Waterfront Dining by Boat
Lunch on the water is part of the day when you rent a boat from Paradise Boat Rentals.
Waterfront Dining by Boat
Pull Up to Lunch by Boat
Boating to waterfront restaurants in Cape Coral and around the sound means lunch comes with a view of the water and a dock to tie up at. Cape Coral and Fort Myers have restaurants along the river and canals with docks for boaters, and islands farther out have spots you can only reach by water. Rent a boat from Paradise Boat Rentals and your captain will go over a map with places to stop and eat before you leave the dock. Add it to your list of things to do by boat.
Boat Accessible Restaurants to Try
Cabbage Key. Up Pine Island Sound, Cabbage Key is a small island with no paved roads, reachable only by boat. Its open-air restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the year. How to get to Cabbage Key? By boat, through the inside waters of the sound, a scenic run past the islands. The Cabbage Key restaurant is an old-Florida stop, not a beach day.
Along the river and canals. Dock and dine spots come and go, especially after recent storms, so we don't list them here. Your captain can point out places on the map, and it's smart to call a restaurant ahead to ask about docking.
Which Boat to Take to a Waterfront Restaurant
A pontoon is a comfortable lunch boat for the river and back bays, and Cabbage Key sits in Pine Island Sound on the inside waters (pontoons are not approved for the Gulf). Center consoles are popular for restaurant days, too, with a little more range. Want a steadier ride? Look at a Tritoon.
Dock Etiquette and a Designated Captain
- Pick a sober captain. Florida law treats a boat operator at 0.08 blood or breath alcohol as under the influence, same as on the road. Whoever drives the boat skips the drinks.
- Come in slow. Approach docks at idle speed and watch for no-wake and manatee zone signs.
- Tie up well. Tie off securely, and ask dock staff where to tie up.
- Watch the clock. Boats are due back by 5pm, so plan lunch with time to spare for the ride home.
What to Bring
Bring a payment card, sunscreen and a cover-up for the restaurant. Pick up ice at our marina store for the cooler, and add beach chairs or an umbrella from our rental accessories if you'll stop at a beach after lunch.
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Cabbage Key in Pine Island Sound is reachable only by boat and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. There are also waterfront restaurants in Cape Coral and around Fort Myers with docks for boaters. Your captain can point some out on the map.
Is there a place to tie up the boat?
Waterfront restaurants that welcome boaters have docks, but space and rules vary. Call ahead and ask, and follow the dock staff's directions when you arrive.
Can the person driving the boat drink?
No. In Florida, an operator at 0.08 blood or breath alcohol is presumed under the influence. Choose a designated captain before you leave the dock.
What time does the boat need to be back?
Boats go out from 9am and are due back by 5pm on the rental day. Plan lunch so you have plenty of time for the trip back.
Book Now
Book a Boat for Lunch on the Water
Paradise Boat Rentals rents boats from Cape Coral for lunch runs, beach stops and island days. Guests staying in Fort Myers Beach or Naples, or heading to Cayo Costa, can plan a boat day with us, and Matlacha is another waterfront town on the way to Pine Island. Book Now or call (239) 758-9512.
Open daily 9am–5pm