The Green Flash Restaurant — Restaurant in Cape Coral

I have thought about this restaurant at least seven times this year since I went last Christmas. It is my belief that a great restaurant is like a great movie; it possesses the ability to transport you.

There are few restaurants for me where this is true. The Green Flash, however, is one of them—if not the best. Whenever I dine here, I forget about the problems of tomorrow because I fully buy into the ambiance and atmosphere that has been curated at this establishment. This isn’t going to be a quick-read review, but I will explain why this place has become one of my favorites in the world, beating out many where I live in New York City.

All good stories need a theme. The Green Flash is named after a strange anomaly that occurs when the sun sets—a flash of green can be seen on the horizon, something visible from the docks out back. This sets the tone of the restaurant, its green theme, and primes you for their delicacies in seafood.

I am a fan of a dirty martini. But to make it complete, it needs blue cheese olives. Why? I have no idea, because honestly, I hate blue cheese on its own. But toss it into an olive with vermouth and vodka, and for some reason, I am drinking the nectar of the gods. The Dirty Flash is my go-to cocktail, but the Mint Cucumber Mojito is a solid runner-up.

For starters, I am a big fan of the shrimp soup, the corn chowder, the artichoke hearts, the seared tuna, and the oysters. A big shoutout to the bread, which is always freshly baked sourdough.

Now, for the entrée, there is really only one choice if you aren’t a hedonophobe: The Green Flash Trio. For $39.99, you get a grilled lobster tail, three shrimp, three scallops, asparagus, au gratin potatoes, and microgreens. It is hands down my favorite seafood plate at the moment. It is all I get when I go here, and I have been here five times. It will be six in two days.

Now, I want to say that I’ve tried a good amount of the mains here from friends and family. I must admit, after tonight, there is a second entrée I will entertain: the Stone Crab Claws (when they’re in season). This was, without a doubt, the best crab I’ve ever had, and I’ve had nearly 28 years in the field. There is a high chance I’ll order it when I go back in two days.

For dessert, I usually opt for a liquid Key Lime, which is code for their Key Lime Martini—a house recipe that is divine and perfectly sums up the meal.

The co-owner, Michael, is a wonderful man who has been nothing but hospitable to me and whoever I’ve gone with. I honestly cannot recommend this restaurant enough, and it saddens me that I only have one night left. If you are in the area, you owe it to yourself and your family or friends to visit this...

I had high hopes. It was our 23rd anniversary and was recommended to us. I made reservations and made sure to notate that it was the actual day of our anniversary. I didn’t want a free desert or anything, but it would have been nice if someone would have said Happy Anniversary to me and my lovely bride! Spoiler alert… no one said anything.

We didn’t get any appetizers as my wife isn’t a seafood fan and everything was pretty expensive. However, they did bring out some fantastic sourdough bread! It was amazing; I’ll give them that. Seriously, really good bread. I hope it’s actually homemade and not store brand.

Our server stunk of cigarette smoke, but as a former smoker, it didn’t bother me too much. Other people? They might not be so happy about that.

On to the order. I was super excited about the blackened grouper stuffed with crab and covered with Béarnaise sauce. My wife of course ordered the steak filet; medium well and specified “NO PINK”.

The grouper came with a side and our server recommended the potato. GOOD choice! The potato was the star of the meal. Unfortunately, the grouper tasted like it was stuffed with tuna fish from a can (which I DESPISE); NOT CRAB. I’m convinced the closest crab meat was outside by the docks.

My wife’s steak was cooked less than medium and she’s not one to send a meal back. It was literally red. She also didn’t care for the seasoning. I took a couple of bites (to get the tuna fish taste out of my mouth) and I thought it was pretty good. Dang… I wish I would have ordered steak!

I’ve been coming to the island for nearly 40 years and this is probably the 2nd or 3rd time eating here. And our experience is probably why we don’t go more often. However, I’m always willing to give it another go. We are down 2-4 times a year and if I go back, I’ll be sure to re-review the Green Flash.

$50ish per meal and $50ish for a bottle of wine. Great views, but not of sunset. ...

The Green Flash is an iconic Captiva location that touts a phenomenal view - that's about all they have going for them. It should have been a clue that there was no wait and plenty of parking available at 7pm during Fourth of July weekend. The service is God awful, the food is mediocre to average at best, the drinks are small and overpriced, and the owners are clearly out of touch. The dining room is dated and uninviting, and the bathrooms are creepy. In the men's restroom there is a table setting for two for a different restaurant on Captiva, and a one-way mirror in front of the urinals that looks out behind the bar. During my stop in the bathroom one of the kitchen staff couldn't be bothered to wash his hands properly, instead rinsing them for about 15 seconds. Off-putting barely describes the bathroom experience. The ice for your water glass is scooped from an open Igloo cooler that sits out in the open at the waiter station, which is immediately visible at the entrance of the restaurant. My wife and I came here to check it off our list of things to do on the island, and believe me when I tell you it's definitely checked off of our list. My wife ordered the special, angel hair pasta with shrimp, crab, and lobster meat. It was served with broccoli and a side of parmesan cheese. Would fresh grated parmesan be too much to ask for? Apparently, as this was straight from the jar off the shelf. Overall her meal was good, the only saving grace to our experience. I ordered the blackened mahi mahi with pineapple salsa and au gratin potatoes. The mahi mahi was average, and slightly overcooked. The paired salsa was more like diced fruit cocktail, obviously from a jar or can. The au gratin potatoes tasted fine but were clearly frozen. We...