Oct18_DiningReview5
We’re hooked. It’s the best time of year for martinis and crabcakes accompanied by salty breezes, and the Fort Myers area has welcomed four waterfront places to get your fix.
The Phelan family behind Pinchers opted for a newly constructed, marina-facing 275-seater for their big kahuna, Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House (deeplagoon.com). It is an upmarket venture with a night-on-the-town vibe that is still relaxed enough for everyday dining (it also has a fish market). Anchored in Cape Coral, the laid-back Cape Harbour Oyster Bar & Grill (capeharbouroysterbar.com) announces its priorities straightaway with a sizable U-shaped raw bar taking up nearly all of the dining space, aside from a few tables inside and outside. Right before the Sanibel Causeway, Bimini Bait Shack (biminibaitshack.com) makes a splash as a rowdy tropical party reeling in the it’s-5-o’clock-somewhere fishing set, and it also nails seafood staples like peel-n-eat Gulf shrimp, crunchy po’boys and conch ceviche. Another guaranteed good time is The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill (theboathouseusa.com) in North Fort Myers, where a whale of a bar and tables are under a chickee, plus loungers surround a resort pool and firepit.