15 Best Southern Restaurants in Fort Myers

“ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!! I had the pork chop sandwich and left the bone. Meanwhile I watched the ribs fall off the bones as my boyfriend silently ate with a BIG grin.“

“Farmers Market Restaurant never disappoints. The food is always fresh, homemade, and full of flavor—true Southern comfort done right. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and the service is welcoming every single time.

It’s the kind of place that feels like home the moment you walk in. Whether you’re stopping in for breakfast, lunch, or one of their classic daily specials, you can always count on a great meal.

Highly recommend to anyone looking for authentic, home-cooked Southern food in a friendly atmosphere!“

“Absolutely love this place! I don't know where to start! The staff: Every person I've met from the cashier, the waitress, even the people cleaning the tables, have been absolutely wonderful, so kind, welcoming and accommodating! Customer service wise I'd say they are the Chick Fil A of restaurants. I honestly can not think of another restaurant where I have enjoyed the atmosphere this much. The Food: Makes me feel like I'm at home! I have been in Florida since October for work, and when I start missing home, their food hits the spot! Everything I've had has been on point, like my grandmother is in the kitchen! I have started planning my meals for the week around their daily specials! Highly recommend!“

“First time customer who is sooo happy to find your restaurant on D.D. ! Ordered the Sassy Scotty, Loaded Baked Potato Soup and the Pasta Salad. All 3 were super fresh, healthy and delicious! Looking forward to trying some of the other varieties of Chicken Salad that you offer in the very near future!“

“Had a fantastic breakfast today at Fancy's. The deviled eggs were top notch. the meatloaf and eggs, with hash browns and biscuit were phenomenal. We also had the corn beef brisket hash with eggs were equally as good. The portions were huge and the price very reasonable. Would recommend anytime.“

“There's nothing like a yummy southern-style, well-seasoned shrimp & grits with moist cornbread. Omg! We went to Ft. Myers, from Naples, for this one. Our server, Olivia, provided good service with a smile. Nice, casual, place to dine with a comfortable feel.“

“What a delightful experience. The service, wine and food fabulous. Stumbled upon this gem looking for a different place along Cleveland Ave- We found it. Thank you!“

“All I can say is… Wow. In our three winters in Florida, we had not experienced this exquisite place. Tonight was the night we first tried it - I’m kicking myself that it took us so long. The place is one block off of downtown Fort Myers First Street. It consists of two old homes, conjoined, with a valet parking lot. Though we consulted the menu before heading there, we were woefully ill prepared by the enormous wine list and their multiple specials for the evening. Starting at the bar with a pre-dinner drink, we were met by a lovely young lady who gave us the history of the place. Drinking our drinks, she was a delight to speak with. As it was midweek and preseason, we were able to get a table quite easily. Reservations are highly recommended though! Robert was our waiter, and he was an absolute gem. Gave us the rundown of his favorites on the menu upon our request, and gave us ample time to review the menu. We opted for two different steak entrées, and had the table side spinach/hot bacon salad prepared. First course: bread. Yummy rye with cornbread muffins…. They got our taste buds roaring. Next was the tableside salad. Brought out on a wheeled cart with a small gas stove, Robert created a complete masterpiece for us in front of our very eyes. Highly highly highly recommend the spinach/hot bacon dressing salad for 2. Finally, our entrées. Husband had the ribeye and I had the tenderloin. Disclaimer: We are Wisconsinites who love our beef, and are not fond of Florida’s grass fed beef. We were told by Robert that the steaks were beyond reproach, and he was absolutely accurate. Perfectly prepared at medium rare, both steaks were some of the best we’ve ever had…. And we are foodies! I requested mine to be rolled in cracked pepper, the chef followed my directive perfectly. The steaks were very ample for the price point, and included a house salad, whipped potatoes, and vegetables. For the quality of the food, this was very reasonably priced in our opinion. After attacking our meal, we decided to check out the dessert menu. Decided to split a Keylime pie piece, and it was completely wonderful. All desserts are homemade in house. Overall impressions: this place is an absolute must do for special occasions. If you love good food and are OK with paying a fair price, this should be a frequent stop. I’m embarrassed that we have not tried it before, we will become regulars after this visit. Staff was wonderful, the atmosphere is gorgeous, the wine list is extensive, the atmosphere is upscale yet not pretentious. They do offer valet parking, and after 5 PM parking on the street is free. Thank you,Veranda, for an absolutely fabulous dinner. Looking forward to our many leftovers tomorrow. See you soon!!!“

“Great food but most importantly, great people make this restaurznt the best of it's kind anywhere in SW Florida. Shrimp portions are generous and if you like real southern cooking. Their authentic gumbo and creole jambalaya will warm your heart. If you happen to want an even warmer heart, you can up the heat with the ghost pepper version. You will encounter some great cooks and some attentive servers who will make your visits habit-forming!“

“Food was fantastic the waitress was the best.“

“On a rainy Saturday afternoon, we decided to give Rib City on McGregor a try for a late lunch. It was after 2:00pm and only two other tables were occupied, but service and food were a perfect 10! Our server, Yammy, was absolutely awesome. Her smile and pleasant personality added to our perfect BBQ lunch.

We enjoyed delicious crispy onion rings $7.99 for a full order (oops - ate them before we took a photo). Our entrees included a combo of BBQ chicken (dark meat only as requested) and fresh, thinly sliced pork plate w/garlic toast and our choice of two sides - creamy coleslaw and hot French fries for $13.99! Both meats had a great smokey flavor and perfectly cooked.

Our other entree was the St. Louis rib dinner w/garlic toast and our choice of two sides - coleslaw and baked beans for $21.99. There were at least five meaty and tender ribs on the platter. Although they were not as hot as I would prefer, our very attentive server quickly resolved the problem. They were returned hot and delicious. (We were so excited to eat our hot ribs, we forgot to take a photo.)

Several BBQ sauces were on the table and we tried them all.

We were stuffed and satisfied, but couldn't turn down dessert - our selection was Coconut Cream Pie! We enjoyed a few bites of this fluffy pie, but took most of it to go - no room to get another bite down.

We beverage choice was fresh brewed 1/2 and 1/2 iced tea served with a lemon wedge. Refills were provided without asking.

Be sure to ask for Yammy - she is awesome and gives all her customers excellent service.“

“Our first visit to a Rib City & we thought it was good. The ribs were super tender with just the right flavoring. The choices for sides was plentiful. I had Mac & cheese & applesauce. My husband had the cobette & baked potato. Prices were moderate, my combo was $19.99 & my husband’s full rack of ribs was $24.99.
The staff was very nice & friendly. The restaurant was very clean.“

“I love Cracker Barrel. my favorites are the meatloaf, green beans and fried apples. I just wish you had a store closer to where I live!“

“Our recent visit was wonderful. First of all the original sign is back!! The brunch plates were excellent. Great pancakes and hot biscuits. Server was attentive and nice. Prices were reasonable. The store of interesting goods is back. Was just like the old days we used to stop along the highway while traveling as a family. Hadn’t been to Cracked Barrel in years until it became an issue of late.“

“All your buffet favorites. Try the catfish, grilled sirloin, bbq ribs, banana pudding and brownies. Grilled cheese, burgers, hotdogs ... even the kids will find something.

I'm told ... you can get the senior early bird with a free drink before 3:00. Dinner menu shows up at 4:00. Several tables were occupied for a while. : )

Bring a jacket ... it's freezing!“