Doc Ford's - Ft. Meyrs Beach

We visited Spring Break of 2021. Both food and cocktails were mediocre. Left full cocktails on the table they were so bad. Nice merch though!

Reviewed on Yelp

We've had Doc Fords on Captiva but this was our first in the Sanibel location. The signature dish Yucatan Shrimp was scrumptious and the Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread was also very good. I didn't care for their Cole Slaw (too bland) but the Beans & Rice was awesome! Service was excellent and the meal came before I could finish my beer. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We are regulars on Sanibel and this is a favorite. Friday afternoon I called to see about seating, and the hostess said their limited reservations had long ago been filled, but advised getting there 4:30-5pm to be seated quickly. We arrived 4:20, the 4 of us were seated immediately, and we noticed when about 4:45pm hit it was like the floodgates opened - standing room only outside on the veranda/porch, seats outside....people waiting inside and out.  When we left about 90 minutes later cars were circling the parking spot waiting for an opening - plan a couple days ahead in snow bird season (roughly November-a week after Easter) or make it an early dinner. My wife had the Panko encrusted grouper and said it is (still) the best fish she has had - the rum/tropical sauce that goes with it, along with the rice all work together to make it her favorite.I'm stuck in a rut, always getting the dry rubbed Ribeye. Great sauce, just the right amount, asparagus, mashed potatoes...great all the way around. The steak isn't fork tender, you need the steak knife, but flavorful. The 16 year old with us got the BBQ ribs, said very good, not Texas/Oklahoma BBQ ribs good, but for Florida, good ribs. Not vinegar based as per North Carloina/Florida based, but the Texas/Oklahoma sweeter BBQ sauce type - The other teen alternated between the appetizer popcorn shrimp and chicken tenders for her dinner, loved the popcorn shrimp in particular, but the chicken she said was 'real chicken' and delicious. (Not the McDonalds style puree chicken meat formed into a shape.) A large part of what makes this fun is that you have indoor or outdoor seating options, the large numbers of families present, the spacing and floor plan that breaks up the noise so that you can carry on a conversation without raising your voice, and the setting of the restaurant being very private, off the main drag, surrounded by lush vegetation . Throw in a great staff who bend over backwards to accommodate and flex with ever-changing requests, and you have a winner. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Nice view and good vibes when sitting by the water! Food was very prompt and service was very accommodating for the occasion!

Reviewed on Yelp

Love the drinks and food here and the setting is great as well! Can get a little loud when its super busy but we have always had a good time here.

Reviewed on Yelp

We arrived just as they were opening and were seated on the patio. Server was prompt and attentive and meal was served quickly. Shrimp tacos with black beans and rice was fabulous. Calamari appetizer was overly breaded and deep fried, not bad tasting but nothing special. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Doc Fords is named for a series of fun adventure novels penned by Randy Wayne Wright, where the non-stop action takes place along Florida's Gulf Coast. Doc Fords is in on Sanibel Island, and this one sits in a beautiful spot at the end of the St Pete's pier. Had a business dinner here March 2022. A wonderful evening, great cocktails, seafood and scenery by the water. I would gladly return, and gave 5 stars for ambiance. Were I to  offer feedback to "Doc," it'd be to focus on staff training. It was clear the team was understaffed, front of house not communicating with back of house, reception and waitstaff were courteous but overwhelmed. Such a beautiful spot deserves professional service and food to match. I know Doc Ford would agree with me, we're we to sit down and have a few beers here while closely examining a snippet of a sun-faded treasure map I found carefully folded into a pocket Fidel's old baseball glove. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The food here is amazing and price reasonable.  The special was Crab Cake sandwich, awesome. The grits and jicama slaw was awesome.  Everything that we had was very good. Highly recommend. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great service , great food, and wonderful atmosphere. Recommend if you're on vacation or live on the island. The drinks were great as well if you like to enjoy a few.

Reviewed on Yelp

While here in Fort Myers for the month of March we happened in twice, great food both times and wonderful service.

Reviewed on Yelp

For a busy Sunday evening with no reservation they did an awesome job at getting us a table at a reasonable time. This restaurant has a beautiful view of the ocean and live music that plays outside at night! Food was excellent!! Baked oysters were a lil too spicy to taste any of the other flavors but definitely still worth the try! Service was excellent would definitely come back again! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Yucatán shrimp tacos were phenomenal as well as the Tuesday scallop special. Others seemed to enjoy theirs too. Server did a phenomenal job with our large group. Some of the best food we've had on Sanibel. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I choose this placed solely based on the fact that they have a complete and separate gluten free menu. That alone makes it a rare find for me. The service was great, but our wait was very long - for drinks, then for our order to be taken, and finally, for our food. It took almost two hours for lunch. Fortunately, we had nowhere to be and were out on the porch with a beautiful view of the water and marina, which made it much more tolerable, but if we'd had to be somewhere, it would have been very frustrating. We noticed the other tables were complaining about long waits too, and we were there well past the lunch rush, but the place was still pretty full.My husband ordered the dry-rubbed ribeye, which was cooked to perfection and full of flavor. This dish, and it's accompaniments, were quite good. I, on the other hand, ordered the paella, which was a real disappointment. It lacked flavor, some of the seafood was overcooked, and the chorizo fell very flat for me.So, hit and miss. Ask your server what they consider to be their more popular dishes, or what they like best and you'll probably be pleased with your meal.PS - They are a bit heavy-handed with the garlic in the mashed potatoes, so only for true garlic lovers, IMO. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Stopped in on our way out of Captiva and Sanibel. We sat at the upstairs bar and enjoyed some beverages. Our bartender was friendly, attentive and had an upbeat personality.  I enjoyed the aesthetics of the place. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great food and vibe. The service was just ok.  Skip the dessert and lukewarm coffee - hence the 4 star. Calamari, clam chowder and calamari salad for apps. Calamari was hot and nice portion the salad was huge but the calamari on that not as hot. (Maybe on purpose to make sure salad doesn't wilt?) I've had a ton of clam chowder in my day and this one was above avg. even on a pretty warm day and eating on the deck. The Yucatán shrimp is super amazing and I even bought the sauce to try at home. The peel and eat shrimp is a hot mess and they don't bring extra napkins, wet hot towel or a bib -which would all be a plus -just a couple of wet wipes  Crab cakes are super yummy but kinda small and the side of jicama slaw is what I wish they have as a side you can order...maybe they do? The Yucatán tacos are much easier to eat with the same great flavor as the Yucatán shrimp. Cuban sandwich pretty good, even reheated as a left over the next day.All in all good food for island/resort/ beach restaurant. PS the frozen coconut drink is like dessert and definitely much better than their banana pudding and the brownie sundae which  were both really a huge bummer after the untying meal. Plus it took so long to come out that we missed the sunset by 5 min. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Got the Yucatan Bloody Mary two nights in a row. The 2nd night was much spicier than the first but I enjoyed both. Also loved the quinoa shrimp salad. Anyone who loves guacamole will enjoy the mango avocado topping. We've been to this location as well as the ones in Ft. Myers and Captiva. Always a favorite. A nice clean place with a great food and drink menu. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

AMAZING Yucatán shrimp!!! And the service was so great! Definitely recommend this spot to families or anyone who wants a good meal/drink!!!

Reviewed on Yelp

View was amazing!  Server Perla was fantastic.   Food was fresh and delicious. We had gone to the restaurant in Fort Meyers and enjoyed the food so much we returned to this location.  Definitely not disappointed. Must try the Yucatán shrimp. TDF!  Drink the sauce with a straw. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Drinks are amazing - lots of umbrella style tropical options which are perfect for Florida. Tuna appetizer is enough for a meal and AMAZING! !! I loved the salad prep it comes with. Our other fish mains were good as well. Gets super busy so be prepared to wait or plan your meal time. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Really great place that sits on the harbor and is near the beach! Parking is a definitely a challenge. They have many fantastic cocktails to choose - the Rum Runner and Island Mojitos are excellent! Large place with three bars. If the wait is too long for dining you can also eat at any of the bars, they are available on a first come basis.Many menu items to choose from, tonight I had the grouper sammy w/ yellow rice & beans and it was very good. Rachel was fantastic bartending & serving us tonight! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Love Doc Fords restaurants and books! Their Yucatán Shrimp appetizer is so delicious we bought a bottle to take home. Their Sunday entertainment with Deb and the Dynamics is so fun! Huge crowd, but worth it! We have eaten at all of the Doc Ford restaurants on Sanibel and Captiva Island and in St. Petersburg. This one is the biggest and busiest in my opinion. Service is amazing! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

What a wonderful surprise. I came upon Doc's skeptical of the "typical waterfront tourist place."  Instead we found a kind and genuine staff, efficient service (for a very busy lunch rush), and really delightful food. Our bartender was kind enough to concoct a delicious mock tail for one in our party. Our server, Jake, was warm-hearted, quick to assist other staff as needed, and very helpful moving us inside when a storm blew in. Capping it all off, the food was terrific. Great burgers, FANTASTIC shrimp tacos. Delish conch chowder. Great experience. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We went to the Sanibel location for dinner. I definitely recommend making a reservation. We did, and we ended up with a choice outdoor table. Otherwise you can expect to wait to be seated. The food was excellent- did not taste like it came off a Sysco truck. Fresh and delicious. Our waiter, Scott, could not have been more attentive. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The Yucatán Shrimp was delicious!! Plentiful portions, great vibes and beautiful views.

Reviewed on Facebook

Live music and dancing. Beautiful view of marina with Christmas lights.  Excellent pulled pork sandwich. Nice atmosphere.

Reviewed on Yelp

nice atmosphere.

Reviewed on Facebook

You pay for the view. The food is terrible. Our wait staff was fantastic. The hostesses looked like they were asleep at the stand. My recommendation is to walk away from the pier and find another option which there are. Best More...

Reviewed on Yelp

If you're looking for the freshest Oysters and a tasty rum runner- this is the spot to go. I love Doc Fords and you will too! I've always had great service and enjoy the ambiance. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great view and that’s where it ends.

Reviewed on Facebook

great food, great view. staff was kind and efficient. highly recommend

Reviewed on Facebook

This was the best meal of our trip! We did not have reservations, and a wait for our group of 6 was 30 min at 6:00 in March. ..but we think it was a bit shorter of a wait because it was a cold Saturday on the island. The service was outstanding. We had Mandi as our server and she just made the experience so much fun. She was well-versed in the menu and very helpful. Each interaction with her was enjoyable!We had the crab cake appetizer which is two small 4 oz patties with the best flavor, and then paired with the jicama slaw you honestly cannot go wrong with this choice! A few people had a cup of the chowder soup. It was good, but I would personally skip it. For entrees we tried the BBQ ribs, Yucatán shrimp tacos, doc's famous fish sandwich, and macadamia crusted grouper. Each item was fabulous! The Yucatán tacos were a perfect way to try their famous shrimp without all the "work." Definitely recommend, but sub out the rice/beans. The macadamia crusted grouper was also phenomenal. It was so fresh & packed with flavor. The macadamia nuts were fresh and you could taste them in every bite. The rice & veggies were the perfect side. For dessert we tried the key lime pie, banana bread pudding, and double decker brownie. Each option is wonderful & something I'd try again. But, if I had to choose definitely pick the key lime pie! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Best food and service on the island. They're a well-oiled machine and it shows with great service and such an enjoyable experience.

Reviewed on Yelp

Outstanding! One of my favorite spots and they never disappoint

Reviewed on Facebook

We’ve been going to Doc’s since it first opened on Rabbit Road. Most recently ate there 2 weeks ago, anticipating the outstanding Tuesday only scallop special for over a year. Made reservations a month in advance but did not reserve the special, and they were out! I almost cried. Had my next favorite, shrimp and grits, which was good but totally lacked the tomatillo sauce. We will always eat there when visiting Sanibel, but this time it did not live up to expectations. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

If you like seafood particularly shrimp and Mojitos (Cuban drink) you'll enjoy this casual dining experience. If you're a fan of Randy White's books you'll love this place and if you're lucky he'll be there!  The Yucatán shrimp is super sized and enough as an entree, served with Cuban bread and a sauce to dip that's finger licking good. Shhhh the recipe for the shrimp is on the table but I took it wink, wink. I did fin$ out afterwards that the cookbook has it oops. The drinks are well made and you can buy the glass with a lid if you'd like to keep as a souvenir. Entertainment was very island type enjoyable. I absolutely love Everything about Sanibel Island. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Unfortunately Doc Ford's success has led to a full restaurant every night (even during the pandemic). Things have slipped a notch. The service is no long what it used to be with a constant turnover of waitstaff (this was the restaurant with the best and most loyal servers). The food is still good, but is just not as good. Seems like they are relying a bit too heavily on food service rather than making their own sauces,etc. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Servers was outstanding food was great and the margaritas were good

Reviewed on Facebook

Great Food, Great Service, Fun Atmosphere

Reviewed on Facebook

Cornelius was our server excellent,food was very good and the scenery the best

Reviewed on Facebook

The food is quite tasty. The service is wonderful. and I'm definitely going again. But I had to laugh when our server said her name was Hannah. I said"really?!?" She did not understand why. And she said there are several Hannah's that work there. I am still laughing. She had said no one had asked her that question. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Excellent food, great service and exceptional view 😎

Reviewed on Facebook

Always incredible food. Yucatan shrimp is the best by far, Yucatan tacos are great, lime panto crusted fish sandwich is super flavorful. Honestly you can't go wrong with anything here. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Ordered the Cedar Plank Salmon, it was good but for the price, not amazing. The basil and onions underneath the fish with mango on top was strange, and the combination of au gratin potatoes with soy sauce mushrooms on the side sounded better than it actually was. However, the ambiance and service was good. Maybe it's just not their best dish. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Had a great time. Food was delicious! Great waitress.

Reviewed on Facebook

Good food, service was great and dining outside in the beautiful weather was fabulous

Reviewed on Facebook