Casual Restaurants on the Island

Captain Brien's Seafood & Raw Bar

Phone: 239-389-6900

Web site: http://www.captbriens.com/

Business hours:  11:00am-2:00am

Guy Harvey's Island Grill

Phone: 239-642-2248

Business hours: 11:00am-11:00pm

Cocomo's Restaurant

Phone: 239-394-3600

Website: www.cocomosgrill.com

Business hours: 11:30am-11:00pm

Porky's Last Stand - Marco

Phone: 239-394-8727

Web site: http://www.porkyslaststand.com

Business hours: 11:00am-11:00pm Fri and Sat 11:00am-12:30am

Ongoing events:

Nacho Mama's

Marco Walk

Phone: 239-389-2222

Business hours: 11:00am-1:00am

The Snook Inn

Phone: 239-394-3313

Web site: http://www.snookinn.com

Snook Inn is the type of restaurant that regular visitors to Marco Island make a point to visit after spending the day on the beach. The atmosphere is laid back and the diners can watch a spectacular view of the sun setting from the restaurant's very own pier.

The Snook Inn offers great seating both outside and inside with water views. Patrons can order a wide variety of food from soft-shell blue crabs to conch fritters to burgers.

Seafood, and lots of it, dominates the Snook Inn menu. The Shrimp Denny is at the tip of every server's tongue as a top recommendation. Don't miss the fantastic grouper sandwich or the pork tenderloin.

For heartier eaters, there's always the broiled seafood combo - which features fantastic shrimp - or the simple but delightful fresh grouper. Enterprising fishermen can also elect to have the staff cook their own fresh catch!

Many entrees come with a trip to the small but loaded salad bar and as a bonus, slices of the best bread east of the Mississippi.

Locals also frequent the restaurant because of its great atmosphere. Snook Inn plays host to live music every Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Business hours: 11:00am-midnight (kitchen hours 11:00am-10:00pm)

Bistro 821 info

Phone: 239-261-5821

Web site: http://www.bistro821.com/

Description

Walk off of Fifth Avenue into Bistro 821 and you'll find a place with a little funk and soul and then some. The decor tends towards the hipper end of the spectrum the with touches like orange martini glasses, comfy couch seating and live entertainment on Friday night.

Bistro 821's menu is equally hip with a melange of dishes that you've probably never had, but sound pretty appetizing. There's sake roasted seabass, grilled ostrich tendorloin and "uptown" macaroni and cheese, with shrimp and prosciutto mixed in. Bet your mom never made it like that!

Hours 5:00pm-10:00pm for the Kitchen to Midnight for cocktails on Friday and Saturday

Yabba Island Grill

711 5th Avenue South, Naples, 34102

Phone: 239-262-5787

Web site: http://www.yabbaislandgrill.com/

Yabba Island Grill info

Hours 5:00pm-10:00pm

Fujiyama Steak House of Japan

2555 Tamiami Trl N., Naples, 34102

The Gulf Coast Inn

Phone: 239-261-4332

Fujiyama Steak House of Japan info

Business hours: 5:30-10:00pm

Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe

1220 3rd Street South, Naples,

Phone: 239-643-6889

Web site: http://tommybahama.com

Description

With its Casablanca-style décor and open-air dining, Tommy Bahama's is comfortable and inviting for everyone.

Don't miss the Big Island Goat Cheese appetizer. Served with mango salsa, herbed crostini and a sweet soy glaze, the warm macadamia nut-crusted sweet cheese was a delight.

Entrees are uniformly excellent. Trindad Tuna ($31) arrives perfectly prepared — the pan seared, cilantro-lemongrass crusted Ahi tuna, seasoned with sweet chili sauce and beautifully presented on island rice, topped with shaved ginger, and drizzled with cilantro oil.

The Island Cowboy ($34) is a grilled black angus tenderloin filet seasoned with a port wine demi-glace and garnished with fresh baby arugula, Maytag bleu cheese and roasted garlic.

The Tommy's Rib Rack ($29) arrives glazed with a blackberry brandy barbecue sauce that adds a zingy bite to the scrumptious grilled baby back ribs. Sides include fries and a fantastic Asian slaw.

For a superb treat, try the brown sugar and pecan-crusted pan roasted red snapper ($34), covered in sautéed carrots, cabbage and squash, and topped with a vanilla bean erblanc, or white wine butter sauce.

Desserts include tangy Key Lime Pie ($7), and a humongous fudge brownie with chocolate sauce ($10) that the heartiest appeties struggle with.

Limited reservations to Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe are available for dinner only.

Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe info

Handsome Harry's

1205 Third Street South, Naples, 34102 (See map)

Phone: 239-434-6400

Fax: 239-434-6469

Web site: http://www.handsomeharrys.com

E-mail: larry@handsomeharrys.com

Description

Old Naples' newest see-and-be-seen scene, Handsome Harry's at 1205 Third Street South, is another reason to come downtown after dark. Or, for that matter, to liven up an otherwise laissez faire end-of-summer Southwest Florida afternoon by lunching al fresco on the spacious terrace.

Floors are attractive black and white marble squares, artwork includes vintage-look black and white photographs, cinnamon serves as the accent color and exotic orange birds of paradise poke from glass vases in the center of each table.

For starters, try Handsome Harry's bloody marys. At 24 ounces each ($8), they set the stage for the restaurant's fetish for BIG.

The average person needs two hands to heft the humongous glass.

Foodies give a big thumbs-up to the "Colossal Shrimp Cocktail" ($12), another eye-popper. Are you familiar with giant Tiger Gulf shrimp? These "crustaceans on steroids" were the size of a child's hand but surprisingly tasty (sometimes bigger isn't better). Kouri Killmeier poaches them in an aromatic white wine court-boullion, which brings out the seafaring flavor. Avid crab cake lovers should skip Harry's offerings however.

Filet mignon stems ($14 on dinner menu) were outstanding: tender steak crusted in cracked black peppercorns served skewered with a fragrant rosemary stem and finished with a brandy-butter sauce.

Seared ahi tuna ($28) was another winner.

Other entrée possibilities ride the range from Colorado lamb loin chops and a stuffed pork rib chop to roasted turkey rolatini, lobster fra diavalo, breast of boneless chicken and a raft of grilled steaks.

Desserts were spectacular — and, again, size matters. It's hard to believe they go for just $6 each. The carrot cake and Blackout Chocolate are the best of the best.

Handsome Harry's info

Ongoing events: