Fresh Catch Bistro

Class will Only Take You So Far !
My mistake began with choosing a restaurant just because it had one of my favorite wines on the wine list. They had it, but in a totally different vintage that was almost undrinkable. If you are going to have the pretense of being a fine dining establishment, at least make sure your wine list is updated in a timely manner and that the wine you are serving your customers is ready to drink. This listing (Mollydooker Blue-​Eyed Boy 2010) had probably not been updated for about four years.
Although «The Fresh Catch Bistro» had gotten a number of good write ups, I found it less than impressive. With the exception of the wine, the meal started out decently enough, my wife’s standard green salad was «okay» and my Oysters Rockefeller was quite good. Then with the entrée, it went back down hill. First of all, my wife and I ordered steak. …I know, I know. Why would I order steak in a seafood restaurant? Well, the reason was that this restaurant bills itself as a fine dining establishment and «the best food and service on Fort Myers Beach». So even if it is an establishment that specializes in seafood, they should be able to put a decent steak on the table. They did not.
The New York Strip Steak was indeed flavorful, but tough and gristly, so that, even with the provided steak knife, it was hard to cut. The asparagus was under cooked and tasteless. The Potato Croquettes that my wife had were nice, but the Steak Fries I ordered would have been better if they were from Ore-​Ida®.
The desert was forgettable, literally. Neither my wife nor I can remember what we had.
The service was technically good, though our waiter seemed quite condescending and did not endear himself when he explained to a table next to us that he was just getting over some malady that he complained was «probably some kind of flu brought down by Northerners!»
Well, this Northerner, for one, showed great self-​control not faking a sneeze over the 20% tip I gave him. (His service was acceptable, and I could not in all fairness bring myself to deduct anything from him tip amount just because he was a jerk.)
My advice: there is no shortage of great seafood establishments in Fort Myers Beach. Pick one without the attitude, or find one that actually lives up to the hype, because The Fresh Catch doesn’t.

Food was very very good! We ordered mussels and bistro salad, very good. Bread with the mussels was stale but the waitress brought the freshest bread with an olive oil dip, very good. Boyfriend ordered what I think was the angus burger and my goodness, so so good. The truffle fries were more wedges but it didn’t matter they were delicious! I had the cranberry grouper, very good but I was so full I couldn’t finish. Regretting it now that I think about how yummy it was.

We ate here about 6pm on a Friday evening, just as the sun was setting. We had a reservation and got a window view, but not a window table. They were very busy, and our server Robyn provided professional and wonderful service.
The grilled grouper I ordered was very good, as was the asparagus side. My friends food was also very good. We would return next vacation in the area.

Excellent seafood. Reservations 8:00 PM on an in-​season Saturday night. The «watch the sunset» crowd was in retreat so we were seated promptly and able to get a window table which has some value as there are some lights on the beach. Service quite good we had the clam chowder and the Maryland crab bisque. Both quite good. Entrees of grouper over risotto and the saffron scallops. Excellent. Split a piece of key lime pie — quite good. One sea breeze and three glasses of wine — $ 140 including tip. It was our first trip there and likely will return. Of note, the photographs on the web site of the restaurant make the appearance of being more formal than reality.

We loved coming to the restaurant several times a year. We loved going to happy hour, the food was always great. However we were at the restaurant on 1÷25÷16 celebrating a birthday and had horrible service. We started in the bar for happy hour and had been talking and laughing with everyone around us. They started singing happy birthday to our friend and the bald headed manager came over and was very rude and told us we had to keep it down because we were disturbing everyone in the restaurant. There was only one couple in the restaurant part who had just arrived because they just opened the doors.
Our waiter was rude as well and every time we wanted something we had to flag him down. We spent $ 700 at this place and were treated poorly. This was always a highlight of our trips to Ft Meyers beach, and now it is off the list and we will not return.

Expected a more upscale dining experience here. The menu prices suggest a fancier place. It was nice, and it is right on the beach, but the service and food didn’t match the prices.
Our server was somewhat robotic. I didn’t know what I wanted to drink and asked for something with pineapple juice and rum in it. Normally a bartender likes to make something up or knows of a good drink to make. Either our server didn’t communicate well with the bartender, or neither one of them cared to be creative, so I wound up with pineapple juice and rum. Sort of what I asked for, but not really any flair to it. It felt like they put in a weak effort on that request.
The food was pretty good, but not worth the menu prices. If you want a fine dining experience on the beach, this isn’t it. If you want decent (it won’t blow you away at all) food with a sunset view, this spot is ok, but I wouldn’t return. Go next door to Junkanoo. They have very similar menus, and have the same owners.

This place used to serve Italian food. Although it now specializes in seafood, the menu has an Italian bias. The Grouper Caprese entrée featured a large piece of grouper on creamy risotto, topped with mozzarella and balsamic glaze. It was very good.
However, it was disappointing to not find any fresh catch of the day selections, given the name of the restaurant. The server explained that they always carry the same seafood that they can get all year ’round. The selections can be prepared in a variety of ways — a standard offering provided by most seafood restaurants in the area.
The special oyster appetizer — deep-​fried encrusted oysters served on their shells — was nicely presented but tasted like the frying oil might have been reused too many times. It had a slight bitter taste. The caesar salad was average with a little bland dressing. My companion’s shrimp special was too salty and overpriced at $ 43. A manager walked by and asked how everything was. We let him know and he did offer to send it back or bring something else.
My guess is that the beach view from the veranda probably makes up for any shortcomings in the food, but since we were there on a chilly, overcast evening the food had to stand alone. Nevertheless we enjoyed sitting on the veranda. Screens and space heaters kept the seating area cozy.

«Celebrating my 50^th». My 50^th birthday celebration started here on Sunday and ended here on the following Friday. It was the best! I will never forget it. They made me feel special. And everything we ate was cooked perfectly.
Sunday while we waited for dinner, we had pesto, infused oil, and bread… Heaven. Then filet and potato croquettes… melt in your mouth! Then chocolate mousse cake for dessert. It had a beautiful flower, lit candle, and Happy Birthday written in chocolate on the plate. They even sang to me.
We watched the sunset while dining. So perfect!
Sunday I had tasted my husbands lobster tail and it was the best I’ve ever had. All week long that lobster called my name. So we went back today. So glad we did. It was a great way to end the birthday celebration vacation.
We arrived early in hopes of picking out our seat for dinner. It was standing room only. While waiting we had conversations with both GM’s, the bartender, and Joelyn. Really enjoyed talking to each one.
They seated us in the exact spot we hoped for. Gina was our server. She did excellent. We really enjoy the bread and pesto/​infused oil dip they give you while you wait. It’s my favorite!
We ordered filet and lobster tail. Both consistently mouth watering, smack the table delicious. Every single bite!
Then to top it off, we ordered Bananas Foster. Executive Chef Pablo prepares it table side. It was exciting to watch the expert at work. He made it look easy and beautiful. The flame adds to the fun. It tasted divine. I videoed it to capture this memory. So glad I did.
My birthday was one I will never forget. The whole experience was the best ever!

Beautiful view and absolutely incredible food!!! Worth every single penny. I’d go back again in a heartbeat!

What a great experience! Arrived 15 – 20 minutes prior to our reservation thinking we would grab a drink at the bar before being seated. We ended up being seated immediately, in plenty of time to watch the sunset. Crab cake appetizer, sea bass with citrus beurre blanc, and shrimp over crab risotto were delicious! Service was outstanding — our waiter Tom didn’t place our order with the cook until we finished the app and salads, giving us plenty of time to digest a bit and enjoy. Overall, it was a wonderful evening!

This place was the
. It was very low key and we were treated like royalty. Our server was Gina and she was awesome as well. She knew everything there was to know about the menu all the way down to how things were cooked and prepared. I would definitely come back again.

Also hier hat wieder einmal alles Prima geklappt. Ein toller Sitzplatz mit Blick auf‘s Meer und Klasse Essen, was will man mehr. Ich hatte mir den Grouper/​Blackend mit Lemon Butter bestellt, dazu Potato Croquette mit Asparagus. Und was soll ich sagen? es war richtig GUT. Auch die Getränke kamen Punktgenau und schnell. Das Personal ist gut geschult und sehr Freundlich. Es mach immer Freude hier zu Dinner herzukommen. Das werden wir bestimmt wiederholen.

Awesome place!
Service A++
Selection A++
Ambience A++
Food A++
We had a dozen oysters which were very good. The bread basket comes with a pesto, oil dip which was very tasty. I had the chef’s preparation of mahi mahi with pineapple chutney. My husband had the ahi. Both were outstanding. We were enjoying ourselves so much we didn’t want to leave. We shared a molten lava cake and espressos for dessert. We managed to waddle to our car! What a meal! Highly recommend this place.
Recommendation is to make a reservation if you want to sit outside to watch the sunset. It fills up very quickly.

I have never had a meal here that did not meet or exceed my expectations. My difficult to satisfy dining comrades did not send their meals back.

This is one of my favorite beach front dining locations. I highly recommend making reservations because it is popular with locals and tourists. Bar, inside and outside tables.
I have been here for Happy Hour specials and most recently for a celebration dinner. The menu is full of fresh seafood from appetizers, soups to entrees. Not only is the food delightful and full of flavors but it is presented beautifully. They bring fresh bread with pesto oil to start. I had a sampler appetizer special, so I got a taste of their oyster rockefeller, salmon cake and mozzarella caprese. The starer salad was large, fresh and served with a house balsamic. I really enjoyed the stuffed grouper. Large piece of perfectly cooked grouper with a huge serving of crab stuffing covered in a divine lobster sauce. Key lime pie is tart and light! As part of the Sensational Summer Select special, I got all of this food for $ 29 and was able to add a bottle of Chardonnay for $ 15 for my husband and I to share.
The view is one of the best on Fort Myers Beach. So if you are dining during sunset hours then make sure to request a table on the patio when making your reservation.

My wonderful wife surprised me for my Birthday by taking me to this restaurant. It’s right on the beach. The view from the balcony in the restaurant is breath taking at sunset. I highly recommend making reservations for sunset at this place.
For an appetizer we had a sample of three of their main appetizers. I had the baked Salmon and my wife had the stuffed grouper. Both of them were excellent. I pride myself on being able to cook great salmon, and this by far out classed mine and any other place I’ve been so far in SWFL. My wife also loved her grouper and steamed veggies. We tried the keylime pie and bread pudding for desert because they were part of the special for that evening that was included with an appetizer, entrée, and desert. They were both delicious, but both I and my wife are not huge desert fans so we didn’t finish them. However, my father in law quickly devoured what was left when we went to pick up the kids after dinner. lol
I will definitely be back to this place the next chance I get!

Nice place and reasonable for what you are served. Stayed out with oysters on the half shell. Very fresh. Followed up worth the Cillian sea bass that had a miso teriyaki glaze that was very tasty. Had the king crab legs with it. Then finished with key lime pie that was outstanding.
Service was great, very attinative without being overwhelming.
I would recommend this place of you are ever in the area.

The Spiced Pecan & Cranberry Crusted Grouper is out-​of-​this-​world GOOD! Absolutely delicious.
We also had the Mozzarella Caprese Salad, which was so light, flavorful and refreshing! The Oyster Rockefeller is good even if you’re not a big fan on oyster, because it’s so rich and creamy. Point Judith Calamari is just your standard fried calamari with some fried veggies thrown into the mix. Crab Cakes were large and tasty, as well! But I would hold off on some of those appetizers so you can fully enjoy that Grouper!
Great view looking over the beach. Definitely recommend for a sunset/​romantic dining experience! I would say it’s easily one of the top 2 restaurants on Fort Myers Beach.

Great find for this area!
Our party of seven dined on a Friday night. The restaurant’s oceanfront location is prime. We arrived just in time to catch the last of the spectacular sunset from their large windows. Once the sun set, the blinds were immediately brought down as to not confuse the sea turtles with the restaurant lights. Parking was easily available on the restaurant’s lot.
I wasn’t expecting much, but we loved every single Fresh Catch dish we tried! Just looking through these photos again right now makes me drool! Order any of these confidently. You won’t be disappointed!
Caesar Salad
Spiced Pecan & Cranberry Crusted Grouper
Shrimp Mediterranean
Miso Teriyaki Sea Bass
Grouper Caprese
Lemon Cake
We ordered some pasta on the side for the kids. They happily prepared each as specified by us without any hesitation. Service was great throughout the night.
If we are ever in the area again, this will be a must-​do FOR SURE!

Had dinner here while on vacation and truly enjoyed every part of the meal. They have a dinner special that included app, salad or soup, entrée, dessert and drink for just under $ 30. The options sounded very good, just too much food.
We had a very witty and attentive waiter answer our questions, make recommendations and take our order. The homemade bread was fresh and yummy. I started with ½ dozen oysters, which were large and fresh. For dinner I had seared scallops with the Mediterranean sauce, along with asparagus and jasmine rice. It was delicious (although I didn’t eat the rice, seems the staple in FL). My friend had the Lobster mac n’ cheese as her entrée, which she really enjoyed, but I thought was very rich, could’ve had a little less cheese. The key lime pie was very tart and creamy-​delicious!
Truly enjoyed our experience and service, simply would have liked a more expanded wine list.

I’d like to start with the highlights of this restaurant.
The location was easy to find and the reservations were easy to make. The maitre’d was very professional and accommodating. The wait help was absolutely attentive. We had an order of calamari. It was unique in that there were other others items that were fried.
What didn’t make it for me was the reason I rated this place 2 stars, as well as some short comings.
The Seafood Tower. $ 90 for a three-​tiered seafood feast and it was hardly top grade or plentiful. The lobster and oysters were delicious. There were a couple of shrimps and they were not jumbo. The oyster sashimi mix was nice as were the mussels. I didn’t see any clams, but I don’t remember if that’s on the list, Here’s were it really got ruined. The King Crab legs were still frozen and when you cracked the shell, which was scissored for us, the meat fell apart instead of in whole pieces. In addition, the snow crab meat also broke apart and the shell was soft. When I opted to go wash my hands, the help offered napkins and wet naps. I say, if you’re going there, offer hot water and lemon halves in cloth.
My 20 oz Porterhouse was not thick and juicy but made up its’ mass in flat, large and thin. It was also seasoned with some dry rub that caked the meat. Now, I don’t like salty. I can eat stuff pretty much naked. My partner likes salty and she said the steak was too salty. Too salty that I didn’t eat it, lost my appetite and didn’t bother to take it to go.
Some of this I called to the attention of the wait help and some of it should have been obvious. It would have been nice if they knocked some off the bill. I was with company and I was not about to make a scene.
Let it suffice to say that I will not come back even if it was free.