6 Best Restaurants in The Lower Gulf Coast, Florida

Just across the street from the beach, this wonderfully historic restaurant is casual, comfortable, and considered by many to offer the best fine-dining experience on Captiva Island. Entrées include seafood dishes like the blackened snapper with watermelon cucumber salad, and land dishes like pomegranate-glazed lamb chops. Tempting appetizers, creative salads, and tantalizing desserts round out the menu. The restaurant has its own baker to create its sweet and savory breads and cakes. No need to dress up; island casual is welcome. Make time to enjoy the fantastic sunsets at the beach.

The mood cast in the well-appointed dining room and the romantic Gulf-view patio that spills onto the sand makes a meal here the perfect Florida dining experience. There's only one small problem—lighting is so low at dinner that you can't read the menu, even with its built-in flashlight, which is too bad, because it means you also miss the effect of the beautifully presented dishes. An impressive prix-fixe option includes a starter, entrée, and dessert.  Schedule your dinner outdoors to catch gorgeous views of the sunset.

Revered by many—including Katharine Hepburn in her time—for its homemade ice cream, this is also a good spot for comfort food and fresh seafood. Housed in the town's historic depot, it offers indoor and patio seating in an all-American setting. Expect slow service in season, and paper plates with plastic utensils. Be sure to order a piece of the homemade, award-winning Key lime pie.

A mostly local clientele populates the cheery dining room with its Philadelphia allegiances, offering a great cheesesteak. For breakfast, don't miss the incredible Texas French toast with homemade caramel and pecans, Carbon's malted Belgian waffles, or eggs and homemade hash with Boar's Head meat. Besides cheesesteak, lunch specialties include Boar's Head hoagies, burgers, in-house-roasted beef or turkey sandwiches, and other comfort food—all served until 3 pm.

From the bread (Amoroso rolls) to the corned beef, almost everything here comes from Philadelphia. Not only are the cheesesteaks delicious and authentic, but the burgers and other sandwiches are excellent—and the prices are among the lowest around. Stay for an old-fashioned shake, or join the Philly natives for pork roll and scrapple at breakfast. The strip-mall café occupies two rooms sided with natural wood board-and-bead paneling. Signs at every table humorously reveal "25 Ways to Tell You're from Philly." If you come for dinner, plan on eating early because the restaurant closes at 8.

Irish omelets, Belgian waffles, crepes, steak au poivre, Vietnamese sea bass, Waldorf chicken salad: this eatery's extensive menu clearly travels farther abroad than its name implies. And it does so with utmost taste and flavor, as its faithful local clientele will attest. The best deals are the lunchtime Vietnamese entrées and chicken egg-drop soup. The restaurant is known for its gigantic bowls of pho (traditional soup), which can be ordered any time of day (some people have them for breakfast). It also offers three-course Vietnamese or Parisian dinners for $30. Leave room for crepes à la Grand Marnier, prepared table-side. The interior is pleasant, if a bit old-fashioned, but provides a soothing surprise in this busy part of town with its fireplace, floral motif, and classic columns.