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Casual destination for seafood with Caribbean & South American flavors plus rum & entertainment.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 2500 Island Inn Rd, Sanibel, FL 33957
Phone: (239) 472-8311
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Sanibel Restaurants • Seafood – Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille
Just off Island Inn Road across from Bailey’s Shopping Center. With 2 dining rooms and an outdoor patio, where you decide to enjoy the ambiance is up to you! A …
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille – Lunch & Dinner, Live Music
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille with 4 locations: Sanibel, Ft. Myers Beach, St. Pete Pier, and Jungle Terrace. Waterfront dining & live music.
Menu – Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille
The Doc Ford’s menu is filled with award-winning choices. Enjoy fresh Florida seafood in Sanibel, Ft. Myers Beach, St. Pete & Jungle Terrace.
Reviews
Sam
Went here for the first time on Sanibel. Reservations for dinner were full, so the host told us to come after 8 as walk ins. We only had to wait about 15 min. The decor is very nice, and lots of merch in the front to purchase. Our server Natalie was great! She was friendly, sweet and helpful with any questions on the menu. We had calamari and clam chowder (the best I’ve ever had, obviously homemade) and for dinner we had the panko fried shrimp and grouper dinner. Both were delicious. The shrimp was so hot (temp wise) I had to have a sip of water after. This has never happened and shows how fast the food comes out after being cooked. Everything was fresh and hot. Great place to go, and will definitely go back again next time we’re in Sanibel.
… moreKevin Boller
Absolute five-star experience. Great atmosphere, flame throwing heaters on the porches or cozy indoors. Service was impeccable, food was awesome. Super juicy shrimp, this is one well-run establishment, they have it figured out. I don’t often give all five store reviews, but this one gets it. Nice job!
… moreDj Lorence
Unfortunately, we had a disappointing experience at Doc Ford’s last week. We decided to try it because the reviews were decent and it seemed to have a solid reputation. The restaurant itself is massive and was very busy for a Wednesday night, we waited about 20–30 minutes for a table for two.
The appetizers were good. We had the clam chowder and the conch chowder, and both were enjoyable. The oysters tasted good as well, though they were served just cool, almost bordering on warm, which in hindsight was a little concerning.
The entrées, however, were very disappointing. They had a grouper special, which was grouper stuffed with crab over mashed potatoes for a stiff $38. The grouper was dry, rubbery, overcooked, and completely lacking flavor. The mashed potatoes had large chunks of unblended garlic, which was off-putting. For a chef’s special at that price point, it fell far short. The size of the fish was tiny too. Comparing it to the grouper we had at Wickie’s the night after was honestly shocking—the difference in quality was huge. This one didn’t taste fresh and almost seemed like it had been previously frozen, which wouldn’t be surprising given the scale of the operation.
I also ordered the shrimp over jasmine rice. The shrimp were overcooked, rubbery, and just as disappointing. The menu described a “robust blend of orange juice, ginger, mild peppers, and Caribbean spices,” but the shrimp appeared completely unseasoned. There was no noticeable flavor or spice at all.
Overall, while the appetizers were okay, the entrées were a major letdown, and unfortunately, I wouldn’t return. The lack of flavor and quality was surprising.
… moreThe appetizers were good. We had the clam chowder and the conch chowder, and both were enjoyable. The oysters tasted good as well, though they were served just cool, almost bordering on warm, which in hindsight was a little concerning.
The entrées, however, were very disappointing. They had a grouper special, which was grouper stuffed with crab over mashed potatoes for a stiff $38. The grouper was dry, rubbery, overcooked, and completely lacking flavor. The mashed potatoes had large chunks of unblended garlic, which was off-putting. For a chef’s special at that price point, it fell far short. The size of the fish was tiny too. Comparing it to the grouper we had at Wickie’s the night after was honestly shocking—the difference in quality was huge. This one didn’t taste fresh and almost seemed like it had been previously frozen, which wouldn’t be surprising given the scale of the operation.
I also ordered the shrimp over jasmine rice. The shrimp were overcooked, rubbery, and just as disappointing. The menu described a “robust blend of orange juice, ginger, mild peppers, and Caribbean spices,” but the shrimp appeared completely unseasoned. There was no noticeable flavor or spice at all.
Overall, while the appetizers were okay, the entrées were a major letdown, and unfortunately, I wouldn’t return. The lack of flavor and quality was surprising.
Jay Villeneuve
A very busy spot that was worth the wait for drinks and food. Cuban sandwich was above average and beer selection and cocktails were good. I’m a fan of the books so a visit was mandatory, but I was glad it was also good!
… moreSWFL Broker Greg Demaras
This is a small local chain that is bulletproof when it comes to quality and consistency. The menu is filled with creative and imaginative dishes including their famous Yucatán shrimp! Other highlights include their very generous and fresh ingredient salads, fish dishes & daily specials. added bonus, the burger is fantastic as is the Cuban sandwich. The staff is efficient and jovial. Check out this Mexican street corn soup and buffalo shrimp appetizer. I’ve had most of the items on the menu and can’t think of one that does not over deliver. The same can be said for the dessert choices. Carrot cake is easily my favorite.
… moreAmanda Smith
We had a great time here. Came for a birthday with a party of 6 and a toddler. We recommend making a reservation, we are sure glad we did. The service was great and we highly recommended this spot for a night out.
… moreAngela J
I came here with my husband on our 10 year anniversary for some good food and drinks in a laid back setting, and we certainly got what we were looking for! It was only a Monday, but for a Monday, they can get busy! This place is clearly very popular. The service was kind of slow, but our server (didn’t catch her name) was very sweet and kind so it made up for it.
We got two of their rum cocktails and they were both delicious. The drinks were fairly priced for how strong they tasted.
We got two appetizers, the chicken taquitos and the calamari (forgot to take photos, too excited). My husband loved the taquitos, the shredded chicken was flavorful and the shells were very crispy. The calamari was also great, mostly large sized rings, lightly golden fried, and they were SOO tender inside! I’m used to mostly rubbery calamari from other restaurants, but the calamari from here is definitely different and so soft. Truly melts in your mouth. We devoured them so quick before the server could even come back to see how we liked them.
For the entrees, we went with sandwiches. I got the grouper sandwich grilled and my husband got their pulled pork sandwich. The grouper sandwich was amazing. The fish was cooked perfectly and tasted so clean and fresh. The slaw I got for my side was kind of swimming in mayo, would have been nice to be a little lighter with the mayo but that’s okay. My husband was a huge fan of the pulled pork sandwich, he said the sauce that the pork was mixed with was perfect.
Overall the food here was so great, much better than I expected. Portion sizes were reasonable and we didn’t end up needing to go boxes which is a plus in my book (because who wants to reheat a fish sandwich?).
Will definitely plan to come back here in the future.
… moreWe got two of their rum cocktails and they were both delicious. The drinks were fairly priced for how strong they tasted.
We got two appetizers, the chicken taquitos and the calamari (forgot to take photos, too excited). My husband loved the taquitos, the shredded chicken was flavorful and the shells were very crispy. The calamari was also great, mostly large sized rings, lightly golden fried, and they were SOO tender inside! I’m used to mostly rubbery calamari from other restaurants, but the calamari from here is definitely different and so soft. Truly melts in your mouth. We devoured them so quick before the server could even come back to see how we liked them.
For the entrees, we went with sandwiches. I got the grouper sandwich grilled and my husband got their pulled pork sandwich. The grouper sandwich was amazing. The fish was cooked perfectly and tasted so clean and fresh. The slaw I got for my side was kind of swimming in mayo, would have been nice to be a little lighter with the mayo but that’s okay. My husband was a huge fan of the pulled pork sandwich, he said the sauce that the pork was mixed with was perfect.
Overall the food here was so great, much better than I expected. Portion sizes were reasonable and we didn’t end up needing to go boxes which is a plus in my book (because who wants to reheat a fish sandwich?).
Will definitely plan to come back here in the future.
Jessica Bussard
The outdoor seating area features a screened patio equipped with propane heaters, offering a pleasant ambiance amidst a beautiful palm landscape. The culinary experience was exceptional; I particularly enjoyed the grouper sandwich, and my husband found the shrimp to be quite substantial. The children’s menu was also noteworthy, with my daughter’s chicken fingers being notably generous in portion.
… moreRachel Lamb
Amazing. We sampled a rum flight, got two of the signature cocktails, got the baked oysters, the tostadas, i got the nightly special and my significant other got the paella! Chael was the best server/bartender- he was extremely knowledgeble on the menu and knew exactly what to suggest. Will be back soon. 10/10
… moreAngela Cooper
Out of this world food, drinks and service ! Absolutely phenomenal!! Go early as they get super busy super fast ! We went at 2:30 and it was packed. Once we got our drinks and food we understood why they were so busy ! Absolutely worth the hour wait !
… more