When it comes to restaurants, Southwest Florida is loaded with culinary gems.
There are waterfront gems, seafood gems, new gems, old gems, quirky gems, old and quirky gems, downright gem gems… well, you get the picture.
We’re talking Dixie Fish Co., Blue Dog, Tarpon Lodge, San Matteo, Harold’s, and the restaurant and bar on Cabbage Key (named one of TripAdvisor’s top 5 hidden gems in the country!) for starters. Ariani, Mastello, Uncle Rico’s, Blossom & Brie, J&P Asian, Indian Breeze, Sunqu Delights, Nice Guys, Sage on 47th … well, you get this picture too.
When the assignment of hidden gems came across my keyboard, I decided to take it quite literally.
Sure, the following are all gems. But they’re also quasi-hidden, as in off the main drag, around the corner and halfway down nondescript strip malls. Ones we miss turns for, even though we’ve been several times and ones we just happen to stumble upon.
And although they are not high-profile, they’re well worth finding.
So set your GPS for these six hidden gems in Fort Myers and Cape Coral.
Buckingham Farms
On the way out to this farm-to-table wonder in east Fort Myers, you’re bound to pass cows, horses and a chicken or two. But you’ll want to stop when you come to the ginormous spur-thigh tortoise named Booger. He’s just one of the many cool things about this past hog farm and orange grove and now 85-acre farm with an impressive breakfast and lunch café.
“At least 10 times a day, someone said they never knew we were out here,” said general manager Anna Little, whose family owns the farm. “And we opened in 2013.”
The menu has something for everyone. Breakfast (8-10:45 a.m. Tuesday to Saturday) features about 25 options, including classic egg dishes, waffles, biscuits & gravy, French toast, flatbreads and wraps. For lunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday), you’ll find crab cakes, fish of the day, quesadillas, salads, lots of handhelds (from tacos to pulled pork) and more.
“All fruits and vegetables are grown here,” Little said. “The eggs come from our chickens.”
Keep in mind, since it’s a fruit and vegetable farm, you won’t see any farm animals. You can always visit Booger, though.
Buckingham Farms, 12931 Orange River Blvd., Fort Myers; (239) 206-2303; buckinghamfarmsonline.com
Echo
This unexpectedly expected gem is tucked away in the (way, way) back of Miners Plaza in south Fort Myers. Go around Planet Fitness, past a handful of vacant shops and park between the longtime nail salon and Cape Cod Fish Co. You’ll find it in the old (and still there) Poppy’s Pizza space if that helps.
Once there, you’ll find Ryan Kida, the popular chef who built an extremely loyal (and well-deserved) following with Yabo, a local foodie mecca in Fort Myers from the mid-2000s to mid-2010s.
He’s partnered with Krissy Giltner, an owner of Poppy’s Pizza for 16 years.
“We did the same thing in 2017,” Kida said. “But this time, I’m part of it. I’m cooking for myself now (as a co-owner) and not anyone else.”
The collaboration has been ongoing since June, with half the menu featuring Kida’s and the other half Giltner’s Poppy’s.
“Echo is pasta, pizza, steak,” Kida said. “But it could be any light seafood, too.”
It’s creamy, dreamy asiago gnocchi, hearty multi-layered lasagna, fiocchetti, smashburgers, a silky shrimp bisque with puff pastry crust and his bone-in, pan-seared chop we’re still daydreaming about.
Giltner’s side of the menu is no slouch either, with pizza (classic thin NY style with homemade dough and sauce), wrapped meatballs, salads and more.
“Echo is what we have both done before,” Kida said. “This is what we did and what we’ve put out there. Now we’re back. It’s pizza and my food coming together, coming back. It’s an echo of it all.”
We love the sound of that.
Echo, 15501 Old McGregor Blvd., Unit 8, Fort Myers; (239) 689-5660
Liberty
This cozy and creative sliver of a space (parties up to 4) near Bell Tower is the quintessential hidden gem of them all. For starters, it’s one of the best restaurants in the area, forks down.
It’s all about small, shareable plates with colorful, artfully arranged, unexpected culinary combinations. The dinner menu of about 16 items is presented on a single sheet of paper with dishes listed on a bingo-esque grid of four rows with four boxes each.
Lighter dishes are usually in the first row, starches in the second, proteins and entree-ish dishes in the third, and lastly, the save-room-for-dessert fourth row. No matter what you choose will be a winner.
“It’s really about what we get in fresh, what ideas we have,” said Liberty chef Richee Boye ― cousin to chef and owner Bob Boye who opened Liberty in August 2019. “When inspiration hits, we make mindful changes. Instead of creating a whole new menu, we now tweak.”
It’s so good, we named it the best Lee County restaurant in 2023. Make a reservation through RESY (if there are two of you, opt for the chef’s table to watch the magic) and go.
But remember, it’s hidden(ish). You’ll find it (eventually) in Pinebrook Park, in the middle of a freshly painted but unassuming strip behind the Outback. With no visible sign, look for Liberty spelled out in vinyl letters on one of its two glass doors. Once inside, you won’t want to leave.
Liberty, 12995 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 112, Fort Myers; (239) 689-5528; eatliberty.us
Nonchalance
Look for the purple neon. Once you’re in Plymouth Plaza in south Fort Myers, it’s the easiest way to find this quirky restaurant and wine bar. And once you locate it, more quirkiness (in all the best ways) waits inside.
“I tell people we are a wine bar with comfort food and childhood favorites with a twist,” said Sarah Keagins, a co-owner with husband Dan. “We’re just two people who took their time and opened a place we would want to go to. It’s out-of-the-box, fun food and fine wine.”
The out-of-the-box begins with the small dining room (make reservations!) with a glam goth vibe and reclaimed thrift shop décor.
But don’t let that fool you. Private dinners and wine tastings are big (and quite affordable) here. Sarah and Dan are sommeliers with over 30 wines by the glass, and they “won’t take the lazy way” with their food.
“It may be more work for us, but it’s worth it,” Dan said. “The burgers are old-school dinner burgers. The beef that fits in my hand is what goes on the grill.”
And the fries?
“Five minutes before you order, it was a whole raw potato,” Sarah said. “We don’t cut them until you order them.”
You’ll also find shepherd’s pie (her great-grandmother’s recipe with a twist) and chicken pot pie (Dan’s childhood favorite topped with a puff pastry), eggrolls (don’t sleep on the crab rangoon), poutine, and flatbreads.
“We’re transitioning to a lunch and dinner menu, so we’ll have lots of new stuff like a lamb chop, a short rib variation and veal,” Dan said.
“Everything we do, we try to do better,” Sarah said.
And it’s all waiting behind that neon glow.
Nonchalance, 15200 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 104, south Fort Myers; (239) 202-8927; make a reservation at nonchalanceeatery.com; follow on Facebook
Savour Restaurant
You don’t want to turn into McGregor Pointe Plaza, like many customers do. You want to turn into the Dunkin’-anchored Willoughby Plaza. But not too soon (which I always do). Take a right after you pass this 10-month-old, small and intimate restaurant set back from McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers. And while it may not be too hidden, you have to know it’s there first. For a decade, the space was home to the highly acclaimed French-flavored restaurant, Azure. But you may not realize, it has a new owner, new name, and new menu. Matt Geiger is that new owner and he has created a gem from a former gem.
“I care about what I’m doing,” said Geiger, who also owns Savour Coffee (another gem) and Savour Catering. “We don’t rush plates out. We’re not looking for a bunch of table turns. We’re happy with one table turn.”
You’ll be happy too with the vibrant and flavorful selection of global cuisine with a French foundation, from Spanish olives and escargot starters to entrees of coq au vin, Yuzu snapper and paella. In between are the lovely tapas.
“The new menu focuses on small plates,” Geiger said. “Order three or four things, share them with the table.”
Items like beef bone, mussels Thai, five-spice short ribs, Nueske’s bacon and grilled pulpo.
You’ll want to savor every bite.
Savour Restaurant, 15301 McGregor Blvd., Unit 1, Fort Myers; (239) 288-4296; reservations preferred; seating is for parties up to six, larger parties will be split up; savourrestaurant.com
Siam Hut
This longtime Thai restaurant has quietly sat in a no-name strip mall on Del Prado Boulevard for 41 years.
And despite being the oldest restaurant in Cape Coral, it’s still overlooked.
“People come in and say they hadn’t heard about us before,” said Toon Bangthamai, who runs his family’s restaurant. “Our mall is hit or miss. A lot don’t see us in here.”
But once they do?
“The majority come back,” Toon said.
They come for the authentic and traditional soups, appetizers, Thai dishes (many full of heat and spice), noodles, curries and stir fry and fried rice dishes.
“Chicken pad Thai is the No. 1 seller,” said Toon, whose parents opened the restaurant when Toon was 2. “We sell a lot of pad Thai. The curries are a pretty good seller, too.”
Lunch (Monday to Friday) and dinner (Monday to Saturday) are offered.
“The lunch portions are a little smaller but come with a soup or salad,” Toon said.
Expect to take home leftovers with the dinner portions.
They’ve built a loyal following with their authentic Thai food over the years.
“Our regulars are getting older,” he said. “Now we are getting second and third generations. It comes in waves.”
Like other local restaurants, seasonal residents give Siam Hut a much-needed boost, too.
“We thrive in season,” he said. “It’s very late this year, but they are coming back. Business is a lot better these last few weeks. As of now, we are still going strong.”
And we hope it stays that way for the next 41 years.
Siam Hut, 4521 Del Prado Blvd. S., (239) 945-4247, capecoralsiamhut.com
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: 6 hidden gem restaurants in Fort Myers, Cape Coral well worth finding
Reporting by Robyn George, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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