I tried this place for the first time over 20 years ago, and since then, every trip to Sanibel included Timbers. Â I've never been disappointed!
Their dishes featuring locally caught seafood are fresh, nicely seasoned, and perfectly cooked. Â For my most recent visit, I had clam chowder as an appetizer and grouper for my entree. Â The chowder was flavorful and the grouper, prepared perfectly. Â Though not much of a dessert person, I do have fond memories of their key lime pie in years past.
Servers have been polite and attentive, though in fairness, I always went there early, when the place wasn't crowded.
we visited last month.
this place was awesome.
the atmosphere was really cool with all the photos and shells and fishing themed decorations.
the service was attentive.
my wife tried monkfish for the first time here which was fresh and delicious.
we also had the shrimp cocktail... the shrimp was large and cold and tasty and the cocktail sauce was also just right.
i had a steak which was perfectly cut, cooked, seasoned, and tasted delicious!
i wish we would have gone here on our first night instead of our last.
This is an excellent venue for very fresh fish cooked properly, freshly shucked oysters from several areas of North America and  tasty gumbo and clam chowder. The sides and appetizers are not anything special, but none-the-less, they are cooked and seasoned properly.
My dining partner and I had the following items on two separate visits:
Cobia in lemon garlic butter
Chilean Sea Bass with chili oil
Red Snapper with blackened seasoning
Swordfish with garlic butter
sweet potato
mixed vegetables
salad
New England Clam Chowder
Oysters from the Pacific and Atlantic
Gumbo
Crab Bisque
Rum Punch
The fish on each occasion was outstanding. Cooked properly, moist and tender. Not over seasoned or  over sauced (which I detest!) . 5 star quality in my opinion.
The oysters shucked at the bar downstairs are fresher than the ones you get at the table. My guess is the the table oysters are pre-shucked for the servers. Used to work at an oyster bar and there's a noticeable difference between the two.
The gumbo and the clam chowder were excellent. I don't like chowder, but my dining partner is in a constant quest for a good one and he gave thumbs up to this one. I wish the gumbo contained okra, but many people don't like it, so its absence is understandable. But the soup did contain plenty of shrimp and andouille sausage and it was thickened properly with a dark roux and my guess, some file as the cajun's do it.
Crab bisque is much too heavy for my liking. The traditional way to thicken bisque is with rice, this was thickened with cream so it is very rich. The flavor is good.
What can you say about mixed vegetables, salad and sweet potato? Not much. The vegetables were crisp-tender. I was surprised. Potato and salad. meh.
I had a rum punch which was really good. Not over sweet. We also had key lime pie which I enjoyed. However, I have to say, being a native Floridian, I still don't know a good key lime pie from a bad one. All I know is it shouldn't be green. If it comes in a graham cracker crust and it's a pale yellow, I'll eat it!
The service the first night was stellar. The second night, average. However, these servers are probably serving over 1000 people a night. The restaurant is HUGE. So for service to be prompt and the food to be cooked properly, I would say the employees at this place are doing their job.
During the busy season, this place is PACKED. If you come around 8pm, however, you shouldn't have much problem getting in.
Cool fresh fish market, but the restaurant was just okay. I tried a trio seafood sampler which included: Sea Scallops in a sweet butter sauce, Shrimp Scampi, and Steamed Haddock, a bowl of clam chowder, baked potato, and a molasses wheat bread. The Haddock was not good. Super bland. The chowder was also not that great. It desperately needed salt and pepper. The shrimp, scallops, and bread were excellent, and the baked potato was, well, a baked potato. Pretty hard to screw that one up. The server was a total space cadet, and she kind of walked away while my parents were asking her questions. She was actually slightly annoying/irritating. Not really sure if I would come back or not, or if I did, I might just go for the fresh fish market. Straight C 70%.
Review Source:Scallops came out perfectly cooked, sweet and plump in a nice butter white wine sauce. Â Left the table to get an oyster shooter from the raw bar and that was good too. Â The sides for the scallops and the steak were just ordinary, a very familiar vegetable medley which didn't bring anything to the entrees. Â The apple cobbler desert was very good and big enough to share.
Review Source:Came here with three generations and they all loved it. Â We are part time residents for 17 years on the island so know the restaurants here pretty well, Â This was the best swordfish (one of the specials of the day) I have ever had. Â Some people complain about the simple preparation but if its good fish thats all you need. Â Service was outstanding and honest re the options.
Review Source:As a resident on this island I definitely recommend this place. Â It is my favorite restaurant on the island for many reasons.
I ordered BBQ shrimp and tried many other peoples dishes like lobster, grouper, and lobster tail. Â They are known for their Lobster and Crab. Â Service was good because the waiter was very convincing and 9 times out of 10 they are right.
the crab bisque soup was excellent. everything else was OK, but not great. the vegetables and potato that arrived with the entree looked and tasted like they had been cooked and plated long before the entree - basically inedible. Service was friendly and professional. Personally I recommend you get a frozen dinner at Baileys and microwave your dinner in your room.
Review Source:Spent our third Thanksgiving here last week and it keeps getting better. We moved to this restaurant as our holiday venue a few years back due to crappy food and service at a pricier restaurant who treated us like they were doing us a favor by feeding us. We never feel like an afterthought at the Timbers.
Kids got the turkey dinner and enjoyed it ($17), but my wife and I have moved on to the excellent prime rib which is a great value at $20. Includes soup or salad. These may not be on the non-holiday menu but the choices on the entire menu changes daily with the latest catches. Three in our family got the new england clam chowder and were very happy which says something as my wife has a hard time finding chowder better than she makes at home. I can't pass up the fantastic crab bisque with just the right amount of sherry. My 11 year old was happy as can be with the 6 oz. sirloin steak off the kids menu for $8 which was cooked perfectly for her mdeium rare request.
Service was great this year, but it has been average in the past. Laura was much better than the gruff waiter we had the previous two times.
Several years ago we got a smoked bluefish appetizer which my youngest loved so much we had to order another one. While I saw the smoked bluefish in the fish market case later it was not on the menu this year but I very much enjoyed the smoked salmon that I got instead.
The Fish Market is a great source of high quality steaks and seafood. We biked over and picked up 1.5 lbs. of cocktail shrimp for our sunset catamaran cruise later in the week which easily filled up my family of five for ~$35.
3.5 stars due to mediocre service. Â If the service had been better the restaurant would have been a solid 4 stars.
This is a good restaurant...go with confidence and know that you will get a good meal for your money.
I had the grouper, which was fresh and local. Â One child had the sesame tuna which was cooked exactly as he likes it. Â The wife and other child had steaks which they enjoyed. Â The proces were fair and in line with other area restaurants. We will definitely go back when we vacation there again.
I still think this is a solid place. Â I would definitely say that my rating wavers on 3 stars, but it's deserving enough of 4. Â If I had to describe the menu I would say that it's a manly menu. Â It's very straightforward and old school seafood dishes. Â There is nothing fru fru or trendy about the food here. Â I enjoy the ambiance here. Â The food is not fancy but it's good. Â I had the Oysters Roman off and Crab Bisque. Â Both were very tasty. Â The Oysters are topped with caviar and are only $8 for 5 oysters, which I thought was pretty cheap. Â
The rest of the menu is pretty reasonable, but on the steeper side for entrees. Â I will say though that all of the portion sizes are pretty large and all of the seafood I tried was very fresh. Â My girlfriend got the crab cakes and they were overcooked and a bit dry. Â The sides were boring rice and steamed veggies. Â
My other dining companions ordered some type of fish, and also the seafood Alfredo that was part of a 2 for $34 special, that I thought was a great deal. Â I can't remember what type of fish it was but was cooked perfectly, extremely fresh, flaky and moist. The seafood Alfredo was stuffed full of fresh seafood and I thought was pretty good. Â It could have used a touch more seasoning though.
We also got the calamari, fried oysters and stone crab claw. Â All three were very good. Â My only complaint was the calamari is served with a watery marinara, that doesn't do the calamari justice. Â A nice lemony aioli would be much better.
This is a place I wouldn't hesitate to come back to. Â Also bonus points for having Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on the menu.
We just went this past week based on recommendations from other guests at our hotel. My wife ordered the steak and salmon and I had the shrimp cocktail and house salad.
GOOD: The salmon was great, the steak was OK
BAD: The shrimp were just so so, not very big for the price and the presentation was mediocre. The overall presentation of the food was below grade for this kind of place.
UGLY: The waitress was attentive and she kept saying every single time "Take your time, there is no rush" That I started to think I was being rushed. No need for her to say that. The place had pictures of famous folks all around and so I thought it musth be popular with the hoy paloy. I took a closer look and realized that these were pics with the owner NOT at the restaurant. The guy who was not there loves to be photographed with popular people. It was not honest to have them on the walls of his place. Gave the wrong message.
Given what is available on the island and in Captiva....
DON'T GO!
I recommend Doc Fords, Green Flash, Otters (near mucky duck).
We vacation often on Sanibel & the Timbers is where we go to celebrate on the 1st night we are there & our last night. It is our favorite place to dine.
The crabmeat Stuffed Mushrooms are spectacular.
I love shrimp, I mean I really love shrimp - So I always order shrimp!
But I also love Grouper!!
So I often order the "Crunchy Shrimp & Grouper Platter, but you can also order just Crunchy shrimp or grouper.
The skewered shrimp is yummy as is the Baked seafood Stuffed Shrimp to die for!!! The Timbers Serloin is also a real treat & cooked to order & perfection as is the NY Strip!
All the entree include steak or chowder & both are a great choice.
Also your choice of baked potato, sweet potato, fries or rice pilaf & a vegetable. I always have the sweet potato...ummmm good!
Prices a little higher than other paces, but it is so worth it.
The cozy, setting, great wait staff & the best food all lead to a wonderful & memorable dining experience!
Good fish at a variety of price points. Â (You can buy fish at the market to take home and cook yourself, or you can dine in and they'll cook the fish for you.) Â They also have great oysters and a nice variety from all over North America... not just Florida ones (but the local ones were good too). Â Found the service to be ok, though a little over-extended/surly.
Review Source:We have visited Sanibel Island annually for the past 20 years of my life, and I cannot remember one trip where we haven't eaten at Timbers. If there is one thing this place is, its consistent. I cannot remember a bad meal here, or even one that is marginal. On our recent visit, they did not disappoint.
My pops and I split a dozen oysters, 6 west coast, and 6 from the good old Northeast. Hands down the NE ones were meatier and tastier, but the west coast ones weren't bad either. The NE were just better (like we didn't know this before ordering them, right?!).
The hands down winner at Timbers is the "Crunchy (insert fish type here)". Grouper is local and delicious and always fresh, so that's what I usually go with. This time I split it with some Crunchy Shrimp, and the plate was overflowing. There were 2 other Crunchy combos on the table which were equally enjoyed. Our other 3 entrees were some grilled Sea Bass and the Ahi Tuna. These 3 were gobbled down quickly as well. To say that the meal was delicious would be an understatement.
Dessert brought a good coconut cream cake and some key lime pie. All in all it was a good meal as expected.
Some notes about the restaurant. During the peak season, it gets busy. So if you arrive around 6pm, expect an hour wait. But if you go around 730ish, you might get away with a half hour. This is never a big deal as you can go next door to their sister restaurant and grab a beer at the bar and watch a game for a bit. Or you can even grab a beer or drink at the raw bar once you walk in the door (if its not too busy).
I went back to Timbers with the family on our annual trip to Sanibel. Â This was the best meal and best service at Timbers we have all experienced. Â It was definitely worth an upgrade on my review. Â MORE IMPORTANTLY, we learned some valuable lessons about Timbers. Â First, they do the local fish well, but stay away from other non-local seafood. Â You will be happy ordering the Sea Bass or Grouper, in any format. Â Our table had four orders of the Parmesan Crusted Sea Bass, and it was spectacular. Â I had the Crunchy Grouper & Shrimp. and it was very good. Â Second, the crab bisque has always been good, but very rich. Â It is still very rich, and they seem to have added more crab meant. Â The tip here, only get the cup, as a bowl will be too much of the rich soup.
It seemed to us that the staff had made a significant upgrade in customer service, and it was appreciated. Â Well done Timbers, you are making an effort to re-earn that long standing reputation.
Love Timbers. Â Fresh fresh seafood. Â Great stuff done anyway you like: broiled, grilled or fried. Â Try the Fisherman's platter if you're hungry. Â Also boasts a large variety of oysters. Great place to get seafood to cook at home. Â Excellent place for stone crabbers and the best mustard sauce for the dipping of those claws. Â Owner is a well known celebrity chaser and the place is loaded with photos of the famous. The guys is a good guy and very community oriented. Â This is a family favorite so don't expect quiet. Â However, the servers have all been there awhile. Â They are seasoned veterans who know how to get you through a meal in a comfortable and professional fashion. Good food and good service at a good price. What's not to like?
Review Source:Our last night on Sanibel...where to eat? Â The Timbers was a fine choice. Â Ambience festive, servers and all the staff were friendly and attentive. Â
And our meals were wonderful with portion size being very generous. Â My choice was the crunchy shrimp and grouper combo. Â Perfectly prepared! Â A great way to end a relaxing, rejuvenating week on Sanibel Island.
To start with I order fresh oyster shooters with black caviar...oysters Romanoff and drink my gin martini. Then, I always order a fresh fish...double check the vegetables...always fresh and not murdered or overcooked. You can't miss this place if you are in the area. I have not found any good Oysters Romanoff on the West Coast yet...but I keep looking. In the meantime, I have bought my black caviar and it's in the fridge...and now I just need some big fresh Point Reyes, CA oysters...next time I'm there will go get some...one can freeze fresh oysters you know for up to six months. The oysters are also fantastic barbied with special hot sweet and sour sauce.
Review Source:Roughly three years later, I found myself back at Timbers. Â Part of me had hoped that the food wouldn't be as good as I remembered. Â I am sad/happy to report that the parmesan-crusted chilean sea bass is every bit as delicious as my previous review states. Chowder: A+. Stone crab claws: A+. Â Timbers: A+.
Review Source:We have been coming to the Timbers for years, even back when it was on Rabbit Road and SanCap. The fish is always fresh and the service is usually great.
Definitely one of the better restaurants on the island. Not a fan of the owner with his wanna be famous pictures plastered everywhere, but he appears to know how to hire managers who can run a good seafood Restaurant.
Every time we come to Sanibel, we always stop at Timbers for dinner. The food and atmosphere are great, and it's always one of our favorite places to eat on the island. The fish here is always fresh, and you really can't beat their homemade bread. Plus, they have the best Manhattan clam chowder I have ever tasted. I get it every time. If you are looking for a delicious appetizer, make sure to order their crab cakes, they are some of the best I have ever tasted.
If you are looking for a great restaurant with delicious seafood, make sure to stop by Timbers.
Outside of the Seattle or New Orleans area, this was one of the best seafood experiences of my life. All 4 of us were quite pleased with all aspects of this meal. Â The ambiance is a little "chainish", though it is not a chain to my knowledge. Â The King Crab legs my wife ordered were Huge, tender, and delicious, and I will be ordering them next time we go. Â We all ordered salads, apps, soup, and entrees. Â All of the food items got a 8 or higher by all of my dining cohorts.(on a scale of 10)
Without a doubt one must go place if you visit the Captiva/Sanibel area.
I was very disappointed to my visit of Timbers Restaurant. Â
We went around 6:30 in the evening and there was already a 45 minute wait. If your going to go, then you probably should go early.
Service was horrible, but the staff was very nice.
Food was okay. Two of my guest were half finished with there dinner before me. I waited about 10 minutes after my guest were served, in order to eat, and all I had was a basic crab bisque soup. Â
Crab Bisque: Okay, too much sherry in the soup, tasted a little bit too salty.
Grouper: Just okay, I guess you can only really say.
Calamari: Good!
Mussels: Were goood, but the sauce was better!
Oysters Rockfeller: Descent, but it seemed like there was no oyster with all the toppings on it.
At the end, I think I ate more bread then any of my dinner.... :/ Â
Overall, I would not comeback here again.... The 45 minutes that I waited wasn't worth it!
I'm sorry. The New England Clam Chowder here is absolutely terrible. My bowl was pasty and tasteless, with lots of diced potatoes but no clams that I could fine - they may have been in there, but I didn't see or taste them. But the worst part was the several large clumps of gelatinous paste (flour, I assume, used as a thickener) - disgusting.
My fried oysters were tasteless as well, although the baked potatoes and steamed vegetables were just fine.
The other three had stone crab legs and were quite happy with them. I guess that's what I should have ordered.
This is a popular dining spot, but it will be a while before I return..
Bleh.
After having such a good run of the restaurants down here, I had my last meal here as its an 'island favorite'. Â I got the special of the day which was doused in an unpleasantly sweet sauce and crusted with suspiciously soft pistachios. The sides were overcooked veggies and tasteless mash potatoes. I could have sworn I was being served airline food. Epic fail.
My server kept insisting as I was from New England that I try their clam chowder. I did and to my surprise it was excellent and even came with the locally-made Westminster oyster crackers (IMHO, the best oyster crackers in the world).
This place gets major points for having the best chowder I've had outside of the North East...Just don't eat anything else, okay?
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