The Green Flash

We had the steam pot and the Captiva salad. Very tasty! Plenty of nice seafood. The steam pot definitely had more seafood than the salad. My daughter loved the mussels in the soup, calamari, fish, shrimp and scallops.
My wife liked the avocado dressing on the salad, grilled shrimp and scallops in the salad.
I enjoyed sharing the food and the nice view of the water.
Only downfall is that we saw a waitress, Shelly, drop napkins on the floor and put them back on top of the stack and later give them to other patrons. That doesn’t meet our cleanliness standards.

We tried to go to the Mucky Duck but there was a 90 min wait (at 730p). (Call ahead!!!)). They referred us here and I wasn’t disappointed. The room is beautiful with a great view no matter where you sit.
We had a great portobello mushroom appetizer, which was delicious. The mussels came with delicious garlic bread.
I had blackened mahi, which was good but a little over seasoned. Well cooked.
My sister’s swordfish was good– she got the thick garlic sauce on the side.
My husband likes his surf and turf.
The tiramisu was delicious.
The carrot cake was good BUT I only got a sliver of the delicious cream cheese icing. I wanted more.
This place is good for a nice dinner.
The Mucky Duck has live music and a great bar scene. So it just depends what you are in the mood for.

Just because «flash» is in the name, don’t expect the service to be fast. We sat for 20 minutes to place a drink/​appetizer order. Once we received our drinks we were never offered a refill, water/​soda. The appetizer came literally 15 seconds before the entrée. The entrees had «decent» taste but were largely bland. I didn’t find the food and service worth the bill paid. Ambience and view were nice.

We came for a family dinner and the food was delicious, however the circumstances surrounding the meal were uncomfortable. The power was out, so the generator came on, although it was very spotty. The air conditioning was out, so our waitress tried to accommodate with water, but it was unsuccessful. Due to the lack of electricity, the drinks were not carbonated although they were supposedly «from bottles.» Despite the uncomfortable circumstances, and the fact that we were sweating through dinner, not a single thing was discounted or complimentary. To add insult to injury, at the end of the meal, they shut the generator off on our end of the building to move us out while we were still seated. Coincidently, the front half of the restaurant where the employees were was still electrified as they were watching TV at the bar.

Visited here a few days ago while on the Island for vacation after being recommended to it by a family member. This place, unlike most of the restaurants on the island, isn’t touristy. It has a very laid back atmosphere, great food, and good drinks. No matter where you sit you will have a great view. There is a sign on the front door what asks people to silence their cell phones which I think is a great idea. As other people have mentioned the bathrooms are very strange, a table for two in the men’s room and a mannequin of a man in the women’s bathroom but hey, why not?
The back of the menu has answers to all the questions you could ever ask while visiting this place so take a look before asking your server.

Worst restaurant I have ever been to. The WORST waiting staff, WORST food, WORST manager ever. This place is a sad excuse for a «dinner with a view». Save yourself from the frustration. The creepiest part of this whole place is the bathroom experience. There is a fully dressed male mannequin chained to the wall in the woman’s restroom. After asking to the see the manager and him rudely approaching us, he explained that the mannequin is a «joke». With today’s society I do not think of this as a «joke» whatsoever. I drove 4 hours to enjoy a little island getaway for what?! A subpar meal and a ridiculously horrible dining experience!!! I hope you do not have children so that they will able to actually sleep at night after such a traumatizing experience. Ps the chef sucks just as much as the people do.

The food was good but the eating experience was overpowered by another: when I went to use the ladies’ room I discovered an EXTREMELY CREEPY FULLY DRESSED 6 FOOT TALL MANNEQUIN OF A MAN facing and chained to the wall with lipstick smudged around its mouth. I was eating with several of my friends and the mannequin frightened them as well. It is disturbing for women to having a looming male mannequin in the bathroom with them. When I politely mentioned this to the maitre d, he responded rudely and unsympathetically.

So so so so good. Friendly and attentive staff. Beautiful ambience– there is an enormous window overlooking the water that not only provides beautiful views but also brings in a ton of natural light making it clean and beachy feeling. I had the actual best salad of my life there (I think it was called the Captiva salad. Not sure) and it was very crisp and fresh tasting. If you’re on Captiva or Sanibel you need to go. You can definitely keep it under $ 20/​person (lunch). I highly recommend.

The views at this place alone make it a worthwhile visit. So peaceful and calm — a great dining atmosphere. It was busy when we went but we got a table right away and the host made sure he sat us as close to the windows as possible. The service was good and the server was honest about what she did and didn’t like (which I very much appreciated). I had the salmon and my mom had the seafood pasta special. Both meals were delicious and we ate every bite!!! For dessert I had the tiramisu and mom had the chocolate cake — again YUM. The tiramisu was so light and in the most amazing cream sauce. Highly recommend this place! You can’t go wrong!

Wonderful views!
Floor to ceiling windows with a view overlooking the pine island and inter coastal waterway.
The food was good we had the special linguini with asparagus and tomatoes which was good. Also oyster rockefellers were delish also.
There were some creepy mannequins in strange spots that kept freaking people out (like when you walk in the bathroom). My husband said the men’s room also had some weird quirky décor.
A little dusty, but all in all worth it for the view and a nice glass of wine (generous glass).

Great location, wonderful views and the food was pretty. We had a couple of seafood salads and conch fritters. The kids burger was excellent.

First off, the views are beautiful and the food is great. However, our service was absolutely TERRIBLE. long strings of time of our server not checking in for refills, taking orders and clearing the plates. Actually, the only thing our server did was bring us our initial drinks and the check at the end. He was MIA our entire dinner and we had empty plates in front of us for 30 minutes before they were cleared. The service really makes me hesitant to come back. The food was great, I had the crunchy grouper and it was very tasty.

A day trip to Sanibel and Captiva took us by the Green Flash and looking for a place on the water to eat lunch we stopped in at the harbour patio under an umbrella. The Triple Tail daily special and the Captiva salad were very good. Our server Debbie was very good and very hard working, up and down the steps for food and beverages. The table for two in the men’s room and the male mannequin in the ladies room were both fun! We are so glad we stopped here and look forward to a return visit some day!

This is a partial review, we didn’t actually have a meal here.
We wanted to eat at the Mucky Duck, at sunset on a weekday. There was a huge crowd, tough to park, and we were told 90 minutes to get a table, so sit at a picnic table outside, have a drink, socialize with strangers, and wait patiently. We had a 2+ hour drive ahead of us that night, so we moved on. The people at our picnic table recommended The Green Flash, right down the road and same owner, so we drove over there. No problem parking. Climbed up the stairs, to learn it’s a 20 – 30 minute wait. Fine, so I grabbed a beer. The choices: Bud, Bud Light, and a Key West lager, which I tried. OK, not great. Not a good sign, bland beers, obviously nobody took the time or interest to curate, or this place appeals to a non-​discerning crowd.
I sat to wait. I looked around. Everyone is over 70. I look at the atmosphere. It looks like the kind of place my grandparents used to like.
We look over the menu. Nothing terribly exciting. We are fish eaters, not meat or seafood, and not many choices for us. There was a pasta special for over $ 20 and a fish special for over $ 25. Seems a bit pricey and limited selections for us.
Spouse and I turned to each other, «you really want to do this? No, we’re out of here».
So we left, drove into Ft. Myers, ate at a place nothing special (also reviewed on Unilocal), and continued home.
There was one thing that was truly unique, fun and positive. In the women’s restroom there is some sort of sculpture (see photo someone else posted below), and in the men’s restroom is a table with placesettings for two. Very funny, well done!
When we are next in Captiva, I doubt we will try this place.

My brother bought me $ 125 gift certificate. I’m not a local and get down here every few years.
The gift certificate had no expiration date. It was purchased 5 years ago put since it had no expiration date I tried using it.
The waiter looked at it oddly, brought to the floor manager and he went upstairs.
Came back down and told the waiter they would not honor. He gave no reason.
The floor manager or the person he took to upstairs didn’t even have the professionalism to talk with me directly.
My brother had the business card attached to the gift certificate. It stated the owner was Andreas Bieri.
I will never visit or recommend this place to anyone mainly due to the cowardly way they deal with me

My fiancé and I went to the Green Flash in search of a place to have our rehearsal dinner for our wedding. We had a conversation with the owner who met us with a string of very rude comments, basically yelling at us stating our party size was too big and he did not want us to interfere with the regular crowd. He outright stated he «makes enough money as it is» and did not need our business. Even before our conversation with the owner I had called and was met with the host on that day stating «We are too busy, no one can talk to you now. Goodbye.»
Needless to say, I cannot recommend a restaurant with such horrible service and lack of respect for its customers.

Had lunch there today. Very good food, reasonable prices, and excellent service. Not a bad view in the place. Manager on the floor at all times directing. Waiter honest when I asked him about clam strips (the only seafood I like). I ordered then anyway and they were better than expected. Slaw very good as were the fries. I’ll go again.

Best restaurant by FAR on Captiva Island, FL
oysters are consistently Better Than Great! Shrimp bisque leaves you craving for more, bar tender is the bomb & keeps everyone Happy! Great Great Place in Every Way!

I visited the restaurant with a group of 14 people. Most everybody enjoyed their meal, however the restaurant only staffed our party with one waiter. He delivered all of the appetizers, meals, and drinks himself, which slowed the service because there were more people than he could readily accommodate. I ordered the ribeye, which had a good taste and was tender. The chocolate mousse was average. In terms of prices, I am not sure his place is a great value, but it may be typical pricing for Captiva Island.

Had lunch outside on their harbor patio at an umbrella shaded table. Great in-​season stone crab claws appetizer (4 large for $ 45) and the best fish tacos I have had in years with large pieces of moist, well seasoned grouper ($ 12 for 2.) Service was OK as it is hampered being so far from the kitchen/​bar area inside.
Inside area upstairs is more upscale with nice views of the harbor side of the island with same menu.

Very good dinner, highly recommend the salmon cakes and the crunchy grouper. The shrimp chowder is outstanding, creamy and delicious! The au gratin potatoes were tasty but skip the spinach-​too wet and tasteless.
Service was good and the view was great.

The Green Flash offers good food, a great view, and a quiet atmosphere. Service has always been reasonable or better, depending on your server. Sarah served us last night and she’s a professional, ask for her when you visit.
We both enjoyed Escargot Bourguignon appetizers (herbs and garlic in a butter sauce) and shared two entrees: the Pork Tenderloin Wellington (proscuitto and spinach) and Grouper Café de Paris (white wine, lemon, worcestershire, butter). Both were good, Sari preferred the Grouper, I thought it needed slightly more seasoning.
We shared a key lime pie for dessert. It’s prepared here as a sherbet pie garnished with raspberry sauce, unlike its traditional 2-​layer refrigerator preparation. Sari enjoyed it, I thought the lime was too muted and missed the play-​off between the lime and meringue layers.
You’ll pay Captiva prices here, and unlike some other restaurants on the island, they’re fair prices for what you’ll receive. The food is good with nice portions and good sides included. Our check (before wine) was about $ 80 for the 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert.

Ok well the first thing I will say about this place is Oh My the view!!! It is so pretty and peaceful, to just sit there are look out on the water. It is such a shame that the décor needs a little work because the view is awesome! We always go here for lunch because 1. its much cheaper and 2. it is much less crowded. There seems to be enough parking but at dinner time when it gets busier, it may be a tad more challenging.
Like I said, we go for lunch and we were seated right away. They gave us a window seat, but I would have asked for one anyway. The server was friendly enough and came over pretty quick.
They have a pretty decent menu for lunch. The appetizers I feel are a little overpriced for what they are so we usually skip it. The lunch menu has a nice assortment from seafood sandwich’s to salads to pasta. There really seems to be something for everyone. Last time I ordered the fried clams. They were nothing spectacular because they are just fried clams, but they were very good. They came out hot and crunchy and were served with French fries. My husband and father got the grouper sandwich and they enjoyed it. It was hot and cooked really well. My sister ordered the fish tacos, I think it may have been a special. She did not really enjoy them. It was kind of cold and smelled very fishy. They were also kind of of watery. Those came with chips and salsa. She wouldn’t order them again. My mom ordered a salad and oysters Rockefeller and she enjoyed both.
I think the food could use a little work. Dinner may be better, I’m not too sure, but it is definitely cheaper at lunch. Lunch is around 9 – 15 and dinner shoots up to 20 – 48 per meal. Dinner also tends to block the beautiful view, depending on the time you go.
A good thing to mention is that it is closed from 330 – 530 daily. Another really neat thing is that they have a boat dock outside the restaurant. We watched as a boat of people drove up and docked, then came up stairs for lunch. It is a nice feature of the restaurant in my opinion.

As far as views go you won’t find many better than The Green Flash. Its somewhat nicer than the more casual beach bars restaurants in Captiva and perfect for a more special night out. The service is great and the ambiance and view are gorgeous. As the name suggests come around sunset and enjoy!
I came with a party of 17 and all of us left very happy. The calamari and hot flash shrimp apps were the perfect start — super share-​able and super tasty. The soups are all great and fresh! The place has mostly seafood, and I can’t remember what everyone got but I know my tuna was cooked to perfection and that all of the portions are generous. I would say this is a must hit when in Captiva.