It's the announcement we've all been waiting for. We told you back in September that a popular, upscale steakhouse was making it's way to Fort Myers. We now know it's The Capital Grille at Bell Tower and we have the opening date.
The Capital Grille is taking over the location that was previously occupied by Mimi's Cafe. If you're not exactly familiar with The Bell Tower in Fort Myers, you'll find The Capital Grille located just across the parking lot from Ulta, edging Daniels Parkway.
When Is The Capital Grille At Bell Tower Opening?
The Capital Grille currently has 10 other locations in Florida, including one in North Naples, at Mercato, and another at UTC in Sarasota. The Capital Grille at Bell Tower is expected to open on June 24, 2024, according to the restaurant website.
The dining room will be open daily for dinner, and on weekdays for lunch. Dinner hours are Sunday from 5pm - 9pm, Monday thru Thursday from 4pm - 9pm, Friday from 4pm - 10 pm, Saturday from 5pm - 10pm and from 11:30am - 4pm, on weekdays only, for lunch.
The Capital Grille is definitely going to be the new spot for happy hours, date nights, anniversaries, birthdays, business lunches, girls nights, or for a just great steak dinner.
The Capital Grille at Bell Tower
For those not familiar, The Capital Grille is what they call, one of comfortable elegance.
The steaks are dry aged on premises for 18 – 24 days to achieve incomparable flavor and texture. Then, each is hand-carved by in-house butchers to exacting standards. An intensive process, but they're confident you’ll agree it is most certainly worth it.
Take a look at what The Capital Grille in Fort Myers will have on their menu, here.
It was back in 2022 when I made this list, and then followed it up in 2023. Now, let's make the needed edits to show the best BBQ restaurants In Southwest Florida for 2024. Because great bbq is worth the drive, we'll expand outside of Naples, Fort Myers, and Cape Coral, and include some spots in the Sarasota and Bradenton areas. Brand new to the list is a spot on Anna Maria Island.
Fans of great bbq are fiercely loyal to their favorites. That’s why I took the conjecture out of it. By using an algorithm based on rankings from Trip Advisor, We are able to rank the top bbq restaurants in Southwest Florida. Yes, there’s some chains in here with more than one location, but if it’s amazing, maybe that’s why they have more than one location. Makes sense?
For as much as some people want to bash on Rib City, they're always busy. And why does one Michelbob's rank higher than the other? I'm guessing it's location.
The Best BBQ Restaurants.
Personally, some of the best bbq I've ever had came from my neighbor Keith. But not everyone has the skill or the all day long needed to make amazing bbq. What that man can do with a bag of chicken thighs is otherworldly.
The best bbq restaurants on this list vary from chain restaurants to family run giant smoker in the parking lot mom and pops. Not gonna lie. Those are my favorites. You can smell them as you roll up into the parking lot. There's a few of those on the list.
And don’t @ me if you don't like the selections, I used Trip Advisor's math to create this list. I’ll make the address linkable so you can read more about the place, and get directions and all that. Hurricane Ian really rattled the past couple of lists, but I think most of places are back up to full speed. You can @ me if there's any places that are closed. And just to end the suspense, the McDonald's McRib did not make the list. Why do people always get so excited about that thing?
Let's do it. The Best BBQ Restaurants In South West Florida – Ranked
20. BIG8 BBQ
1217 SE 47th Ter, Cape Coral, FL 33904-9844 A solid bbq spot in Cape Coral. High quality meats make all the difference at BIG8. Try the brisket. This is really a good place to start this list.
19. Rib City - Naples
18. Smoke'n Pit BBQ
1641 N Tamiami Trl, North Fort Myers, FL 33903-5504 Crossing the bridge into North Fort Myers is worth it. There's some amazing food on the other side of the Caloosahatchee. This is a Mom And Pop type of place that focuses on food and fair prices. Good food and a good deal makes Smoke'n Pit special.
17. Rib City - Fort Myers
11561 Majestic Palms Blvd #120, Fort Myers, FL 33908-3381 The Rib City in the San Carlos / McGregor section of Fort Myers. I think one of the draws to Rib City is their consistency. Although I don't have them as my number one go to, you always know exactly what to expect.
16. Pig Out BBQ & Southern Soul Food
The first thing you'll notice here is the aroma. Good luck driving by Pig Out and not smelling what thy got going on. They really know how to advertise that smoke :) Big portions, and reasonable prices.
15. Snook Haven
5000 E Venice Ave, Venice, FL 34292-2541 Can't decide between seafood and bbq? You don't have to. This place truly has an old Florida feel, situated on the bank of the Myakka River. It's delicious bbq and local craft beers.
14. Hickory Hollow
4705 US Highway 301 N, Ellenton, FL 34222-2871 Down home country cooking. Corn fritters, smoked turkey, traditional smoked ribs. This is truly a "local" place. If you're not familiar, Ellenton is just north of Bradenton and it's the furthest north spot on this list.
13. Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que
12128 South Cleveland Avenue, Fort Myers, FL 33907 Dropping a couple of spots from last year's list is Famous Dave's in Fort Myers. Grab you a brisket or chopped pork platter. They keep the sauces on the table so you can try 'em all.
12. Brick's Smoked Meats
Also dropping a couple of spots from last year is Brick's in Sarasota. Definitely another "locals" spot featuring, of course, smoked meats. Beef, pork, chicken or sausage. Get the mac n' cheese, too.
11. The Lodge
Moving up 4 spots from last year is The Lodge, downtown Fort Myers. Do the the 3 meat combo- ribs, pulled pork, brisket. All meats come in a dry rub and each table has 4 different types of sauce to choose from. Plus 2 sides and corn bread. Woo!
10. Michelbob's Championship Ribs
915 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island, FL 34145-2742 Dropping one spot is the Michelbob's on Marco Island. Keep in mind this location is take out only. Get the ribs, of course, but also try the smoked jalapeño cheese sausage. Then bring it back to your place to enjoy .
9. Michelbob's Championship Ribs & Steaks
And the dine in of the two. Michelbob's Naples. Racks of ribs and smoked meats and homemade bbq sauces make this a must try for anyone in Naples.
8. Rib City
4836 Leonard St, Cape Coral, FL 33904-9151 I swear Rib City isn't sponsoring this list. Their name just keeps popping up. But this is the last one. The Cape Coral Rib City is the highest rated of the chain on this list.
7. Texas Tony's Rib & BrewHouse
4519 Tamiami Trl E, Naples, FL 34112-6723 My only problem with this place is that it's so far away from my house in Estero. Texas Tony's is amazing. Super laid back with great food and 2 for 1 drinks make this a local favorite and a destination trip. A good as reason as any to drive to East Naples. I haven't tried their Cape Coral location, yet.
6. Darrell's
Truly the big mover on the list. Darrell's went from 13 last year all the way up to 6 this year. You show up for the brisket, you come back for what might be "the best baked beans ever." And if you're from the south - they got chicken livers, too.
5. Texas Best Barbecue
Englewood! As soon as you pull in, you know you're in for a treat. Just look at that building. This is what a bbq spot should look like. Brisket and ribs are the fav. A special treat on the menu is the baked potato topped with butter, cheese, and chopped brisket. It's a meal.
4. Wally's Southern Style BBQ
3591 Tamiami Trl, Port Charlotte, FL 33952-5528 Holding on to the number 4 spot is Wally's in Port Charlotte. Bring a date and get the ribs for 2 and sweet slaw. Very casual, local spot, and that is a beautiful picture.
3. Gold Rush BBQ
661 Tamiami Trl, Venice, FL 34285-3237 Now that we're out of season you may be able to get a table without the wait. This place is popular. Gotta say, being in Venice it was a smart move naming your place after a slot machine. Very smart.
2. Smoqehouse
Smokqehouse wasn't even on this list last year, and now it's at number 2. BBQ on Anna Maria Island, I would not have guessed that. Fabulous pulled pork and get this - poutine. A Cuban with smoked beef? This place sounds amazing.
1. Mission BBQ
Still number one in Southwest Florida is Mission BBQ in Fort Myers. The second you walk in, you know you're in the right place. Try the brisket, babyback, and spare ribs. Lots of different sauces to choose from and I'm hearing something about banana pudding? The staff is amazing, Mission is a gem in Fort Myers.
