Very disappointing tonight. We have been here numerous times and the quality continues to go down. We got the ugly salad to start and the taste matched the name. They were out of two of the beers that I ordered and they ran out of milk which they had to borrow from Ruth Chris next door and then run to Target when we ordered a second glass for our son. The shrimp combo plate was lacking on all aspects. I felt like I could get a better combo at Red Lobster. I thought the best shrimp were from Florida they should be ashamed. The only saving grace was the waiter Jerry. They need to focus on food or close their doors. This place could be awesome again if they devoted their time to quality fresh product. Maybe they would even have a wait again on a Friday.
(2)
Terry H.
Parking was easy to find. Maybe because the season is finished. There is a valet but I don't know if it was validated. The meal started off pretty good. The calamari was soft end lightly breaded. With bell pepper and jalapeño. The oysters were so fresh it seemed like they picked them outside. The clam chowder was pretty good. Almost like mine but with less stuff. The fish came out ok. It was perfectly done. What didn't work for me was the service and the wait for the food. I'll still take Darcie here when we come back. It's worth the wait and at least another try.
(4)
Jonathan C.
I joined my sister and sister-in-law for dinner and we had a nice meal here. The ladies wanted to sit outside which is nice if it isn't too warm. Then again, if "the electric slide" bothers you I might suggest taking refuge inside because the Mall DJ is kind of loud. The plus side is that you could probably hold a free wedding reception here. I wanted to try the Magic Beaver beer but they were sold out. The waitress suggested Innis & Gunn which I liked. We started with calimari and then I opted for two maki rolls as my dinner. The Lobster Bomb maki is spicy (ghost chills), but you won't end up at the hospital (or on reality TV). The California Dreaming roll is OK, but I didn't love it. Prices were fair. Waitress was attentive. The only real complaint was regarding the shrimp on my sister-in-law's salad. She wanted the shrimp grilled, and while it came out warm she felt that they were not actually grilled and didn't eat all of it. Oh well. We stayed for dessert even though the restaurant was invaded by a dozen or so women from Cougar Town (I presume; in a stretched Hummer, of course). The Caramel Pretzel Gelato sundae was tasty and the ladies enjoyed their Fudgy Wudgy Sundae as well.
(4)
Caryn F.
Great service : nick from Staten Island was genuine and steered us in the right direction for food choices. Based on the menu there really wasn't a hard thing. ;) Great meal We really enjoyed the sushi nachos The butternut squash soup was the best. We had 3 different sushi rolls. And they were all awesome. The coconut rice was so delicious.
(5)
Ignatius L.
Hands down one of the best restaurants in SWFL. Fish is fresh. Chef is incredible. Delicious appetizers, dinner, drinks and dessert. Dennis treated us like family and made the evening evermore special.
(5)
Jeff V.
Great happy hour. Bartender Rich is fantastic. Must try appetizers. They are awesome!!!
(5)
Lisa M.
Don't bother...too many other good choices! I ordered the "big ugly" salad which was supposed to feature the ugly heirloom tomatoes. The bacon was barely cooked and the tomatoes were chopped finely and certainly not the feature. I ordered the daily catch grouper with the tomato, garlic, wine sauce. They would not substitute a potato as a side for something else, which I felt was completely ridiculous. The grouper was not stellar, the potato was burnt and the zucchini pomodoro was cold. For dessert, we ordered the gelato sundae. They had three gelato flavors to choose from. We ordered vanilla and chocolate and received the one we did not order, salty caramel. The service was also slow. I live five minutes away and will not be returning.
(2)
Neil S.
My wife has been wanting to try the Blue Water Bistro for some time. Since it was her birthday I made arrangements for dinner. After reading the reviews, both positive and negative, I had some reservations especially about the service. Absolutely no need to worry. Angela, our server, was terrific. In fact the entire staff was in peak form and couldn't of been nicer. I am sure that part of the difference between our experience and some of the negative ones was that ours was off-season. During season service can suffer almost anywhere. My wife had a terrific shrimp dish stuffed with crab. I had the blackened salmon. This was perhaps the best salmon dish I have had anywhere. Certainly among the top five. This is also on the early bird menu which would bring the cost down considerably. Since they knew it was my wife's birthday they also brought her a complimentary dessert. Delish. Will we will we return? Absolutely.
(5)
Don S.
We had a nice dinner here last night. No complaints. I had the crispy grouper stuffed with crab. It was delicious and so was the sauce it came with. I didn't care so much for the side of fried rice it came with but it was ok. My wife had the grouper sandwich. I didn't try it but she said it was good. Our friends had a bunch of sushi stuff that I won't eat but they said it was very good. Service was also very good, food all came out at the same time, drinks refilled, and checks came in a timely manner. All in all nothing spectacular but very good.
(4)
Stephanie M.
Was at the mall and needed a diner spot. Menus looked good so we decided to give it a shot. Patio was nice we sat out there and were served promptly. We started with the crab cakes to start which were okay. We had the crab stuffed grouper which was crispy and the bed of rice and some vegetables had a good taste. Husband had blackened haddock that came with a choice of a sauce like soy wasabi or sweet and sour but we didn't see how these sauces fit in to the blackened fish. We did find a hair on our plate that was a tad disturbing. Food presentation was nice but nothing wowing or spectacular. Decent for a mall joint.
(3)
Susan S.
I kind of chuckled when I saw that the two-star review includes the phrase "Meh." Because that's exactly how I was going to start this review. Meh. My biggest disappointment was the menu as a whole. I love seafood, but living in a land-locked state, I love to take advantage of my visits to the coast to get truly fresh seafood. In looking at the menu, I saw nothing really local - everything was probably frozen and flown, just like it would have been if I'd ordered it in KC. My table ordered the shrimp nacho appetizer, which was just weird. The cheese was like a normal yellow nacho cheese. On shrimp. With what seemed like bagged chips. The salsa and jalapenos were good, but the whole thing was just odd. My shrimp scampi was fine. About what I could have gotten anywhere. The place was crowded on a Saturday night and extremely noisy. It just wasn't what I expected from a seafood restaurant in that location.
(2)
Darci S.
We really enjoyed our meal here! They have a great early dining special, which we took advantage of. Smaller menu with cheaper prices, and if two people order they throw in a bottle of decent wine. The only downside was we were the only diners under the age of 60 in the place. But whatever! We were hungry and we saved some bucks! The blackened salmon dish I ordered was amazing, I'd eat it again in a heart beat. Service was great.
(4)
Dave M.
Lackluster at best. I had the buttermilk shrimp dinner, shrimp were good but the coleslaw should have been buried for kimchee and then forgotten about. Fries were so-so at best. Wife had tuna poke and sticky rice. Sticky rice turned out to be rice & coconut milk soup. Then the mall DJ started, we cut the night short - I've heard better in old Holiday Inns.
(2)
Larry S.
Four of us ate there tonight. This is a mixed review and once again points out how important decent service is for a memorable experience. The food would get 3.5 to 4 stars and it's a nice place with a lively atmosphere. John K was our server and we're assuming his nature reflects management's desires. John's support people are poorly trained in basic restaurant courtesy. John K is certainly at least average and maybe better as a server. However, his main goal tonight was to get us thru and out. We were earlier seating and the rush was on. I asked for ground pepper and the support person gave me the pepper grinder without a word to do myself. The busgirl dropped my friend's fries on my plate, though I wasn't finished. I mentioned this to John and he kind of grunted and murmered, "sorry" He may have been aware by now the service really diminshed our experience and, perhaps, his tip may be in jeopardy. I hope management invests some time in these employees.
(2)
Peyton L.
The service was good but I was not impressed with my meal. It is kind of crowded and loud inside, I will not be returning.
(2)
Paul C.
We came back for another try. Worth it. Great food,good service. The potatoe crusted tilapia was perfect as was the blackened salmon. The crab and corn chowader was the best. Back on my list of good placesto go....
(4)
Lin Z.
We went here on vacation, looking for an economical meal with our hungry teens. Their early dining was a perfect option for a hot and rainy afternoon after beaching and showers. The early menu, which we did, was buy one entree get one, and 2 entrees + a bottle of wine for $30. The teens had crab legs, which came with huge baked potato and coleslaw, and a shrimp trio (butterflied, scampi and cocktail), also with huge potato. Hubby chose the chicken capellini pomodoro and I went with something called chicken Danny, that sounded good bc it was described with mushrooms spinach artichokes and goat cheese atop fettuccine. Really, with those ingredients this should've been awesome. Actually it was bland and -horribly imo--Sweet. Yuck. If it wasn't the cheapie special I might've returned it. Instead, hubby was wonderful and we swapped plates. He didn't mind the dish. I liked his capellini better (not sweet) but it was also pretty lame ( no garlic, little seasoning, boring). The wine was a 2012 bottle of Mondavi cab, probably no more than a $6 bottle at a place like Total Wine, but I wasn't expecting chateau neuf de pape. The teens' food was hefty-portioned and they had no complaints. We also ordered 2 appetizer salads to share- they were $5 each and very small-maybe because they were on the early dining menu. Sharing amounted to about 4 bites each. All in all, the early dining and bogo promos are enough of a deal to lure tourists, but the food is nothing to return to. It's part of a restaurant chain and feels like it- think Cheesecake Factory wannabe (but unfortunately it doesn't cut the cake).
(2)
Tyler R.
I've never been to a place where the bar menu is a carbon copy, word for word clone of the dinner menu. On top of that, the prices are more or less 25% cheaper than in the dining room. And I reiterate: same food, less money. Its like getting a giant coupon for sitting at the bar - A bar that is fancy enough to have two sides, one inside, and three separate ections outside (facing in) that can seat up to three people each. So if you are lucky enough to score an outside bar seat (which we were) - then you can eat outside AND at the bar AND get the food for a little bit less. We got there just before 6, well before the end of happy hour, so half price drinks were in order. This applied to most wines and some beers - I got a beer not included in the half-off happy hour. Sad? Nope. Once you get past the oddness of the name, TommyKnocker Jack Whacker Ale (Craftily brewed in Colorado) is a super amazing taste bud explosion. Consume this. If not - the drink menu is at least five or six pages (more or less, I did not count) containing an abundant selection of wines, beers, and specialty mixed drinks. Apps: Salmon Firecracker Roll - Salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, something spicy. Overall good roll, the sushi rice was a little hard, but nothing a little soy sauce couldn't fix. Chicken Caesar Spring Roll - I don't normally deep-fry my salad, and we ordered this out of pure curiosity. It was actually...pretty good. The dipping sauce was some variation on Caesar dressing and we killed it, so it wasn't bad, just a little hard to describe. If you like Caesar salad and spring rolls and would like to see what it would be like if they got together and had a baby, eat this. Food: Blackened Salmon - I was jealous I didn't order this. I think the picture I posted pretty much speaks for itself on this one. The bartender said this is their #1 seller, and for good reason. Bistro Salad w/Ahi - Holy mother chunk of tuna. Big. Rare. Awesome. Perfect complement to my salad, which was over the top delicious thanks to the watermelon and chevre cheese. Great atmosphere, great location, great food - no reason not to go here.
(4)
Jan K.
I ate there last week with a friend and two relatives of hers. First of all they wouldn't sit us outside saying that u had to have reservations as they were full. And then her relative came in and the host/hostess sat us outside. What am I?, chopped liver? Service was fine. Price was right with the two entrees with a bottle of wine. I ordered the chicken capellini pomodoro - worst meal I have had in years. So salty and the spices were just extremely off. I didn't say anything because I was not paying for the meal and I had just met the man who paid for dinner. Mind u my expectations were low ordering pasta at a fish place. I wasn't looking for Taylor street Italian from Chicago or the north end of Boston. Funny thing is my friend had the same thing and when we left and got in the car together she said "my entree was horrible ". I can't believe a chef actually created that dish. Although everything else was fine, one star for dissing US on the outside seating and the "not as good as canned pasta" capellini Spagettios here I come!!!
(1)
Dawn C.
we met friends and each had a different meal. we started out with the crab cake that was delicious. the sauce was incredible. I had the Mahi Mac that was outstanding. so many great flavors evenly balanced to make a party in my mouth. My husband had the Pompano blackened with the wasabi sauce and said it was excellent. this place is not inexpensive but worth it. Fresh fish, well prepared.
(4)
Carl L.
Some friends had spoken highly of The Blue Water Bistro so my wife and I decided to try it. Our 6 O'clock reservations were honored and we were seated promptly. The loud speaking waitress tried to be helpful with some of the menu choices and after a while we ordered. My wife's choice was Trout with a Lemon Butter Sauce and mine, the Crispy-Crunchy Crab Stuffed Grouper. Well, sadly my wife's fish was bone dry despite her dousing it with more of her sauce. My grouper had been deep fried and was more crust than underlying fish for there was truly only a meager amount of grouper and the accompanying crab stuffing. The latter was the much cheaper chopped snow crab variety with perhaps one or two miniscule pieces of lump crab meat(the "good stuff"). To add to my displeasure, I spent a good amount of time picking out large and small bones from my supposedly deboned fish(as attested to by the waitress and manager). The manager said "they do their best" and offered to comp a dessert. Fine I said and we had an order of the sweetest Key Lime pie I had ever tasted. This too was not very appetizing and after a bite or two we had had enough!! After leaving the restaurant we suffered a further indignity: not only were we charged $5.00 for valet service but the valet stressed that this fee went to the restaurant and pleaded for a tip which we obliged. This tacky bit was the "perfect" ending to an unhappy experience at the Blue Water Bistro
(1)
Cara N.
Happy hour and dinner are both excellent here. Recommend the mussels for an appetizer served in a light tomato broth and sushi rolls. Caesar salad and fish and chips are excellent too, Service was prompt and polite. Recommend a reservation.
(4)
Tara B.
I visited Blue Water Bistro with my mother and her boyfriend to celebrate my birthday. My mother and I shared the tuna poke appetizer, which was good while not actually traditionally prepared poke. We also tried the crab and corn chowder, which we found to be hearty and tasty. The bread they put on the table was great. My mother ordered the capellini with shrimp and was thrilled with the flavors. Her boyfriend had grilled shrimp with a sea-salt baked potato and the brown rice stir-fry. He loved everything he ordered and stated that while he normally didn't love baked potatoes, the one served to him was fantastic. I had the shrimp trio and was particularly impressed by the buttermilk fried shrimp. The scampi was very good and the quality of the shrimp itself was good. Our server, Christopher, was very helpful and pleasant. He had suggested a wine to go with my entree and he was spot-on. We were very happy with our experience.
(4)
Mike E.
Came here for drinks and a bite before a movie with 5 friends. The drinks were weak and the bar tenders didn't want to play game (at first). My buddy ordered the crab legs for 24 bucks, and someone else ordered a burger. The burger was fairly good, but the crab legs were HILARIOUS. It was a big bowl of ice, with 4 crab legs making a crag leg ice pyramid. Thanks for the ice sculpture, but did you just serve us crab legs at $6.00 each? O_O I had to ask the server if this was normal, and she snapped bubble gum. That is all.
(2)
Mark E.
We have eaten here 4 times, last night for the last time I think. Our first visit was back in April. The food was ok, the memorable thing was the server reminded me of a diner waitress ( no offense to diners or their servers), but she did not live up to what we expected in this well appointed eatery. The next two times the food was better and servers did a good job. Last night, everyone working was in their Halloween costumes. Really? $120 meal served by I guy dressed up like he is working on the railroad? We ordered 6 blue point oysters which were tasty but way undersized, almost tiny. The shucker managed to get one schucked correctly, the other 5 we needed to work on with our forks. We have had the oysters there before and every time they arrive with only one fork. My wife has a serious glutten problem and we appreciate that they have a GF menu. She had the Grouper Scampi ( no pasta) with sun dried tomatoes. While very tasty it was clearly not a dinner course portion. I had the shrimp and scallops. Shrimps were over cooked, scollop's were a bit tough. I believe they need to take some lessons from their sister restaurant down the street Chops City Grill. I believe we will go back to eating beef at Chops and find another place to fill our fish dining needs.
(2)
Dennis W.
I defiantly recommend the mussels for an appetizer. The Parmesan encrusted flounder was amazing. The shrimp and scallops were out of this world.
(5)
Rick B.
Loved this place. Ate here twice during our 8 day vacation in Bonita Springs. We tried to eat as local as possible, so we ordered entrees with fresh grouper. All awesome. Cooked to perfection. A bit on the expensive side, but worth it. Service was excellent. Happening place. Beautiful interior. First time, there was a 45 minute wait. Second time, we booked early on-line and got to pick our time so we were seated immediately despite another huge crowd waiting for tables when we arrived.
(5)
Bob G.
What a rip off ! Ordered chefs selection of oysters, 6 off the chefs choice. They came out and the waiter could not identify which they were.(3 different kinds) they where not shucked properly not separated from the shell. My wife ordered Thai lobster. Sauce was sweet and gummy shrimp small and rubbery and peanuts ( in description ) none existent . I had the Tuna and it was OK. This restaurant pretends to be something it isn't . Try A Table apart they are the real deal.
(1)
David C.
My wife and I both enjoyed our meals. We both had Mahi Mahi dishes but not prepared the same. Also has salads & wine. I had the caesar which seemed like it was prepared in advance as lettuce was a little soft but flavor was very good. My wife said hers was very good. Bread was delicious and service was excellent. We would go back again and would recommend it as a good place for seafood meal.
(4)
Nicole E.
If I have any complaints it's that I'm only in the area for one night!! The menu here was amazing - I wanted so very many things listed, but like I said, I only had one night and one meal to choose. I decided to go for the Mahi Mac which is a Mahi Mahi over noodles with a pineapple type of sauce and cleared my plate. The fish was fresh and cooked just right, the noodles and sauce were just enough to compliment the fish. I love the atmosphere of eating outdoors and the servers were very friendly and prompt. This restaurant is well worth a stop when you're in town - I know I'll be going back!!
(5)
Marc C.
So we sat at the bar for what sounded like a good deal - 50% off most dinner entrees. The food was decent at about $14 (after discount) for the entree we ordered. But we were absolutely SHOCKED when the bill arrived and my two "classic martinis" were more than $16/ea. My wife's gin & tonic was $11 for Tanqueray gin. What a rip-off! I've paid less for mixed drinks in London hotel lobbies, and Naples isn't London by a long shot. Even more annoying is that the drinks menu shows martinis at $10.50, with a special note that blue cheese olives are an extra $1.70. What the menu conveniently omits is that the list of vodkas they put next to the martini list all carry a $5 up-charge. The whole thing felt cheap, right down to the bartender saying, "We don't set the prices...The owner does. We have a conscience." I guess when your service and restaurant are average at best, you have to squeeze some profit from somewhere even if it means that savvy guests won't come back. The bottom line is that you'll do a lot better for food, service and price elsewhere in Naples. Not recommended.
(2)
Kathy S.
I love this restaurant!! Food is fantastic, especially their signature dish, Mahi Mac. Service is excellent and it's always fun to sit outside and people watch. And, prices are fair! Check it out soon!
(5)
Stephen L.
Food was good...fish tasted great. I had the ahi tuna and my wife had the black grouper...good sized portions and it was very good seafood. The side sauces were so-so and the side dishes and appetizers were OK but probably not as good as the price would indicate. I was a bit disappointed about the drink special. We were told it was 2 for 1 regular drinks so we both ordered a drink ($10.50 each!) but when the bill came, both were charged and we were told that the drinks had to be the same drink (or maybe it was 2 per person). Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things but the special seems misleading. I would go again but probably would try a lot of other restaurants first. Good dinner...but probably not a super memorable one.
(3)
David S.
Just ate dinner here after spending the afternoon at Coconut Point. Overall, we were very satisfied though somewhat pricey: 3 adults, 2 kids (one of whom only had a cup of soup), water and soft drinks came to $91. Service was good and the restaurant was not at all crowded most likely because we ate soon after 5pm. The warm sourdough is very nice and easy to fill yourself up on. My wife had the Mahi Mac, which the menu describes as "sauteed macadamian nut and panko encrusted mahi mahi with a grilled pineapple-togarashi sauce and a stir fry of Chinese lo mein noodles, shiitake mushrooms, green onion and ginger." She thought this was excellent and approached some of the meals we enjoyed when we lived in San Francisco (which is high praise indeed). My mother had the grilled Mahi Mahi with a mango sweet and sour sauce, which she also described as excellent. My 2-1/2 year old (aka "The Soup Monster") seemed to enjoy her cup of seafood chowder which include clams. My 4 year old had grilled tilapia which she enjoyed about as much as any 4 year old enjoys healthy food, favouring the fries, tortilla chips that came with my burger and croutons that came with my salad... The lone non-seafood eater (me) had a burger topped with jack cheese, jalapenos, salsa, guacamole, onion and cilantro. It was very tasty and was prepared as requested. Clearly, this is a seafood-centric establishment, and they appear to know what they're doing with it. Since we came off-season, it should be noted that this a different menu to high-season when sushi is also on offer.
(4)
Matthew M.
Yeah, it may be a tiny bit on the expensive side, but it is a nice restaurant and the food and atmosphere are both excellent. After bypassing this restaurant on our previous visits to Bonita Springs, we ate dinner outside one night and I'm glad we did. The blackened salmon was good (maybe a tad dry), but the parmesan corn cous cous and sauteed spinach were out of this world. Not a big vegetable eater, but the spinach was my favorite part of the meal. My wife had the Mahi Mac, which was also very good.
(4)
Auntie Vee B.
I've tried this bistro twice now and won't try a third. Having been to many wonderful seafood restaurants I think this is below par, unless I was unlucky both times? Tonight I started with the 'ultimate' ($29) which had clams that were non existant in their shells and crab legs so dry they were sawdust when cracked. I next had the Mon Chong which was $28, dry dry dry and then overcooked until tough. Shame. I had hoped the first time I went was just a bad night, surely I didn't just have two bad nights? Like I mentioned I won't bd back for a third.
(2)
Vernon J.
Great selection. Make reservations if going before 8:00. Blackened salmon was delicious. Pieces flaked off with slightest piercing from fork. Guests ordered mahi mahi and grouper. They both ordered and loved the cheesy lobster baked potato. They also shared the Fudgee Wudgee - an irresistibly sinful dessert. The key lime pie had a cheesecake consistency to it. Attentive and knowledgeable wait staff.
(4)
Don J.
Great place to go for dinner, or drinks and Happy Hour. Very creative menu, the short rib meatballs are awesome!!
(4)
Jay K.
Good food, good atmosphere, good people as always. Crab cake was delicious. Highly recommended all around. Let Rich take care of you at the bar- you'll be happy you did. See ya next time.
(5)
Gina M.
Excellent food and excellent service. What more can you want? I highly recommend the mahi mahi. It was delightful! The shrimp cocktail app was great too, though the cocktail sauce wasn't nearly as spicy as I would have liked. Our server, Justin, was amazing. The people I was with ordered me a drink that I absolutely did not want. I quietly asked him to remove it from the table without them noticing (I would have been heckled relentlessly) and he nailed it, saving me a lot of grief from the others! Yay, Justin!
(4)
Bill P.
This is my wife's favorite place to eat out. Out is the key word, on a nice night the outdoor dining area is the best place to eat. We have been many times but last week we went for her birthday (we didn't tell our waiter). She hates the extra attention. We had not only the best meal but also the best service we've had in a long time. Our waiter David S. was as good as it gets, he knew every item on the menu and made suggestions. They are having a 3 course summer special with prices ranging from $23 to $32 based on the entree you pick. I had the Chilled Summer Seafood platter and it was great, the Oysters were as good as I've ever eaten. My wife had the Thai Lobster and was pleased but missed her favorite dish (also on the specials) Linguini and Crab. We both loved our meals, she just ALWAYS orders the Linguini and Crab. This is the only place we go that she orders the same thing most times. That says a lot for the dish. Yes a seafood place can make Pasta they also own an italian restaurant as well as a great steak house. I am a New home sales manager but also write reviews on restaurants so I know food.
(5)
Jim R.
This place misses the mark on so many little things that it just left me cold. Huge bucket of bread for the four of us...basically one pat of butter. The "Big Ugly" salad must have referred to the 8.90 dollar price tag, not the salad itself. It was a decent salad but way overpriced. My fish was quite expensive, barely edible and was obviously getting close to the end. A little attention to detail and this place could be good. I would say there have to be better choices given the mediocre service, mediocre food and relatively high prices. Tried this place 8 or 10 times and that's quite enough to know management doesn't get it.
(2)
Fred Z.
Dined Sunday of President's Day weekend. Height of season. Out of Burgers? No Clam Bake! No Grey Goose or Skyy!.Service was fine under circumstances, but Chef and back of restaurant should be hung for putting front of house in negative position. Bistro 41 much better choice on all fronts.....
(2)
Layla C.
My boyfriend chose Blue Water Bistro as the site of my intimate birthday gathering this year, and as the four stars might hint at - I was delighted with his choice. The restaurant was packed, which was surprising given that it is HUGE. Tables available indoors and out, with varying sized tables and booths lining the perimeter of the large main room. The room is grand in scale - large fixtures with mostly blue and white lighting. Surprisingly chic feel for the 'hood... Stellar cocktail menu with so many tempting choices. Food menu was similarly grand and more fairly priced. I loved the bacon wrapped scallops and the basa I ordered as my main course. Some of my friends weren't as thrilled with their meals, but everyone enjoyed at least one of their courses and left pretty satisfied. The wait staff left a bit to be desired, which is why I docked a star. Spilling drinks. Touching bread and place settings wayyy too much. Taking forever to bring everyone's meals, refill drinks etc. Ridiculous delay in taking our order initially. All in all, I was satisfied and would definitely recommend for a variety of occasions.
(4)
Sarah W.
Do not recommend this place! My husband and I like trying new places and decided to give this place a try while on a trip to Florida. The drinks are overpriced (as mentioned by other reviewers), but they're fairly large and taste good. I ordered the grouper scampi, which was really good. My husband ordered the crab legs which were cooked ok- the kicker was, the crab legs came out with a completely ROTTEN POTATO (that was served split, so you'd think someone would have noticed)! I'm not exaggerating- there was a slimy large black growth taking up 1/3 of the potato! My husband took a bite before he noticed and his appetite was ruined! The waitress apologized, took the potato, and brought another one. Try eating anything, let alone another potato after eating a rotten one. The manager casually offered a free cocktail or dessert, but my husband was too grossed out to enjoy anything at that point...they didn't even take anything off the bill! Very disappointed!
(1)
Lu D.
Blue Water Bistro overall is a good seafood restaurant. The interior design is excellent. I liked the way that they have the menu setup so that you can have your fish your way. You get to select the fish, how it's prepared and which sauce you would like it pared with. It gives you a lot more options without sounding like a high maintenance eater.
(4)
Barbara N.
We had a lovely meal here with attentive service and very fresh fish. They even called the next day to thank us for our business. This is how a restaurant should be run.
(4)
Rick N.
Food was good but a tad overpriced. We've been here a few times and it seems like the menu has gotten smaller. (Probably a good thing.) Don't bother with the shrimp vodka penne, it's one of the more expensive items on the basic menu for no good reason. It was watered down and tasteless. Everything else was good though. Waitstaff could use a little bit more training before they're released on their own. Our waiter was lost, and by no apparent fault of his own. He just seemed new to the restaurant biz.
(4)
lisa w.
The best seafood restaurant in the fort myers area. It is the sister restaurant to Chops City grill, and is at the new Coconut Point Mall. You can sit outside. I recommend sitting at the bar since the bartenders and wondeful and much more consistent than the servers. The mahi mac is possibly the best piece of fish in florida.
(5)
Jared B.
Amazing food and great staff. The waiters will be straight up honest with you about the best choices on the menu along with what their recommendations are based on your preferences. They will tell you which fish is fresh and which is frozen. We had a party of 7 and the food and appetizers were just amazing Then they brought us an amazing version of their key-lime pie for our dessert as we were having a birthday celebration for one of our guests. The price is right for the quality of food and service as it is without a doubt a step above. The location is nice, the outdoor seating looks appealing and there is valet service right near the entrance. The bar was along the wall so it serves the interior as well as exterior dining areas.
(5)
Jerry L.
We have eaten here many times. We love the tuna poke appetizer, big ugly salad, chicken Danny, and salmon. The servers are very talented and knowledgeable about their food. I would highly recommend that you try blue water bistro.
(4)
J S.
Do not go to this restaurant! We went on a night that the computers were down. The service was horrible, the food was marginal, and no attempts were made to try and make the evening pleasurable. The manager checked with us to tell us what s lousy night he was having, I called the corporate customer service manager to complain, and he did nothing to try and get me back in the restaurant. In fact, he actually became argumentative. There are other good options like Stir Crazy and Ruth Chris'. Do not waste your time or money!
(1)
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Address :23151 Village Shops Way
Bonita Springs, FL, 34135
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Steve J.
Very disappointing tonight. We have been here numerous times and the quality continues to go down. We got the ugly salad to start and the taste matched the name. They were out of two of the beers that I ordered and they ran out of milk which they had to borrow from Ruth Chris next door and then run to Target when we ordered a second glass for our son. The shrimp combo plate was lacking on all aspects. I felt like I could get a better combo at Red Lobster. I thought the best shrimp were from Florida they should be ashamed. The only saving grace was the waiter Jerry. They need to focus on food or close their doors. This place could be awesome again if they devoted their time to quality fresh product. Maybe they would even have a wait again on a Friday.
(2)Terry H.
Parking was easy to find. Maybe because the season is finished. There is a valet but I don't know if it was validated. The meal started off pretty good. The calamari was soft end lightly breaded. With bell pepper and jalapeño. The oysters were so fresh it seemed like they picked them outside. The clam chowder was pretty good. Almost like mine but with less stuff. The fish came out ok. It was perfectly done. What didn't work for me was the service and the wait for the food. I'll still take Darcie here when we come back. It's worth the wait and at least another try.
(4)Jonathan C.
I joined my sister and sister-in-law for dinner and we had a nice meal here. The ladies wanted to sit outside which is nice if it isn't too warm. Then again, if "the electric slide" bothers you I might suggest taking refuge inside because the Mall DJ is kind of loud. The plus side is that you could probably hold a free wedding reception here. I wanted to try the Magic Beaver beer but they were sold out. The waitress suggested Innis & Gunn which I liked. We started with calimari and then I opted for two maki rolls as my dinner. The Lobster Bomb maki is spicy (ghost chills), but you won't end up at the hospital (or on reality TV). The California Dreaming roll is OK, but I didn't love it. Prices were fair. Waitress was attentive. The only real complaint was regarding the shrimp on my sister-in-law's salad. She wanted the shrimp grilled, and while it came out warm she felt that they were not actually grilled and didn't eat all of it. Oh well. We stayed for dessert even though the restaurant was invaded by a dozen or so women from Cougar Town (I presume; in a stretched Hummer, of course). The Caramel Pretzel Gelato sundae was tasty and the ladies enjoyed their Fudgy Wudgy Sundae as well.
(4)Caryn F.
Great service : nick from Staten Island was genuine and steered us in the right direction for food choices. Based on the menu there really wasn't a hard thing. ;) Great meal We really enjoyed the sushi nachos The butternut squash soup was the best. We had 3 different sushi rolls. And they were all awesome. The coconut rice was so delicious.
(5)Ignatius L.
Hands down one of the best restaurants in SWFL. Fish is fresh. Chef is incredible. Delicious appetizers, dinner, drinks and dessert. Dennis treated us like family and made the evening evermore special.
(5)Jeff V.
Great happy hour. Bartender Rich is fantastic. Must try appetizers. They are awesome!!!
(5)Lisa M.
Don't bother...too many other good choices! I ordered the "big ugly" salad which was supposed to feature the ugly heirloom tomatoes. The bacon was barely cooked and the tomatoes were chopped finely and certainly not the feature. I ordered the daily catch grouper with the tomato, garlic, wine sauce. They would not substitute a potato as a side for something else, which I felt was completely ridiculous. The grouper was not stellar, the potato was burnt and the zucchini pomodoro was cold. For dessert, we ordered the gelato sundae. They had three gelato flavors to choose from. We ordered vanilla and chocolate and received the one we did not order, salty caramel. The service was also slow. I live five minutes away and will not be returning.
(2)Neil S.
My wife has been wanting to try the Blue Water Bistro for some time. Since it was her birthday I made arrangements for dinner. After reading the reviews, both positive and negative, I had some reservations especially about the service. Absolutely no need to worry. Angela, our server, was terrific. In fact the entire staff was in peak form and couldn't of been nicer. I am sure that part of the difference between our experience and some of the negative ones was that ours was off-season. During season service can suffer almost anywhere. My wife had a terrific shrimp dish stuffed with crab. I had the blackened salmon. This was perhaps the best salmon dish I have had anywhere. Certainly among the top five. This is also on the early bird menu which would bring the cost down considerably. Since they knew it was my wife's birthday they also brought her a complimentary dessert. Delish. Will we will we return? Absolutely.
(5)Don S.
We had a nice dinner here last night. No complaints. I had the crispy grouper stuffed with crab. It was delicious and so was the sauce it came with. I didn't care so much for the side of fried rice it came with but it was ok. My wife had the grouper sandwich. I didn't try it but she said it was good. Our friends had a bunch of sushi stuff that I won't eat but they said it was very good. Service was also very good, food all came out at the same time, drinks refilled, and checks came in a timely manner. All in all nothing spectacular but very good.
(4)Stephanie M.
Was at the mall and needed a diner spot. Menus looked good so we decided to give it a shot. Patio was nice we sat out there and were served promptly. We started with the crab cakes to start which were okay. We had the crab stuffed grouper which was crispy and the bed of rice and some vegetables had a good taste. Husband had blackened haddock that came with a choice of a sauce like soy wasabi or sweet and sour but we didn't see how these sauces fit in to the blackened fish. We did find a hair on our plate that was a tad disturbing. Food presentation was nice but nothing wowing or spectacular. Decent for a mall joint.
(3)Susan S.
I kind of chuckled when I saw that the two-star review includes the phrase "Meh." Because that's exactly how I was going to start this review. Meh. My biggest disappointment was the menu as a whole. I love seafood, but living in a land-locked state, I love to take advantage of my visits to the coast to get truly fresh seafood. In looking at the menu, I saw nothing really local - everything was probably frozen and flown, just like it would have been if I'd ordered it in KC. My table ordered the shrimp nacho appetizer, which was just weird. The cheese was like a normal yellow nacho cheese. On shrimp. With what seemed like bagged chips. The salsa and jalapenos were good, but the whole thing was just odd. My shrimp scampi was fine. About what I could have gotten anywhere. The place was crowded on a Saturday night and extremely noisy. It just wasn't what I expected from a seafood restaurant in that location.
(2)Darci S.
We really enjoyed our meal here! They have a great early dining special, which we took advantage of. Smaller menu with cheaper prices, and if two people order they throw in a bottle of decent wine. The only downside was we were the only diners under the age of 60 in the place. But whatever! We were hungry and we saved some bucks! The blackened salmon dish I ordered was amazing, I'd eat it again in a heart beat. Service was great.
(4)Dave M.
Lackluster at best. I had the buttermilk shrimp dinner, shrimp were good but the coleslaw should have been buried for kimchee and then forgotten about. Fries were so-so at best. Wife had tuna poke and sticky rice. Sticky rice turned out to be rice & coconut milk soup. Then the mall DJ started, we cut the night short - I've heard better in old Holiday Inns.
(2)Larry S.
Four of us ate there tonight. This is a mixed review and once again points out how important decent service is for a memorable experience. The food would get 3.5 to 4 stars and it's a nice place with a lively atmosphere. John K was our server and we're assuming his nature reflects management's desires. John's support people are poorly trained in basic restaurant courtesy. John K is certainly at least average and maybe better as a server. However, his main goal tonight was to get us thru and out. We were earlier seating and the rush was on. I asked for ground pepper and the support person gave me the pepper grinder without a word to do myself. The busgirl dropped my friend's fries on my plate, though I wasn't finished. I mentioned this to John and he kind of grunted and murmered, "sorry" He may have been aware by now the service really diminshed our experience and, perhaps, his tip may be in jeopardy. I hope management invests some time in these employees.
(2)Peyton L.
The service was good but I was not impressed with my meal. It is kind of crowded and loud inside, I will not be returning.
(2)Paul C.
We came back for another try. Worth it. Great food,good service. The potatoe crusted tilapia was perfect as was the blackened salmon. The crab and corn chowader was the best. Back on my list of good placesto go....
(4)Lin Z.
We went here on vacation, looking for an economical meal with our hungry teens. Their early dining was a perfect option for a hot and rainy afternoon after beaching and showers. The early menu, which we did, was buy one entree get one, and 2 entrees + a bottle of wine for $30. The teens had crab legs, which came with huge baked potato and coleslaw, and a shrimp trio (butterflied, scampi and cocktail), also with huge potato. Hubby chose the chicken capellini pomodoro and I went with something called chicken Danny, that sounded good bc it was described with mushrooms spinach artichokes and goat cheese atop fettuccine. Really, with those ingredients this should've been awesome. Actually it was bland and -horribly imo--Sweet. Yuck. If it wasn't the cheapie special I might've returned it. Instead, hubby was wonderful and we swapped plates. He didn't mind the dish. I liked his capellini better (not sweet) but it was also pretty lame ( no garlic, little seasoning, boring). The wine was a 2012 bottle of Mondavi cab, probably no more than a $6 bottle at a place like Total Wine, but I wasn't expecting chateau neuf de pape. The teens' food was hefty-portioned and they had no complaints. We also ordered 2 appetizer salads to share- they were $5 each and very small-maybe because they were on the early dining menu. Sharing amounted to about 4 bites each. All in all, the early dining and bogo promos are enough of a deal to lure tourists, but the food is nothing to return to. It's part of a restaurant chain and feels like it- think Cheesecake Factory wannabe (but unfortunately it doesn't cut the cake).
(2)Tyler R.
I've never been to a place where the bar menu is a carbon copy, word for word clone of the dinner menu. On top of that, the prices are more or less 25% cheaper than in the dining room. And I reiterate: same food, less money. Its like getting a giant coupon for sitting at the bar - A bar that is fancy enough to have two sides, one inside, and three separate ections outside (facing in) that can seat up to three people each. So if you are lucky enough to score an outside bar seat (which we were) - then you can eat outside AND at the bar AND get the food for a little bit less. We got there just before 6, well before the end of happy hour, so half price drinks were in order. This applied to most wines and some beers - I got a beer not included in the half-off happy hour. Sad? Nope. Once you get past the oddness of the name, TommyKnocker Jack Whacker Ale (Craftily brewed in Colorado) is a super amazing taste bud explosion. Consume this. If not - the drink menu is at least five or six pages (more or less, I did not count) containing an abundant selection of wines, beers, and specialty mixed drinks. Apps: Salmon Firecracker Roll - Salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, something spicy. Overall good roll, the sushi rice was a little hard, but nothing a little soy sauce couldn't fix. Chicken Caesar Spring Roll - I don't normally deep-fry my salad, and we ordered this out of pure curiosity. It was actually...pretty good. The dipping sauce was some variation on Caesar dressing and we killed it, so it wasn't bad, just a little hard to describe. If you like Caesar salad and spring rolls and would like to see what it would be like if they got together and had a baby, eat this. Food: Blackened Salmon - I was jealous I didn't order this. I think the picture I posted pretty much speaks for itself on this one. The bartender said this is their #1 seller, and for good reason. Bistro Salad w/Ahi - Holy mother chunk of tuna. Big. Rare. Awesome. Perfect complement to my salad, which was over the top delicious thanks to the watermelon and chevre cheese. Great atmosphere, great location, great food - no reason not to go here.
(4)Jan K.
I ate there last week with a friend and two relatives of hers. First of all they wouldn't sit us outside saying that u had to have reservations as they were full. And then her relative came in and the host/hostess sat us outside. What am I?, chopped liver? Service was fine. Price was right with the two entrees with a bottle of wine. I ordered the chicken capellini pomodoro - worst meal I have had in years. So salty and the spices were just extremely off. I didn't say anything because I was not paying for the meal and I had just met the man who paid for dinner. Mind u my expectations were low ordering pasta at a fish place. I wasn't looking for Taylor street Italian from Chicago or the north end of Boston. Funny thing is my friend had the same thing and when we left and got in the car together she said "my entree was horrible ". I can't believe a chef actually created that dish. Although everything else was fine, one star for dissing US on the outside seating and the "not as good as canned pasta" capellini Spagettios here I come!!!
(1)Dawn C.
we met friends and each had a different meal. we started out with the crab cake that was delicious. the sauce was incredible. I had the Mahi Mac that was outstanding. so many great flavors evenly balanced to make a party in my mouth. My husband had the Pompano blackened with the wasabi sauce and said it was excellent. this place is not inexpensive but worth it. Fresh fish, well prepared.
(4)Carl L.
Some friends had spoken highly of The Blue Water Bistro so my wife and I decided to try it. Our 6 O'clock reservations were honored and we were seated promptly. The loud speaking waitress tried to be helpful with some of the menu choices and after a while we ordered. My wife's choice was Trout with a Lemon Butter Sauce and mine, the Crispy-Crunchy Crab Stuffed Grouper. Well, sadly my wife's fish was bone dry despite her dousing it with more of her sauce. My grouper had been deep fried and was more crust than underlying fish for there was truly only a meager amount of grouper and the accompanying crab stuffing. The latter was the much cheaper chopped snow crab variety with perhaps one or two miniscule pieces of lump crab meat(the "good stuff"). To add to my displeasure, I spent a good amount of time picking out large and small bones from my supposedly deboned fish(as attested to by the waitress and manager). The manager said "they do their best" and offered to comp a dessert. Fine I said and we had an order of the sweetest Key Lime pie I had ever tasted. This too was not very appetizing and after a bite or two we had had enough!! After leaving the restaurant we suffered a further indignity: not only were we charged $5.00 for valet service but the valet stressed that this fee went to the restaurant and pleaded for a tip which we obliged. This tacky bit was the "perfect" ending to an unhappy experience at the Blue Water Bistro
(1)Cara N.
Happy hour and dinner are both excellent here. Recommend the mussels for an appetizer served in a light tomato broth and sushi rolls. Caesar salad and fish and chips are excellent too, Service was prompt and polite. Recommend a reservation.
(4)Tara B.
I visited Blue Water Bistro with my mother and her boyfriend to celebrate my birthday. My mother and I shared the tuna poke appetizer, which was good while not actually traditionally prepared poke. We also tried the crab and corn chowder, which we found to be hearty and tasty. The bread they put on the table was great. My mother ordered the capellini with shrimp and was thrilled with the flavors. Her boyfriend had grilled shrimp with a sea-salt baked potato and the brown rice stir-fry. He loved everything he ordered and stated that while he normally didn't love baked potatoes, the one served to him was fantastic. I had the shrimp trio and was particularly impressed by the buttermilk fried shrimp. The scampi was very good and the quality of the shrimp itself was good. Our server, Christopher, was very helpful and pleasant. He had suggested a wine to go with my entree and he was spot-on. We were very happy with our experience.
(4)Mike E.
Came here for drinks and a bite before a movie with 5 friends. The drinks were weak and the bar tenders didn't want to play game (at first). My buddy ordered the crab legs for 24 bucks, and someone else ordered a burger. The burger was fairly good, but the crab legs were HILARIOUS. It was a big bowl of ice, with 4 crab legs making a crag leg ice pyramid. Thanks for the ice sculpture, but did you just serve us crab legs at $6.00 each? O_O I had to ask the server if this was normal, and she snapped bubble gum. That is all.
(2)Mark E.
We have eaten here 4 times, last night for the last time I think. Our first visit was back in April. The food was ok, the memorable thing was the server reminded me of a diner waitress ( no offense to diners or their servers), but she did not live up to what we expected in this well appointed eatery. The next two times the food was better and servers did a good job. Last night, everyone working was in their Halloween costumes. Really? $120 meal served by I guy dressed up like he is working on the railroad? We ordered 6 blue point oysters which were tasty but way undersized, almost tiny. The shucker managed to get one schucked correctly, the other 5 we needed to work on with our forks. We have had the oysters there before and every time they arrive with only one fork. My wife has a serious glutten problem and we appreciate that they have a GF menu. She had the Grouper Scampi ( no pasta) with sun dried tomatoes. While very tasty it was clearly not a dinner course portion. I had the shrimp and scallops. Shrimps were over cooked, scollop's were a bit tough. I believe they need to take some lessons from their sister restaurant down the street Chops City Grill. I believe we will go back to eating beef at Chops and find another place to fill our fish dining needs.
(2)Dennis W.
I defiantly recommend the mussels for an appetizer. The Parmesan encrusted flounder was amazing. The shrimp and scallops were out of this world.
(5)Rick B.
Loved this place. Ate here twice during our 8 day vacation in Bonita Springs. We tried to eat as local as possible, so we ordered entrees with fresh grouper. All awesome. Cooked to perfection. A bit on the expensive side, but worth it. Service was excellent. Happening place. Beautiful interior. First time, there was a 45 minute wait. Second time, we booked early on-line and got to pick our time so we were seated immediately despite another huge crowd waiting for tables when we arrived.
(5)Bob G.
What a rip off ! Ordered chefs selection of oysters, 6 off the chefs choice. They came out and the waiter could not identify which they were.(3 different kinds) they where not shucked properly not separated from the shell. My wife ordered Thai lobster. Sauce was sweet and gummy shrimp small and rubbery and peanuts ( in description ) none existent . I had the Tuna and it was OK. This restaurant pretends to be something it isn't . Try A Table apart they are the real deal.
(1)David C.
My wife and I both enjoyed our meals. We both had Mahi Mahi dishes but not prepared the same. Also has salads & wine. I had the caesar which seemed like it was prepared in advance as lettuce was a little soft but flavor was very good. My wife said hers was very good. Bread was delicious and service was excellent. We would go back again and would recommend it as a good place for seafood meal.
(4)Nicole E.
If I have any complaints it's that I'm only in the area for one night!! The menu here was amazing - I wanted so very many things listed, but like I said, I only had one night and one meal to choose. I decided to go for the Mahi Mac which is a Mahi Mahi over noodles with a pineapple type of sauce and cleared my plate. The fish was fresh and cooked just right, the noodles and sauce were just enough to compliment the fish. I love the atmosphere of eating outdoors and the servers were very friendly and prompt. This restaurant is well worth a stop when you're in town - I know I'll be going back!!
(5)Marc C.
So we sat at the bar for what sounded like a good deal - 50% off most dinner entrees. The food was decent at about $14 (after discount) for the entree we ordered. But we were absolutely SHOCKED when the bill arrived and my two "classic martinis" were more than $16/ea. My wife's gin & tonic was $11 for Tanqueray gin. What a rip-off! I've paid less for mixed drinks in London hotel lobbies, and Naples isn't London by a long shot. Even more annoying is that the drinks menu shows martinis at $10.50, with a special note that blue cheese olives are an extra $1.70. What the menu conveniently omits is that the list of vodkas they put next to the martini list all carry a $5 up-charge. The whole thing felt cheap, right down to the bartender saying, "We don't set the prices...The owner does. We have a conscience." I guess when your service and restaurant are average at best, you have to squeeze some profit from somewhere even if it means that savvy guests won't come back. The bottom line is that you'll do a lot better for food, service and price elsewhere in Naples. Not recommended.
(2)Kathy S.
I love this restaurant!! Food is fantastic, especially their signature dish, Mahi Mac. Service is excellent and it's always fun to sit outside and people watch. And, prices are fair! Check it out soon!
(5)Stephen L.
Food was good...fish tasted great. I had the ahi tuna and my wife had the black grouper...good sized portions and it was very good seafood. The side sauces were so-so and the side dishes and appetizers were OK but probably not as good as the price would indicate. I was a bit disappointed about the drink special. We were told it was 2 for 1 regular drinks so we both ordered a drink ($10.50 each!) but when the bill came, both were charged and we were told that the drinks had to be the same drink (or maybe it was 2 per person). Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things but the special seems misleading. I would go again but probably would try a lot of other restaurants first. Good dinner...but probably not a super memorable one.
(3)David S.
Just ate dinner here after spending the afternoon at Coconut Point. Overall, we were very satisfied though somewhat pricey: 3 adults, 2 kids (one of whom only had a cup of soup), water and soft drinks came to $91. Service was good and the restaurant was not at all crowded most likely because we ate soon after 5pm. The warm sourdough is very nice and easy to fill yourself up on. My wife had the Mahi Mac, which the menu describes as "sauteed macadamian nut and panko encrusted mahi mahi with a grilled pineapple-togarashi sauce and a stir fry of Chinese lo mein noodles, shiitake mushrooms, green onion and ginger." She thought this was excellent and approached some of the meals we enjoyed when we lived in San Francisco (which is high praise indeed). My mother had the grilled Mahi Mahi with a mango sweet and sour sauce, which she also described as excellent. My 2-1/2 year old (aka "The Soup Monster") seemed to enjoy her cup of seafood chowder which include clams. My 4 year old had grilled tilapia which she enjoyed about as much as any 4 year old enjoys healthy food, favouring the fries, tortilla chips that came with my burger and croutons that came with my salad... The lone non-seafood eater (me) had a burger topped with jack cheese, jalapenos, salsa, guacamole, onion and cilantro. It was very tasty and was prepared as requested. Clearly, this is a seafood-centric establishment, and they appear to know what they're doing with it. Since we came off-season, it should be noted that this a different menu to high-season when sushi is also on offer.
(4)Matthew M.
Yeah, it may be a tiny bit on the expensive side, but it is a nice restaurant and the food and atmosphere are both excellent. After bypassing this restaurant on our previous visits to Bonita Springs, we ate dinner outside one night and I'm glad we did. The blackened salmon was good (maybe a tad dry), but the parmesan corn cous cous and sauteed spinach were out of this world. Not a big vegetable eater, but the spinach was my favorite part of the meal. My wife had the Mahi Mac, which was also very good.
(4)Auntie Vee B.
I've tried this bistro twice now and won't try a third. Having been to many wonderful seafood restaurants I think this is below par, unless I was unlucky both times? Tonight I started with the 'ultimate' ($29) which had clams that were non existant in their shells and crab legs so dry they were sawdust when cracked. I next had the Mon Chong which was $28, dry dry dry and then overcooked until tough. Shame. I had hoped the first time I went was just a bad night, surely I didn't just have two bad nights? Like I mentioned I won't bd back for a third.
(2)Vernon J.
Great selection. Make reservations if going before 8:00. Blackened salmon was delicious. Pieces flaked off with slightest piercing from fork. Guests ordered mahi mahi and grouper. They both ordered and loved the cheesy lobster baked potato. They also shared the Fudgee Wudgee - an irresistibly sinful dessert. The key lime pie had a cheesecake consistency to it. Attentive and knowledgeable wait staff.
(4)Don J.
Great place to go for dinner, or drinks and Happy Hour. Very creative menu, the short rib meatballs are awesome!!
(4)Jay K.
Good food, good atmosphere, good people as always. Crab cake was delicious. Highly recommended all around. Let Rich take care of you at the bar- you'll be happy you did. See ya next time.
(5)Gina M.
Excellent food and excellent service. What more can you want? I highly recommend the mahi mahi. It was delightful! The shrimp cocktail app was great too, though the cocktail sauce wasn't nearly as spicy as I would have liked. Our server, Justin, was amazing. The people I was with ordered me a drink that I absolutely did not want. I quietly asked him to remove it from the table without them noticing (I would have been heckled relentlessly) and he nailed it, saving me a lot of grief from the others! Yay, Justin!
(4)Bill P.
This is my wife's favorite place to eat out. Out is the key word, on a nice night the outdoor dining area is the best place to eat. We have been many times but last week we went for her birthday (we didn't tell our waiter). She hates the extra attention. We had not only the best meal but also the best service we've had in a long time. Our waiter David S. was as good as it gets, he knew every item on the menu and made suggestions. They are having a 3 course summer special with prices ranging from $23 to $32 based on the entree you pick. I had the Chilled Summer Seafood platter and it was great, the Oysters were as good as I've ever eaten. My wife had the Thai Lobster and was pleased but missed her favorite dish (also on the specials) Linguini and Crab. We both loved our meals, she just ALWAYS orders the Linguini and Crab. This is the only place we go that she orders the same thing most times. That says a lot for the dish. Yes a seafood place can make Pasta they also own an italian restaurant as well as a great steak house. I am a New home sales manager but also write reviews on restaurants so I know food.
(5)Jim R.
This place misses the mark on so many little things that it just left me cold. Huge bucket of bread for the four of us...basically one pat of butter. The "Big Ugly" salad must have referred to the 8.90 dollar price tag, not the salad itself. It was a decent salad but way overpriced. My fish was quite expensive, barely edible and was obviously getting close to the end. A little attention to detail and this place could be good. I would say there have to be better choices given the mediocre service, mediocre food and relatively high prices. Tried this place 8 or 10 times and that's quite enough to know management doesn't get it.
(2)Fred Z.
Dined Sunday of President's Day weekend. Height of season. Out of Burgers? No Clam Bake! No Grey Goose or Skyy!.Service was fine under circumstances, but Chef and back of restaurant should be hung for putting front of house in negative position. Bistro 41 much better choice on all fronts.....
(2)Layla C.
My boyfriend chose Blue Water Bistro as the site of my intimate birthday gathering this year, and as the four stars might hint at - I was delighted with his choice. The restaurant was packed, which was surprising given that it is HUGE. Tables available indoors and out, with varying sized tables and booths lining the perimeter of the large main room. The room is grand in scale - large fixtures with mostly blue and white lighting. Surprisingly chic feel for the 'hood... Stellar cocktail menu with so many tempting choices. Food menu was similarly grand and more fairly priced. I loved the bacon wrapped scallops and the basa I ordered as my main course. Some of my friends weren't as thrilled with their meals, but everyone enjoyed at least one of their courses and left pretty satisfied. The wait staff left a bit to be desired, which is why I docked a star. Spilling drinks. Touching bread and place settings wayyy too much. Taking forever to bring everyone's meals, refill drinks etc. Ridiculous delay in taking our order initially. All in all, I was satisfied and would definitely recommend for a variety of occasions.
(4)Sarah W.
Do not recommend this place! My husband and I like trying new places and decided to give this place a try while on a trip to Florida. The drinks are overpriced (as mentioned by other reviewers), but they're fairly large and taste good. I ordered the grouper scampi, which was really good. My husband ordered the crab legs which were cooked ok- the kicker was, the crab legs came out with a completely ROTTEN POTATO (that was served split, so you'd think someone would have noticed)! I'm not exaggerating- there was a slimy large black growth taking up 1/3 of the potato! My husband took a bite before he noticed and his appetite was ruined! The waitress apologized, took the potato, and brought another one. Try eating anything, let alone another potato after eating a rotten one. The manager casually offered a free cocktail or dessert, but my husband was too grossed out to enjoy anything at that point...they didn't even take anything off the bill! Very disappointed!
(1)Lu D.
Blue Water Bistro overall is a good seafood restaurant. The interior design is excellent. I liked the way that they have the menu setup so that you can have your fish your way. You get to select the fish, how it's prepared and which sauce you would like it pared with. It gives you a lot more options without sounding like a high maintenance eater.
(4)Barbara N.
We had a lovely meal here with attentive service and very fresh fish. They even called the next day to thank us for our business. This is how a restaurant should be run.
(4)Rick N.
Food was good but a tad overpriced. We've been here a few times and it seems like the menu has gotten smaller. (Probably a good thing.) Don't bother with the shrimp vodka penne, it's one of the more expensive items on the basic menu for no good reason. It was watered down and tasteless. Everything else was good though. Waitstaff could use a little bit more training before they're released on their own. Our waiter was lost, and by no apparent fault of his own. He just seemed new to the restaurant biz.
(4)lisa w.
The best seafood restaurant in the fort myers area. It is the sister restaurant to Chops City grill, and is at the new Coconut Point Mall. You can sit outside. I recommend sitting at the bar since the bartenders and wondeful and much more consistent than the servers. The mahi mac is possibly the best piece of fish in florida.
(5)Jared B.
Amazing food and great staff. The waiters will be straight up honest with you about the best choices on the menu along with what their recommendations are based on your preferences. They will tell you which fish is fresh and which is frozen. We had a party of 7 and the food and appetizers were just amazing Then they brought us an amazing version of their key-lime pie for our dessert as we were having a birthday celebration for one of our guests. The price is right for the quality of food and service as it is without a doubt a step above. The location is nice, the outdoor seating looks appealing and there is valet service right near the entrance. The bar was along the wall so it serves the interior as well as exterior dining areas.
(5)Jerry L.
We have eaten here many times. We love the tuna poke appetizer, big ugly salad, chicken Danny, and salmon. The servers are very talented and knowledgeable about their food. I would highly recommend that you try blue water bistro.
(4)J S.
Do not go to this restaurant! We went on a night that the computers were down. The service was horrible, the food was marginal, and no attempts were made to try and make the evening pleasurable. The manager checked with us to tell us what s lousy night he was having, I called the corporate customer service manager to complain, and he did nothing to try and get me back in the restaurant. In fact, he actually became argumentative. There are other good options like Stir Crazy and Ruth Chris'. Do not waste your time or money!
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