Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille in Sanibel - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

This is our must go to when on the island. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. But of course get fish! Our waitress Jessica on our recent visit was great too!

Doc Fords has become our favorite place on Sanibel. The shrimp (any way you have it) is always great and don't forget the Cuban sandwich. + The rum drinks are excellent.

The food is always good here. Disappointed we couldn't get oysters this time.

The macadamia nut crusted grouper was outstanding, especially the accompanying exotic mix of quinoa, jasmine rice, arugula, red peppers, and yellow squash. Considering the high price of good quality restaurant food these days, I was very surprised the prices on the menu were less than I had expected. Should I return to Sanibel, I will definitely have another meal at Doc Ford’s, most likely the same thing I got last night!

Good food very friendly service and perfect cocktails. Open till relatively late .

Great food and great service. Interesting menu items. Attentive servers.

Really great food, nice atmosphere, and really close to the beach. We went in the late afternoon, so we got right in. The staff was friendly and service was great.

Service 10/10 amazing!! The food 100/100. Out of this world! Cedar plank salmon delicious! Sea bass special! Truly some of the best food I’ve had on any staycation!

A very good restaurant with a varied and exotic menu. The dishes, most of them Cajun inspired, were very good and served in large quantities. I recommend taking the fish in banana leaf. In addition, the accompaniments are varied and, once again, very good. Otherwise the server was efficient and fast and the atmosphere very friendly and friendly.

Fantastic food and fantastic service as always!

Super delicious! I would definitely recommend this place if your in sanible and your hungry!

Our food was delicious. We had fried calamari and macadamia crusted grouper

Doc fords is a staple on Sanibel. Great service, delicious food.

Our server Scott was amazing and we went with his recommendation of Triple Tail Snapper Oscar and Key Lime pie for dessert (shared a piece). Everything was beyond delicious and we will be dining here again.

My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful night out at this location of Doc Ford’s hosted by our server Scott. The service we received was top tier, he was personable and attentive. His knowledge of the menu impressed us and we appreciated his recommendations. This was our first visit and we plan to visit again in the near future. Between the mojitos and the various rum offerings the drinks were great! The fried calamari wasn’t rubbery, they were light and fresh. So tasty. We also got Doc’s Beach Bread for an appetizer, it was also amazing, the bread was lightly toasted, and full of flavor, we added the bacon…I can only imagine how amazing the chorizo would have tasted. The roasted half chicken with the Chimichurri sauce was well seasoned, moist with a crispy skin. The banana leaf grouper was amazing, the lime pesto was a nice touch of flavor with the corn salsa, black beans and rice. The fish is steamed so if that’s not your thing, perhaps try something else. Me on the other hand, I love fish so with an additional touch of salt it was the perfect dish for me. Scott recommended the key-lime pie, the description sounded so good that we had to try it. I’m so glad we did. I’m thankful we tried a restaurant we’ve never tried before.

Love to visit haveva snack after going to the beach

Cesar, Vito, and the crew were able to accommodate a large party at short notice on a busy Saturday night after my sister's Celebration of Life. I cannot thank everyone enough for being so hospitable. The food and drinks were delicious and the staff were quite accommodating. Doc Ford's was the perfect location to end our difficult day on and when we're back on the island we'll be sure to visit again!

Best fish sandwich I’ve ever had No need to spend $10 to “upgrade” to a locally-caught fish. The standard sandwich was perfect.

A must stop while your on Sanibel Island. Great food and a fantastic staff. Yucatan shrimp a must try.

Very neat restaurant, our waitress Chelsea was also great. Want to go back and try out more of their rum drinks!

Great service, awesome cocktails and killer food

Oh the nostalgia!! Support Local! This place I hold near and dear to my heart! Haven’t been to this location but their South Seas spot was my absolute go-to nightly! Can’t wait to try this location out.

Super Super Super Delicious !!! We decided in short term based on the menue card on the website of Doc Ford‘s Rum Bar & Grille - AND - it was in our opinion the best seafood Restaurant of Sanibel! The service was very attentive, fast and nice! The meals we has were all awesome delicious - the best place for a dinner! Do not hesitate and go there - we can 200% recommend this Restaurant to you! ENJOY!!! 🐟🐠🍤

Had the fish sandwich with fries🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥also had the Buffalo Shrimp 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 definitely recommend ❤️💯

This was a cool restaurant inside. Our waiter was not overly friendly but was decent with bringing refills and stuff as needed. I had fish tacos. They weren't great.

Wonderful experience, very yummy food!

Took forever for waitress to get our bill picked up. Food was good and ambience as well

Had a great dining experience and will be back

I would say it’s 3,5. About food: The Ford Famous CLAM Chowder is made mostly from potatoes and celery. I like it, but then you probably don’t have to call it clam soup. Mussels tasted weird, my husband still thinks they weren’t fresh. Love mussels, often order them in different places, but here they aren’t that good. For place with fish items and next to port and possibility have them fresh it’s kinda shame. Maybe less tomato and more cream with garlic and fennel seeds will make it better, and to toast the bread for them. Tacos with steamed shrimps are an amazing idea, BUT they already served with sauce and lime juice in it, so tacos became soggy. About service, they asked us how is food immediately when it was served and didn’t ask anything when we were about to pay. Seems like they wanted us to pay and leave and not really curious what we think about food. Not bad, but probably will not come again

The food is all premade. They bring it out to you and throw it on the table and it’s pretty obvious that it’s been made a long time ago. It doesn’t taste fresh. at this location there’s limited places to eat. That’s why it has the reviews that it has the shrimp was disgusting and it was squishy. The waiter was tacky and didn’t follow instructions at all mostly just didn’t listen. The dessert was the brownie with the ice cream and it was sad. I definitely would not recommend this restaurant to someone that likes food if you’re going in just to have drinks and an appetizer I’m thinking it would be OK. The food is not overpriced, but the quality is really bad. I was so disappointed. You have to share with others to help. This was equivalent to eating at a Bennigans or a TGI Fridays. The shrimp and grits was disgusting. my wife had the paella it was soggy and not fresh. The fish fingers for the baby was great. They tasted fantastic.

I love Doc's Ford iat Ft. Myers Beach so I invited visitors to Sanibel beach and had lunch here. It was the worse food ever! Shrimps were hard as rocks! The Philly Cheese was horrible! No flavor hardly any cheese or peppers or onions. Never coming back to this locationl

Celebrated our wedding anniversary. Food and service were great as always.

If you are looking for some unique rum drinks and great food then this is the place. Service was great and atmosphere was quiet and peaceful.

We were in Sanibel for our Honeymoon and this place was so good we came here twice! The paella was AMAZING and the service staff was top notch. Key lime pie was also a highlight. We will definitely be returning ASAP!

Need a bit more in the decor but food and service were great. Huge salads, juicy burgers and OMG the SHRIMP!!

Great place. Glad to see it still there after the storm. A trip to Sanibel would not be complete without a visit.

Amazing food, atmosphere, and service. We came from out of state and Cesar made our wedding reception seamless. All of our family and friends couldn't talk enough about how incredible the food and service was. Definitely a gem!

Tge whole party I was with raved about their meal. Really enjoyed this place and the food!

Good food. Nice service people. A nice place to sit and eat when visiting. I would stop in here at least once per vacation.

Absolute amazing food, great service and a family like ambiente. Thanks for the great evening on Sanibel Island!

Service was good but the food was just OK for the price point. Imagine a Bahama Breeze but fishing themed and you’ll get the idea.

Had a nice meal, good service and good food. Drinks were on target with the right amount of alcohol. We sat outside to get a table quicker and the no-see-ums or mosquitoes were feasting on our legs under the table (and not the restaurant’s fault). The server closed the electric screen panels for us (very nice gesture) that create a screened in lanai look but the screen panels must have been installed or measured incorrectly because they all were 2 feet short of the floor (as far down as they would go). Weird? Anyway I still give it a 4 star, recommendation for this chain restaurant. You have to really impress me to get a 5 star rating so for me a 4 star is very good. I would definitely come back 👍

Really good casual food. Drinks are good. Service is always courteous. Solid choice as the food quality never differs.

Doc Ford's has amazingly good food. The Mahi Mahi is the best thing on the menu, but really everything is wonderful. If you are on Sanibel Island you have to go by at least once. It's more expensive than a lot of other restaurants on the island, but it is the one meal you will remember years later.

Hidden on Sanibel Island, a great oasis for lunch or dinner. We enjoyed roasted chicken & shrimp with grits.

Good Rum and Good Food! Friendly and attentive staff, enjoyed our dining experience!

We always look forward to Doc Ford's! Thank you again for a wonderful experience. 👍💜

HIGHLY RECOMMEND when in the Sanibel area. Before our visit to Sanibel, I ask the question on Sanibel Facebook page, where I could eat some crab legs. A few responses led me to Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille. The restaurant was really cool, service was excellent, our meals did not disappoint and the prices were very reasonable. And since we were traveling with our Fur baby, it was pet friendly with outdoor seating which was really nice and breezy, considering July is super hot and outside area was well fanned.

We've been 3 times and have never been impressed with anything other than the shrimp appetizer. Food is ok but nothing to write home about.

Great service, amazing food and delicious presentation. We went in for a very quick weekday lunch and were served quickly and received efficient, professional service the cook was right on! Thank you so much, we hope to return.

Hogfish special was awesome! Keylime Colada 🤤

So happy to finally get to Sanibel & support local business! Doc Ford's never disappoints; it was perfect for our after-Tram Tour meal. Yes, Sanibel will be recovering from Ian's devastating storm surge for a while longer. Don't let that stop you from taking it in!

One of the best restaurants on Sanibel! Very affordable prices! Very friendly staff

Outstanding food and drinks!! Manny the bartender was very friendly and a great conversationalist without being obtrusive. The Yucatan Lime Shrimp 🍤 is AMAZING!! I could eat that all day, every day. The Shrimp and Grits - DELICIOUS! The new Orange Ginger Shrimp was really good too. The Drunken Carrot Cake was superb and a must have. Thanks for a great dining experience while visiting last week. Can't wait to go back on my next trip.

Bailey was an amazing server and her knowledge and detail to my son's allergies made for a safe and enjoyable meal. Loved her!!!!!!!!

Excellent place and good prices, everything delicious

We did not receive a very warm welcome but appreciated Molly’s good service. The Beach Bread was a fun starter with the diced tomatoes offsetting the cheesy richness. We recommend the Southwest Cobb salad- everything a Cobb should offer with a unique spin. The Cedar Plank Salmon came with amazing sides, but the fish and its “glaze” (sauce?) were under-seasoned.

Really cool place we enjoyed the food, the atmosphere was good the bartender Lisa was good. We had the jerk chicken tostada, and Mahi fingers drinks were good has toasted coconut colada and tarpon bay breeze which was my favorite.

Adore Randy Wayne White's fiction had to purchase several directly from the source. Have been to doc Ford's on Captiva several times thru the years heartbreaking to know it won't be reopening

Shrimp and grits: Solid shrimp, but the grits were way too salty to eat. The waitress was great and asked us how things were tasting. I mentioned the grits and she offered to have them replaced with mashed potatoes which ended up being decent. I've never sent a meal back in my life but those grits were dangerously salty. Chicken Caesar: Good chicken, old lettuce, decent dressing. Mai Tai: Really bad. Tasted like old OJ concentrate. Why? How? Bread pudding: Really, really good with neat rum! Highly recommend! Overall: Good service. Bad entrees. Skip dinner straight to dessert and hard liquor.

Food was pretty generic slightly more upscale than bar food. Whatever you do don't sit outside. Bugs will eat you alive.

The food was excellent, The waiter was wonderful, Thanks for a great meal.😀

Visited during a book signing by Randy Wayne White. Great food, reasonable bar prices. Decor features the book covers of Randy's Doc Ford novels. Recommend highly!

The restaurant had a relaxed beach vibe. There was no live band here. The food was good and the service was timely. The waitress was adequate. We wanted to support the island. I would recommend this restaurant.

Our waiter, the bartender, was horrible. He forgot to place our order and drinks . Three people ordered the special and it was disappointing.

Great food, great service and great rum drinks!!!

Great flat breads, rum punches and key 🍋‍🟩 pie

Such a great spot! Good food, good prices, friendly service. There was a wide selection of options for all of the dietary restrictions in our group. We had a variety of cocktails and all were tasty. Everyone had something different and all loved their food. If you’re in the area looking for un-fussy good food in a casual setting this is the spot.

Amazing service and the best food that I have had eating out in a while, so worth the money!

Support your local hurricane shelter

Food was amazing. Charlie the bartender was very informative of what is spectacular. Will definitely be back when we go to Sanibel.

Beautiful place and the best lobster roll I've ever had!

What a cool place and great food. Our waitress, Jules, was awesome. She explained everything on the menu for us and explained the special very well. Everything we ordered tasted amazing. We ordered mussels and crab cakes for appetizers, and they tasted great. The sauce is everything. I would highly recommend coming to eat here. Nice and large drink menu too. We came here after a day of seashell hunting and it was a perfect stop to finish the day.

Fun place to eat. The food is amazing, and I love the laid-back vibe. The locals are super friendly. Can't wait to come back for more!

Grabbed a quick drink and snack here and was not disappointed. We tried the buffalo shrimp “sweet chili” (pictured below) and the Yucatán shrimp. Both wildly tasty. We also loved our cucumber mojito and the toasted coconut colada (pictured below). Would love to come back and try more next time!

Great food and very nice interior place either to eat or drink. We tried the Shrimp tacos and the hamburger with beans and rice and both were top taste! A must visit when in Sanibel!

Absolutely excellent. Some of the best dinners we had on Sanibel. Fairly priced and has great service. We'll be back.

This was the one place I was adamant that we came to on our trip. It’s a casual fun lively place. We started with Yucatán oysters and buffalo shrimp. They were so good we ordered seconds! Salmon was fresh and tender. Shrimp tacos were huge and the homemade tortilla was a nice bonus. Do yourself a favor and pour their Yucatán sauce on everything. It’s so good we got a couple bottles to take home! The prices were very reasonable. The service was great. We will be back.

My meal tasted okay, but the presentation was very sloppy . They just carelessly plopped mango sauce on the planked salmon and called it day. The potatoes au gratin were two amorphous blobs. For $25-30 a plate, you'd expect a bit more care in regards to presentation. I've seen better presentation at Applebee's...

Great place to recharge your batteries with a cold brew and some good food after a day of biking or beaching.

I can't say enough great things about Doc Fords! We spend 2 to 3 weeks a year in sanibel & eat here at least twice each trip.

After a long day at the beach, this place was heaven! Party of 8 seated right away. Our server Molly clicked right with us. The food and drink were excellent!

Excellent food and service! Their Deep Water Mahi Mahi is delicious!

We enjoyed our lunch on the patio with our dog Lucy. The service was excellently provided by Bailey and the food was great. I had the grouper sandwich and my wife had the special of the day....both were tasty and the black bean sides were excellent. We highly recommend this place!

Had shrimp pasta and Calamari and it was good

Clam chowder was amazing and the Blackened Grouper sandwich was Delicious

It's hard to have a bad experience here. The food is consistently great, the serviçe outstanding. The dining room looks out over an entertaining maritime vista. Ofcourse it's crowded but seating is not a problem . Hint-- jif creme brulee is on the menu, get it! It's to die for!

Loved this place. Looked for a place to grab food once we left the beach. LOVED the mussels. It was at least 2 dozen cooked tenderly. Probably the best I've had. The broth was rich, full flavored. Calamari was pretty good. Nothing outstanding but cooked perfect. Dinner was the red fish bowl. So good! Tender and cooked with jerk seasoning. Delicious! The bread pudding was delicious, but it seemed more like a lava cake. Really hot inside like a lava cake. Service was really good. The place was in full swing by the time we left around 7:30. The prices compared to the quality..well, I would have expected it to be pricey. It was so reasonable. The cocktails were even reasonably priced. I would highly recommend this restaurant. The quality and flavor profile of the meal was worth it! Very moderately priced menu. We had 3 cocktails, 2 apps, and we shared the red fish bowl and spent $90.

We enjoyed a nice lunch here. Drinks are really good. We are glad they survived hurricane Ian.

While my husband loved the Yucatán shrimp & his steak we both agree we are perplexed by how high of a rating this place has compared to others on the island. We wouldn’t go back based on atmosphere not being our favorite & I found a HUGE piece of uncooked sweet potato in my grouper taco that wasn’t supposed to be there…. Kitchen isnt careful or detailed. Our table and chairs were not clean at all. Talked to others on beach who had mediocre to bad experiences too. While some dishes are super yummy the negative outweighs the positive.

The service was not at all enjoyable! We were forgotten about. When we got our food it was burned and the other dish was cold. Then it took forever to get out check! We will never go back EVER! Bad service and Bad food

Best grouper tacos around!! We also enjoyed some awesome Yucatan shrimp. Wonderful customer service also.

We were there on May 20th for lunch. Great service, very friendly. Food was delicious. Was a good decision to go there.

A must whenever we have a beach day on sanibel. Awesome drink menu and the Yucatan shrimp is our favorite.

Great place to eat great prices great food good service beautiful restaurant just really needed some Music !!!

First time visiting Sanibel Island, and went to Doc Ford for dinner. Our waiter was fantastic, they were a bit understaffed, but he did an amazing hi on. We both ordered the fried shrimp and …..we couldn’t believe how freaking Huge they were!!! We are used to eating one bite fried shrimp. We raved about the shrimp…highly recommend

We loved it so much we went twice. The Yucatan Shrimp is absolutely delicious.

Great place sad that the one on Captiva is gone but we are loyal been going there since rabbit road!!!

Outstanding in every way! Lovely atmosphere and outstanding service. Food was delicious especially my Yucatán shrimp!!!

I ordered a quinoa shrimp salad which was delicious. My daughter in law tried to order the crab legs but they were out of them. The waiter should have told us that the very first thing when he took our drink order. She then ordered a burger and asked for well done. They served it pink. She was totally disappointed in her meal.