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Crystal VanDenabeele and Ryan VanDenabeele (at left) with Salty Sam’s Marina owner Darrell Hanson (right) at the opening of Marina Cantina on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Crystal VanDenabeele (left to right) Salty Sam’s Marina Marketing Director Ryan VanDenabeele and Salty Sam’s Marina owner Darrell Hanson (right) at the opening of Marina Cantina on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina opened Wednesday, replacing the former Shrimp Dock Bar & Grill that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian on San Carlos Island. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Dave and Kelly Massey enjoy the opening of Marina Cantina, where they stopped with their boat and their dog. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina Waterfront Tin Tiki opened on Fort Myers Beach Wednesday. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina Waterfront Tin Tiki opened on Fort Myers Beach Wednesday. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina Waterfront Tin Tiki opened on Fort Myers Beach Wednesday. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina Waterfront Tin Tiki opened on Fort Myers Beach Wednesday. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina at Salty Sam’s Marina on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina opened Wednesday at Salty Sam’s Marina on San Carlos Island. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina opened Wednesday at Salty Sam’s Marina on San Carlos Island. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina opened Wednesday at Salty Sam’s Marina on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina opened Wednesday at Salty Sam’s Marina on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina opened Wednesday at Salty Sam’s Marina on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina opened Wednesday at Salty Sam’s Marina on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina opened Wednesday at Salty Sam’s Marina on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina General Manager Dru Hanni (left) and Salty Sam’s Marina owner Darrell Hanson (right). Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina Waterfront Tin Tiki opened up Wednesday off Main Street on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina Waterfront Tin Tiki opened up Wednesday off Main Street on Fort Myers Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Salty Sam’s Marina Marketing Director Ryan VanDenabeele (left) and Salty Sam’s Marina owner Darrell Hanson (right). Photo by Nathan Mayberg
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Marina Cantina Waterfront Tin Tiki opened to wide acclaim Wednesday with patrons so eager to enjoy the new waterfront restaurant on Fort Myers Beach that they were lined up in their vehicles at Salty Sam’s Marina ahead of the 3 p.m. opening.
“As soon as we opened, the bar was full,” Salty Sam’s Marketing Director Ryan VanDenabeele said.
VanDenabeele said one of the best parts of the restaurant is the view of the bay.
“It maximizes the view,” VanDenabeele said. “We have one of the biggest decks for outside seating in Fort Myers Beach.”
The new waterfront restaurant replaces the Shrimp Dock Bar & Grill, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian three years ago.
A lot of work was put in to replacing the restaurant, remodeling the inside and rebuilding the docks in front of the restaurant.
Salty Sam’s Marina owner Darrell Hanson said the permitting alone took a lot of time. “The permitting wasn’t the easiest,” he said. With the docks on site, the restaurant needed permits from both Lee County and federal permits. “It was a lot of work,” he said.
“After three years, we are very excited about being open. We had more than the usual difficulties. We are just happy to be open,” Hanson said.
“I think it turned out very well for what we are,” Hanson said. “It has a nice, casual atmosphere.”
Hanson said the restaurant’s menu is still being updated.
The new menu has a large Mexican flavor that plays off the seafood dishes.
The current menu features the main dishes of key lime buttered grouper, coconut crunch shrimp, catfish, barbecue salmon, ribs and a “captains sampler” of fried oysters, grouper fingers, calamari and shrimp.
The taco menu features blackened shrimp tacos, coconut shrimp tacos, chicken tacos and veggie tacos.
There are soups and salads, including chicken tortilla soup, avocado Caesar salad and “street corn chowder.”
Other dishes include the grouper sandwich, quesadillas, several different choices of wings, several options of shrimp, nachos, smoked fish dip, and an all-beef patty hamburger.
Hanson bought the Salty Sam’s Marina property in 1999 and has turned the site into one of the major destinations on Fort Myers Beach and Lee County. Next to Marina Cantina is the Parrot Key Carribean Grill.
The docks fully reopened over the summer and are already near full of boats, from folks here for the season to sightseeing and fishing tour boats.
The restaurant is offering a happy hour 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Friday, with the focus on Margaritas. The Margarita juice machine features four juice options from blackberry to mango, watermelon, strawberry. Patrons can choose one or mix them all, and enjoy just the juice or add liquor.
David and Kelly Massey stopped by to eat on their boat. Originally from Michigan, they live full-time down the road in Iona now.
They had a boat docked at Salty Sam’s Marina, along with dozens of other boats, when Hurricane Ian hit. While many of those boats did not survive, their boat miraculously did though they eventually sold and replaced it.
Mr. Massey called Marina Cantina “another great boating destination” for the area.
“We love it down here,” he said.
Mrs. Massey, while watching over her pet dog, said she was happy to have a new restaurant option. “It’s nice to have something new and refreshing,” she said.
The hours for Marina Cantina Waterfront Tin Tiki are Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday hours are noon to 10 p.m. Expanded hours are expected in November. Marina Cantina Waterfront Tin Tiki is located at 2200 Main Street on Fort Myers Beach.
All photos by Nathan Mayberg