by Susan Barnett
Between Metro Parkway and Gateway Boulevard there are over 25 individual or small local chain restaurants. Yvette and I met early this year and discussed how there are so few chain restaurants along the Daniels thoroughfare. Given we are easily accessible from I-75, one would think Daniels Parkway is a natural area to see more chain restaurants. Personally, I think we are lucky to have so many individual and mom-and-pop restaurants with great quality and variety. We have a lot of Italian, but also sprinkled in the mix are Thai, Korean/Japanese, Vietnamese, Greek/Italian, and Mexican.
Listed in this issue are the restaurants and their ratings from Trip Advisor and Yelp, and also a list of my top ten favorites. If you are not familiar with the Trip Advisor and Yelp apps, I highly recommend you download both on your phone and tablet. I use both all the time for local restaurants, and especially when traveling. Both apps give you an option to load your current location. I do find that Trip Advisor reviewers are a bit more sophisticated. Yelp tends to lean towards a younger crowd. There is one other restaurant app I like: Open Table. I use this app for reservations, but not all restaurants use this app. Open Table is particularly useful when you are in major cities.
We are working on a complete article for fall featuring restaurants in The Corridor. We welcome your feedback and recommendations. Feel free to email me some of your favorite Daniels Corridor restaurants and dishes at sbarnett@embarqmail.com.
Susan’s Top 10 Personal Picks & Suggestions
- Fat Katz: try the OMG Tuna Sandwich
- Origami: try the Bibimbap
- Norman Love Confections: for fresh daily desserts or pastries
- Shrimp Shack: any shrimp dish
- Thai Star: Pad Thai is a must
- Fresh Bagel: go for the bagels but stay for the lunch
- Nino’s: best pizza
- Da Vinci’s: new and cute with some Greek dishes
- Ft. Myers Brewery: food trucks on site every Thursday
- Nemo’s at HeadPinz: best Happy Hour
Yelp Top 10 Restaurants on the Daniels Corridor
NOTE: These are listed in order of popularity from Susan’s location in Eagle Ridge.
- Fancy’s Southern Café
- 3 Pepper Burrito
- Origami
- Fat Katz
- Trattoria Mia
- Metro Deli and Café
- Potts Sport Café
- Two Meatballs in the Kitchen
- Fresh Bagels and More
- La Grotta
Trip Advisor Rankings of Daniels Restaurants
NOTE: Trip Advisor ranks the entire Fort Myers area; the ratings below are out of 850 restaurants and may change day to day; these rankings were compiled mid-February.
- Fancy’s Southern Café, #23
- Fat Katz, #26
- Two Meatballs in the Kitchen, #28
- Shrimp Shack, #31
- Origami Restaurant, #63
- Trattoria Mia, #66
- Rock’n Sushi and Asian Bistro, #81
- Stevie Tomato’s Sportspage, #85
- La Grotta Italian Grill, #87
- Norman Love Confections, #94
- European American Bakery, #148
- Thai Star, #154
- Artisian Gelato, #159
- Nino’s Italian Restaurant, #175
- Pizza D-Lux, #176
- Fine Folk Pizza, #179
- Casa Lupita Café, #208
- Potts Sports Café, #262
- Da Vinci’s, #321
- Rib City, #332
- Patinellas Chicken Grill, #340
- Boulevard Deli, #456
- Metro Deli & Café, #458
- 3 Pepper Burrito, #545
- Pho Plus 2, #640
- Ft. Myers Brewing Co., no rating
- Nemo’s at HeadPinz, no rating
Susan Barnett is a food industry veteran who graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics. A self-proclaimed “foodie”, Susan’s philosophy is: “It’s all about the food!” Contact her with your food questions at sbarnett@embarqmail.com.
