Doc Ford's Fort Myers Beach - Fort Myers Beach, FL Review

Fans of Doc Ford's on Sanibel now have another Doc Ford's to be excited about. This one is in the town of Fort Myers Beach. It's not the easiest place to find. But after driving next to the Fort Myers Beach bridge and making a u-turn under it, we arrive.

You can enter the restaurant from the parking area; directly into the bar, or up a ramp to the hostess and the dining room. In the dining room (which also has an inviting bar), we are seated at a table next to the large glass window with a view of the water. Shrimp boats are docked in the distance. Tables with umbrellas are visible on a lower deck.

Doc Ford’s dock is also in view. Our server tells us the dock is available for patrons arriving by boat, which may be the preferred mode of arrival.

The wine selection, while slendor, is varied, with some quality drops. An example is the Penfold’s Thomas Hyland Shiraz priced at $9.50 a glass. There also are house wines at $5.00 per glass. Susanne picks a Pinot Grigio.

We sip our wine, enjoy the view and consider a bountiful menu. We start with cups of clam chowder. Both were flavorful, lots of clams and potatoes. My entrée choice was “Doc Ford’s Original Lime Panko Crusted Fish Sandwich”, seared, baked and served on a whole wheat bun.

I chose an accompaniment of black beans and rice. Also on the plate were a crisp, tart  dill pickle spear and a beautiful beefsteak tomato slice. The fish was tender and flakey. The panko dusting added a welcome delicacy to the dish.

My lady went with ½-pound of 8 peel-and-eat Gulf shrimp with lime and Amazon spice cocktail sauce. She enjoyed its freshness and flavor.

When the check arrived, we noted that the wine was billed at half the list price. Surprise! We had arrived during “two-fers” time, unbeknownst to us.

The entire experience was pleasant without incident. Good food. Good drinks. Good views over water. Good and attentive staff. What’s not to like? Well, they could make it easier to find.