Sanibel Island's Island Cow restaurant, where the locals eat

Sanibel Island Restaurant - Island Cow

Our first visit to Sanibel Island Restaurant Island Cow showed us how different the lifestyle on Sanibel Island is from that in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. While in Miami it was a lightness of life that characterized life, in Fort Lauderdale it was the elegance and luxury of the super-rich. With their yachts, villas and shopping malls. You won't find these on the island. Sanibel Island is completely different. There are no high-rise buildings and no hotel palaces here. And certainly no magnificent villas or superyachts. Everything here is a step smaller, but also more homely.

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An island where we feel comfortable

Our hotel is more reminiscent of a motel than an inn with its twin room, the living room table just big enough for a family and the kitchen. From our balcony we look out over a pool area, behind which the view of the Gulf of Mexico and the beach of Sanibel opens up. Cozy, comfortable and manageable. These are the terms used to describe how we feel about Sanibel Island.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie — With this strawberry banana smoothie at the Sanibel Island Restaurant Island Cow

Dinner at the Sanibel Island Restaurant Island Cow

Our first experience with locals was at the Sanibel Island restaurant Island Cow on Periwinkle Way. This is the main road that runs through Sanibel Island. You can't miss the restaurant.

The thick strawberry-banana smoothie makes us hungry for food. The decision is difficult, however, as the menu at Island Cow is so huge that it takes half an hour just to see all the dishes that are available. The choice overwhelms us. There are salads from Cesar's salad to tropical fruit salad. There are all kinds of pasta, tacos with fillings, grilled, fried and boiled dishes. We find spare ribs, steaks, several types of fish, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, soups, and much that we have never heard of before. Finally, out of desperation, we decide on grilled grouper (a local type of fish) and gumbo, a southern specialty made of crustaceans, seafood, chicken and sausage on rice.

The desserts at the Sanibel Island Restaurant Island Cow

Desserts at the Island Cow Restaurant

While we wait for our food, we study the dessert menu. After all, we skipped lunch on the trip from Fort Lauderdale to Sanibel Island and are now hungry. There is also a large selection of desserts. A pie made from pecans, key lime pie, a “crazy” chocolate cake, peanut butter or even an explosion cake are available. Each of these names makes you curious about what is behind them. However, you certainly won't lose weight with these desserts. We are already thinking about how we want to finish our meal at the Island Cow. But we don't yet know what to expect.

Grilled Grouper with French Fries at the Sanibel Island Restaurant — Grilled grouper and french fries at Sanibel Island Restaurant Island Cow

Grouper from the grill

Petar's fish from the grill turns out to be a piece of fish on a toast roll with vegetables and French fries - a portion that we eat at home for several days.

Gumbo at the Sanibel Island Restaurant Island Cow — The Sanibel Island Restaurant serves gumbo

Gumbo, a southern specialty

The gumbo is a kind of fish, chicken and sausage stew on a bed of rice in a bowl of one size that we only use at home when friends come to visit. The food smelled fantastic and tasted the way you imagine mother's kitchen in the southern United States. Just delicious! However, after this meal, which we only ate part of the meal, there was nothing left with our dessert. There was no longer enough hunger for that.

Do you like to travel by motorhome?

Do you want to rent a motorhome? Then you will find information and a selection in these booking options.
Check our packing list for campers to see whether you have packed everything for your motorhome tour.
On Sanibel Island you can use the Periwinkle Trailer Park Where to stay: 1119 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957, United States. This is the only campsite on Sanibel Island.

The Island Cow Restaurant

The Island Cow Restaurant is very popular among Sanibel Island locals. As soon as a table was empty, the next guests were brought to the table. The guests were a diverse bunch. There were families with children, couples who came here after a bike ride, an older lady who had the menu explained to her in detail by the waiter and some of the city's dignitaries. It was loud in the restaurant, but somehow that's part of it. It is definitely a popular and good place to enjoy a meal with friends and family.

Don't forget that Tip. This is not included in the price in the USA.

That must be for a trip to Sanibel Island in the suitcase

The beaches on Sanibel Island are perfect for swimming. Be sure to check out ours packing list for the beach vacationso that you don't forget anything.
With our packing list for the vacation You will also find further tips on what you need to take with you on the trip.
Sanibel Island's shell beaches entice beach hikes. Since the sand can be very hot, it is worth, for example, beach shoes * .
For travel tips, we also recommend these Florida Travel Guide *
These also help with orientation Florida Maps *.

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