Southwest Florida Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving

If you’re visiting our slice of paradise to celebrate the holiday with your loved ones, you’ll need to know which Southwest Florida restaurants are open on Thanksgiving to help plan your day. That is, unless you want to go to the grocery store, haul everything back home, and spend the entire day cooking up a feast. If you do, we salute you and ask that you save us some leftovers. If you’re looking for something less stressful, this blog post will give you plenty of options.

From Naples to Sanibel and Captiva Islands, there are many Southwest Florida restaurants open on Thanksgiving that will make your mouth water. The best part? You won’t have to mix, chop or bake anything! There are a lot of restaurants in Southwest Florida throughout Collier and Lee Counties that are open on Thanksgiving. If you don’t want to cook, you have a lot of choices, and you’ll still get to enjoy the traditional turkey breast, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, butternut squash soup, and your other Thanksgiving favorites. From special Thanksgiving menus and Thanksgiving meals to scrumptious buffets, you’ll find a cornucopia of choices.

Many of the restaurants on this list are open for breakfast and lunch, too! You don’t have to settle for just a great dinner, you can indulge in some of Southwest Florida’s best for all three meals of the day.

Some of these eateries don’t require reservations, but many of them do. Southwest Florida, and especially Sanibel and Captiva Islands, are popular vacation destinations and restaurants get even busier around the holidays. To be on the safe side and to ensure you get to eat at the first restaurant of your choice, it’s better to err on the side of caution and make a reservation. 

Let us know where you end up. This list has some great options. We only wish we could try them all!

Bonita Springs and Estero 

• Ruth’s Chris Steak House
• Tanglewood at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa
• Roy’s Restaurant
• Ted’s Montana Grill
• Angelina’s Ristorante
• Southwest Florida Event Center
• Molino’s Ristorante
• DeRomo’s Gourmet Market
  • Open 7 to 11 a.m.

Cape Coral

• Marker 92
• Bob Evans
• Mel’s Diner
• 10 Twenty Five

Captiva Island

• Bubble Room
  • Open 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Reservations are recommended 
• Crow’s Nest Bar & Grille
  • Open 4 to 8 p.m.
• Old Captiva House at ‘Tween Waters Inn Island Resort & Spa
  • Buffet is open noon to 8 p.m.; Reservations only
• Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille at South Seas Island Resort
  • Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Keylime Bistro at Captiva Island Inn
  • Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sunshine Seafood Café & Wine Bar at Captiva Island Inn
  • Open 4 to 9 p.m.
• RC Otter’s Island Eats at Captiva Island Inn
  • Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• South Seas Island Resort
  • Buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Stay at a Royal Shell Rental for a Memorable Thanksgiving Holiday

Fort Myers

• Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar
• Courtney’s Continental Cuisine
• Farmers Market Restaurant
• Murder Mystery Dinner Train
• Lighthouse Waterfront Restaurant at Port Sanibel Marina

Fort Myers Beach

• Bayfront Bistro
• Cabanas Beach Bar & Grille at DiamondHead Beach Resort
• Casablanca Café
• Charley’s Boathouse Grill
• Cōste Island Cuisine at DiamondHead Beach Resort
• Deckside Café at Outrigger Beach Resort
• Edelweiss Burger
• Fish-Tale Waterfront Dining
• Fresh Catch Bistro
• Island View Restaurant
• Junkanoo Beach
• Kava Culture Kava Bar
• La Ola Surfside Restaurant
• Mango Rita’s
• Nervous Nellie’s
• Parrot Key Caribbean Grill
• Pete’s Time Out
• Pincher’s Beach Bar and Grill at Wyndham Garden
• Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina
• Sabal Palm Beach Bar & Grill
• Shuckers At The Gulfshore 
• Sunset Beach Tropical Grill and The Playmore Tiki Bar
• The Beach Bar
• Yucatan Beach Stand

Naples

• The Capital Grille
• The Boathouse on Naples Bay
• M Waterfront Grille
• Sails Restaurant
• Terrazza at the Ritz-Carlton
• Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant
• Alberto’s on Fifth
• Campiello Ristorante & Bar
• D’Amico’s The Continental
• Restaurant Bonjour
• Seasons 52
• Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
• Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club
• Ocean Prime
• Noodles Café and Sushi Bar
• Baleen
• Bistro la Baguette
• The Local
• The Real Macaw
• Ridgway Bar & Grill
• T-Michaels Steak and Lobster House
• Stoney’s Steakhouse
• Crave Culinaire

Sanibel Island

• Bailey’s General Store
  • Open 7 a.m. to noon
• Bleu Rendez-Vous French Bistro
  • Open 5 to 8 p.m.; Reservations only
• Dante’s Coal Fired Pizza
  • Open 5 to 10 p.m.
• George & Wendy’s Sanibel Seafood Grille
  • Open 5 to 10 p.m.
• Geppetto’s Beach Foodies
  • Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Grandma Dot’s at Sanibel Marina
  • Open 11:15 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Huxter’s Market & Deli
  • Open 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Island Cow
  • Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Jerry’s Foods
  • Open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Jerry’s Restaurant
  • Open 6 a.m. to noon
• Lighthouse Cafe
  • Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Lighthouse Waterfront Restaurant
  • Buffet seatings at noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m.; Reservations are recommended 
• Normandie Seaside Cafe at the West Wind Inn
  • Open 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 7 p.m.
• Pecking Order Fried Chicken & Catering 
  • Order pickup is available until noon
• Pinocchio’s Original Italian Ice Cream
  • Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sandollar Restaurant Kitchen & Bar
  • Buffet from 8 to 11 a.m. and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m.
• The Sanibel Café
  • Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• The Sanibel Grill
  • Open 4 to 10 p.m.
• Schnapper’s Hots
  • Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sundial Beach & Spa Resort 
  • Buffet from noon to 7 p.m.; Reservations are required. 
• Thistle Lodge at  Casa Ybel Resort
  • Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Reservations are required for the holiday buffet
• Timbers Restaurant & Fish Market
  • Open 4 to 8 p.m.
• Traditions on the Beach at the Island Inn
  • Open 4 to 9 p.m.

Stay at a Royal Shell Rental for a Memorable Thanksgiving Holiday 

Regardless of where you’re staying, all of these Southwest Florida restaurants open on Thanksgiving are sure to serve up great culinary options that won’t disappoint. If you have a question about any of these restaurants or how to get to them, we can help! If you have a particular craving, we can point you to an option that will satisfy your cravings and your taste buds.

We hope you have a great Thanksgiving holiday and we hope to see you again next year. The holiday is about relaxing and giving thanks and we are thankful for customers like you! Contact us today and book a flexcation!