Lazy Flamingo

Lazy F is loved by many for its affordable seafood offerings. Plus it's another top favorite of ours when our daughter was small- so it was nice to revisit their Sanibel location recently on a Thursday night after getting in town. The design here is the total opposite of those yacht nautical white walls/blues/seashell touches. Flamingo is more about that old nautical sailboat feel with ship wheels, oil lamps and lots of dark, chunky woods.

Our 9pm Thursday dinner was nice as was the service. This Lazy F (not sure about all others) only serve beer and wine. Since we were in search of fried oysters, this Lazy F took care of that perfectly. Our conch fritters appetizer had the perfect amount and a nice size too- but they were too floury/doughy with barely any conch in them.

Hubs enjoyed his Grouper Tacos and my Grouper Basket had 4 sizable pieces that had a wonderful and light batter- almost similar to a tempuras one. We like the vibe here and our server Sarah was so sweet. Thank you! Just know that when you come to Lazy F, you can almost expect a smorgasbord of seafood to feast on.

My husband picked the Lazy Flamingo for dinner. Upon entering, we noticed they have a decent parking lot, and outdoor seating.

Once we entered, I felt like we were in an old boat or the crusty crab from Sponge Bob (neither a bad thing, leads to the charm of being at a seafood restaurant).

We were promptly seated, brought waters and given menus. First almost all the restaurants we visited were kid friendly. Second almost all the menus had Kraft mac and cheese on the menu. You may wonder why the Mac and cheese reference, well, my kids on a mac and cheese kick.

Anyway, I'm on a grouper taco kick, so we're somewhat creatures of habit. Anyway our server was pleasant. I asked for a sample of the Islamorada No Wake Zone beer on tap and was brought a sample. It was crisp, cool, and summery, so I ordered a glass of that.

My husband ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, I ordered the grouper tacos, and my kiddo ordered the Mac and cheese. We didn't wait very long.

My husband raved about his grilled chicken sandwich, which was HUGE. My son ate all his Mac and cheese. I liked my grouper tacos, but wish they had been warmer.

Pros:
-variety of items on the menu
-cute theme inside
-outdoor seating
-kid friendly
-good grouper tacos

Cons:
-wish my tacos were warmer

Tip: if you're not sure what beer to try; ask for a sample.

Lazy Flamingo!! This is a just when visiting Sanibel and Captiva. They have two locations but we prefer and will drive to the original location on Periwinkle. It is much better, better service and the food is just tastier!

We are very traditional and know what we like. My favorite is the clam chowder and the steamer pot with all clams. Ok the clam chowder, OMG this is so creamy, delicious, thick and so yummy. It's almost like a sauce it's so good. I've also tried the conch chowder also very good but very spicy.

The steamer pot. This is my favorite and I look forward to it all year. It's about 2 dozen steamed clams, in a steamer pot which comes with butter to dip. I think on its own I would be hungry so the soup is a great addition. These clams are so delicious with some old bay I could probably eat a 100.

The family also ordered the peel and eat shrimp, coconut shrimp, Buffalo shrimp, and the Caesar salad with blackened salmon. We also ordered the garlic bread with Mariana for $1 extra. Definitely add the Mariana.

Every single food item is delicious. We also have had the grouper sandwich, the chicken wings and the fish tacos.

This is definitely worth the stop. Food is great, cold beer and lots of tvs to watch the game. They do have food for the non seafood lovers which are so tasty options.

Give me a beach vibez restaurant that is serving up casual eats and ice-cold beer, and I will always be a happy gal.

Lazy Flamingo is a staple in our Family when we arrive to Sanibel. Why? It's one of the first restaurants you drive past once you get onto the island, and the menu has something for everyone.

I've been a dozen times, and it always hits the spot.

Most recently, I ordered a half portion of caesar salad with blackened shrimp. The half portion is plenty for lunch. My dad got the grilled grouper sandwich and he loved it.

Both of us got beer on draft. I love that they had some local Miami Beers from Veza Sur because #MiamiPride.

The service is super friendly, and they have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Putting their stamp on business names featuring animals in various states (The Drunken Clam, The Tipsy Cow, The Marauding Octopus, The Lusty Armadillo [you get the gist]) The Lazy Flamingo does justice to this lineage with rockin ice cold beers and a muscular menu.

Wifey and I both threw down on the FISH TACOS (of grouper). Crispy, flaky, flavorful, mangoey, and with a nice bitta kick. Props on the rice and black beans too...a lot of lazy flamingo love went into their making.

In SoCal it's The Belching Beaver, in Jupiter, FL it's the Thirsty Turtle - and here on Sanibel Is., the Lazy Flamingo wins the prize.

Honestly every time we try this restaurant we ask ourselves why we went there. Service is decent, but the food is just not that good. See picture below for Shrimp Jammers, which look completely abysmal and forlorn. kind of disgusting to eat too. Buffalo wings were however pretty good. A mixed bag for sure.

I honestly didn't have high expectations when I came in, but I was pleasantly surprised. The servers were friendly and the food arrived fast. The oysters were fresh and the grouper was fried perfectly. The conch chowder tasted like warmed up salsa though. Overall, this place turned out to be pretty solid!

The Lazy Flamingo is a Captiva staple and you'll find it on Periwinkle Way. We have been coming for many yeaThe atmosphere here is low key, which is especially great if you're coming straight from the beach. When you enter the restaurant you definitely get the sense of low key. The staff all wearing Lazy Flamingo t-shirts, that they sell to customers. Once we were seated waters and menus were given to us.
The menu here is mostly seafood driven. The server came back with 8 mins or so, and we were ready. I ordered the Fresh Grilled Salmon on a 1/2 Caesar Salad( you can order the salmon Mesquite, Blackened, or Jerked. I got it blackened. Also comes
w/ Garlic Bread) This is my go to meal. I've gotten the salmon each way they offer, blackened is my favorite. Caesar dressing is made fresh and it's delicious. The salmon is always perfectly cooked.
My wife ordered the The Pot(this is 2 dozen select oysters or clams or combo. steamed in beer with special spices. celery and onions, all in their own fresh juices. oysters, clams, combo) This is her go to meal. She says it's a seafood melody. She also ordered a bowl of Clam Chowder (a text book bowl of clam chowder. Warm and creamy. Deliciousness)
My mother-in-law ordered Coconut Shrimp Platter w/Fries and Cole Slaw(This is her go to meal. She's always loved the coconut shrimp here) my father in law ordered the Peel & Eat Shrimp(sweetest, pinkest bear-steamed. bouncy prawns served hot with cocktail sauce & lemon) He loves it here. Yes it's peel and eat shrimp however the cocktail sauce just tastes better here. You can't go wrong with this He also ordered a bowl of Conch Chowder( it is delicious at Lazy Flamingo. It has a great spice to it unlike other restaurants on the island)
Other seafood items are
-Ice Cold Oysters On The Half Shell(They serve them ice cold and juicy)
-Clams On The Half Shell(They serve them small, cold and juicy)
-Smoked Fish(served with cocktail or tartar sauce & lime)
-Conch Fritters(just like hush puppies or clamcakes, but they're chock full of queen conch, diced vegetables. lemon and hot sauce)
-Mussels Marinara(It's topped with parmesan cheese. served with flamingo garlic bread)
-Clams Marinara(It's topped with parmesan cheese. served with flamingo garlic bread)
Fried Shrimp(six plump. pink, breaded prawns, served with fries, cocktail sauce and lemon)
-Fried Oysters(fresh select oysters breaded and fried to perfection send with fries, cocktail sauce and lemon)
-Grouper Sandwich Mesquite-grilled Or Fried
fresh-not frozen-grouper fillet, lettuce, tomato, onion, tartar sauce on a fresh baked bun, served with fries)
-Fried Grouper Basket(same great grouper as the sandwich, just a little more grouper and no bun, served with a mound of fries)
-Mesquite-grilled Grouper Platter(larger filet of fresh grouper with romaine lettuce. sliced tomato and a side of french fries)
-Conch Salad(fresh bahamian queen conch, cracked and marinated in key lime juice, with green pepper, onions. tomato and our own spices)
-Caesar Salad(topped with parmesan cheese, and served flamingo garlic bread. 1/2 portions available)
-Caesar Salad With Mesquite-grilled Grouper
(grilled grouper, served with flamingo garlic bread. 1/2 portions available)
*the Caesar salad is an award winner on the island*
-Your Catch(your fresh fish. you catch it, you filet it, you clean it, they cook it - blackened, grilled, mesquite grilled, or fried. sandwich or platter comes with all the trimmings and fries. max. 10 oz. per order)
Other items in the menu for meat eaters
-Big Burger Burger(8 oz. ground sirloin char-grilled, dressed with tomato, lettuce, onion, pickles, mayonnaise, and our special sauce on a fresh bun, served with fries)
-Steak Sandwich(done to your liking with our own special sauce. 6 oz. of top beef, with lettuce. tomato, onion. served with fries)
-Mesquite-grilled Ribs(grilled to perfection with our own special seasoning and served with coleslaw and fries. bbq sauce, if you must)
-Mesquite-grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich(boneless, skinless, plump and juicy with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, mayonnaise, our special sauce, on a fresh baked roll, sewed with fries)
-Fried Chicken Tenders Sandwich
(chicken tenders fried to perfection and served on a bun with all the trimmings and fries)
-Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich (11am - 4pm only
Served w/Fries and Cole Slaw)
-Buffalo Wings(mild or hot. with celery and bleu cheese - the very best)
Dead Parrot Wings(They call them that because they're so hot they could ralse the dead! with celery and blue cheese (order at your own risk) (very, very hot!)
-Teriyaki Wings(Chinese style - sweet and tart with celery and bleu cheese)
-Teri-hot Wings(dipped in our teri-hot sauce & celery and bleu cheese)

We loved the Lazy Flamingo and we will always return here every year. Aces

Nice small outdoor patio with fans. Inside decor is bar style. Got seated very quickly. Service excellent. Our table had grilled and fried Grouper and we all decided the fried was better. My be best grouper in Florida so far!! No sauce or lemon needed!!!

I had fried oysters 10/10. The oyster breading not too heavy and the oysters are very flavorful we all agreed they are excellent.

My sister had the hot wings and they are VERY good. Not so spicy they ruin your appetite but perfect with a cold beer. The hot Buffalo wings are a large portion of tangy, crunchy, juicy wings.

Calamari was flavorful and tender

Highly recommend this place.

Only down side is no hard alcohol.

Decided on a whim to have lunch here. Meh, I've had better.

The place is very easy to find. It was not very busy so we were greeted and seated right away.
The Server came to take our orders in a reasonable amount of time. The food arrived hot and as ordered. Kudos to the Hostess and Service for good service.

I ordered an appetizer of fried okra because it was not available as a side or substitute for the fries. The okra was good. For appetizer I decided on the 8oz cheese burger - I guess it is an extra charge for cheddar cheese on your cheese burger - with the onion sticks. The burger was just okay. It was cooked as ordered however it was a little bland.
The onion sticks were okay, I tasted them but didn't enjoy them enough to eat them.

Perhaps ordering seafood would have been better. I probably would not order the burger again if I were to give it another go.