15 Best Southern Restaurants in Fort Myers

“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!“

“The best thang going in fort Myers!“

“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!“

“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.“

“Went there for lunch with my husband and daughter and we had a good experience. Wish I had taken photos but forgot to. We started with the three cheese fries and spicy ranch and they are always so good. The ranch was on point and the fries were ooey gooey with the melted cheese. I got the sliced pork lunch special and my husband the 1/2 rack lunch special. All the sides were tasty along with the meat. My daughter ordered off the kids menu the chicken nuggets but they were not good. Probably frozen so she will order something else next time. We all got sweet tea with a lemon and the sweet tea is perfect not too sweet. Our waitress had many tables including ours and did a good job trying to keep up. Definitely be back, we enjoy Rib City and this location is very nice and clean.“

“The food at the Rib City locations I go to is always amazing, but for some reason this time, my sandwich was much smaller than any time in the past and even as compared to the same sandwich I got at the location on McGregor two nights prior.“

“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.“

“This 5-star review is purely a reflection of the service we received at lunch today. ROSE/ROSIE was absolutely phenomenal. We hadn’t been to Golden Corral in nearly a decade and randomly decided to give it a try. The food was good, the restaurant could use a little TLC, but our server is the entire reason we will be back.

We came in with five kids and two adults, with ages ranging from infant to eight years old, often an intimidating group. In the middle of a busy lunch rush, while we were trying to figure out where our family could even fit, Rosie didn’t hesitate for a second. She welcomed us with warmth and kindness and took exceptional care of not only our table, but everyone around us.

What truly set her apart was her heart. She went out of her way to give each of our five kids a small stuffed animal, which absolutely made their day, and ours. I have never seen someone so genuinely kind, hardworking, patient, and efficient all at once. Rosie is a rare gem, and she turned what could’ve been a stressful outing into a wonderful experience.“