Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille

The shrimp was excellent, but the mussels were quite disappointing — both the mussels themselves and the sauce were not good. The sauce on the shrimp, on the other hand, was amazing. The drinks were pretty good too, and the prices were reasonable. We sat outside, which we later regretted because there were too many flies. The fish burger was decent, not bad.

There's some great food at Doc Ford's, specializing in seafood items. The grouper dinners and sandwiches we tried were excellent. One of my rules of thumb is to try the menu items featured most prominently in the menu. All the grouper selections were highlighted with boxes drawn around them on the menu. They proved to be great choices. Another rule of thumb is to order whatever might be part of the name of the establishment . In this case, that would be rum, but we did not try that. Service was way, way too slow, which was not satisfactory. We visited on a Friday afternoon and every step in the process of having a restaurant meal seemed to take forever, except the initial seating, which was immediate. The place was not filled either. We saw a good number of empty tables while we were there. Our waitress seemed helpful when we saw her, but then she would disappear for long periods of time, nowhere to be seen in the dining area before she would emerge to find our table again. After our food was delivered, the grouper did not come with tartar sauce and we asked her for some. This took 15 minutes, which was ridiculous. We overheard other tables asking her where their check was or pulling her aside to ask if they could have some water. We just didn't understand why everything took forever. The reason we came here was to enjoy a meal with family and friends, which we did. The quality of the food saved the day (and my 5 star rating), but the service aspect of the operation needs improvement. We didn't think it was our waitress's fault, but most people could blame it on her. We enjoyed learning about the Doc Ford character from novels written by the same man that owns this enterprise. And we enjoy spending time enjoying our meal, but that goes too far especially when the kids reach the point where they get antsy, and the adults in our group get uncomfortable sitting so long in their seats, it's time to go, which is what we finally did. As much as we liked the time here, we also enjoyed that it finally ended.

This is an excellent restaurant. We had the Mussels and the shrimp ceviche as starters, excellent the two of them. The mussels sauce was superb. Te Yucatán Shrimp, seafood paella and penne with shrimp were delicious. Our waiter was very effective but not too nice. The manager was such a nice lady. The ambiance is just perfect. Good lighting, good music, good volume.

What a great place to chill out a bit, have a nice cocktail, and enjoy delicious food. Chelsea was the friendliest, knowledgeable, and most professional server ever! The restaurant had several eating areas on two floors with a full service bar on each level. Be sure to stop by and be surprised. Best restroom the area. Looking forward to the next visit.

Very very good food and Key Lime Colada! The scalloped potatoes that came with my succulent salmon were amazing- like I wish I had the recipe. Hubs rated ribeye “8/10”, which is excellent as he ate steak in Florida as opposed to Iowa where we do steak like Florida does seafood. Everything was just so good. Food came quickly. Our service wasn’t great, but the server was running ragged due to more business Easter night than anticipated I think was implied. So, she probably did the best she could.

It was truely fantastic! The hostess was very kind. She told us about Randy Wayne White and his books featuring Doc Ford. It felt like we were on a journey with him through the restaurant and menu. Our server Chelsea was amazing. She helped us choose all the courses we ordered. The food was absolutely delicious. Stuffed grouper is now my favorite dish of all time. Food runner was great. We had a great night!

This place is great. The outside patio is shaded and has fans. I'm usually too hot outside, but this patio was very comfortable. We all really liked our food. We will be eating there again before we leave the island! Service was fast and accurate. Prices were fair.

Have visited ample times, but this experience was superior. Our waitress, Jules, was friendly, attentive, and patient. I could not have asked for a better employee to take care of the family for the night. Doc Ford's is an upscale establishment without feeling snotty: you can show up in jeans or a nice dress and not feel out of place. The baked oysters are a great option for someone who wants to try oysters but is unsure of the texture. They're covered in a delicious sauce and enough cheese to cover any "snot" effects. If you want an entree that is light and always delicious go for the Cobb salad or the shrimp salad (the sauce is light and makes for a perfect summer bite). Although salmon isn't typically sought after in Florida, the cedar plank salad has a delicious mango glaze that I wish I could take home. The espresso martini was subpar but the tropical lemon mule hit the spot and was a perfect complement to the seafood. Overall, we will be back (yet again). There's outdoor seating and plenty of windows indoors to enjoy the tropical views without all the heat. This Doc Ford's is superior to the inland location :)

We love Doc Ford's, and our waitress, Lindsey, was so attentive and friendly! She chatted with us about Sanibel post-hurricane and getting older!

I think my experience here would be a little different than most... a rehearsal dinner in the upper bar made for quite a grande time, if you're looking for a event spot don't go any further! The entire bar menu was up for grabs, you could catch me sipping on toasted coconut coladas the whole night. The food... don't even get me started! The appetizers were varied and all worth trying. My favorite being the shrimp or bruschetta. Save room for the main course! I didn't expect one of the more favorable, tender steaks of my life to come in the large foil serving platter but doc ford is doing something magical in the kitchen!

If I could give this place six stars, I would. This was my second time visiting. My first time visiting, there was a steak on special, and it was one of the best steaks I have had in my life. It was a coffee coated dry aged steak, and I had dreamt about having it again many times since last visiting. We were in the area again, and decided to return. I knew the odds that the steak was not going to be on special, but there was a ribeye that was on the menu all the time, so I had high hopes that it would be a similar experience compared to last visit. The steak was amazing- a perfect sear, and could tell it was charcoal cooked. The sauce accompanying it was a nice addition. The asparagus was cooked perfectly, and the mashed potatoes were very nice. The mushrooms and caramelized onions were nice touch. I also had a Caesar salad, which was crunchy with great tasting dressing. I'm not too much into tomatoes or blue cheese , so I didn't have the tomatoe that accompanied it. The service was hit or miss, but the steak made for it. Looking forward to returning

Recently my wife and family when to Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille, on Sanibel Island. This restaurant is simply an institution on the island. It is without question a must do, when you're here. My family and I have been coming here for many years, and it only has gotten better each time. This location has two floors of seating, more importantly two bars you can sit at. After checking in with the hostess, we went and sat at the bar on the second floor. All of us decided to get some drinks and appetizers while waiting for our table to become available. For appetizers we ordered the Buffalo Shrimp (Crispy breaded shrimp with spicy twist, with choice of mild, medium or hot sauce. Also available as sweet chili or teriyaki; we decided on getting it with mild) the shrimp was tender and maintained a crispy breading, just delicious* we also ordered the Fried Calamari ( Lightly breaded, hand cut tender calamari served with our house-made cocktail sauce) perfectly prepared, not too oily and definitely tender. Along with the appetizers we decided to get drinks as well. My wife ordered a custom Coconut Watermelon Mojito( Don Q and muddled mint, soda) she loved it so much she got 2 of them* I got the Island Mojito( this is a main stay drink at Doc Ford. It has Gold Rum, muddled mint, lime, simple syrup, and soda) This is a go to drink for me every year we come to Captiva/Sanibel. Less is more. Just perfect mojito. For my second drink I go a Grey Goose Dirty Martini, which again made to perfection. We stayed at the bar for maybe 20 minutes then our table was ready, which was on the second floor as well. Once we paid our bill at the bar, we headed 10 feet to our table for our dinner. We had plenty of time to look at the menu at the bar, so when our serve came all of us was ready to go. My wife ordered a bowl of a clam chowder ( this is one of her fav the Yucatan Shrimp( steamed peel and eat shrimp, dressing of garlic butter, mild Columbian chilies, fresh cilantro and key-lime juice) She absolutely loves meal and usually gets it. Simply delicious. * I ordered the special that was being offered. It was a blackened snapper with a Jambalaya Risotto( This was wonderful. I hope they add this to the main menu. The Snapper was tender and the spice didn't over power the fish at all. The Jambalaya was perfectly made. Rice wasn't crunchy, the spice was fantastic) My mother-in-law ordered the Island Style Shrimp & Grits(Fresh Gulf shrimp dusted with masa (Mexican corn flour), pan seared and served with jalapeño cheese grits, julienne veggies and green beans accented with a homemade tomatillo sauce) this is a go to dish for her, and she said this was somehow better than last year. The jalapeño cheese grits is the showstopper* My sister-in-law ordered the Orange Ginger Shrimp( A half pound of shrimp roasted with a robust blend of orange juice, ginger, mild peppers, and Caribbean spices. Served with coconut jasmine rice with red bell peppers and buttered green beans) she said it was outstanding, the flavors were on point, definitely had Caribbean flare. Doc Ford's as I said is an institution on Sanibel/Captiva. Definitely a must do when you come here. Aces!

This place was great!! Decorated well, feels like you are in a hip- plenty of seating! We were greeted upon arrival and sat right away. Our server Bailley came within seconds to take our drink order. She was friendly and had great recommendations. Both the drink menu and food menu have a lot of options and all sound delicious! Kids menu is good as well and includes an ice cream sandwich which was a big hit. Highly recommend the rum flight and the key lime coolata both were so good. Our food came extremely quick. The fish sandwich was great. The peel & eat shrimp were also good. The shrimp ceviche had great flavor! The Yucatán hot sauce is absolutely amazing, I put it on everything! We grabbed a bottle to bring home. We will absolutely be back when in the area!

I LOVED the ambiance! The they indoor and outdoor seating. Their drink selection is vast with a huge amount of rum options! I got the Raw Oysters which were fresh and shucked with perfection! For dinner I got the shrimp tacos which was soo flavorful. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the robust sauce really elevated the dish. I highly recommend! They have a great variety of seafood options! I would definitely return!

Dinner for 4. We each has a cocktail and the tab was about $200 with tip which I thought was a little spendy, but it is Sanibel. I had the mango margarita which could have used more mango. I started out with a half dozen oysters (pictured) which were nice and sweet but a bit small. My entree was the grouper special which was good but could have used a bit more color. My wife had the shrimp (pictured) which was flavorful but arrived somewhat cold. Service was good, ambiance was pleasant- they have nice outdoor seating. I would put it in the "good but not great" category. Very popular place, you might have a wait during prime time.

We stopped in with a party of five, a business dinner. Everyone was extremely happy with their meals, conch chowder, mahi mahi, a rib eye, grouper, and paella all perfectly prepared. There wad not a crumb or drop of sauce left on anyones plate! Ive been dining here since the original location on Rabbit Rd, the new location is beautiful. Service was perfect.

I've been in Florida for a week now and this has been my favorite restaurant so far. We ate outside and they had warming poles near the tables. Our waiter was quick and very attentive. He gave us information about customer favorites and specials of the day. My son got the Yucatán Shrimp as an appetizer. Then two people got the lobster roll, I got the chicken taco salad with grilled chicken and one person got the fish tacos. We all really liked our food and there were a lot of things on the menu that I would love to try.

Doc Fords on Sanibel is a delightful place to enjoy dinner or lunch. It has outside seating and lots of inside seating with delicious food. The pastas are yummy as are the shrimp dishes and it had lots of choices of food.

On a Saturday night in early November, Doc's was packed. It was busy enough we had to follow people heading to their car after dining in order to find a spot to park. That being said, we were able to get a seat immediately outside. The waitress was kind enough to bring us some bug spray since the no-see-ums were out in force. The outdoor dining would have been much better had it been less buggy. They've got plenty of big tables for small and large groups on the patio. We both chose fish dishes which came out fairly quickly. The bean and rice were salty, but tasty. Vegetables were on point - especially the squash which came with my banana leaf snapper. The fish was cooked properly, flaky and not overdone. They've got a menu with plenty of interesting salads and entrees. We plan to try dining here again soon, but will probably opt for an indoor seat next time.

Great experience Our waitstaff was very helpful and friendly First experience at Doc Ford's- I qill be back I loved the fish tacos!

WOW!!! Scott was absolutely A++++. Great from the get go. He was nice, knowledgeable, charming, presented himself well, and really made it look like he enjoyed his profession. He was attentive and did an excellent job describing our different options. The special sounded MOUTH WATERING by his description and I knew I had to try it. Oh. My. Gosh. I was NOT expecting the dish I received. In the best way. It was perfect. Seafood stuffed grouper on mashed potatoes with squash.. and THE SAUCE!!! Knocked it out of the park. Others in the group ordered the ribeye and said it was the best they've ever had (We've had a lot of ribeyes). Honestly, it was the nicest dining out experience we have had in a very long time. I travel for work and have had to eat out several times a week for the past few months all over the United States. This was the best experience I've had this year. Please go try it!!!

Great food Have the Yucatán Shrimp. Delicious and so interesting Energetic, helpful wait staff Bubbling by atmosphere

Food. Service. Ambiance. Their grouper and hogfish were incredible. Sarah, our server from Michigan, was incredible as well. Great place to eat on the water while watching boats and wildlife.

So far the only place that I would return to while visiting Cape Coral. The broth the mussels were sitting in was amazing. The bread was very fresh!!! The shrimps were meaty! My husband at first was like that's it?!? But as he was eating he started to get full lol. The daiquiri was ok, I didn't get a cute cup like the virgins one that I saw. My son said the cheesesteak was ok. But he is very picky! Fries came out hot and crispy. Overall it's not bad. Expect an automatic 20% gratuity added to parties of 6 or more.

My husband planned a weekend in Sanibel and this was the first stop. I liked the look of it, in and out. There was plenty of parking. The inside looked rustic which goes with the island vibe. The workers were very nice. We went for lunch and it wasn't crowded but there were a lot of people there. They sat us in a very large booth which was great and my husband had view of a tv. We were having the outside sitting area which was great because we could see all the tables with their doggies (there were 3 tables with dogs). Our waitress was very nice, and professional. We got our food right away. My husband had a rum and he said it was good and so was his burger. I had the clams as an appetizer and they were very good. I had to ask for extra bread to dip it into the sauce. I had the Mahi-Mahi with soy sauce and it was very good. The fish was soft and flavorful. The rice was like a stir fry and it was tasty. We enjoyed it very much. The owner is an author and we were kinda intrigued by his books. His first book was Sanibel Flats and Doc Ford is one of the characters. We enjoyed the food, the vibe, and the service. I recommend this place.

Visited June 18th. Employees were very nice and the service was great. We ordered Yucatan Shrimp Tacos and Penne with Shrimp. The tacos were very tasty. The avocados on the Penne tasted... odd.. old.. they didn't taste right. I expected a little more shrimp but it was basically 3 shrimps cut up. The decor was fun and they had a great atmosphere.

Food was way below par: soggy flatbread, dried fried calamari, overcooked ginger shrimp and mushy rice. Maybe the chef was off yesterday, but we'd be afraid to go back for more disappointment. It's a shame because the ambiance is very inviting, clean & nicely decorated. The waiter said (after learning of our displeasure withe appetizers) hopefully, the entrees will be better.....

Some of our favorite restaurants on the island are gone or are temporarily closed. So we decided to give Doc Ford's a try after seeing so many positive reviews. I'm so glad that we did. Service was amazing and the food was great. We had a dozen raw oysters for an appetizer and they were super fresh. Keith ordered the rib eye steak which was cooked to perfection and d I had the panko crusted grouper sandwich. We also bought three bottles of their signature Doc Fords hot sauce- it's that good!

Always a fantastic time at Doc Fords! So glad they were able to come back so quickly after Ian. Service has always been top notch. Servers are always attentive, knowledgable about the menu, and are always willing to go the extra mile for you. Food is delicious - we've had the rib-eye multiple times and it is truly our favorite dish. I recently tried the mussels as I was looking for a lighter meal and the serving was hearty and very flavorful. Sat at the bar for our last visit and the bartenders were excellent - although it's a "Rum Bar" I'd never tried one of their rum drinks. Their cucumber mojito was mouth watering - in fact my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it! Highly recommend to put Doc Fords on your list during any Sanibel visit!

We went there on our vacation all 9 of us. We waited for our table at the bar. He was prompt which was nice since we had a quench that needed satisfying! lol! We asked the bar tender a recommendation and he wasn't sure about it so he said he would ask around and gave us THE BEST RECOMMENDATION EVER!! Our drinks weren't even half way before our table was ready! Our waiter Adam was attentive, prompt, and courteous! I wanted the chef special minus the fish... and Adam made it happen! The restaurant had lots of interesting things on the wall and of course the bay to look at too! This is a local favorite!

Best place on the island. Always consistent and delicious. We eat there multiple times every trip. Try to branch out but it is still our fave.

Doc Ford's on Captiva Island has permanently closed, so this is another good opportunity for delicious food and amazing service. This is a fairly large restaurant with multiple bars and outdoor seating. The menu has so many good options, it's hard to decide. Their cocktails menu is also impressive. I had the Southwest Cobb salad and it was wonderful and filling.

Had a very nice lunch. Shrimp tacos were very tasty. Our server was Bubba and was very nice and provided excellent service. "Doc Fords", decor was interesting and rustic. We felt very relaxed.

This was our first time in Sanibel and someone recommended Doc's to us. We loved this place so much! The service & food was perfect! The overall ambiance was wonderful. We will be back!

Been here twice this week and LOVE IT. Great atmosphere for a drink and their seafood is amazing. I had their mussels and the ahi tuna. Fantastic!! The staff are great!! Love the bartenders!

The good part is, we were seated fairly fast and the food came out quick. The restaurant was very neat, has a beautiful fish tank. The bad is the famous fish fingers had hardly any flavor. The Panko crusted shrimp was overcooked and super rubbery and hard to chew. They're so famous clam chowder was extremely salty and the mahi-mahi Was bland and the rice some hard like it wasn't cooked enough or had been sitting for a long time.

We love their seafood and they make great mojitos! The service is friendly and the vibe is island casual!

There are 3 Doc Fords, This is the SANIBEL ISLAND one. Lunch with 100 or so of our closest car club buddies Completely rebuilt after the Hurricane last year, they are back, and just as good as it was before.... Worth a drive if you are in the area...

Fun times.. great atmosphere and rum drinks!!! Go early to get the best table. Saw no damage from the hurricane felt like old times

Exceptionally nice greeting staff. I was here two years ago and it was fantastic. Still is! Lobster rolls are my favorite

This is a beautiful, restored/rebuilt location, with a very large seating area inside with outdoor seats above. Menu is quite extensive with choices from a wide range of fish through chicken and beef dishes and sandwiches & salads. We were among several people waiting for the restaurant to open for lunch, and in a few minutes a large number of people from what appeared to be construction workers, tourists, and other locals weee all seated as well. Food is good, service as well, and pricing is in the norms mid range. Huge parking lot is a bonus.

Great food, service and prices. This place has it all if you are looking for the island beach vibe Doc Ford's has you covered. Wife and I tried their Shrimp Ceviche which was delicious, the grouper sandwich and their clam chowder. Recommended.

Took a drive over the bridge and came across this quaint place. Delicious drinks and our starter was absolutely delicious- our waitress Jaclyn suggested this and you just can't go wrong with item the staff eat! Lunch was absolutely delicious as well, crab role was one of the best I've ever had. It's all was nice to come in and feel so welcome by all staff. Definitely stop by and support Sanibel Island!

Service was personable and friendly(Daniela) Food was delicious Ambiance was great, next to the water with live music

Went here for our last meal of our vacation and loved everything about it. Service was great, food just as great and just a cool place in general. We sat outside even though it was hot the covered dining was fine. Had a couple tequila drinks to start they were tasty. We split an app and an entree. App was jerk chicken tostada and was delicious and well flavored. Then we split a pistachio crusted grouper dish which was also loaded with flavor. For dessert we had my favorite key lime pie of the trip. Wish I could have one of those every day. Awesome experience and I'll definitely be back if I'm in the area again!

The service was very friendly. The ambience was nice, minus the french fries left under the table from previous guest. I like the theme. I was really looking forward to some good food, but it was just mediocre. Hamburger was just a hamburger and fish tacos were dry, served without any sauce. Will look into trying some of the favorites other guests enjoyed because I want to like this place!

We loved this restaraunt. Nice atmosphere. The food was good. And we loved the Doc Ford story. We wanted to support sanibel island recovery and was happy to find a restaraunt open in the island. We also bought a couple books to start reading the Doc Fords stories. We will return here. And will visit the other two locations.

Great seafood nice and clean restaurant in Sanibel. Seafood was delicious from the tuna app to the crab cakes and grouper dinner. Go support local Sanibel businesses.

We didn't have a reservation but showed up and were seated within 20 minutes late in the evening (8pm) for outdoor seating on the porch outside the restaurant. We started with fried calamari which was very good but we wished we could have had a different sauce than the house-made cocktail sauce, and the Doc Ford special shrimp (which was good, a little spicy, and I couldn't finish it all since I was the only one who ate it), and Ford's famous clam chowder which my son enjoyed.

Delish! Seafood was fantastic. But they have a very diverse menu. Casual atmosphere with great service.

The food is simply amazing. Thebpeople are even nicer and the place is quiet not to dressy its casual. And the service is on point they know what they are doing.

We stopped by here for lunch while exploring the island, and we were not disappointed. They have great drinks, especially the coconut mojito, and we enjoyed all of our food. I wish I could post a photo, but we ate it all too fast!

Enjoyed a Havana rum punch with a delicious Cuban Sandwich. Friends had Cobb salads and shrimp tocos. Everyone enjoyed everything. Nice atmosphere. A popular place. Check it out. #sundialstrong

Only a few resrrstaurants are open and running on Sanibel Island. This is one of the better ones on the island. Service was ok.. food was good , ambience was good..

Honestly a really good place to get some food. I was most impressed with the fries, they were super good and fresh. I also thought it was a good value at about $50 for two with a drink. Something pretty cool is there's a variety of hot sauces at your table ranging from mild to pretty spicy. I'm glad we stopped here for a quick bite!

Great atmosphere and service. The redfish was excellent, very flavorful. My son had the banana leaf snapper which was very unique and also delicious. Would definitely recommend for dinner. Will return when back in the area.

Don't miss this place! Great food, service and outdoor dining! Hope to return next time in Florida