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    The Sanibel Cafe

    4.3 (306 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    The Sanibel Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    THE SANIBEL CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for working

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    Recommended Reviews - The Sanibel Cafe

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    Marjie M.

    My friends and I went for breakfast and were very satisfied. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Although they didn't have a big table to accommodate all 8 of us, they did make it happen and we were thankful for that.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was great and everything was delicious and fresh. Having breakfast at this place is a must if you are visiting Sanibel island.

    Huervos Rancheros
    Jeff S.

    An island icon! Fantastic breakfast, friendly people, and a hang out for locals. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Meticulously organized and clean (take a peak at the kitchen and back of house - that says it all!).[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Lunch/dinner is probably equally good, but this is a "never miss" breakfast stop for us over many, many years.

    Philly cheesesteak omelette with hashbrowns and wheat toast
    Erin F.

    We have visited the island over the years, but have never stopped into the Sanibel Café. It was an amazing meal for breakfast and one of our favorites of the week of vacation! We had a group of 10 adults and we were easily seated with plenty of room. The service was amazing and our waitress was so thorough and the food came out extremely fast! I ordered my food dairy free and they were easily able to accommodate, and my huevos rancheros were delicious even without the cheese! A couple in our group had substitutions and the dishes came out perfectly! Highlights were the coconut French toast and the corn beef hash. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We also really loved that the tables had shells in them, with little notes about where the shells were sourced from. That detail makes the experience really fun.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] When we left, we spilled some water and attempted to clean it up, but both the owner and our waitress assured us that it was OK and quickly mopped the water. We were so impressed and will definitely be back for a reasonably priced, delicious, and fun breakfast experience on Sanibel!

    Sanibel Omelet
    Pat R.

    We first ate at the Sanibel Cafe on our honeymoon, 30 years ago! We loved it. Today we went back for the first time. It was everything we remembered. We ordered what we had 30 year's ago. The Sanibel Omelet, which has shrimp and havarti cheese in it. It is so delicious. They also serve this amazing raspberry jam with the toast. It is so good! The service is so very welcoming. This remains one of our favorite places. I can't recommend it enough!!!

    Inside
    David F.

    My wife and I had breakfast here. Seated quickly. Staff is friendly, our waiter was nice and good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very local feel.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Very Good breakfast.

    Corned beef hash, veggie omelette & chicken quesadilla

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    Review Insights

    21 days ago

    Local diner. Great for breakfast. Food and service A+. Tried the crunchy French Toast. Yum.

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    6 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 months ago

    We love it here. We've been coming for over 10 years and always stop by to get breakfast. The steak and eggs is superb!

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    1 year ago

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    2 months ago

    Our go to place for breakfast on Sanibel. Laid back service by a great staff. All of the items ordered have been great.

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    3 months ago

    Crab cake had too much bread it was more like a crab pancake. Found a few particles of crab.

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    Quality breakfast at a reasonable price. Would recommend for fast service, omelettes were delicious and ingredients fresh

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    1 year ago

    Loved everything about this place. Good was great & server was so nice. Learned a lot about the beautiful island

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    Page 1 of 8

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    Lighthouse Cafe

    Lighthouse Cafe

    4.2
    (587 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    Amazing breakfast Brittany was a great server…read moreHomemade strawberry jelly was amazing and their own blend of coffee was delicious

    If you're looking for breakfast on Sanibel, Lighthouse Cafe absolutely deserves a visit. We love…read morebreakfast, and after trying so many places over the years, it can start to feel like every menu offers the same dishes prepared the same way. Lighthouse Cafe managed to make a classic breakfast memorable. We ordered the French toast, and the portion was huge and easy to split. More importantly, it was absolutely delicious. The eggs we ordered were cooked exactly as needed, the bacon was perfectly crisp, and the cheese grits were rich, creamy, and full of flavor. We literally cleaned our plates and ate every bite despite our intentions to simple stop by for a taste. One of the biggest surprises was adding fish to breakfast. It's not something I would have ever thought to eat for breakfast, but it ended up being one of the highlights of the meal. The fish was incredibly tender and paired surprisingly well with the rest of the meal. It was such a unique addition that it changed the way I think about breakfast. We intentionally ordered some standard breakfast items because we believe that's the best way to judge a breakfast restaurant. If a place can make the classics exceptionally well, that's usually a great sign. Lighthouse Cafe exceeded our expectations across the board with their delicious plates and service. Not to mention it is nice to visit a locally owned restaurant whose owner is present and working alongside their staff. From the quality of the food to the generous portions, everything was excellent. If you're on Sanibel and want a breakfast that goes beyond the ordinary while still nailing all the classics, Lighthouse Cafe is a great place to visit.

    Photos
    Lighthouse Cafe
    Salmon gnocchi with broccoli
    Salmon gnocchi with broccoli
    Dining room

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    Dining room
    Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant

    Wickies Lighthouse Restaurant

    4.4
    (134 reviews)
    2.8 mi

    When we found out our beloved Island Cow had burned down before Hurricane Ian in '22, we were…read moreheartbroken. On our last trip to Sanibel, hubs and I were so sad. Of course, we can always eat somewhere else, but our thoughts immediately went to the families whose livelihoods were affected by the fire. Since then, I've kept myself in the loop on everything happening on the island: what's reopened, what's gone for good and what's new. Enter Wickies, a breakfast, lunch and dinner spot with a full bar that fills a similar style to Island Cow. Even better, it's a collab between the former owners of Island Cow and another Sanibel favorite, the Mad Hatter. That definitely caught my attention. Wickies is on the smaller side and tucked in a little shopping plaza along Periwinkle Way. We first stopped in for breakfast and turned out to be a great choice. The breakfast crowd was lively and family-friendly with kids. I ordered the seafood omelet, which was packed with chunky, sweet crab meat and shrimp. The eggs could've been a bit fluffier and more moist, but the protein made up for it. Hubs kept things simple with a waffle topped with fresh berries, and we couldn't resist the two-for-one mimosas. Service was warm and attentive that morning. Our last night on the island called for a relaxing dinner and we decided to come back- especially after hubs spotted a chilled seafood platter on the menu that he wanted to try. The dinner vibe is calmer and more grown-up, making it the perfect place to unwind. I chose the baked grouper over seafood risotto and topped with a lobster cream sauce. It was delicious. Hubs ordered the bone-in pork chop and enjoyed it. Our server Candice was awesome every which way. One nice perk: after paying your dinner bill, you receive a 10% discount for ice cream next door at Magic Bus, which shares the same owner as Wickies. We gave it a try, but it just wasn't at all our favorite. Wickies totally impressed us on both visits. Tasty food, friendly service and a comfortable atmosphere was what we wanted.

    A lunch stop here this afternoon after we did a beach wal through the lighthouse area…read more Busy inside and outside so we found a couple of seats at the bar. Great friendly service! My EBLT, (EGG, BACON, LETTUCE, TOMATO AND AVOCADO SALAD), WAS WONDERFUL! I also had a Rotisserie and blueberry mojito which was refreshing!

    Photos
    Indoor seating
    Indoor seating
    Stuffed shrimp
    Stuffed shrimp
    Outside of restaurant

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    Outside of restaurant
    Lighthouse Cafe

    Lighthouse Cafe

    4.4
    (18 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    Some of the best breakfast food we have had anywhere! I had the bacon and cheese omelette and my…read morewife had the French toast. From placing our order to the food arriving at the table was almost "scary fast" (like did they bug the table with what we were talking about fast) but was of the highest quality. Nice and fluffy omelette, and the French toast was so full of flavor, both were extremely tasty! (We shared both dishes) And if the quality of the food wasn't enough of a reason, the staff was extremely friendly!

    Quick service, friendly people, and steaming pipe hot coffee makes for a good first impression!…read more This is the "new" Lighthouse Cafe. New in the sense of a new location after the former one was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. One thing remains though is the good food and friendly people who work here. I ordered one of their "specials" - the Mahi sandwich (blackened, tyvm) where fries and cole slaw came with it. The sandwich was very good and the Cole slaw was tasty. I'm not much of a fries person but the one I had was pretty good too. There's booth and table seating inside as well as table seating outdoors on the patio. There's a lot of lighthouse pictures that adorn the walls. I love old lighthouses so I really enjoyed looking at them. I like the new setting, the good food, and the polite and friendly atmosphere. I recommend you check this place out!

    Photos
    Nice layout
    Nice layout
    Blackened Mahi Sandwich
    Blackened Mahi Sandwich
    So cute! Clean!

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    So cute! Clean!
    Gramma Dot's

    Gramma Dot's

    4.1
    (688 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    I have been going to Grama Dots since 1987. Wonderful spot. I was just there in May of 26. Food and…read moreservice was excellent. The question i have is why did the new owners remove all of the bar stools? It is uncomfortable for a single person to come in and sit alone at a table for two or four.

    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!

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

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    Marina

    The Sanibel Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated July 2026

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