Bonita Bill's Waterfront Cafe

As far as food goes, this place is meh for sure. Straight bar food with shelled shrimp being the seafood option. I don't have any problem with cheeseburgers and onion rings but since I try to rate on food this place is for sure 2 stars. This being said, its a pretty cool bar located right on the water and is a fine place to have a cocktail on a nice day. Also, at some point in the afternoon a fishing tour returns to weigh the fish, with a prize going to the winner. Then the clean the fish on the dock and throw the scraps to the pelicans, not something you see in every bar. Oh, the onion rings were pretty decent.

This place is always hoppin - usually with the local regulars.  But the atmosphere is great, and they offer a shady place and a cold drink.

Also - the cook will gladly fry up your catch of the day with a side of fries or onion rings for a small token of your affection.

The service at the bar is s-l-o-w unless you are sitting at the bar.  They could really use some help for the one poor woman trying to hold down the fort :)

I was in Fort Myers Beach on a deep sea fishing trip.  The boats were docked at Bonita Bill's marina.  The restaurant is all open and you can walk in there covered in fish slime and without your shoes.  Bonita Bill's also allows pets on a leash. This is a waterfront restaurant with a "no shirt, no shoes, no problem" kind of atmosphere.  After our fishing trip, the first mate on the boat took the grouper that we caught back to the kitchen and Bonita Bill's cooked it for us: blackened and fried.  It was indeed the best meal I had in Florida because that fish was so fresh! We also ordered up some standard deep-fried bar food and buckets of beer.  There was only one waiter/bartender working the entire bar, so it's not for the impatient....but it is worth it to have your fresh fish from your Gulf fishing charter cooked up while you wait for your night time shark fishing trip!  I didn't actually pay for anything, but I do believe that Bonita Bill's was a cash only establishment.