A wooden dock running out to a skiff tied up on flat water in the late afternoon

Matanzas Pass · Fort Myers Beach

Dock & Vine

Gulf seafood over live fire, at the end of the seawall. Four slips out front if you are coming by water.

The bill of fare

What came off the boat this morning is what is on the board tonight.

Which means some of this will be crossed out by eight o’clock, and something better will be written in underneath. Prices are in dollars. Everything is cooked to order over hardwood, so nothing here is fast.

Raw shucked to order

  • Gulf oysters 22

    Half a dozen, opened when you order them. Mignonette, horseradish, saltines.

  • Cedar Key clams 18

    A dozen littlenecks, cold, with lemon and nothing else.

  • Smoked mullet dip 14

    Out of our own smoker behind the kitchen. Crackers, pickled onion, hot sauce.

  • Royal reds, peel-and-eat 21

    Boiled in the shell and served cold. They taste more like lobster than shrimp.

  • Stone crab claws market

    October to May, and only on the days they are actually running.

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Freshly opened oysters resting on crushed ice on a wooden board

Fire hardwood, no gas

  • Whole hogfish over coals 42

    Scaled, scored and grilled on the bone. Charred lemon and herb oil. One fish, one person, generously.

  • Grouper collar 34

    The best piece on the fish and the one nobody orders. Eat it with your hands.

  • Royal reds, head on 29

    Straight over the fire in the shell, garlic butter, and bread to get the pan clean.

  • Octopus 26

    Braised soft first, then charred hard. Field peas underneath.

  • Half a chicken under a brick 27

    For the one person at the table who does not eat fish. It is a very good chicken.

  • Snapper for the table 78

    A whole four-pounder, family style, however it came in that morning. Feeds three or four.

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Flame rising from a pan on the grill in a dark kitchen, copper catching the light

Garden from up the road

  • Heirloom tomatoes 14

    Sweet onion, torn basil, and a little of the smoke off the mullet.

  • Charred cabbage 12

    A wedge taken almost too far on the grill, buttermilk underneath.

  • Field peas and rice 11

  • Grilled romaine 13

    Anchovy, lemon, a lot of black pepper.

  • Hush puppies 9

    Honey butter. Order them first, they go fast.

  • Key lime pie 11

    Graham crust. No meringue, and no green food colouring.

  • Buttermilk sherbet 9

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Vine by the glass

  • Muscadet, Sèvre-et-Maine 13

    The one to drink with the oysters. It is not a close call.

  • Albariño, Rías Baixas 14

  • Vermentino, Sardinia 13

  • Chablis 17

  • Txakoli, Getaria 12

    Poured from a height, faintly fizzy, gone before you notice.

  • Rosé, Bandol 15

  • Gamay, Beaujolais 14

    Served cold. Yes, on purpose — it is the red that works with fish.

  • Cabernet Franc, Chinon 15

  • Crémant de Loire 15

Nine by the glass tonight. The bottle list runs to about ninety and lives at the table — ask for it, it is more interesting than this page. Corkage 25, one bottle a table.

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Red wine being poured into a glass at the bar, warm light behind

Coming by boat

Tie up out front

A good part of the room arrives by water. If that is you, this is everything you need to know before you commit to the turn.

  • Slips

    Four, first come, up to 32 feet. No charge while you are eating.

  • Overnight

    No. The slips clear at close and we are strict about it, because the first table tomorrow is somebody else arriving by water.

  • Approach

    Deep water is on the south side. The north bank shoals hard at low tide — favour the markers, and do not cut the corner however good it looks.

  • Dinghy

    Tie to the floating dock, not to the pilings.

  • Fuel

    Not here. The nearest pump is up the pass at the marina.

Hours open six nights

  • Dinner Tue–Sun · 5:00–10:00

  • Lunch Fri–Sun · 11:30–2:30

  • Monday Closed

  • Where 210 Bayfront Drive

  • Phone (239) 555-0178

  • Parking

    The lot behind the building. When it fills, the public lot on Bayfront is a two minute walk and never full by six.

A table

Ask for one

Up to six people. We will call or text back to confirm — usually within the hour, always the same day. Seven or more, please call instead.

Or call — (239) 555-0178. Someone at the host stand will pick up.