MudBugs Cajun Kitchen in Sanibel - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

It was my first visit there. We set outside the upstairs bar and our only issue was that the noseums were off the chart and if I'm to come back I definitely won't be sitting outside maybe next time I'll make sure I'm sprayed down with bug spray! They need to do something about this, we ended up coming inside and that was much better. The waitress Fran did an awesome job. I guess just because the snowbirds aren't there that the island is not keeping up with their bug situation and I'm sure the hurricane plays a big part in that!!

We visited Sanibel for the weekend. We went here for lunch on Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t too busy. We were sat upstairs. Our waiter was Daniel. He did an excellent job. Very attentive and helpful. We both ordered the shrimp platter. It came with 8 shrimp and two sides. For my sides I got the coleslaw and the jambalaya. The shrimp was REALLY good! Cooked and flavored to perfection! The coleslaw was also very good. The jambalaya was ok. The chicken in it seemed old and hard. I ate around it. My daughter got mashed potatoes and jambalaya as her sides. The mashed potatoes were also very good. She left most of her jambalaya. They have all kinds of hot sauces on the tables, which we appreciated. Other than that the ambiance is cool. They have outdoor seating. There’s a bar upstairs that’s half indoor and half outdoor. The music was good. I feel the menu is a little limited. Or check was about $60 before tip. I would go back again.

This is absolute must go. The food is phenomenal. The service is top notch!!

Pleasant surprise with this spot. Food, drink, atmosphere, and service are great. Great balance with quality and price. Highly recommended.

Great place, great food and great service. Joe, our server, was super friendly and top notch. The crab and corn bisque is incrediblely yummy! Highly recommend!

Small tight tables with loud music. Ordered happy hour really crappy. Guy said we could sit anywhere, but when we sat down he told us we couldn't sit there!!! Too expensive for what you get, would never go & would not recommend to anyone. The only good part was our server!

08/09/2024 - Spotted this restaurant on Google Maps and wanted to give it a try. It is a live-music restaurant with a great New Orleans vibe on the second floor. The place is clean and the staff are friendly. We had crab & corn bisque, half a dozen raw oysters, crawfish etouffee and a jambalaya. They were fresh and pretty good. What surprised me was their "suggested tip" which is 20-25%. Some says - Tipping is for quality of service, not a service fee for being there.

Very disappointed in the flavor of the dishes. Got the etouffee which was extremely bland. The boudin balls were plain as well. I was really hoping for that cajun kick but left disappointed.

Don’t hold this place to a standard of authenticity. Remember it’s a themed restaurant in a tourist area. The food is good. The boudin balls are very good (even if the server doesn’t know how to pronounce it). The etouffee misses the mark a little but once I cut up the shrimp and stirred it down it was pretty good. The muffelatta isn’t right. There’s a sweet flavor in there somewhere and it’s off putting. It’s way out of balance with the olive salad. The meat slices were to thick and there wasn’t enough cheese. The bread was actually perfect though. The jambalaya side was like anything you’d get from a box at the store. I’m told the entree version is different. All of them need to be seasoned better. Standard additional offerings include a variety of po boys. There are some interesting sandwiches and on the menu. The beignets taste fine but also miss the mark as they’re way to small and dense. I look forward to going back and trying a couple of the pasta dishes. It would be nice if the music was a little more in line with the theme rather than the standard tourist restaurant/bar acoustic soft rock. Overall worth trying if Cajun food appeals to you.

Nice atmosphere! Good food! Good music! Interesting t-shirts! Pleasant staff!

My mom and I went here for Happy Hour... And had a great time! The people there are super friendly and attentive. We sat in the bar area since we went specifically for happy hour, and the bar tender was our "server." But the bar tender was just as attentive as any server. We shared some really yummy shrimp appetizers, the Shrimp Cargo and Brussel sprouts Kabobs... Which were so tasty! We also got some pork rinds, which were incredible. They were spicy and awesome and still crackling when they got to the table. I had a Swamp Water cocktail to start, then I had a local, Florida beer. The cocktail was great, and I enjoyed the beer (I had never tried it before). Overall, great experience at MudBugs!

The food tasted great, and it came out quickly. The atmosphere was nicely themed. If you are on Sanibel Island, this is a place you should try!

Always one of my favorite stops when I'm out there on the islands. The food has that Nawlin's kick and doesn't disappoint. Give it a try. Laisse passer le bon temps!

Glad they made it through the hurricane. But I feel like I got the unloved food for my first time… service was good and no wait time for lunch was good but food came out with no flavor or love…

First time In the ft myers area and I went to mudbugs everyday for the 5 Days I visited. Char grilled oysters are a must

Found a dime in our drink. Manager was outwardly rude, they turned out the lights on us and turned off the music before close despite telling us when to come to best get a seat. Food was bad, bugs were everywhere and I honestly don’t know if they put alcohol in our Margaritas. Tough, tough hang.

5 star across the board the food, the people,the atmosphere upstairs bar always fun been coming since opened food is always spot on Have the beignets won't regret it

Had a great time here! I had the Cajun Alfredo with Blackened shrimp. Yummy!!!

Live music, great food, very good service. Loved the gator tail, the calamari good and you have to have it for the sauce. Stuffed shrimp delish, etufuee was great meal as well. Definately if in the area it's a must!

Awesome place for food and drinks. The staff was amazing.

We ordered the shrimp appetizer and 2 bowls of gumbo. The shrimp cam first and it was spot on. Then the gumbo came, and tasted so bland, and not even like gumbo. I lived in Louisiana for 2 years and learned to make my own gumbo when I left. I would love to make these guys some one day. Just had some in Lake Charles from a restaurant there 2 weeks ago, and it was real gumbo. But I must say the staff was great. Just don't order the gumbo.

This was our first time to go out to Sanibel, FL. MudBugs Cajun Kitchen was on our radar to stop and eat. We fell in love with the menu before we ever stopped in. Don't let the name Cajun Kitchen scare you away if you're not a fan of spice. The spice level was perfect for any tummy. Ian was an amazing server. He did an excellent job of explaining the food and what to expect when we ordered certain foods. We were a large party, and he handled all of our requests without any trouble. I would highly recommend stopping here.

What a fantastic place. Didn't know much about it other than spotting it on Google maps. So glad I tried it out. The food was superb. It was fresh and delicious. Staff was excellent. Price good. The restaurant had great New Orleans vibes being 2 floors. Great place to eat, drink and chill. Had a great time, will go again. I highly recommend!

This place has it all! The food is amazingly authentic! I highly recommend a side of Maque Choux with a platter or entrée. The food is fresh, and the service was superb. The price is definitely fair and reasonable for this establishment. I highly recommend you check this place out if you're in the area.

Great service. Thanks had the shrimp jambalaya and clam chowder, delicious. My husband had conch fritters and soft shell crab. He enjoyed it. They have a Chihuly chandelier. Absolutely beautiful! I would go again. Great New Orleans atmosphere! Even a blues player! Hurricane was fruity and strong!

Love this place, food is amazing!!!

The food is absolutely incredible and we’ve never had a bad meal. We have been coming to Mudbugs since the restaurant opened, but unfortunately, we always dread walking in because of the bugs! Thankfully, they have installed screens to help keep some of the flying bugs out, but it does nothing to stop the sand fleas. Believe it or not, every time we go there, our ankles are completely torn up by biting sand fleas inside the restaurant. if you can, ask to be seated upstairs, which is a little bit better. But definitely wear bug spray because if not, they will eat you alive.

First visit. Food did not disappoint. Everything was flavorful! The garlicky beignets were YUMMY 😋 Live music was great- that guy was very talented! The only downside was a few pesky flies that no doubt snuck in through the front door screening. Can't wait to return for more amazing Cajun cuisine!

Have been several times and eaten most of the menu, with small children too. Excellent food and surprisingly fast, wonderful wait staff as well. Will be returning. Cajun fans and seafood fans will love it

Always perfect! Every bite of every item was amazing! Atmosphere was awesome as usual! Couldn’t be happier! Such a GEM on the island!! Addition: went back a second time and had different stuff and that was all amazing as well! Met one of the owners! Nicest guy! Came and chatted with my little one, and it made his evening. This is the definition of what Sanibel is about and it’s amazing people!!!

Loved it food and desert were excelent

Lena, bartender, has a personality plus, she was great. Meagan, was great to let us taste a crawfish before ordering. Their chard grilled oyster are out of this world. Can't wait to go back.

My boyfriend had grilled oysters in New Orleans years ago and has always wanted them again since. He was not disappointed at MudBugs! MudBugs has a really fun atmosphere and the food was great, it was only about a 40 min drive for us to feel like we flew to Louisiana! And thank you to our server Gretchen who was very friendly and did a great job :) Our new favorite spot!

So I'm given this place a 5 the food was great, service was awesome. The atmosphere was horrible the no-seeums were horrible horrible. The host gave us spray but the damage was already done. I didn't expect the sliders to be open the doors open. I know if you have cold atmosphere they'll stay less away not fully. We will go again and sit up stairs and spray ourselves before entering.

Went here for my birthday dinner because people in the area recommend it and it had good reviews. I have to say that the place was very unique and the service was good. I am highly disappointed because the no-see-ums were BAD. We couldn't even enjoy the place, let alone our food. I was suprised that they had the place open (doors and sliders) We did order appitizers and they were good but we rushed out of there because we just couldn't take it anymore. Overall place was cool and I definitely would come again but most likely in the winter when the no-see-ums aren't as bad. Make sure when you go, you are prepared (bug spray or baby oil)

We look forward to returning on our next visit to the area!

Love, love, love this place. It’s newer. Clean!! Has an elevator to second floor as well as stairs so it’s accessible. Nice location, a little hidden. You really pay for your food, but it’s worth it. So so good. Cajun place.

This place is themed perfectly! The service is phenomenal and it makes you feel like you are in New Orleans. The Mardi Gras shrimp was phenomenal. The boudin balls was good. Our entrees though were ok. The étouffée was over seasoned and the fried shrimp were over cooked. The beignets were fantastic though!

Enjoyed their father's day buy 1 get 1 crawfish boil . Will be back the decor is fun!

Went here and ordered six pounds of crawfish, they were offering a 2 for 1 deal on crawfish for Father’s Day, they claim this tray weighs two pounds of crawfish and when confronted they decided to pile more on one of the tray but not the other until I mention those trays too, absolute scam artists, do not go here unless you know what you’re looking for or they will screw you over no doubt. Totally dishonest place, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME GOING HERE if you value honestly, this would have been a total of 75$ for 45 total crawfish, absolute shame that business owners decide to screw people like this. Left without eating a single crawfish. Do not ever visit this establishment if you value honesty from an establishment.

Great hidden gem of a restaurant! Never knew they were there but since discovering last week we just had our second visit. The food is outstanding.

Updated review. Prices have gone up while service & quality have gone down. Food was mostly tasteless, not what you'd expect from a Cajun place. Server initially took our order brought the drinks then didn't check back until we were done & had to be asked to get a refill on one water. Ordered the stuffed shrimp which were 5 small shrimp with a teaspoon of mostly bread crab cake on top. Moque choux was tasteless & jambalaya was bland lukewarm mush. It's like they forgot to add spice or flavor to everything.

Unfortunately I didn't like the dishes

Nice place. Server no sence of humor. Not even nice. Wing boneless were bad icky sauce runny not good buffalo taste wont come back

The staff was wonderful with our kids. Hid frisbees under their plates & gave them bead necklaces. The food was absolutely amazing!

This was our first stop on our trip to Sanibel and it did not disappoint. It’s a fun casual atmosphere. There’s live music but it’s not too loud. Our server was very attentive and really really sweet. We had baked oysters and calamari Both very fresh and very good. The special was seafood gumbo with grouper so of course I had to get that. It would make Louisiana proud! So good. Hubs had a fried shrimp platter. Great food for great prices. We will be back!

We ordered appetizers and drinks and dinner...they all came to our table at the same time. We started with the apps and dinner got cold.

The food here is Fantastic!! Best food we have had in florida by far. Get the Chicken Royal!!! You wont be disappointed. Great atmosphere and live music too.

This place was awesome! Great atmosphere with live music! And the food is amazing! I had the New England clam chowder and it was delicious!

Quick service and delicious menu options. The Mardi-Gras shrimp were amazing

The best place on the island to eat. Everything we ate there was delicious. Especially the bayou oysters.

We had such a delicious meal at Mudbugs!! While having drinks waiting for a table, we saw the grilled oysters station and knew immediately we'd be trying those. YUM- get them with cajun butter! Boudin Balls, seafood boil (Memorial Weekend special included crab legs in it), and jambalaya with a cajun cream sauce...Just so delicious and such a treat during our vacation.

Nice Cajun vibe and the food was top notch.

Wow, everything was delicious. Our waitress was great, and the atmosphere is so cool. I had the Cajun Chicken Pasta, the beignets were so light and fluffy for dessert. Can’t recommend enough

Holy Smokes, yum yum yum this food was delicious. The Cajun oysters were insane and the crawfish were delicious with their garlic butter sauce. We basically licked the plates clean. We will be back at least 2 more times during our trip! Meagan was an amazing server, kind, patient and knowledgeable about the island! Super enjoyed having her take care of us for happy hour. The owner even came to our table and chatted with us for a while. Warm atmosphere, Cajun flare, delicious food and great service. Would recommend a million times over! We will be back.

Great dinner and fun vibe! I liked the variety on the menu. We started with the fried pickles which were hot and fresh. I had the soft shell crab sandwich which was excellent. The service was good and they gave a great choice of inside or outside seating. We are very glad to be back in Sanibel and helping with our tourist dollars.

Some of our meals were good needs a little bit more attentive server prices were reasonable Could really use some music

Authentic Cajun restaurant. Friendly staff. Great atmosphere . Good price for happy hour 🏝️

First time at MudBugs, (almost passed on going), so glad we didn’t!!! Food was amazing!!, waitress was amazing, decor was outstanding!!! Highly recommend

Good food, service, and atmosphere.

Great place to have a few beers and a snack after Sanibel sun fun! Gretchen was so great on Saturday night. ❤️

exellent food and great service

Great food. Appetizers and entrees were excellent. Cool restaurant and fun.

Spouse and I dined there May 3, 2024. He had crawfish ettouffee and I had a grouper sandwich. My sandwich was a bit pricey ($25) for a fish sandwich, but I have to say it was the BEST fish sandwich I have ever eaten. The fish was huge and tasted like a fluffy cloud, lightly battered and fried golden brown. My husband comes from a Cajun family, so he was eager to see how the food compared. He declared the ettouffe to be "delicious." The beer was COLD and the service was good.

Mudbugs is a wonderful restaurant, and everything stands out. We've eaten there probably a half dozen times, and this was our first time post-Ian. It was fantastic! Honestly there was no sign of what had happened, other than some photos on the stairwell. There was great live music playing (though not too loud), and the atmosphere is engaging and lively. The service was prompt, friendly, and attentive. And of course the star of the show was the food. I got blackened grouper, and it was among the best I've had. Caught that day fresh, seasoned to perfection, and cooked exactly how I wanted. Of special note are the beignets (basically fried dough). They are astoundingly good, I mean it, one of the best desserts I've had at any restaurant. Light, hot, and a crispy outside with a warm, soft inside, coated in powdered sugar, they're little bites of perfection!😍 Mudbugs is a standout restaurant that you definitely should try if you're on island!

Fannie was amazing! Shrimpcargot was amazing. The bloody mary was perfect!

Great service, GREAT FOOD (I had the duck that was recommended by the server) and great music. Super fun time and they accommodated our party of 11.

Hubby was so excited to eat at MudBugs. They did not disappoint!! We arrived just after they opened, so we were able to sit on the second floor patio. The weather was just perfect for the patio. We honestly could not decide what to order, so we ordered several dishes and took leftovers back to the house. Everything we chose was delicious!! We'll definitely go back.

Where do I start? This place was absolutely AMAZING! We visited twice and to be honest I could have went every night. The atmosphere, the food, the people, the music. Everything was serious a whole vibe. I definitely have to brag on Ian our server, he definitely went above and beyond! He was so so so knowledgeable about everything, and always had great suggestions! When we arrived back for our second time. We were seated but spotted Ian and asked to be moved to his area! So when you visit ask for him you I'll not be disappointed! Also please order the Bayou Char grilled oysters, definitely chef's kiss! And the ribeye Ian suggested with the blue cheese was delicious and I never order a steak out because I'm always disappointed but not this time. Thank you so much for having us and I can't wait to return to Sanibel Island!

The staff was great! Food was outstanding 🥳🎊😋

The decor is very cool and the server was super sweet but this is NOT authentic Cajun food. Not even close. I ordered extra spicy because I know it’s hard to find authentic Cajun food and even that was so bland . It has no seasoning at all. It was just boiled shrimp . The jambalaya also tasted like Plain dry rice. This place is fine if you just want standard food like burgers or pasta but if you’re looking for Cajun/Louisiana food it’s going to be a huge disappointment .

All things were prepared well but someone was tired so we left prior to absorbing the full experience. We will be back tomorrow for happy hour, mud bugs and gator tail.

Very good restaurant with fresh seafood. We were placed on the terrace at sunset. The colors were magnificent. Very friendly staff who love to share their experience of Sanibel. Very tasty cuisine and not overpriced ($32 per person tips included). I recommend.

Great food! Awesome service!! The most entertaining place on Sanibel!

I love Mudbugs!!! Always the freshest seafood and spiced so perfectly!

One of our Sanibel Island favorites! I would order the Swamp Pasta and grilled oysters again - SO yummy. We prefer dining outdoors and you can sit either on the lower or upper porch...sitting on the upper porch makes it feel very New Orleans- like.

Great Server, Great Food, Great music.

Always good service and gteat food!

We had a wonderful meal and time at MudBugs! Went outside my comfort zone for crawfish etouffee and my husband had swamp pasta, full of gator, crawfish and frogs legs! Our only complaint and we’re still dealing with it, is we got absolutely feasted on by noseeums!! So so many bites! Maybe because we were in the booth at the bottom of the stairs and not good airflow but it was awful.

Too loud, although great musician. I'm sure they will adjust that. Fun atmosphere !

After a fun day at the beach, finally headed to look for a food. Since we missed our breakfast so wanted to have a right lunch and started to look for right restaurant. All good/indian restaurants were about ~ an hour from the beach. But finally we landed at Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen. Too hungry and only on water, we just jumped on the food (Craw fish, grilled flounder and shrimp). All items came well done. It was our first experience with crawfish and really enjoyed every bite of it. Enjoyed the delightful food sitting outside on top patio feeling the breeze and the road side view. Overall, dining at this restaurant was a delight from start to finish. The delicious food and impeccable service made for a memorable experience.

The music by "Slim" is phenomenal! Such a great experience and the food is so delicious!

Our dinners were subpar, dry and flavorless. We were up charged for a plain salad. Very disappointing given the cost of our entrees. Also, the ladies room was filthy, including a pair of discarded ladies panties hanging on the handicap bars. When this was brought to the attention to the manager, he replied, "I don't know I don't go in there," and seemed to not care at all. I'm giving it two stars because they at least had live music. Try Doc Fords, better food, better atmosphere, clean and a well run tight ship.

We moved here from Louisiana and miss Cajun food. MudBugs is true Cajun cooking! The beignets are a MUST, yes, for an appetizer and dessert!

Ordered take-out. Got the blackened shrimp platter with seasonal vegetables and chicken sausage jambalaya. It was delicious. The dozen shrimp were cooked perfectly! The seasonal vegetables were good with just the right amount of seasoning. The jambalaya had lots of chicken and andouille sausage. Yum, I will certainly be back before my vacation is over. Service was quick and courteous. Highly recommended!

Best fun, food & drinks in Sanibel!

Loved the big oysters and crawfish etouffee. The Hurricane (drink) is very strong but not as sweet as Pat O’Briens.

Sadly the manager asked our group to not return. We had been going there for 6+ months every Monday for happy hour. Service was always great. But apparently our group didn't spend enough money buying meals and drinks.

Gumbo here is a joke. Some sort of weak, pale green concoction. Better gumbo, and jambalaya for that matter, in a box of Zatarain's mix

8 went to dinner. The food was really good. Great service and great price.. Grouper sandwiche 5 star and lite breaded oysters perfect. A must stop. 🇺🇲🇺🇲

Food is excellent. Service was great and food came out in less than 10 minutes! Cool Mardi grais theme. Awesome spot. Food is a little pricey

the service was very good and our waitress even judged a family coloring contest!

Crawfish étouffée and the Cajun burger were excellent, as was the shrimp "cargot" appetizer. But the absolute star of the show was the clam strip po boy. Perfectly fried and not greasy or heavily battered. Service was amazing, the bartender was our server and she was busy but we never waited for refills and she was friendly and took great care of us. We will absolutely be back

This is a total vibe! We popped in for a late lunch and we weren’t disappointed. Huge place and a couple of great bar spots upstairs and down. The atmosphere is really something unexpected and I can’t imagine how cool it looks at night with the Christmas lights lit across the ceilings. The portions are huge and everything was delicious - the fried green tomato app, clam Po Boy with potato salad side, and watermelon salad with crab cake. We will be back for sure!

As long as pirate Jeremy isn't there. It's a great place

Awesome 🤩 food was amazing as well as the staff. I highly recommend 😊

We are local and love dining at Mudbugs! The food is always great and we have always enjoyed fantastic service as well, until tonight. Server (Anastasia V) took our order and did not return until we were completely finished with our meal. This is unacceptable service for such a great restaurant! She was very rude and inattentive. I hope management recognizes this type of service is not the type of service Mudbugs is known for!!

Amazing!! The owner came and demonstrated how to shell and eat a crawfish. He only services fresh never frozen crawfish. He was so kind and friendly to our whole family!! And the food!!! The food is amazing. So amazing that we will be back the same week for sure. The waitress was amazing too!! She was excellent in making sure our whole family was cared for

Great food! Order the Bayou Shrimp, it it amazing!

Excellent gumbo and fresh grouper was delicious!