‘Watts for Dinner’: Pelican Bend’s craveable sliders, shrimp and white fish

Our next dining destination is Isles of Capri and the Pelican Bend Restaurant & Marina. It’s been nearly four years since our last visit, officially, but not much has changed; the food and service are still outstanding.

Driving into Isles of Capri is like going back in time to a Florida of yesteryear. You are only snapped back into reality by the modern vehicles that are taking up nearly every parking spot at every restaurant in this tiny village. And it’s only four o’clock. But Islanders do take their happy hour seriously (although I highly doubt that’s the right word for it).

When in Rome! We ordered the “Pelican Punch” which features three kinds of run with orange, cranberry, pineapple juice and a splash of Grenadine. A very refreshing drink that fits perfectly with our tropical surroundings.

On the food side, things got off to an appetizing start with the “Coconut Shrimp” ($9.99) from the starters’ menu. What a crispy crunchy delight. Huge shrimp and enough for sharing with one or two others.

For his main dish, my dining companion opted for the “Sauteed Fish” ($21.99). Billed as Pelican Bend’s “famous white fish.” It’s lightly breaded in an egg batter and sauteed in lemon and butter. Even though he was warned in advance about the batter, it still caught him off guard. Fortunately, it was in a good way. 

His “Signature Entree” (available after 4) came with his choice of salad and side. He opted for the “Capri Wedge.” You pick your dressing, he selected blue cheese, and you can add red onion, cherry tomato and bacon for a slight upcharge, but he declined.

The wedge is like a head of lettuce quartered. The dressing was a chunky blue cheese. And I looked on with envy has he slowly devoured it. 

For his other side, he asked for a baked sweet potato. It comes with butter and brown sugar, and, based on his feedback, was the highlight of the evening.

For my main dish, I opted for the “Prime Rib Sliders” ($16.98). You get three. The shaved prime rib is piled high. It’s served on a pretzel roll with arugula and garlic aioli. You get fries or coleslaw, but I upgraded to the sweet potato waffle fries. 

These sandwiches were pure heaven. The bread was soft and added flavor and texture to the sandwich. The aioli and the arugula were offered in perfect proportion. And the fries were crispy perfection. I highly recommend this dish. 

The atmosphere and the service are both top notch. Pelican Bend hit all the right notes this visit. Happy eating! 

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Prices indicate time of visit and may vary. This newspaper pays for all meals related to dining reviews. We do not solicit or accept free food.

If you go

Pelican Bend 

• 219 Capri Boulevard
• Naples, FL 34114
• 239-394-3452
• pelicanbendinc.com