GatorBites Tail & Ale — Restaurant in Cape Coral

GatorBites Tail and Ale is a great place for eats and fun.

We were there Saturday evening about 7. The place was hopping. Live music and a standing room only crowd inside waiting for a table to open. We opted for outside. We went away for Mother's Day weekend and GatorBites was walking distance from our hotel.

The outside was spacious and clean. If it weren't for the table of 5 smoking like it was their job, it would have been perfect. We always bring Riley with us when traveling. Riley is our 13 year old Mini Labradoddle. When it's time to get going, he's like an old man on bingo night. First out the door to our truck. These days he requires a boost up, but he rip raring ready to lay in the back seat and get moving. And Yes, he has his own seatbelt and always wears it like the rest of us.

The food was terrific. My wife and her Mom had some kind of fish dinner with all the fixings. Me, I don't eat meat or fish, so I ordered the onion rings and loaded potato skins. Both of these sides were plenty enough for the whole table to share and the best I've ever had. Crunchy, not greasy. The skins were loaded with melted cheese and came with more than enough sour cream for every bite.

The prices were up there, but compared with the other places to eat, it was a bargain.

So if you enjoy really good food, music and inside and outdoor seating, go...

We had a fantastic dinner at GatorBites Tail & Ale. Amber, our server, was perfectly attentive and timed everything just right. Nick, the owner, added charm by working the floor as a “pretend bus boy” before joining us for a great conversation that made the evening even more memorable.

As a lifelong foodie who usually cooks high-end meals at home, I was genuinely impressed. Some of the negative reviews I’d seen beforehand now seem baffling — this place exceeded expectations across the board.

The food was outstanding. The beer-battered shrimp were the best I’ve ever had — light, crispy, and flavorful. The wings were excellent, and my wife loved her smoked pulled pork sandwich. Their signature fresh gator was also a standout. First-timers: go for the virgin breaded version — it’s far more tender and crispy than the flavored options.

Prices are very fair, especially considering the quality. The cocktails are strong and well-made, and their house IPA, Reef Donkey, was a surprise hit — easily the best IPA I’ve had.

Despite being a sports bar-style venue, it’s spotlessly clean, welcoming, and delicious. It’s a little off the beaten path, but absolutely worth the effort to find. We’ll...

We were SO excited to try this place - we drove 5 hours. The atmosphere was FANTASTIC- we loved the live singer!!! He made up for everything!!! The menu said “No refunds on Gator”, so I never said how long I had to sit there and chew through the overdone bites that I received. Gator should NEVER be that hard to eat, especially from a restaurant that specializes in it. 🥺 The calamari, chicken fingers, and margarita were good though… Our server charged our card for someone else’s table, so we left with an additional $44 charged to our card until we get a refund. Pretty dang disappointed overall - thank goodness the gentleman up on stage made it bearable. We’re not hard to please… but, we do expect restaurants to live up to their name.

Edit: BOTH charges posted (not pending) to our checking account. We went out of our way to go back while on vacation to speak to the manager. He couldn’t provide proof that we’d be refunded for THEIR mistake and gave us cash back for the other table we were charged for on top of ours. I also mentioned that their gator was super chewy… he said, “It’s supposed to be chewy, it’s a protein!” Ummmm… no. Just don’t...