Outdoor dining in and around Fort Myers is nothing short of inspired. Think elevated food trucks, imaginative mixologists, and experimental chefs. And the best thing about all that culinary talent gracing Southwest Florida is you can enjoy many of their creations outside in the fresh air. Below are some of the essential outdoor dining and drinking spots to hit on your next trip to the islands, beaches and neighborhoods of Fort Myers.

Bruno’s of Brooklyn

Bruno’s of Brooklyn draws its culinary inspiration from Sicilian comfort food and its energy from NYC’s historically Italian neighborhoods. Dinner at a sidewalk table on the red-brick streets of downtown Fort Myers will transport you to both places, all while upping your appreciation for Southwest Florida’s dining scene.

As a kid, owner Calcedonio “Cal” Bruno spent his summers in Sicily, where most of the day was dedicated to planning and preparing meals. This was his training ground, and he aims to bring that experience to his customers through house-made pasta, deliciously dense meatballs, and Sicilian classics like arancini. Expect nods to the maritime cultures of Brooklyn, Florida, and Italy’s largest island with dishes from the sea, such as octopus with garlic and cherry tomatoes.

Bruno’s of Brooklyn: 2149 First St, Fort Myers

Dixie Fish Company

Photo: Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods

In the 1930s, Dixie Fish Company was a busy trading post hawking clams, oysters, mullet, and everything else caught in the waters off Fort Myers Beach. Lunch and dinner in the historic building — open-air, tin-roofed, and set on pylons in Estero Bay — feel like lessons in the area’s local economy, with menus built around fresh catches like grouper, mahi mahi, mussels, and Gulf pink shrimp. Elements of Southern and Caribbean cuisine are then layered in for extra flavor — you’ll see everything from fried green tomatoes and collard greens paired with grouper cheek bites to pineapple tartar, coconut-crusted options for your catch of the day, and ceviche.

Dixie Fish Company: 714 Fishermans Wharf, Fort Myers Beach

Beacon Social Drinkery

Photo: Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods

At the Beacon Social Drinkery in downtown Fort Myers, floor-to-ceiling windows and doors open onto a rooftop terrace perched 12 stories up, which in turn offers killer views of the Caloosahatchee River. Whether you’re sitting inside at the sleek bar or tucked away on the veranda’s outdoor couch, you can watch poofy, flat-bottomed clouds roll in while you enjoy a snack — perhaps Waygu sliders, chicken yakitori wings, and a smoked lemon drop cocktail.

If you get caught up in the party scene that tends to keep the place lively during the high season, come back on Saturday or Sunday morning for the Penthouse Brunch. Dishes like the aptly named “Hangover” with chorizo, eggs, potatoes, and Hollandaise sauce should set you straight.

Beacon Social Drinkery: 2200 Edwards Dr, Fort Myers

Blue Dog Bar & Grill

Photo: Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods

Colorful and quirky Matlacha, a community located between Pine Island and the mainland, encompasses just 0.69 square miles — and only 0.2 square miles of that is land. So perhaps it’s no surprise that this is where you’ll find some of the freshest seafood around (along with some of the folks who caught it).

Blue Dog Bar & Grill is a requisite stop, a humble building combined with a menu that screams Dean & DeLuca. The house-smoked mullet fish dip with house-pickled jalapenos always gets mouths watering, while the Pine Island lump blue crab cakes are a delicious preparation of the succulent local crustacean. Take a seat on the deck, fronting a quiet arm of Matlacha’s canal system, and keep an eye out for guys and gals sitting at the bar in knee-high white rubber boots — you might have them to thank for your meal.

Blue Dog Bar & Grill: 4597 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha

Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill

Photo: Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods

Whether you’re sitting around a fire pit on the human-made beach, lolling in the heated pool, or digging into shrimp tacos on the patio, the mood at Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill in North Fort Myers revolves around good friends and good times. It may be riverside, but with its thatched tiki hut and relaxed atmosphere, the vibes are distinctly island. There’s live music every day (sometimes twice a day) along with cornhole on the beach, happy hour specials, football on TV, and all-day pool use for patrons. Pull up in a yacht or a rental car — all are welcome here.

Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill: 17101 SR 31, Fort Myers

Gather

Photo: Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods

You could describe Gather’s aesthetic as living room chic, with leather couches, modern light fixtures, trendy cocktails, and great views. But it’s the Cape Coral restaurant’s outdoor seating, where patrons get an up-close look at the Tarpon Point Marina, that really sells the scenery.

Cocktails like the “Very Demure” (vodka, lychee liqueur, and lemongrass) and “This Mule Is on Fire” (burnt-pineapple-infused mezcal, house-made fermented pineapple simple syrup, and lemon juice) showcase the spot’s mixology chops. Pair your drink of choice with menu items like the gruyère and pancetta pierogi or black cod with saffron “risottouash,” and you may not want to go back to your own living room at all.

Gather: 5971 Silver King Blvd STE 116, Cape Coral

Rooftop at Riverside

Photo: Main Course Hospitality/Rooftop at Riverside

Rooftop at Riverside’s two-story digs may look like your average modern bar and restaurant, but out back is a veritable playground for adults (and kids!) surrounded by the best food trucks in Bonita Springs. There are picnic tables set out with lawn games and a stage for live music. Four food trucks complete the park-like setting, serving everything from birria sandwiches and shrimp po’boys to goat cheese and truffle pizza. There are also daily happy hour specials, monthly community events, DJs, bingo, and trivia nights.

Rooftop at Riverside: 27333 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs

Junkanoo Below Deck

Photo: Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods

Sometimes, the best place to be in Southwest Florida is out on a deck with the salty breeze blowing in your face and a colorful drink in hand. Junkanoo Below Deck is the Fort Myers Beach institution where locals go for exactly that. It’s located on the beach’s back bay, with the inside fully open to the outside. If you’ve come to the Fort Myers area to have a good time, this is one experience you won’t want to miss — just ask the manatee who’s started showing up at Junkanoo’s dock.

Junkanoo Below Deck: 4761 Estero Blvd, Fort Myers Beach

Crazy Dingo Brewing Co.

Photo: Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods

Crazy Dingo Brewing Co. in Fort Myers couldn’t be more Instagrammable if it tried. Onsite, you’ll find a small working farm with goats and cows ready for treats, a community garden, a farmers market, and a very cute tin-roof brewery serving small-batch beers. Make yourself comfortable at picnic tables and benches not far from neat rows of crops.

At night, there’s a rotating cast of musicians and DJs, and the kid- and dog-friendly daytime scene can turn into a party. When hunger strikes, head to whichever food truck is stationed at the farm that day — rotating eats range from Latin or Vietnamese fusion to wood-fired pizzas and Caribbean fare.

Bonus: Crazy Dingo is just down the road from Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), making it an ideal stop if you need a place to hang before your flight out.

Crazy Dingo Brewing Company: 8500 Penzance Blvd, Fort Myers

There are around 240 daily flights to RSW and direct flights from more than 50 US cities. That makes the islands, beaches and neighborhoods of Fort Myers an irresistibly quick and convenient getaway. Once you’re there, temps will rarely drop below 60 degrees — so, really, any meal not taken with the sun shining down on you would be a seriously missed opportunity.