Really? What a waste of an amazing location! Shoddy service bordering on being completely impolite. Food that may as well have been thrown at you as your server turned to run. Meals that were at best "average"....at best. Finally when we were leaving we we re asked if we left the money on the table for our meal as if we were contemplating a dine and dash.
The craziest thing was that after having gone through a similar experience once before we only felt that in the interest fairness we should give them another chance. Not again.....very dissatisfied.
Go look at the boats in a nice marina, then go somewhere else to eat.
We went here on the recommendation of someone at the visitors center and we were glad we did. We had 3 different seafood entrees - fried shrimp, fried soft shell blue crabd and parmesan crusted tilapia. All 3 were excellent, but they all came with "chips" , a variation of a potato chip. The meals would have been better without them. And yes, it was expensive for the portion received. We were lucky - we walked right in and could be seated. This place is small and the waiting list started right after us. Considering your food is delivered in a basket and drinks in plastic cups, the prices are high. Having said all this, it was a fun place to try and a nice find for an out of towner.
Review Source:I agree with many prior reviews:
Broiled grouper sandwich + best key lime pie around!
The refills are $1.80 each for soft drinks, but it's a business, and they deserve to make a living! Â Especially if their living is serving us the best key lime pie ever.
The broiled grouper is always well-made, and a healthy size. This is a great location for a nice island lunch. Â
I have been here five or six times over the last 12 years, and the food is always consistently fresh and delicious.
Yes, it's expensive. Â But the setting along the marina and the delectable food make this a winner in Sanibel. Â While not a true hidden gem, the location is distant enough that many folks don't know about it. Â
Best items to get: lobster salad, crabcakes, grouper (sandwich or otherwise), and you must get the coconut shrimp either as an appetizer or dinner. Â But you are not going to go wrong to eat here. Â I've been three times and I don't understand the low reviews. Â My only complaints about this place are the use of plastic plates (surprising for the cost of the place) and the occasional wait.
I wanted to update my review since we went twice the week of Thanksgiving 2012 and I read some of the other reviews that indicated a less then enjoyable experience.
First off, this place is not cheap. Lunch for 4 with 4 entrees, iced tea all around and 3 appetizers will cost you $100 including the tip. Â In all the years we have been going to Gramma Dots we have never been for dinner.....it costs too much.
We went twice this week for lunch and had GREAT food. Â Fried grouper sandwiches, fried shrimp basket, bowls of New England clam chowder and chocolate cake....mmmmmmm....good!
If you go to Sanibel you have to eat here.
I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. The location is good. The setting is nice. However, given all the great choices available in Sanibel and Captiva, I can't imagine returning to Dot's again.
Maybe they save the better food and service for the locals, but for the prices we paid, I was hoping for good food. Not even great, just good.
The clam chowder was watery and lacked seasoning. The chips were stale and tasteless. The fish was okay, but compared to all the other local offerings, disappointing.
Don't even think of ordering a refill soft drink. A small plastic cup at $1.80 per refill is outrageous even for the touristy areas.
Again, the setting is nice and away from some of the busier spots, but it doesn't justify the negatives.
My wife and I love coming here for dinner when we are on the island. It's a nice little place off the beaten path that has excellent food. It's a little on the pricey side but nothing too expensive compared to what else is on the island. The food offerings are pretty standard for FL seafood but it's how they prepare them that sets them apart. My wife and I both got grilled grouper last time but my was hickory seasoned which turned out great and my wife's was covered in a spinach artichoke type topping which I was surprised at well I like it also. The mashed potato croquet they have is delicious. It's essentially a fried mash potato ball. We ended the meal with a slice of some of the best key lime pie I've ever had. Afterwards you can walk off some of your meal in the beautiful marina area the restaurant is located in.
Review Source:Food smells good but it is not healthy at all!. If you are looking for healthy decent tasty lunch this not the place. I Ordered Grilled chicken Cesar salad and to my surprise the chicken was very very oily. They do free refills on their lemonade but not on their fruit punch and it is not made of real fruit. Pricy for chicken salad and Mahi sandwich 40.00 total not including tip.
Definitely we would not come back.
Great location. Â Small and nicely decorated.
Menu has the typical Florida fare, grouper sandwiches and coconut shrimp.
Prices are steep so I expected commensurate quality.
The menu items sound good as described but when they arrive to the table lack taste, quality, texture.
The waitress was uninterested and impatient. Â
In a nutshell, "Florida seafood done wrong".
Will not repeat.
They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach... so I'm often trying to come up with the next great place to keep my man's heart full and content! I think Gramma Dot's did just that!
We're both big fans of brunch... and really what's not to love about the meal? And Gramma Dot's does it so right it's almost sinful.
Give me a fresh seafood meal anywhere and I'm happy. When it's on top of a key lime pie dessert and a view of an amazing yacht club... I'm ecstatic. When I first heard of the concept of this place, it was all I could do to keep myself from hopping in the car and going there on the spot. Then, I got nervous I was getting my hopes up too much and I'd be disappointed. I wasn't.
It's a small place (less than 20 tables) so I'd been expecting we'd wait awhile, but for some reason the odds were in our favor and we got a table for two (along the screened in porch-- so quaint!) the moment we walked in. If we'd had to wait, it would hardly be painful... they've got rocking chairs outside along the piers so you can boat watch and soak up the sun as your appetite grows.
I'd been told to get the grouper sandwich and coconut shrimp... but everything looked so good, I had to ask the waitress her opinion, just in case. She reiterated what I'd heard from friends, so that's what we got. Both meals were fantastic and came with a side of homemade potato chips (yum). And then there was the key lime pie. I'd read in a travel book that it was the best on Sanibel Island... and I think that probably says a great deal! (So far, I agree. But watch out Sanibel, there are still many places for me to sample key lime treats!) As for pricing... both meals were $14.95. I expected worse. Both were incredibly filling and relatively large portions. For the view that goes along with the food, they could jack the prices up to $20 and people would still shell out the cash.
The ambiance adds to the whole experience. You kind of feel like you're in an old beach bungalow because you feel the breeze blowing through the screens... but then it's decorated as if you're on an old ship. Either is fine with me, I'm into nautical.
All in all... a five star establishment.Great food, a great location, great view, great service, and great key lime pie (yes I love it that much, I'll separate it from the rest of food). Make the trip here, it's worth it.
Simply the best grouper on the island. Â
No one does it like Dot's. Â I've been coming to Sanibel for almost 30 years now and no one even comes close. Â The clam chowder is terrific. Â The mesquite grilled grouper sandwich or plate is the best! Great chips and fries. Wide array of brews to wash it all down. And, amazing Key Lime pie to boot!
The servers are very busy, but quite delightful. Â So be patient you fast pacers...relax, you're on vaca!
Every year, about a month before vaca, we start dreaming of a Dot's grouper sammy! Â We go to Dot's before we even Get settled in our place.
The place is welcoming. Like coming home... simply the best!
Right on the Marina
  Ordered a cup of clam chowder, coconut shrimp appetizer and the burger ($29).
  Food came out quickly and hot. The clam chowder was full of clams and potato. Just the right amoujnt of saltiness. Coconut shrimp was generous for the app. and sweet, coconutty goodness. Burger was nice sized and came with homemade potato chips and fresh fruit. Grapes and fat orange slice was very fresh. Crispy graapes and sweet orange.  Garnish wqs a beautiful purple flower.
 The best we have had so far.
We came here for lunch per recommendation by a friend. Unfortunately we left disappointed. The location is great. Seating is on a screened porches overseeing the yachts in the marina. But somehow they managed to ban all flavor from the food. I had the broiled grouper sandwich. Compared to the grouper sandwich at Traders, this is minor leagues. The fish was fine but the roll it was on was a cheap, soggy roll from the supermarket. The homemade chips looked great but tasted like paper, not potatoes. My wife's comment on her chicken salad on a fruit platter, which was the waiter's recommendation: "this is totally void of any discernible flavors."
Review Source:The 2 stars are solely for location. The menu is limited (mostly fried seafood with a few exceptions) and expensive.
We started with the clam chowder which was decent. What was a bit of a surprise though, given the location and prices on the menu, is that the chowder came in styrofoam bowls served with plastic spoons!
My husband and I decided to share the seafood sampler for our dinner entree, which consisted of grilled grouper, fried jumbo shrimp, fried oysters and a crab cake. The accompanying sides are a potato croquette, fruit salad served in a chocolate shell and some steamed/grilled veggies. The plus: portion sizes are large - but that's about it. Everything on the platter was subpar. I was disappointed, to say the least. I was just glad we split a dish instead of wasting the precious space in our stomachs with additional subpar food. Oh yeah, and we were given styrofoam plates to eat from, but with actual silverware. Again, strange....
Then there was the subpar service. Our server didn't refill our drinks until summoned, never checked on us while we were there, and forgot to give us ketchup when requested. I'm not a difficult customer, nor ask for much, so when simple things are overlooked, I notice.
We definitely won't be coming back.
Recently ate here with family for lunch, and it was an incredibly lackluster, expensive meal. They gave us disposable plastic utensils and cups for a legitmate sit-down meal, which in my mind seemed wasteful and environmentally unfriendly. The clam chowder was bland and the chips were stale (they serve potato chips instead of fries as a side). My grilled mahi mahi was decent, but my cousin, after tasting his meal, questioned why anyone would put a crab cake between two huge buns to make a sandwich out of it. In the end he just ate the crab cake. My mother had a salad, and my aunt had chicken salad, both of whom did not enjoy their meals either. The total bill came to be 66 dollars, without tip. I never would eat here again.
Review Source:Since I'm here at sanibel (as I am every summer) I decided to check out what yelp had to say. Â I haven't been to this restaurant this year but I did however eat here two years ago and I can remember saying "I will never eat here again" sorry but the food I had was not good and a lot of things were fried. Â I also remember it not being the cleanest place around. Â Only thing going for this is that it's on the water. Â I don't think I will give it another shot but if I do I will update my review.
Review Source:YUM! Sit on the screened in porch with ceiling fans (which is basically the entire restaurant), watch the boats go by with the rest of the world, and enjoy some paradise in your mouth!
This place is EVERYTHING a good marina restaurant should be. Seafood is fresh, seasoned well, juicy and tender. Homemade fresh potato chips are crunchy and flavorful. Beer is ice cold.
The fried oysters were BETTER THAN PEARLS. Fresh grouper sandwich was really good, too.
Full disclosure: This review is way overdue - from August 2009. Forgive my tardiness, and eat at this joint! It will make your vacation better!
We came here on a warm rainy July afternoon - definitely not high tourist season, and found the place charming. The service was friendly and the atmosphere, if you like boats, was relaxed and  very "marine". The food is wholesome and served in generous portions. If I'm ever on Sanibel Island again, I'd come back.
Review Source:This is a wildly popular little restaurant. Emphasis on little - due to very limited seating most people have to wait to get in.
For lunch I had the Curry Lobster Salad and the home made potato chips. The lobster salad was tasty but contained minimal pieces of actual real from-the-ocean LOBSTER. A small claw was placed on top to enhance authenticity, however that was about it. For $15.99 I expected something a little better. The chips were excellent (at an additional price of $2.95).
I think you get the idea. This is a nice little overpriced ("island prices") place.
The service was excellent - 4 STARS.
The ambiance, for an upscale diner was nice - 3 1/2 STARS.
The food quality was also nice - 3 1/2 STARS.
What dragged the overall rating down to 3 STARS was the pricing scheme. It really is over the top for what the place is. Having said that, it doesn't seem to bother a lot of people.
So there you are...
Gramma Dot's is one of the very few waterside dining on Sanibel.  Located in the Sanibel Marina, it is a small little boat dock looking restaurant.  The food is some of the best on the island.  The coconut shrimp is some of the best I have ever had, and my mother swears that the key lime pie is the best she has ever had.  The service is typical Sanibel, not very good - Slow and  understaffed.  I would say that is it more of a lunch place.  It is pretty small, so I am sure at certain times of the year, there can be quite a wait.  We took the boys for dinner this most recent trip and while you would think it was child friendly given the food selection and atmosphere (think Salty Dog Cafeish), the other diners seemed annoyed that we were there, which is somewhat typical Sanibel.  Also, given it's location in the marina, it is a little fishy smelling inside.
Review Source:To be fair, I did not eat here, but after reading about *how great* the key lime pie was, we tried to get a pie to go. I was told that they needed a day's notice for a whole pie to go, and it is around $30. For a PIE?? Apparently they aren't aware of this reputation or else they'd have some extra pies to sell for the crowds on short notice.
Review Source:Four of us went here for lunch on a Feb. Friday around 1 PM. Â We were told it would be a 50 min. wait, but we weren't seated for 1 1/2 hours. Â After waiting the 50 min., we kept thinking it would be any minute and hated to leave after all that time. Â I will admit the food was very good. Â I had the curried lobster salad, another had chicken salad, and I forget what the others ate, but we were all well-pleased. Â Two had key lime pie which was also fine and light-tasting, which isn't always the case with this pie. Â I'd go back but only out-of-season. Â It is a lovely setting too and once we were served, service was quick and efficient.
Review Source:Ill preface this as Im not the biggest fish eater in the world. Before this trip to Sanibel I would choose a burger over fish 9 times out of 10. I made a conscious effort to change that.
We (my g/f and I) arrived to Gramma Dots on a Saturday night around 7pm and if you go make sure you get there before 8pm as thats when they dont seat any more folk. It wasnt too crowded as we got seated immediately but a few others came in after us and had to wait about 10 minutes or so.
We started with the appetizer sampler but nixed the oysters as Im not a fan. So they added crab balls and coconut shrimp. The crab balls were ok, maybe fried to much but they didnt really have a punch to them and the key lime sauce that came with them tasted more like mustard than key lime. The coconut shrimp were freaking awesome though. Some of the best we've ever had! Get them for sure!
Entree, the g/f had the chicken breast which she thought was good but nothing special. I had the catch of the day which was the Parmesan Garlic encrusted Grouper and this was the best thing I ate in 4 days of Sanibel. Nothing compared to this. Timbers Grouper was good but again this one piece of fish could make me change from filet to fish in a hearbeat. Â If this is available the day you go, you have to get it, if not beg and plead for them to make this for you.
Thats about it, Gramma Dots is a small place and the attire is casual for sure. My entree was perfection.
Can't beat the grouper sandwich or the key lime pie here. Â Like the other poster - my daughter and I LOVE key lime pie and have tried it everywhere on Sanibel. Â Hands down this is the best. Â Nice setting in the boat house with beautiful yachts about. Â Not cheap - but definitely worth it for a pleasing lunch.
Review Source:My friends Carrie & Tom, who live in Cape Coral, first introduced me to Gramma Dot's in -- it must have been 2001. It was THE place on Sanibel for Coconut Shrimp or Grouper Sandwiches then, and whenever I go back to Florida, it never disappoints. I always, always, always go for lunch, since it's really nice to be at the marina in their screened in porch. (The whole place is not big. Just an oversized screened-in porch). And you get the same awesome food for a reduced price.
Last time I was in Sanibel, which was December 2007, my husband and I stayed for seven days and ate at Gramma Dot's FOUR times. We just couldn't stay away. Their key lime pie is the best on the island, and I'm a key lime pie fiend. I order it everyplace.
One day, I wanted the coconut shrimp again, but I was trying to maybe cut back on calories for one meal and ordered their catch of the day, an only slightly cooked tuna steak sandwich, and I didn't regret it. The texture, color, and flavor were perfect. Just divine. Beautiful! I kept thinking, "Let me eat this forever," which is what I usually think at Gramma Dot's. The tuna was so good that when we went back the next day, my husband tried to order it -- the one bite I had offered him tantalized him so -- but no more. All gone. New catch of the day.
So, the service is great, the atmosphere is great, and you'll have a tough time finding better coconut shrimp anywhere!
Gramma Dot's describes itself as the only waterfront restaurant on Sanibel Island. This strikes me as bizarre as Sanibel, a small resort Island, has pretty much nothing but lots of waterfront.
The restaurant is adorably housed in a reclaimed boat house surrounded by moorings, and like any good boathouse has no heating or insulation. Â Take note if it's a cold night, we were a bit cold our entire meal despite being weathered New Englanders. We skipped in just before the closing cut-off at 8PM (in case you forgot about the fact that Florida is where people go to die and so dinner starts being served at 4PM).
Gramma Dot's specializes in locally sourced seafood specialties. Â But they also have things like hamburgers and steaks for the land lubbers in your party. They wil of course miss out on one of the best things from Florida: fresh unshelled shrimp and grouper.
Which of course brings me to the food. Â We all shared a stunningly cheap $9 pitcher of local micro-brewed beer. Â It was a surprisingly clean if not a tad simple Belgian Wheat. We had an appetizer of local un-shelled shrimp and it floored me. Â Fresh shrimp is a world apart from the frozen or farm grown variety we get up North.
I ordered the mesquite grouper as our waitress said it was the freshest catch and the special of the evening. Â I've never been a fan of grouper and felt it tasted much like it's role as a scavenger and bottom feeder. Here it was a completely different fish - literally. Â We also ordered blackened scallops (which while tasting fresh had an unappealing mealy texture compared to the ones up North), and lemon and pepper Mahi Mahi which was fabulous but a bit on the fatty side.
The dinner meals come with fixed sides which are a bit of good, bad, and gimmicky. Good: a small buttery potato croquette sweetened with diced onions. Bad: over-cooked steamed seasonal vegetables and a small bed of shriveled lettuce. Gimmicky: a molded dark chocolate shell with tasteless fruit salad inside.
Really, Gramma Dot's should stick to what they do best: local seafood and dump the mediocre at best sides. Â Thankfully the portions of the good stuff are quite large so you'll be find if you mostly ignore the disappointing sides.
If you're on Sansibel Island (doesn't strike me as worth a significant travel and a $6 toll) and are looking for fresh, local Southern seafood and also for one of the cheaper places to dine on the Island (~$20 entrees) you would do well to try Gramma Dot's. The seafood here impressed a very snobby North Eastern Liberal Elite who has it out for anything living in the ocean. Too bad about the sides, though.
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