon Lodge & Restaurant is our date night location. So much charm! Indoor / outdoor dining in a…read morebuilding dating back to 1926, screen door out to the beautiful grounds, amazing food and wine menus and finally the SUNSETS! The menu focuses on locally sourced ingredients, served with Pine Island flare. The service staff is knowledgeable, attentive without being intrusive and always smiling. They really make you feel welcome and part of the family. Plenty of on-site, free parking. Make sure to plan your visit to walk the grounds and take in a sunset. Regardless of where you are in the cape or surrounding area, Tarpon Lodge restaurant is worth the drive. Cheers!

Unbelievable to witness this place rebound time and again, storm after storm, flood after flood…read more Not to mention the incredible amount of responsibility placed upon this family run hospitality business. Anyone looking to support a quiet waterfront community should certainly consider this gem. Parking in navigation can sometimes be tricky. So consider utilizing the paid parking and security offered by the Pineland Marina Safe Harbor next-door. The twisty windy Road past the historic post office, the Randall research center, and all the grounds of this archaeological treasure trove is worth the drive. But I would not encourage anybody to bike or walk due to limited unsafe pathways and frequent flooding. But once you find your sweet parking spot and don't have to worry about anything. Have lunch at the tarpon Lodge and then walk all through the community of pineland and gaze upon this country club-esque neighborhood that is anchored by an abandoned golf course. Local wildlife is rebounding in this potential preserve. Bird watches especially have opportunities to check rare sightings off of their ornithology list. Including spring time elusives like the Chuck Wills Widow nightjar, white pelicans, juvenile bald eagles looking for their life mates, pileated woodpeckers and so much more. And if you're lucky and you play your cards right, a local might give you a couple fishing tips and some secret spots. So always have a fishing pole and bait ready.

What a gem!!! A little bit of a drive from the Cape, but absolutely worth it. The service was…read moreabsolutely incredible. Our server was the nicest and most welcoming. The food was pretty incredible. We saw ropa vieja on the menu and brisket and didn't think the flavors would be authentic, I mean who can cook both so well and know the right flavors of ropa vieja and smoke a brisket. We were pleasantly surprised. We also ordered tacos that came with rice and beans. We were hesitant but so happy with the ropa vieja so we tried the rice and beans. All the Latin flavors were so on point. And the brisket on our tacos was smoked perfectly and the shrimp tacos were seasoned and cooked perfectly. I feel we tried enough to know the chef is talented and is very well rounded. We thank you for your delicious food and wonderful service. We will definitely be back here. Love from Miami Florida!

We wanted to try this place for a few weeks now and finally came here today for an early dinner. It…read morewas Sunday at 4:30pm, we were the first customers here. Staff were super welcoming, and we sat down at the bar, country music playing, great vibe! We had hoped for the whole deep fried snapper but sadly it was out. We took their advice and ordered the fresh mullet bites for appetizer, which was awesomely fresh! For entree I chose the grouper sandwich and hubby ordered the rib eye which he was not too thrilled with. My sandwich was great, huge piece of deep fried fish served with french fries and hush puppies, probably the best hush puppies I ever had. By the time we left, the bar area was filled up along with few tables in the main dining room. We will definitely be back again. After all, I need to try that whole friend grouper!

Loved our visit to Boops in Captiva Island. It was our first time…read more This is a dessert shop with cakes, ice cream, drinks like coffee and milkshakes. Happy to see there is a parking lot across the street bc parking in Captiva Island is very limited. They have seating inside and outside. We sat inside with our small dog and they were very welcoming to all of us. They even brought our pup some water and a pup cup. Enjoyed the orange crunch cake. Definitely unique. They said that is their specialty so I had to try it. My husband enjoyed his strawberry milkshake and I agree it was quite tasty. Very happy for this stop which is fun since the Bubble Room and Bubble Room Emporium are also in this area to visit. Definitely a must stop Captiva Island Spot!!!

Really cute, small ice cream parlor atmosphere, which they somehow managed to make it look very old…read morefashioned. I loved the one little booth with illuminated stained glass, and the carved wood & stained glass bar backdrop at the counter. There are a few tables inside, and a few outdoor tables. This is a nightly hot spot for the area, and it is jam packed after dinner. We got ice cream & sorbet. Both were VERY sweet. The ice cream was decent. We only got chocolate & vanilla flavors. The chocolate was my favorite. Their sorbet was oddly stretchy. I don't know why, maybe they added emulsifiers? It was not like any sorbet I'd had before. So, if you want sorbet, just know that it will be more chewy than what you might expect. Servers were great. Efficient & friendly despite a VERY busy evening.

Being a North Westerner (Cape Coral), trips down to the SE and SW parts of the cape are often too…read morefar. That's OK though cause we got Micelli's! Above average tavern fare, great Matlacha feel and the spreader out back where you can sit back, relax and watch the boats go by. Literal paradise. Our go-to's are the Ahi Tuna Nachos with copious amounts of tuna, seaweed salad, wasabi mayo and sriracha. Steamers come with what I consider the best broth I've ever had and the Calamari w/ home made marinara. Servers are quick, friendly and efficient. Live bands every night and Happy Hour everyday from 11 - 7. On season, the parking and seating become hard to come by. Oh and the outdoor area is dog friendly.

Our first time at Miceli's and really didn't know what to expect. It looks much bigger and cleaner…read morein person. The tiki area looks fun and festive. They do have live music on certain nights which is a plus. The staff was friendly, attentive and cheerful however the food leaves a lot to be desired. I ordered the macadamias coconut crusted mahi and it lacked flavor even with the banana rum sauce.. The broccoli that came with my meal was bland but on the upside the sweet potato fries were great. My husband had the mussels which he said were 'ok'. I believe than on another night where theres music playing and people vibing you may enjoy coming here; however do not expect on having a great meal but just typical bar food to absorb the alcohol if you are drinking.

Pulled pork & fried shrimp Excellent !!!…read moreHot and fresh Fries so good!! Nice clean friendly and great hours!

Absolute hidden gem, and I'm delighted I didn't realize it is essentially a food truck with a cool…read moreTiki-themed seating area right on the water, when I suggested it to my wife. We wanted to explore Pine Island and came across their excellent Google reviews. As we were driving in, I began to worry that the hours listed on Google for their location were incorrect. But we went all the way to the end of the dark Marina tonight, and there it was! We ordered the Crabby fries, the Smashburger in the Pastrami Reuben. One of the reasons I think their food is so delicious is that they make many items in-house, such as the amazing queso that came with the fries (which might have been the best fries I've ever had- no exaggeration). They prepare the fries in a unique way that doesn't involve deep-frying them, unlike most places. They also smoke their pastrami, and the Pastrami Reuben sandwich was also delicious. We also both enjoyed the Smashburger. An upgrade to bun might be worthwhile, but it was damn tasty. We also had a lovely chat with one of the managers?, Matthew. He was super knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the restaurant. It was dark when we went, but I'm sure it's a beautiful view of the water and the marina during the day. We'll be back to try the wings and some other menu items. Visit them soon, you won't be disappointed!