A wide-ranging menu of seafood & grilled fare stars at this historic home with outdoor seating. Based on 433 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.3 stars. Price $$$
Address:
2255 W Gulf Dr, Sanibel, FL 33957
Phone: (239) 472-9200
Website: http://www.thistlelodge.com/
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Reviews
Preston Ferguson
Indoor water from or out door water front dinning. Great seafood and wine list with beers in tap. Highly recommend for a nice dinner with a view
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L Mal
Oh so disappointing! We thought this would be a nice way to spend the 4th of July for our friend saying it was her birthday. On arrival for lunch we where seated by the window right next to another table that has a party of four. The restaurant was empty there was no need to have us close to this other table. Then the waitress Jazmyn comes with the menu we give our drink order it took exactly 9min to receive the drinks (weak drinks) very little alcohol in them. We proceeded to order our starters 10min later they came out and I must say very tasty however on one of the starters we ordered chicken Quesadilla and on the plate was three small quarters, where did the four one go? So cheap of them. The male server came to the table and starter to take our plates while we where still eating the starters. I was like excuse me as you can see we are still eating and please do not remove anything unless we are finished. He made a huff and walked away. Very rude and unprofessional of him. We continued to order our main lunch meal and 15 min later out it came. Pictures will show on the grouper sandwich is was dry over cooked and tasteless. The lobster roll tasted like canned lobster and the bread over done. The tuna plate was fine. Now back to the birthday girl! You would think knowing it was her birthday the waitress would of made some fuss over her or offered a bday surprise dessert but no all she got was after we paid the bill of $207.62 while walking away. Oh have a good birthday. We where like what!!! Never ever again will I ever return to this place and I think an explanation and apology from any manager should be a follow up reply to this.
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Diana Nusbaum
What a lovely & elegant dinner we enjoyed at the scenic Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant at the Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel Island! From the reservation process through dessert, everything was perfect! We started with cedar grilled octopus served over garlic fingerling potatoes with a blueberry compote. This dish is tender and layered with flavors that enhance the seafood. The Mediterranean Pompano, grilled and served with spinach, olives, cherry tomatoes and plated with a creamy risotto was out of this world! The Seafood Provençal was full of fresh shellfish, in a delicious, light, creamy garlic wine sauce served over angel hair pasta. Oh, the Caprese Salad was so wonderful I forgot to photograph it! The sea salt caramel cheesecake was excellent and the birthday brownie, ice cream, strawberries and cream decadent! The online reservation process was super helpful as I indicated my seating preference with a waterfront view and desire for a birthday surprise. Everything was perfectly & discreetly arranged and ready when we arrived, thanks to the experienced Maitre’d’ and Tanya our excellent server! If you enjoy fine dining, this is the place for you on the Island. Reservations strongly suggested as restaurant filled quickly, in spite of September “off season.” Easy and plentiful parking.
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christine kundick
The service was wonderful. The food was delicious. We had the red Snapper special, chicken fettuccine, the beach salad and the ceasar, and shared a key lime pie. And the views…
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Lisa Sands
Absolutely delicious 5 star. Jennifer was exceptional. Thinking of just coming back to Sanibel to visit and have dinner. It would be worth the 2.5 hour drive it was that good. Thanks for a great experience.
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Jeffrey S
Always an amazing meal with a fantastic poolside atmosphere.
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Rene D. Rodriguez
Most exquisite restaurant on Sansibel Island.
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Matthew McHooven
A true resort dinning experience! The staff were extremely welcoming and helpful. The decor lends to the Island feel, and sitting outside you can hear the oceans waves and see the Gulf from certain areas. They had a long wine list, both by the glass or bottles, as well as a full liquor selection and a decent amount of beers on tap. Their seafood selection was top notch, but they also had a number of land options that were equally as delicious sounding. We took the servers advice on our seafood choice and went with the Sea Bass, which was perfectly prepared so it was firm but not chewy. For land we went with the grilled filet, medium rare, and it came out perfectly cooked, buttery, and ultra tender. Highly recommend for those with a taste for quality, both in food and service.
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Fer Weth
Best scallops I ate in my life! The lamb was also outstanding. The view from our table was beautiful. It’s not cheap but it’s so worth!
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Mary Hines
Our table had a view of the pool and the water. It was not busy yet when we went at 5:45 and we enjoyed that. Only one other seated table near us. The food was amazing!!!
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