Paradise Lost? Not at The Lazy Flamingo!

Sometimes the seaside fare of big chain restaurants can get tiresome and clichéd in a hurry, especially for the seasoned Floridian. It’s cute to see sunburned tourists getting “the real Florida experience” by having a nice dinner at, say, Shells or Hooters. But often times, the food isn’t good enough to justify putting on a T-shirt to dine inside. Now that’s not to besmirch the integrity of Shells or Hooters, which are both fine establishments in their own right, but the truth is it’s possible to get amazing food in an unpretentious, yet festive atmosphere that’s only steps away from a beautiful beach and is very reasonably priced. I’m not lying!

Tucked away on the mythical Sanibel Island you’ll find The Lazy Flamingo, a very down-to-earth place despite the absolutely offensive pink color of the building – whose idea was that? The Lazy Flamingo attracts all kinds of people – though one gets a feeling that Sanibel natives and regulars comprise a decent amount of it’s patrons. And for good reason: the food is great, and it will make you come back. The location I traveled to– the one that calls itself “The Original- is located in downtown Santiva, which is a good ways into the island nearing Captiva. The second and third locations are located on Sanibel on Periwinkle and in Bokeelia, this last one reachable by boat.

Upon entering the restaurant, you’re greeted with an intimate room furnished by several booths, a table or two, and ample bar space. And when I say ample, I mean enough room for 20 people. Everything from the bar, to the tables, down to the floor is made of dark wood, and once you’re inside you’ll probably hear some Blue Oyster Cult playing on the radio. Beer brand neon signs all over the walls help illuminate the dining room without killing the bar ambiance.

One thing you need to keep in mind during a visit to The Lazy Flamingo, which is especially true on busy days, is that you need to be somewhat aggressive in making sure that you put your order in, and you need to listen up for when your order comes out and the server yells for you.

Yes, you get yelled at. But it’s really kind of cool.

Let me explain. Because of the intimacy of the restaurant, there’s typically only one server running the show in the front, with a few cooks in the back. The server tends to stay behind the bar for the most part, frantically refilling drinks, answering the phone, and taking people’s orders - yes, that’s right, you take three steps to the bar to put in your order. On busy days there might be a sloppy line to put in your order, and people will probably jump in momentarily to ask the server for something – straws, crayons for their kids, whatever – but don’t worry, you’re not being ignored, the servers at The Lazy Flamingo are fabulous multi-taskers. Just go up there, give the server your order, get your drinks, and go back to your table. When your order’s up, the server will call you. It’s different, but it’s totally manageable, and it really shakes off that whole impersonal vibe that a lot of big chains present.

As for the food and drinks, you really can’t go wrong. There’s a whole cooler full of domestic and imported ice-cold beers to choose from ($3.25 for domestic bottles, $4.25 for imports), or you can pick your poison from the 11 different beers on tap ($2.25 for domestic drafts, and $2.75 for imports). You can also enjoy a glass of white (Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio) or red wine (Merlot, Blush Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon) at $6 a glass or $25.95 for the bottle. If you really want to do it up, there are three kinds of champagnes that range from $25 to $65 a bottle. For lighter drinks, they have a delicious Santiva Sangria at $6.95 a glass, and $3.95 wine coolers. Of course, if you want to stay sober, there’s a wide array of sodas and other drinks to choose from.

When you visit The Lazy Flamingo, you absolutely must try an appetizer. As a grill and raw bar, the restaurant takes a lot of pride in serving only the freshest and finest seafood. Their ice cold oysters on the half shell ($6.99 for six, $10.99 for thirteen) are a popular item, as I saw a good amount of people ordering and enjoying them. However, perhaps the greatest of the appetizers would be the $6.99 conch fritters, which are just the right blend of sweet, juicy, and spicy. You’d be hard-pressed to find better conch fritters anywhere else, save for perhaps Key West.

The entrée selection is varied and has something to offer everyone. As a fan of fried shrimp, I would recommend… the fried shrimp. You’ll get six seriously huge prawns, crispy and breaded on the outside, and pink and juicy on the inside. With it, you’ll get lemon, cocktail sauce, and a side of their perfectly seasoned fries, all for $12.99. Not bad, right? Just wait until you try it! Another entrée that I found to be just to die for was the mesquite-grilled chicken breast sandwich. If you take heaven, grill it, and put it on a roll, that’s what the sandwich tastes like. It’s a medley of plump and juicy chicken grilled and marinated to perfection, a sweet and fresh roll, mayo, the taste and texture of their “special sauce,” and the usual lettuce, tomato, and onion. It’s what a chicken sandwich is supposed to taste like, and it comes with fries for $8.99. Perfection.

But there’s quite more to choose from. The big burger-burger I hear is very good, costing the same amount as the chicken sandwich. You can also try a grouper sandwich, mesquite-grilled or fried for the market price, or have a fried grouper basket, all made from the freshest seafood on the island. There’s also a choice amount of different style of wings – buffalo, teriyaki, or teri-hot style for $8.99, and the extra-hot dead parrot wings for $9.99. If you crave something lighter, they have terrific Caesar salads for $8.99, which you can also get with mesquite-grilled chicken breast for $12.99 or grouper at the market price. Any Caesar salad aficionado will approve, these salads are award-winning Island favorites!

And if you saved any room for dessert, The Lazy Flamingo has a Key lime pie ($4.99) that will blow your mind.

So now you have no excuse to not get some amazing island food when you venture to Sanibel. The Lazy Flamingo might be different than your usual restaurnat, but in a good way. It really grows on you. Even if you’re timid and shy and the experience of going elbow-to-elbow with complete strangers to get your food makes you nervous, don’t worry, nobody cares. If you’re worried that you look a mess from being at the beach all day, don’t worry, nobody cares. If you take ages to decide what you want, don’t worry, nobody cares. You’ll be in good company at The Lazy Flamingo, and the food…

Well, you really need to try it for yourself.

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