Cute decor - including somebody's tug. Great seafood. Salmon was delish!
(5)
Cecilia B.
My family and I visited Cips after reading reviews on Yelp. We were disappointed. The food was bland and expensive for what it was. The waitress was nice enough but the bottom line for us is always the taste of the food and it just wasn't there. It is a nice looking place and the service was prompt, but the main ingredient is missing.
(2)
Kim R.
On our recent family vacation to Sanibel we stopped by Cip's Place for dinner. Even though it was boiling hot outside, we decided we couldn't pass up dining on their inviting patio. All of the servers and staff are very helpful and friendly, and they quickly offered to bring us a fan since we were the only table dining outdoors. We came early so we could take advantage of their Six beforeSix menu, which has a few special entrees that are $12 if you order before 6:00pm. I didn't end up ordering anything off of the special menu, but instead opted for the snapper tacos. I thought the tacos were light and tasty, and I really liked the slaw that came with them. The entree also came with homemade chips that were very nicely seasoned. As good as the entrees were, I really liked their desserts. We ordered the carrot cake and the icebox chocolate cake, and both were excellent. The carrot cake was served as a cupcake and came out warm. I really enjoyed the chocolate cake. It was cool and refreshing for a hot night. It consisted of a few layers of chocolate mouse and layers of chocolate graham crumbs. It was excellent!
(4)
Ron C.
Had dinner here a couple of weeks ago; food was delicious and service was good. Had the Cioppino and would go back and have it again as it was so good. Entire experience exceeded my expectations!
(4)
Mitchell M.
Great Service! Great Food! Excellent menu, with wide variety. Great outdoor seating, with wonderful view and spacious seating.
(5)
Tong J.
Hungry, tired and itchy from sand fly bites we arrived at Cip's to find an empty parking lot. We went ahead and ordered taking in the tikki torches, huge flat screen tv's and a lone guitarist on the upper level crooning classic oldies. The food arrived....who cares about ambiance! The fish dishes were excellent, fresh and nicely seasoned, the steak chimichuri was cooked perfectly and the service was great. Definitely not your average tourist trap.
(4)
Sandy M.
Great place for a leisurely lunch on a beautiful day. Nice selections on the menu, we opted for comfort food. The sloppy Joe was tasty, with a vinegar based cole slaw. The service was very good, the server checked in regularly to keep our glasses full. She was attentive and friendly, we never felt rushed. Finally found a good key lime pie, creamy and a little tart. Much better than the frozen, tasteless stuff we found at other restaurants.
(4)
Jennifer K.
First and for most Sanibel Island is a world of it's own and so is Cip's Place. My boyfriend and I visited Sanibel Island on 4/15/15 and loved every minute of this beautiful island. We originally had reservations at another eatery however we cancelled them so we could let the day take us. We did this not realizing that most restaurants do in fact close by 9:00pm--so we needed to hit somewhere fast--I pulled up Cip's Place on my phone and we bee lined for the restaurant. Both of us were a bit skeptical because we knew they would be closing in 15 minutes and they would let us know and rush us. That was not the case at all! We were greeted by a lovely hostess who said "Right this way"--never indicting what time it was--meanwhile we clearly saw the restaurant was pretty empty because it was almost closing time and they were getting ready to clean up certain areas. We were seated outside on an adorable patio--there were two couple across from us but that was it. The waiter (I wish I knew his name)-was pleasant--happy--and very attentive. I told him I was a "vegan" and he made sure I was able to eat the garden pasta dish without a problem. He kept talking to us--asking us when we would be moving down to a place like this--told us how he got there. Again, never rushing us to order. My boyfriend had the clams on toast as well as the snapper tacos. He thought they were amazing. He is by far a food critic but he has had his share of delicious seafood experiences and this one was by far one if not the best. I had the garden vegetable pasta with gluten free bread--it was very good! We both washed our meals down with a "Ciptini" (def recommend it). While we were eating the other two couples left and it was just him and I. They dimmed the lights for us--lit a candle--and we couldn't believe we were the only two on this little island in this wonderful place--eating--drinking--and smiling away. The waiter told my boyfriend to save room for dessert (which he declined because he was so full) but he kept telling him he simply had to try one of them. Now I believe the time was after 10:30 or so and we were blown away by the service--the food--and the ambience of this place. When it was all said and done--and we paid the bill--as we walked out--everyone was cleaning up--getting ready to leave for the night--they all said "goodbye" to us--and they were all smiling. We walked out the front door and both look at one another and said "I can't wait to come here again!" Do yourself a favor--eat here--drink here---and lose yourself in the Sanibel air.
(5)
Christopher L.
Good craft beer selection (at least 4 options), excellent Lobster Corn Chowder, good Mussels Cipriano special. Salmon Piccata was good, but a bit oily. Service was a bit slow.
(3)
John K.
Great food. Great prices. Their happy hour specials are awesome. Our new favorite place on Sanibel
(5)
Maura L.
My group of 5 had dinner tonight at Cip's and we loved it. Great burger, ribs, and snapper tacos. My crab cakes were delicious. We've been to lots of restaurants on Sanibel and paid a lot more money for a meal nowhere near as good as we had tonight. Great service, nice ambience, we can't wait to come back!
(5)
Debrah H.
Food is nothing extraordinary. Just OK. Nice atmosphere inside though. Waitress attentive.
(3)
Deb R.
Delicious speciality drinks! Homemade potato chips with sloppy joes fresh jalapeños and cheese ohhhh yum yum BLT grouper sandwich and cioppiono were all delicious would go back again!
(5)
DeAnna B.
I had the grouper BLT and it was fantastic!! Great service and nice little restaurant. Highly recommend!
(5)
Stacy C.
The food here is delicious! Happy hour has great pricing 4-6pm $1 off drinks, $12 meals and $5 appetizer specials. Great service, great location, plenty of parking and tasty food. Request special garden seating for a great view.
(4)
Maddy S.
Cip's provides consistently good food and service. Their menu offers something for everyone, and the seafood is very fresh. The food itself is nothing special, but definitely a strong choice on the island. I had the caramel cheesecake for dessert, and it was absolutely delicious. Service was friendly, although the course pacing was a little slow. All in all, you can be sure that Cip's will provide a great meal.
(4)
Arthur H.
One of the better restaurants on the island by far. My wife and I stayed for a week and went to seven restaurants during our stay. We went here three times. The food is top notch. I recommend the buttermilk chicken and the margarita. Our servers were great. If I had one complaint it would be our starter salads lasted about one minute before our entree showed up. It wasn't really a starter I guess more of a side.
(4)
David P.
We decided to go to CIPS for my mother in law's birthday. the overall experience was excellent. When we called for last minute reservations, they were extremely accommodating to get us on the front porch and under a heat lamp. The server was nice and the food delicious. In our party we had: grouper tacos, BBQ shrimp, ribeye steak with a Cabernet demiglas, chicken Caesar salad, and scallops with alfredo pasta. The scallops were done perfectly. The ribeye steak was cooked to order and the sauce was excellent albeit slightly salty. The only blemish in the dinner was that they forgot to bring out the barbecue shrimp with the rest of the dinners. However, the waitress offered a free cup of soup as an apology for this oversight. We would definitely come back here, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was lovely.
(4)
Alicia H.
I loved that I could lunch with my furry friends on Cip's well appointed patio. This fact is a major plus for my husband and me as we enjoy taking our well behaved dogs out and about with us on vacation. The food and service was fairly unremarkable, save the Grouper BLT, which was well executed. Still, this is about as good as it gets on Sanibel! It's worth mentioning that Cip's has a nicely attended happy hour from 4-6.
(5)
Megan D.
This place is a strange juxtaposition of a cafe and a fancier restaurant. The food is pretty good and the service was alright as well. The triple tail special was really, really good with a sweet sauce that paired excellently with the blackened fish. Everything else was pretty good, but not spectacular.
(4)
Jon H.
Went for happy hr and calamari was warm and dried out, wife's salmon was dry as well and the picatta sauce was poor but drinks were good
(3)
Kristen H.
I always look forward to eating here on our yearly Sanibel trips. Mainly because their patio is just gorgeous. My kids love walking around the lush greenery in front and back of the restaurant when they're antsy :) It really is one of the prettiest patios, and I look forward to sitting on it every year. The food is good, I've never had anything bad here. 4 stars because the food is not inexpensive by any means, but nothing that I would distinctly remember. All in all, a nice place to eat on Sanibel.
(4)
J D.
Yes it's a restaurant and it serves food. I wasn't expecting anything fancy and that's just what we got. The fajitas are unique, it was like a cake style stack of fajitas. I wouldn't get them again. Even though the fajitas were topped with sauce, cheese and sour cream, the chicken was still dry. How can that be possible. I also got a Mojito to drink and that was pretty good. Our waitress was attentive until it got busy, but after that we were on our own. My review, it's a restaurant and it serves food. If your bar is low this is the place for you.
(3)
Maria Carolina M.
Everything in this place is very good. First all, it is a great pet friendly place! The food was delicious, very good price and amazing service. They were very helpful when I asked if they could prepare a grilled chicken for my dog. It was the first place that I've been which that kind of service. Also the waitress Terry was so nice. I strongly recommend this place! :)
(5)
Tom S.
We ate here Sunday night. Food was good and the price moderate. Both of us had seafood which was fresh, tasted good. Decor is very nice, atmosphere very casual and friendly. Good drinks. If you go, you will enjoy it.
(4)
Susan C.
This was our first time at Cip's and I had high expectations being it was recommended by so many....I think it was an issue of just misordering. My husband and I shared the special of the day which was a strip steak with mushrooms in some kind of sauce. The steak was tough and grisly. Did not send it back because they were kind enough to let us share the meal although we both ordered a cup of the shrimp and crab gumbo. The gumbo was very spicy and it looked like they used whatever leftovers they had to make it...although I admit, it was tasty. Will return and probably order fish or seafood.
(2)
Phil R.
Was refused a table for 5 later 3 people with there 2 dogs showed up and got the table our waitress was outstanding the food was fair would not return.
(1)
Christy V.
Great food, happy hour food specials until 6 pm. The buttermilk chicken dish, buttermilk wings, scalloped potatoes, and the seared tuna salad were all delicious!! The patio was lovely and we really enjoyed Cip's.
(4)
Fab F.
More sophisticated ambiance than the rest in the island. Service was very good but food was disappointing. Everything I've ordered had pepper on it and no warning on the menu. I like spicy food but not hot food. Even the crab cake was so spice I couldn't taste the crab. It gets 3 stars for the service, ambiance and if you like spicy pepper on everything (even your soup), it might be the place for you.
(3)
JJ R.
We ate here based on a recommendation from our hotel. My guess is that Cip's must be providing a kick back as this was the worst dining experience of our week long entire trip. Mostly, the service was terrible. Our waiter took over 15 minutes to stop by our table after we sat down. He said no more than 3 words and took our drink order... A simple order of 2 Landshark beers. 10 minutes later, he shows up with some porter and a glass of wine. When told we ordered the 2 Landshark beers he said "oh", took the drinks away and came back 10 minutes later with our "correct" drinks. Rest of the experience followed suit... Food had no flavor, was over priced, and service continued to be overly lackluster at best. Not a single employee said "thank you" and we walked away quite disappointed. Much better options around or out on Captiva. Stay away from Cip's.
(1)
Marinda H.
Day/time of visit: weekend dinner 1 star for food 3 stars for atmosphere Very disappointing. There are many mediocre overpriced restaurants on Sanibel/Captiva and Cip's is high on this list. The restaurant itself is very attractive and the outdoor patio is lovely - that's where my positive comments end. We started out with a Caprese Pizzata which looked delicious - fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and what looked like pesto. Wow, how did this amazing looking flatbread end up tasting just like a mediocre frozen pizza? Blech. I ordered fish and chips after the waiter told me the 'fresh' fish was Grouper. I highly doubt it was Grouper because it tasted 100% like Van de Kamps frozen fish. BF was very limited in what he could order due to his seafood allergy (could not order chicken even) so ordered baby back ribs which tasted like week old pre-made (like the pre-cooked kind you buy at the grocery) ribs - absolutely disgusting. Because they couldn't guarantee fries were not fried in oil that seafood had been fried in he substituted au gratin potatoes - these also tasted like pre-made food service potatoes. And when we got the bill we were charged $2.50 extra to substitute these horrible potatoes. Our server was pleasant but did not check in very frequently which we later realized was due to him also being the bartender which was odd because they did not seem busy. The manager did stop by the table at the end of our meal when I asked her to remove the $2.50 fee for the au gratin potatoes. Very overpriced for horrible frozen food. Will never revisit.
(1)
Bill C.
A local gave a strong recommendation, so we tried it. There are so many good restaurants on Sanibel, the mediocre ones don't last long, so I anticipated something special. The setting is beautiful, the food good, but the service so lacking it spoiled the experience. The help was not well trained. We were taken to a table, then had to wait while it was wiped, although there were plenty of empty tables that looked perfectly clean. There was nothing special about the table. Maybe it was in the area for the waiter? We had to remind the waiter to bring water. Twice. Coffee had to be asked for twice. The check had to be asked for twice. We had a crab bruschetta that was as good as anything like that I've ever had. Could have easily made a meal of them. The steak was cooked exactly as ordered and was good, just not special. The Ciopino was excellent, but just a tad underspiced. The chocolate desert was absolutely outstanding. Sort of a mousse plus. We were in sort of a mellow mood and the food was good, so the service didn't ruin the meal until mid-way through the desert, the bus boy started spraying disinfectant on the table next to us. I should have stopped him, but instead let the Lysol flavored aerosol cover us, our table and the rest of the really good chocolate. I didn't complain, but should have I suppose. We left, fully confident that Cips does it's best to keep germs from spreading. I rate stars based on comparable level restaurants in the same area. Better service, no spray and Cips Place would get more stars. Maybe it was an off night?
(3)
Maurice L.
Besides the wait for a table, and the hostess telling me it would be 50 minutes for a table with 3 kids, i decided to stick it out, in the end we only waited about 20 minutes (in-experienced hostess, not a true reflection of the restaurant), other than that the food was actually great (loved the mahi with peach salsa, and the clams&toast awesome, french onion soup was pretty good too). I would definitely recommend making reservations (fyi - no expresso... only american!!! I told the manager /owner to get an Nesspresso Machine there free, when you buy the coffee???.
(4)
Jason H.
Great atmosphere on the patio, service was excellent, food was above average. We had 4 kids in our group 3 and younger and they were extremely accommodating.
(4)
Jen B.
Really great place! Fired chicken was awesome! The outdoor seating is also great, since its hard to find at the nice restaurants on Sanibel. A definite go!
(5)
Chip S.
Loved this restaurant. Nice seating on porch. Great food and cocktails as well.
(4)
Lorraine H.
Went on vacation and thought we'd go to CIPS place for happy hour & then have dinner. We were the only people there. After we sat down & mentioned happy hour the hostess actually took the menu out of our hands and said happy hour ended at 6 (we got there at 6:05.) So guess what - We left! There's plenty of other places to go with nicer people who want our business.
(1)
R T.
Wow! What a pleasant surprise! A great menu with unique takes on old favorites. Our group love the Grouper Esperanza and the Mango Mahi. Don't be misled by the location in the shopping center. Cip's is high on ambiance with two outdoor porches. Ask to be seated on the lower porch which has a wonderful garden view. And...they take reservations! This is uncommon on Sanibel but it is welcome when dinner can be a hour wait at some of the more popular places.
(4)
Dave D.
We have lived on the Sanibel for a year and this is one of our favorites. Food is always good (especially barbecue shrimp). The atomsphere is great. I can't wait til summer when all the tourists go home and back up north.
(4)
Arnold N.
We gave this place a try, based on reviews on another site. The food was not a good as the reviews would lead you to believe. It was OK, but nothing special. The ambiance was nice, but they need to put a little more work into the food preparation, and little less on the ambiance.
(3)
Rebecca G.
I loved this place. Each time we went it was never busy and I always wondered why when all the other local places had hour long waits and this place is way better. The food is priced the same but to me is a notch above and more refined. Service was great, atmosphere was great and the food was awesome. The barbeque shrimp appetizer was delicious and we enjoyed the wrap sandwiches and the bbq pork sandwich with fresh homemade chips. A great kids menu tops it all off. Definitely don't wait at other places-try this place!!
(5)
Vicky P.
It was... Good. We'd go again. It wasn't amazing, but good enough that we're interested in going back and trying other things on the menu. (There were a number of things on the menu that looked intriguing. We shared 2 appetizers and an entree. The crab cake app was not the best on the island, but enjoyable. (I prefer a lump crab cake, but this was more blended.) The clams had a great broth, but the waitress caught me right after having a sandy clam and apologized, then took it off our bill, even though we protested. (We had eaten the rest of them.) We got the Crumpler platter which another reviewer complained about the size, but we had no complaints. It was plenty of food for one platter. About 4-5 oz of fish, 3 shrimp, and 2 scallops. We changed out the side of fries for a side salad, because, well, a little bit of green on the table seemed like a good idea. The entree was all cooked very well and we enjoyed it. The kids menu was a pass, like most restaurants, but the waitress was more than willing to work with us in setting up half portions or a plate of sides. My 4-year-old daughter ended up with some fantastic black beans and rice and a Caesar salad. Ambiance was lovely. The service was competent and not hovering. There when we needed it, but not constantly underfoot. The bar made a great cocktail. The manager stopped by to check that things were going well with our meal. So all that said, it's definitely worth giving it a shot. We'll be back.
(4)
Bryan S.
We ate here as a family of 8 with 2 kids (3 and 10 mo.) and the service was fantastic. The food was great and moderately priced and the drinks were ok but refreshing. We enjoyed the place and the fish we ordered was great. Mind you they serve very good seafood and that's all we had, we did not have any meat items. In any case they gave us exactly what we were looking for and did so at a good price. We would return due to the convenience, food, and outdoor seating.
(4)
Vivian T.
We were looking for a place to eat since everyone on Sanibel island was PACKED on a friday night. Cip's was crowded but were able to seat us. They served a wide variety standard american (burger, chips, steak) with some mexican tacos and many great seafood selections. We got the crispy calamari for appetizer which was delicious. My friend and I shared two entrees the enchilada stack which was pulled chicken served with queso blanco and the grilled snapper tacos. The food was good to slightly above average.
(3)
Cori R.
Great experience and 2 awesome meals. Nice not to fight the crowds in the more trendy places.
(4)
Brian H.
I don't get the 5 or even 4 star ratings for this place. I left here with more questions than I arrived with. For example, are they a dining establishment or a sports bar? You cannot tell from the menu choices, i.e. wings, 'peel and eat' shrimp and sloppy chips and cheese, better known as nachos?? Come on!! Also, is this place a mexican place or an Island place? I am having a hard time here. Draught beer selection was a little weak. I did find a bottle of Napa Organic IPA that was acceptable, very different, like a light porter with not more than a slight hoppiness, very different for an IPA to me. Apps: The Chilled Poke Martini, a martini glass overfilled with yellowfin tuna in a teriyaki/ginger with green onion, avocado and tomato was the best choice for the night. The tuna very fresh, no veins, melt in your mouth tenderness. The lobster and corn chowder was too thick, lumpy, like it's been cooking down to almost it's original bare cornstarch base. Entrees: I had the Snapper Veracruzana. Nope, didn't do it for me. The fish itself was tender, the topping of the pico de gallo had a real nice heat to it, but the spice flavor itself tasted like it came out of a can. I am sure it didn't, but the taste was somewhat metallic, or just a cheaper mexican spice rather than the good stuff. The fish tacos were a-ok. Service: The host sat us immediately, we requested an indoor table when I made a reservation, it WAS a Saturday night, but the place never got over half full. Not a good sign on an resort Island at the beginning of the season. But we should have sat outside because I was expecting air conditioning indoors vs. outdoors. But the freakin doors were opened to create an open air ambiance. Strike one. The host himself was a nice guy but overly talkative, telling us what HE liked on the menu before even a server showed up to take our drink order. The server was a nice guy too, however, I had to get out the semaphore flags throughout the night to get his attention. I will try to get back there in the next few weeks for happy hour, it looks like that may be it's best modus operandi.
(3)
Foodie E.
Extensive menu with a broad range of seafood and meat choices. The wait staff is attentive and professional. Fairly priced and good atmosphere. Would recommend sitting outside if available.
(4)
Mercy T.
Don't go hungry, an older gentleman was raving to me about the service and food. We are from out of town and happened upon this place because our first choice was closed. I don't know if they were short on staff but everything took sooooo long, granted it was right after the holidays. My chopped chicken salad was good and my mates wraps and chips made up for it when we finally got it. Overall nice atmosphere.
(2)
Don P.
Very friendly and attentive service by the entire staff.
(4)
Mark L.
Service and atmosphere was excellent. My wife's chicken pasta dish wasn't bad (chicken was from frozen bits), although the supposed pesto sauce was not detectable. I had the Capt Crumbler (or something). Second most expensive dish, which came with about 4 shrimp & scallops and supposedly battered grouper, with a huge pile of fries to make you think you're getting your money's worth (sorry, but I'm just not that gullible). The shrimp & scallops were very tasty, but a swear that the dried out grouper was just a piece of cod. And the "hand cut fries" were cooked way too slowly, causing them to be little more than hardened strips of grease. Consequently, my meal was a disappointment and way over-priced.
(2)
Kayla M.
Very friendly staff and were able to cater to my gluten free needs. Our server was very attentive and made sure my meal was gluten free. My husband loved the red snapper tacos and my shrimp stir fry with quinoa was perfect! Recommend sitting outside and enjoying the view!
(5)
Timothy A.
Service was so slow. Food arrived lukewarm. Asked for dessert menu then the waiter disappeared. Finally decided to skip dessert and jut get the check. They need to hire better wait staff.
(2)
Renee W.
Cips' apparently is a favorite in my family that lives on Sanibel - and it was very good! We were able to snag a table outside in the garden area which was quite nice; especially with a warm breeze blowing. The 3 of us each ordered a different salad; I had the chopped rosemary chicken, my aunt had the greek and my mom had the rebel. All 3 were pleasers! The service was quite slow and he didn't really check in that often which was fine to a degree but when you're thirsty....
(4)
Rachel G.
Ate here twice over our 5 day vacation in Sanibel. Bread is awesome! And the Caesar salad.
(4)
Filip D.
great food and very friendly staff. A littl long wait though. But it's wordt it. It's traditional Florida food with an aztec twist. My whife especially appreciated the gluten free menu.
(4)
J P.
Our first time at this restaurant -- lovely interior and exterior design (much improved over previous eateries in this location). The menu is diverse is variety of food and price, something for everybody. The grouper BLT is quite good. Nice choice of meal-sized salads, sandwiches, and fresh and creative entrees. Also a full bar. I'm sure we'll be back. Great service as well!
(4)
Kobus R.
Great service - even on a very busy Friday evening, but the food get a plus and a definite minus from me. Shrimp gumbo was delicious, piping hot and just the right amount of spice. Soperb. The crusted tuna was awful. Not only was it served almost cold, it was tough and obviously not fresh. the accompanying potato mush was also cold and tasted way too rich. Skip it. Best approach is to go for drinks and appetizers.
(2)
Kristin T.
i cant believe i read a review that went on about how great cips is and then gave three stars. Then i read a review about how terrible the service was and gave four stars. I give this place four stars because the food was very good for the price and service was pretty good and wine selection was pretty good. I had scallops added to my salad and they were just. 30 seconds too well done. But the pear hazelnut vinaigrette and roasted beets were to die for. The key lime pie was like cheese cake. Very good but heavier than normal. The deck was wonderful and lots of greenery. Service was great! Raphael was sweet and very good. Wine for 11 bucks was just okay but happy hour gets it to you for ten bucks. One dollar off. We will go back. Loved it!
(4)
Benjamin T.
Healthier selections, nice, clean atmosphere with a beautiful garden in the front and back. Yes, the service was slow, but for us the pace was perfect. All the employees we encountered were friendly!
(5)
William P.
Nice happy hour. Bob the bartender was very friendly. We had 4 apps for $5 each. Calamari was decent - prefer marinara to the meat sauce or chili sauce that came with it. The chicken wings were excellent, more like fried chicken, meaty and tender, great blue cheese. Greek pizzata was OK, heavy on the olives. Chips with chili and peppers were great. Draft beers were cold. Nice ambiance. Less busy and less pricey than Traders. We will return.
(4)
Brian F.
Food was decent. Wait staff was attentive and helpful at first, but quickly became negligent as the place packed up. As for food...fried oysters and calamari were very good. I got the grouper BLT on the waiter's enthusiastic recommendation. I thought it was good, but not remarkable. Overall, a decent option for Sanibel somewhere in between the casual fish shacks and the fancy bistros. It felt nice without feeling too upscale, and was somewhat kid friendly which was a plus for us. Overall, recommended but could be better.
(3)
Cindy N.
Cip's seems is ok
(3)
Kate C.
Really friendly bartender. Was there for happy hour and had the sloppy chips which were yummy and some drinks, would go back for a full meal.
(4)
M K.
We went to Cips for happy hour and it was great! The owner came up to our table and was very friendly. She was extremely welcoming and attentive. The food was not as good as expected but the drinks and prices made up for that. If we had more time on the island I would have visited again because the outside patio was gorgeous. All together Cips was the perfect place to have an appetizer and drink before a night on the town.
(3)
Ted L.
Went to Cip's for dinner. Relatively new place, its in the same space as was the Mermaid kitchen. Great choice. Service and food were great. Personable waitstaff. We had a group of 5 so we called for reservations. We did not need them but with a group, I always prefer them. Great calamari app. The stuffed shells were amazing as was the shrimp and pasta. The burger was cooked to order and I was told it was excellent ! Huge meatballs were also very tasty in the pasta. Finally, the Mahi dish was top notch. We will definitely go back ! Make this a stop when you're in the area.
(5)
Suze R.
We visited Cip's Place while here on vacation. The menu sounded great and it had good reviews on Tripadvisor. Well, sorry to say we were a bit disappointed. Two of us ordered the lobster and corn chowder, while it was tasty, I found it pretty salty and had to overlook the very unappealing color and texture. I could not detect any lobster in the chowder at all. My husband and I ordered the Grouper BLT, which sounded great, served on rosemary ciabatta with an avocado mayo. Unfortunately it had no flavor at all, tremendously bland. The kettle chips are very greasy and not salted, yuck! The waiter got my son's order wrong, they brought him the wrong entree, then he refused to admit his mistake until my son said he would just eat it rather than wait. No apology or compensation for screwing it up. Cip's Place is on the expensive side for the quality of food, they mask the quality by using fancy rattan chargers under your plate, giving you the illusion of being somewhere special and classy. Wrong! They failed in my opinion.
(1)
Laura R.
I think Cip's is one of the most under-rated restaurants on Sanibel. It's such a beautiful restaurant and always has wonderful service and delicious food. They have a really lovely patio with outdoor seating (and lots of fans too for when it's warm out) and it's set in a smaller shopping area with Ace and Eileen Fischer, so parking isn't usually a problem. The food is always fantastic - recently I had the catch of the day BLT with mahi and it was really yummy and the fish was excellent. I always suggest Cips!
(4)
Daniel K.
My waiter took my steak order and did not ask me the temp of the steak.eat out side get bit by bugs and eat inside and lose your hearing.this place sucks
(1)
Chris S.
Pretty decent food, good service and a lovely atmosphere - pretty hard to go wrong with this place, although nothing really stands out too much. I like the cute lighthouse-themed interior but really, the patio is the place to sit. The food is plentiful and the fries fantastic, my BBQ ribs were good if a bit dry, and my companion's burger was fine but again not particularly mind blowing. Lovely coleslaw though.
(4)
Robert G.
Food and service was excellent! Karlee our waitress did a great job. My wife had the ribs. Our nanny had the fettuccine. And I had the enchilada stack. all were excellent in the chocolate mousse dessert was spectacular - definitely top choice on the island.
(5)
Remie S.
A really nice place the eat. Good food courteous staff. All in all a very nice experience.
(4)
Mitchell A.
Extremely good! You can taste the homemade quality in each dish. If you are tired of overpriced touristy crap, this is your place.
(5)
Darci S.
Second visit to Cip's and while I still liked it a lot, the service was a little slower and more disjointed this time around.
(4)
Maria Carolina M.
Everything in this place is very good. First all, it is a great pet friendly place! The food was delicious, very good price and amazing service. They were very helpful when I asked if they could prepare a grilled chicken for my dog. It was the first place that I've been which that kind of service. Also the waitress Terry was so nice. I strongly recommend this place! :)
(5)
Arthur H.
One of the better restaurants on the island by far. My wife and I stayed for a week and went to seven restaurants during our stay. We went here three times. The food is top notch. I recommend the buttermilk chicken and the margarita. Our servers were great. If I had one complaint it would be our starter salads lasted about one minute before our entree showed up. It wasn't really a starter I guess more of a side.
(4)
Tom S.
We ate here Sunday night. Food was good and the price moderate. Both of us had seafood which was fresh, tasted good. Decor is very nice, atmosphere very casual and friendly. Good drinks. If you go, you will enjoy it.
(4)
Laura R.
I think Cip's is one of the most under-rated restaurants on Sanibel. It's such a beautiful restaurant and always has wonderful service and delicious food. They have a really lovely patio with outdoor seating (and lots of fans too for when it's warm out) and it's set in a smaller shopping area with Ace and Eileen Fischer, so parking isn't usually a problem. The food is always fantastic - recently I had the catch of the day BLT with mahi and it was really yummy and the fish was excellent. I always suggest Cips!
(4)
Vivian T.
We were looking for a place to eat since everyone on Sanibel island was PACKED on a friday night. Cip's was crowded but were able to seat us. They served a wide variety standard american (burger, chips, steak) with some mexican tacos and many great seafood selections. We got the crispy calamari for appetizer which was delicious. My friend and I shared two entrees the enchilada stack which was pulled chicken served with queso blanco and the grilled snapper tacos. The food was good to slightly above average.
(3)
Cori R.
Great experience and 2 awesome meals. Nice not to fight the crowds in the more trendy places.
(4)
Renee W.
Cips' apparently is a favorite in my family that lives on Sanibel - and it was very good! We were able to snag a table outside in the garden area which was quite nice; especially with a warm breeze blowing. The 3 of us each ordered a different salad; I had the chopped rosemary chicken, my aunt had the greek and my mom had the rebel. All 3 were pleasers! The service was quite slow and he didn't really check in that often which was fine to a degree but when you're thirsty....
(4)
Rachel G.
Ate here twice over our 5 day vacation in Sanibel. Bread is awesome! And the Caesar salad.
(4)
Brian H.
I don't get the 5 or even 4 star ratings for this place. I left here with more questions than I arrived with. For example, are they a dining establishment or a sports bar? You cannot tell from the menu choices, i.e. wings, 'peel and eat' shrimp and sloppy chips and cheese, better known as nachos?? Come on!! Also, is this place a mexican place or an Island place? I am having a hard time here. Draught beer selection was a little weak. I did find a bottle of Napa Organic IPA that was acceptable, very different, like a light porter with not more than a slight hoppiness, very different for an IPA to me. Apps: The Chilled Poke Martini, a martini glass overfilled with yellowfin tuna in a teriyaki/ginger with green onion, avocado and tomato was the best choice for the night. The tuna very fresh, no veins, melt in your mouth tenderness. The lobster and corn chowder was too thick, lumpy, like it's been cooking down to almost it's original bare cornstarch base. Entrees: I had the Snapper Veracruzana. Nope, didn't do it for me. The fish itself was tender, the topping of the pico de gallo had a real nice heat to it, but the spice flavor itself tasted like it came out of a can. I am sure it didn't, but the taste was somewhat metallic, or just a cheaper mexican spice rather than the good stuff. The fish tacos were a-ok. Service: The host sat us immediately, we requested an indoor table when I made a reservation, it WAS a Saturday night, but the place never got over half full. Not a good sign on an resort Island at the beginning of the season. But we should have sat outside because I was expecting air conditioning indoors vs. outdoors. But the freakin doors were opened to create an open air ambiance. Strike one. The host himself was a nice guy but overly talkative, telling us what HE liked on the menu before even a server showed up to take our drink order. The server was a nice guy too, however, I had to get out the semaphore flags throughout the night to get his attention. I will try to get back there in the next few weeks for happy hour, it looks like that may be it's best modus operandi.
(3)
Robert G.
Food and service was excellent! Karlee our waitress did a great job. My wife had the ribs. Our nanny had the fettuccine. And I had the enchilada stack. all were excellent in the chocolate mousse dessert was spectacular - definitely top choice on the island.
(5)
Remie S.
A really nice place the eat. Good food courteous staff. All in all a very nice experience.
(4)
Jennifer K.
First and for most Sanibel Island is a world of it's own and so is Cip's Place. My boyfriend and I visited Sanibel Island on 4/15/15 and loved every minute of this beautiful island. We originally had reservations at another eatery however we cancelled them so we could let the day take us. We did this not realizing that most restaurants do in fact close by 9:00pm--so we needed to hit somewhere fast--I pulled up Cip's Place on my phone and we bee lined for the restaurant. Both of us were a bit skeptical because we knew they would be closing in 15 minutes and they would let us know and rush us. That was not the case at all! We were greeted by a lovely hostess who said "Right this way"--never indicting what time it was--meanwhile we clearly saw the restaurant was pretty empty because it was almost closing time and they were getting ready to clean up certain areas. We were seated outside on an adorable patio--there were two couple across from us but that was it. The waiter (I wish I knew his name)-was pleasant--happy--and very attentive. I told him I was a "vegan" and he made sure I was able to eat the garden pasta dish without a problem. He kept talking to us--asking us when we would be moving down to a place like this--told us how he got there. Again, never rushing us to order. My boyfriend had the clams on toast as well as the snapper tacos. He thought they were amazing. He is by far a food critic but he has had his share of delicious seafood experiences and this one was by far one if not the best. I had the garden vegetable pasta with gluten free bread--it was very good! We both washed our meals down with a "Ciptini" (def recommend it). While we were eating the other two couples left and it was just him and I. They dimmed the lights for us--lit a candle--and we couldn't believe we were the only two on this little island in this wonderful place--eating--drinking--and smiling away. The waiter told my boyfriend to save room for dessert (which he declined because he was so full) but he kept telling him he simply had to try one of them. Now I believe the time was after 10:30 or so and we were blown away by the service--the food--and the ambience of this place. When it was all said and done--and we paid the bill--as we walked out--everyone was cleaning up--getting ready to leave for the night--they all said "goodbye" to us--and they were all smiling. We walked out the front door and both look at one another and said "I can't wait to come here again!" Do yourself a favor--eat here--drink here---and lose yourself in the Sanibel air.
(5)
Daniel K.
My waiter took my steak order and did not ask me the temp of the steak.eat out side get bit by bugs and eat inside and lose your hearing.this place sucks
(1)
Chris S.
Pretty decent food, good service and a lovely atmosphere - pretty hard to go wrong with this place, although nothing really stands out too much. I like the cute lighthouse-themed interior but really, the patio is the place to sit. The food is plentiful and the fries fantastic, my BBQ ribs were good if a bit dry, and my companion's burger was fine but again not particularly mind blowing. Lovely coleslaw though.
(4)
Mitchell A.
Extremely good! You can taste the homemade quality in each dish. If you are tired of overpriced touristy crap, this is your place.
(5)
Darci S.
Second visit to Cip's and while I still liked it a lot, the service was a little slower and more disjointed this time around.
(4)
Jamie R.
Cute decor - including somebody's tug. Great seafood. Salmon was delish!
(5)
Don P.
Very friendly and attentive service by the entire staff.
(4)
Sandy M.
Great place for a leisurely lunch on a beautiful day. Nice selections on the menu, we opted for comfort food. The sloppy Joe was tasty, with a vinegar based cole slaw. The service was very good, the server checked in regularly to keep our glasses full. She was attentive and friendly, we never felt rushed. Finally found a good key lime pie, creamy and a little tart. Much better than the frozen, tasteless stuff we found at other restaurants.
(4)
David P.
We decided to go to CIPS for my mother in law's birthday. the overall experience was excellent. When we called for last minute reservations, they were extremely accommodating to get us on the front porch and under a heat lamp. The server was nice and the food delicious. In our party we had: grouper tacos, BBQ shrimp, ribeye steak with a Cabernet demiglas, chicken Caesar salad, and scallops with alfredo pasta. The scallops were done perfectly. The ribeye steak was cooked to order and the sauce was excellent albeit slightly salty. The only blemish in the dinner was that they forgot to bring out the barbecue shrimp with the rest of the dinners. However, the waitress offered a free cup of soup as an apology for this oversight. We would definitely come back here, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was lovely.
(4)
Alicia H.
I loved that I could lunch with my furry friends on Cip's well appointed patio. This fact is a major plus for my husband and me as we enjoy taking our well behaved dogs out and about with us on vacation. The food and service was fairly unremarkable, save the Grouper BLT, which was well executed. Still, this is about as good as it gets on Sanibel! It's worth mentioning that Cip's has a nicely attended happy hour from 4-6.
(5)
Megan D.
This place is a strange juxtaposition of a cafe and a fancier restaurant. The food is pretty good and the service was alright as well. The triple tail special was really, really good with a sweet sauce that paired excellently with the blackened fish. Everything else was pretty good, but not spectacular.
(4)
Jon H.
Went for happy hr and calamari was warm and dried out, wife's salmon was dry as well and the picatta sauce was poor but drinks were good
(3)
Kristen H.
I always look forward to eating here on our yearly Sanibel trips. Mainly because their patio is just gorgeous. My kids love walking around the lush greenery in front and back of the restaurant when they're antsy :) It really is one of the prettiest patios, and I look forward to sitting on it every year. The food is good, I've never had anything bad here. 4 stars because the food is not inexpensive by any means, but nothing that I would distinctly remember. All in all, a nice place to eat on Sanibel.
(4)
J D.
Yes it's a restaurant and it serves food. I wasn't expecting anything fancy and that's just what we got. The fajitas are unique, it was like a cake style stack of fajitas. I wouldn't get them again. Even though the fajitas were topped with sauce, cheese and sour cream, the chicken was still dry. How can that be possible. I also got a Mojito to drink and that was pretty good. Our waitress was attentive until it got busy, but after that we were on our own. My review, it's a restaurant and it serves food. If your bar is low this is the place for you.
(3)
Susan C.
This was our first time at Cip's and I had high expectations being it was recommended by so many....I think it was an issue of just misordering. My husband and I shared the special of the day which was a strip steak with mushrooms in some kind of sauce. The steak was tough and grisly. Did not send it back because they were kind enough to let us share the meal although we both ordered a cup of the shrimp and crab gumbo. The gumbo was very spicy and it looked like they used whatever leftovers they had to make it...although I admit, it was tasty. Will return and probably order fish or seafood.
(2)
Phil R.
Was refused a table for 5 later 3 people with there 2 dogs showed up and got the table our waitress was outstanding the food was fair would not return.
(1)
Christy V.
Great food, happy hour food specials until 6 pm. The buttermilk chicken dish, buttermilk wings, scalloped potatoes, and the seared tuna salad were all delicious!! The patio was lovely and we really enjoyed Cip's.
(4)
Fab F.
More sophisticated ambiance than the rest in the island. Service was very good but food was disappointing. Everything I've ordered had pepper on it and no warning on the menu. I like spicy food but not hot food. Even the crab cake was so spice I couldn't taste the crab. It gets 3 stars for the service, ambiance and if you like spicy pepper on everything (even your soup), it might be the place for you.
(3)
JJ R.
We ate here based on a recommendation from our hotel. My guess is that Cip's must be providing a kick back as this was the worst dining experience of our week long entire trip. Mostly, the service was terrible. Our waiter took over 15 minutes to stop by our table after we sat down. He said no more than 3 words and took our drink order... A simple order of 2 Landshark beers. 10 minutes later, he shows up with some porter and a glass of wine. When told we ordered the 2 Landshark beers he said "oh", took the drinks away and came back 10 minutes later with our "correct" drinks. Rest of the experience followed suit... Food had no flavor, was over priced, and service continued to be overly lackluster at best. Not a single employee said "thank you" and we walked away quite disappointed. Much better options around or out on Captiva. Stay away from Cip's.
(1)
Christopher L.
Good craft beer selection (at least 4 options), excellent Lobster Corn Chowder, good Mussels Cipriano special. Salmon Piccata was good, but a bit oily. Service was a bit slow.
(3)
John K.
Great food. Great prices. Their happy hour specials are awesome. Our new favorite place on Sanibel
(5)
Maura L.
My group of 5 had dinner tonight at Cip's and we loved it. Great burger, ribs, and snapper tacos. My crab cakes were delicious. We've been to lots of restaurants on Sanibel and paid a lot more money for a meal nowhere near as good as we had tonight. Great service, nice ambience, we can't wait to come back!
(5)
Debrah H.
Food is nothing extraordinary. Just OK. Nice atmosphere inside though. Waitress attentive.
(3)
Deb R.
Delicious speciality drinks! Homemade potato chips with sloppy joes fresh jalapeños and cheese ohhhh yum yum BLT grouper sandwich and cioppiono were all delicious would go back again!
(5)
DeAnna B.
I had the grouper BLT and it was fantastic!! Great service and nice little restaurant. Highly recommend!
(5)
Stacy C.
The food here is delicious! Happy hour has great pricing 4-6pm $1 off drinks, $12 meals and $5 appetizer specials. Great service, great location, plenty of parking and tasty food. Request special garden seating for a great view.
(4)
Maddy S.
Cip's provides consistently good food and service. Their menu offers something for everyone, and the seafood is very fresh. The food itself is nothing special, but definitely a strong choice on the island. I had the caramel cheesecake for dessert, and it was absolutely delicious. Service was friendly, although the course pacing was a little slow. All in all, you can be sure that Cip's will provide a great meal.
(4)
Marinda H.
Day/time of visit: weekend dinner 1 star for food 3 stars for atmosphere Very disappointing. There are many mediocre overpriced restaurants on Sanibel/Captiva and Cip's is high on this list. The restaurant itself is very attractive and the outdoor patio is lovely - that's where my positive comments end. We started out with a Caprese Pizzata which looked delicious - fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and what looked like pesto. Wow, how did this amazing looking flatbread end up tasting just like a mediocre frozen pizza? Blech. I ordered fish and chips after the waiter told me the 'fresh' fish was Grouper. I highly doubt it was Grouper because it tasted 100% like Van de Kamps frozen fish. BF was very limited in what he could order due to his seafood allergy (could not order chicken even) so ordered baby back ribs which tasted like week old pre-made (like the pre-cooked kind you buy at the grocery) ribs - absolutely disgusting. Because they couldn't guarantee fries were not fried in oil that seafood had been fried in he substituted au gratin potatoes - these also tasted like pre-made food service potatoes. And when we got the bill we were charged $2.50 extra to substitute these horrible potatoes. Our server was pleasant but did not check in very frequently which we later realized was due to him also being the bartender which was odd because they did not seem busy. The manager did stop by the table at the end of our meal when I asked her to remove the $2.50 fee for the au gratin potatoes. Very overpriced for horrible frozen food. Will never revisit.
(1)
Bryan S.
We ate here as a family of 8 with 2 kids (3 and 10 mo.) and the service was fantastic. The food was great and moderately priced and the drinks were ok but refreshing. We enjoyed the place and the fish we ordered was great. Mind you they serve very good seafood and that's all we had, we did not have any meat items. In any case they gave us exactly what we were looking for and did so at a good price. We would return due to the convenience, food, and outdoor seating.
(4)
Foodie E.
Extensive menu with a broad range of seafood and meat choices. The wait staff is attentive and professional. Fairly priced and good atmosphere. Would recommend sitting outside if available.
(4)
Cecilia B.
My family and I visited Cips after reading reviews on Yelp. We were disappointed. The food was bland and expensive for what it was. The waitress was nice enough but the bottom line for us is always the taste of the food and it just wasn't there. It is a nice looking place and the service was prompt, but the main ingredient is missing.
(2)
Kayla M.
Very friendly staff and were able to cater to my gluten free needs. Our server was very attentive and made sure my meal was gluten free. My husband loved the red snapper tacos and my shrimp stir fry with quinoa was perfect! Recommend sitting outside and enjoying the view!
(5)
Timothy A.
Service was so slow. Food arrived lukewarm. Asked for dessert menu then the waiter disappeared. Finally decided to skip dessert and jut get the check. They need to hire better wait staff.
(2)
Kim R.
On our recent family vacation to Sanibel we stopped by Cip's Place for dinner. Even though it was boiling hot outside, we decided we couldn't pass up dining on their inviting patio. All of the servers and staff are very helpful and friendly, and they quickly offered to bring us a fan since we were the only table dining outdoors. We came early so we could take advantage of their Six beforeSix menu, which has a few special entrees that are $12 if you order before 6:00pm. I didn't end up ordering anything off of the special menu, but instead opted for the snapper tacos. I thought the tacos were light and tasty, and I really liked the slaw that came with them. The entree also came with homemade chips that were very nicely seasoned. As good as the entrees were, I really liked their desserts. We ordered the carrot cake and the icebox chocolate cake, and both were excellent. The carrot cake was served as a cupcake and came out warm. I really enjoyed the chocolate cake. It was cool and refreshing for a hot night. It consisted of a few layers of chocolate mouse and layers of chocolate graham crumbs. It was excellent!
(4)
Ron C.
Had dinner here a couple of weeks ago; food was delicious and service was good. Had the Cioppino and would go back and have it again as it was so good. Entire experience exceeded my expectations!
(4)
Mitchell M.
Great Service! Great Food! Excellent menu, with wide variety. Great outdoor seating, with wonderful view and spacious seating.
(5)
Tong J.
Hungry, tired and itchy from sand fly bites we arrived at Cip's to find an empty parking lot. We went ahead and ordered taking in the tikki torches, huge flat screen tv's and a lone guitarist on the upper level crooning classic oldies. The food arrived....who cares about ambiance! The fish dishes were excellent, fresh and nicely seasoned, the steak chimichuri was cooked perfectly and the service was great. Definitely not your average tourist trap.
(4)
Mercy T.
Don't go hungry, an older gentleman was raving to me about the service and food. We are from out of town and happened upon this place because our first choice was closed. I don't know if they were short on staff but everything took sooooo long, granted it was right after the holidays. My chopped chicken salad was good and my mates wraps and chips made up for it when we finally got it. Overall nice atmosphere.
(2)
Mark L.
Service and atmosphere was excellent. My wife's chicken pasta dish wasn't bad (chicken was from frozen bits), although the supposed pesto sauce was not detectable. I had the Capt Crumbler (or something). Second most expensive dish, which came with about 4 shrimp & scallops and supposedly battered grouper, with a huge pile of fries to make you think you're getting your money's worth (sorry, but I'm just not that gullible). The shrimp & scallops were very tasty, but a swear that the dried out grouper was just a piece of cod. And the "hand cut fries" were cooked way too slowly, causing them to be little more than hardened strips of grease. Consequently, my meal was a disappointment and way over-priced.
(2)
Bill C.
A local gave a strong recommendation, so we tried it. There are so many good restaurants on Sanibel, the mediocre ones don't last long, so I anticipated something special. The setting is beautiful, the food good, but the service so lacking it spoiled the experience. The help was not well trained. We were taken to a table, then had to wait while it was wiped, although there were plenty of empty tables that looked perfectly clean. There was nothing special about the table. Maybe it was in the area for the waiter? We had to remind the waiter to bring water. Twice. Coffee had to be asked for twice. The check had to be asked for twice. We had a crab bruschetta that was as good as anything like that I've ever had. Could have easily made a meal of them. The steak was cooked exactly as ordered and was good, just not special. The Ciopino was excellent, but just a tad underspiced. The chocolate desert was absolutely outstanding. Sort of a mousse plus. We were in sort of a mellow mood and the food was good, so the service didn't ruin the meal until mid-way through the desert, the bus boy started spraying disinfectant on the table next to us. I should have stopped him, but instead let the Lysol flavored aerosol cover us, our table and the rest of the really good chocolate. I didn't complain, but should have I suppose. We left, fully confident that Cips does it's best to keep germs from spreading. I rate stars based on comparable level restaurants in the same area. Better service, no spray and Cips Place would get more stars. Maybe it was an off night?
(3)
Maurice L.
Besides the wait for a table, and the hostess telling me it would be 50 minutes for a table with 3 kids, i decided to stick it out, in the end we only waited about 20 minutes (in-experienced hostess, not a true reflection of the restaurant), other than that the food was actually great (loved the mahi with peach salsa, and the clams&toast awesome, french onion soup was pretty good too). I would definitely recommend making reservations (fyi - no expresso... only american!!! I told the manager /owner to get an Nesspresso Machine there free, when you buy the coffee???.
(4)
Jason H.
Great atmosphere on the patio, service was excellent, food was above average. We had 4 kids in our group 3 and younger and they were extremely accommodating.
(4)
Jen B.
Really great place! Fired chicken was awesome! The outdoor seating is also great, since its hard to find at the nice restaurants on Sanibel. A definite go!
(5)
Chip S.
Loved this restaurant. Nice seating on porch. Great food and cocktails as well.
(4)
Lorraine H.
Went on vacation and thought we'd go to CIPS place for happy hour & then have dinner. We were the only people there. After we sat down & mentioned happy hour the hostess actually took the menu out of our hands and said happy hour ended at 6 (we got there at 6:05.) So guess what - We left! There's plenty of other places to go with nicer people who want our business.
(1)
Filip D.
great food and very friendly staff. A littl long wait though. But it's wordt it. It's traditional Florida food with an aztec twist. My whife especially appreciated the gluten free menu.
(4)
J P.
Our first time at this restaurant -- lovely interior and exterior design (much improved over previous eateries in this location). The menu is diverse is variety of food and price, something for everybody. The grouper BLT is quite good. Nice choice of meal-sized salads, sandwiches, and fresh and creative entrees. Also a full bar. I'm sure we'll be back. Great service as well!
(4)
Kobus R.
Great service - even on a very busy Friday evening, but the food get a plus and a definite minus from me. Shrimp gumbo was delicious, piping hot and just the right amount of spice. Soperb. The crusted tuna was awful. Not only was it served almost cold, it was tough and obviously not fresh. the accompanying potato mush was also cold and tasted way too rich. Skip it. Best approach is to go for drinks and appetizers.
(2)
Kristin T.
i cant believe i read a review that went on about how great cips is and then gave three stars. Then i read a review about how terrible the service was and gave four stars. I give this place four stars because the food was very good for the price and service was pretty good and wine selection was pretty good. I had scallops added to my salad and they were just. 30 seconds too well done. But the pear hazelnut vinaigrette and roasted beets were to die for. The key lime pie was like cheese cake. Very good but heavier than normal. The deck was wonderful and lots of greenery. Service was great! Raphael was sweet and very good. Wine for 11 bucks was just okay but happy hour gets it to you for ten bucks. One dollar off. We will go back. Loved it!
(4)
Benjamin T.
Healthier selections, nice, clean atmosphere with a beautiful garden in the front and back. Yes, the service was slow, but for us the pace was perfect. All the employees we encountered were friendly!
(5)
William P.
Nice happy hour. Bob the bartender was very friendly. We had 4 apps for $5 each. Calamari was decent - prefer marinara to the meat sauce or chili sauce that came with it. The chicken wings were excellent, more like fried chicken, meaty and tender, great blue cheese. Greek pizzata was OK, heavy on the olives. Chips with chili and peppers were great. Draft beers were cold. Nice ambiance. Less busy and less pricey than Traders. We will return.
(4)
R T.
Wow! What a pleasant surprise! A great menu with unique takes on old favorites. Our group love the Grouper Esperanza and the Mango Mahi. Don't be misled by the location in the shopping center. Cip's is high on ambiance with two outdoor porches. Ask to be seated on the lower porch which has a wonderful garden view. And...they take reservations! This is uncommon on Sanibel but it is welcome when dinner can be a hour wait at some of the more popular places.
(4)
Dave D.
We have lived on the Sanibel for a year and this is one of our favorites. Food is always good (especially barbecue shrimp). The atomsphere is great. I can't wait til summer when all the tourists go home and back up north.
(4)
Vicky P.
It was... Good. We'd go again. It wasn't amazing, but good enough that we're interested in going back and trying other things on the menu. (There were a number of things on the menu that looked intriguing. We shared 2 appetizers and an entree. The crab cake app was not the best on the island, but enjoyable. (I prefer a lump crab cake, but this was more blended.) The clams had a great broth, but the waitress caught me right after having a sandy clam and apologized, then took it off our bill, even though we protested. (We had eaten the rest of them.) We got the Crumpler platter which another reviewer complained about the size, but we had no complaints. It was plenty of food for one platter. About 4-5 oz of fish, 3 shrimp, and 2 scallops. We changed out the side of fries for a side salad, because, well, a little bit of green on the table seemed like a good idea. The entree was all cooked very well and we enjoyed it. The kids menu was a pass, like most restaurants, but the waitress was more than willing to work with us in setting up half portions or a plate of sides. My 4-year-old daughter ended up with some fantastic black beans and rice and a Caesar salad. Ambiance was lovely. The service was competent and not hovering. There when we needed it, but not constantly underfoot. The bar made a great cocktail. The manager stopped by to check that things were going well with our meal. So all that said, it's definitely worth giving it a shot. We'll be back.
(4)
Brian F.
Food was decent. Wait staff was attentive and helpful at first, but quickly became negligent as the place packed up. As for food...fried oysters and calamari were very good. I got the grouper BLT on the waiter's enthusiastic recommendation. I thought it was good, but not remarkable. Overall, a decent option for Sanibel somewhere in between the casual fish shacks and the fancy bistros. It felt nice without feeling too upscale, and was somewhat kid friendly which was a plus for us. Overall, recommended but could be better.
(3)
Cindy N.
Cip's seems is ok
(3)
Kate C.
Really friendly bartender. Was there for happy hour and had the sloppy chips which were yummy and some drinks, would go back for a full meal.
(4)
M K.
We went to Cips for happy hour and it was great! The owner came up to our table and was very friendly. She was extremely welcoming and attentive. The food was not as good as expected but the drinks and prices made up for that. If we had more time on the island I would have visited again because the outside patio was gorgeous. All together Cips was the perfect place to have an appetizer and drink before a night on the town.
(3)
Ted L.
Went to Cip's for dinner. Relatively new place, its in the same space as was the Mermaid kitchen. Great choice. Service and food were great. Personable waitstaff. We had a group of 5 so we called for reservations. We did not need them but with a group, I always prefer them. Great calamari app. The stuffed shells were amazing as was the shrimp and pasta. The burger was cooked to order and I was told it was excellent ! Huge meatballs were also very tasty in the pasta. Finally, the Mahi dish was top notch. We will definitely go back ! Make this a stop when you're in the area.
(5)
Arnold N.
We gave this place a try, based on reviews on another site. The food was not a good as the reviews would lead you to believe. It was OK, but nothing special. The ambiance was nice, but they need to put a little more work into the food preparation, and little less on the ambiance.
(3)
Rebecca G.
I loved this place. Each time we went it was never busy and I always wondered why when all the other local places had hour long waits and this place is way better. The food is priced the same but to me is a notch above and more refined. Service was great, atmosphere was great and the food was awesome. The barbeque shrimp appetizer was delicious and we enjoyed the wrap sandwiches and the bbq pork sandwich with fresh homemade chips. A great kids menu tops it all off. Definitely don't wait at other places-try this place!!
(5)
Suze R.
We visited Cip's Place while here on vacation. The menu sounded great and it had good reviews on Tripadvisor. Well, sorry to say we were a bit disappointed. Two of us ordered the lobster and corn chowder, while it was tasty, I found it pretty salty and had to overlook the very unappealing color and texture. I could not detect any lobster in the chowder at all. My husband and I ordered the Grouper BLT, which sounded great, served on rosemary ciabatta with an avocado mayo. Unfortunately it had no flavor at all, tremendously bland. The kettle chips are very greasy and not salted, yuck! The waiter got my son's order wrong, they brought him the wrong entree, then he refused to admit his mistake until my son said he would just eat it rather than wait. No apology or compensation for screwing it up. Cip's Place is on the expensive side for the quality of food, they mask the quality by using fancy rattan chargers under your plate, giving you the illusion of being somewhere special and classy. Wrong! They failed in my opinion.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Jamie R.
Cute decor - including somebody's tug. Great seafood. Salmon was delish!
(5)Cecilia B.
My family and I visited Cips after reading reviews on Yelp. We were disappointed. The food was bland and expensive for what it was. The waitress was nice enough but the bottom line for us is always the taste of the food and it just wasn't there. It is a nice looking place and the service was prompt, but the main ingredient is missing.
(2)Kim R.
On our recent family vacation to Sanibel we stopped by Cip's Place for dinner. Even though it was boiling hot outside, we decided we couldn't pass up dining on their inviting patio. All of the servers and staff are very helpful and friendly, and they quickly offered to bring us a fan since we were the only table dining outdoors. We came early so we could take advantage of their Six beforeSix menu, which has a few special entrees that are $12 if you order before 6:00pm. I didn't end up ordering anything off of the special menu, but instead opted for the snapper tacos. I thought the tacos were light and tasty, and I really liked the slaw that came with them. The entree also came with homemade chips that were very nicely seasoned. As good as the entrees were, I really liked their desserts. We ordered the carrot cake and the icebox chocolate cake, and both were excellent. The carrot cake was served as a cupcake and came out warm. I really enjoyed the chocolate cake. It was cool and refreshing for a hot night. It consisted of a few layers of chocolate mouse and layers of chocolate graham crumbs. It was excellent!
(4)Ron C.
Had dinner here a couple of weeks ago; food was delicious and service was good. Had the Cioppino and would go back and have it again as it was so good. Entire experience exceeded my expectations!
(4)Mitchell M.
Great Service! Great Food! Excellent menu, with wide variety. Great outdoor seating, with wonderful view and spacious seating.
(5)Tong J.
Hungry, tired and itchy from sand fly bites we arrived at Cip's to find an empty parking lot. We went ahead and ordered taking in the tikki torches, huge flat screen tv's and a lone guitarist on the upper level crooning classic oldies. The food arrived....who cares about ambiance! The fish dishes were excellent, fresh and nicely seasoned, the steak chimichuri was cooked perfectly and the service was great. Definitely not your average tourist trap.
(4)Sandy M.
Great place for a leisurely lunch on a beautiful day. Nice selections on the menu, we opted for comfort food. The sloppy Joe was tasty, with a vinegar based cole slaw. The service was very good, the server checked in regularly to keep our glasses full. She was attentive and friendly, we never felt rushed. Finally found a good key lime pie, creamy and a little tart. Much better than the frozen, tasteless stuff we found at other restaurants.
(4)Jennifer K.
First and for most Sanibel Island is a world of it's own and so is Cip's Place. My boyfriend and I visited Sanibel Island on 4/15/15 and loved every minute of this beautiful island. We originally had reservations at another eatery however we cancelled them so we could let the day take us. We did this not realizing that most restaurants do in fact close by 9:00pm--so we needed to hit somewhere fast--I pulled up Cip's Place on my phone and we bee lined for the restaurant. Both of us were a bit skeptical because we knew they would be closing in 15 minutes and they would let us know and rush us. That was not the case at all! We were greeted by a lovely hostess who said "Right this way"--never indicting what time it was--meanwhile we clearly saw the restaurant was pretty empty because it was almost closing time and they were getting ready to clean up certain areas. We were seated outside on an adorable patio--there were two couple across from us but that was it. The waiter (I wish I knew his name)-was pleasant--happy--and very attentive. I told him I was a "vegan" and he made sure I was able to eat the garden pasta dish without a problem. He kept talking to us--asking us when we would be moving down to a place like this--told us how he got there. Again, never rushing us to order. My boyfriend had the clams on toast as well as the snapper tacos. He thought they were amazing. He is by far a food critic but he has had his share of delicious seafood experiences and this one was by far one if not the best. I had the garden vegetable pasta with gluten free bread--it was very good! We both washed our meals down with a "Ciptini" (def recommend it). While we were eating the other two couples left and it was just him and I. They dimmed the lights for us--lit a candle--and we couldn't believe we were the only two on this little island in this wonderful place--eating--drinking--and smiling away. The waiter told my boyfriend to save room for dessert (which he declined because he was so full) but he kept telling him he simply had to try one of them. Now I believe the time was after 10:30 or so and we were blown away by the service--the food--and the ambience of this place. When it was all said and done--and we paid the bill--as we walked out--everyone was cleaning up--getting ready to leave for the night--they all said "goodbye" to us--and they were all smiling. We walked out the front door and both look at one another and said "I can't wait to come here again!" Do yourself a favor--eat here--drink here---and lose yourself in the Sanibel air.
(5)Christopher L.
Good craft beer selection (at least 4 options), excellent Lobster Corn Chowder, good Mussels Cipriano special. Salmon Piccata was good, but a bit oily. Service was a bit slow.
(3)John K.
Great food. Great prices. Their happy hour specials are awesome. Our new favorite place on Sanibel
(5)Maura L.
My group of 5 had dinner tonight at Cip's and we loved it. Great burger, ribs, and snapper tacos. My crab cakes were delicious. We've been to lots of restaurants on Sanibel and paid a lot more money for a meal nowhere near as good as we had tonight. Great service, nice ambience, we can't wait to come back!
(5)Debrah H.
Food is nothing extraordinary. Just OK. Nice atmosphere inside though. Waitress attentive.
(3)Deb R.
Delicious speciality drinks! Homemade potato chips with sloppy joes fresh jalapeños and cheese ohhhh yum yum BLT grouper sandwich and cioppiono were all delicious would go back again!
(5)DeAnna B.
I had the grouper BLT and it was fantastic!! Great service and nice little restaurant. Highly recommend!
(5)Stacy C.
The food here is delicious! Happy hour has great pricing 4-6pm $1 off drinks, $12 meals and $5 appetizer specials. Great service, great location, plenty of parking and tasty food. Request special garden seating for a great view.
(4)Maddy S.
Cip's provides consistently good food and service. Their menu offers something for everyone, and the seafood is very fresh. The food itself is nothing special, but definitely a strong choice on the island. I had the caramel cheesecake for dessert, and it was absolutely delicious. Service was friendly, although the course pacing was a little slow. All in all, you can be sure that Cip's will provide a great meal.
(4)Arthur H.
One of the better restaurants on the island by far. My wife and I stayed for a week and went to seven restaurants during our stay. We went here three times. The food is top notch. I recommend the buttermilk chicken and the margarita. Our servers were great. If I had one complaint it would be our starter salads lasted about one minute before our entree showed up. It wasn't really a starter I guess more of a side.
(4)David P.
We decided to go to CIPS for my mother in law's birthday. the overall experience was excellent. When we called for last minute reservations, they were extremely accommodating to get us on the front porch and under a heat lamp. The server was nice and the food delicious. In our party we had: grouper tacos, BBQ shrimp, ribeye steak with a Cabernet demiglas, chicken Caesar salad, and scallops with alfredo pasta. The scallops were done perfectly. The ribeye steak was cooked to order and the sauce was excellent albeit slightly salty. The only blemish in the dinner was that they forgot to bring out the barbecue shrimp with the rest of the dinners. However, the waitress offered a free cup of soup as an apology for this oversight. We would definitely come back here, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was lovely.
(4)Alicia H.
I loved that I could lunch with my furry friends on Cip's well appointed patio. This fact is a major plus for my husband and me as we enjoy taking our well behaved dogs out and about with us on vacation. The food and service was fairly unremarkable, save the Grouper BLT, which was well executed. Still, this is about as good as it gets on Sanibel! It's worth mentioning that Cip's has a nicely attended happy hour from 4-6.
(5)Megan D.
This place is a strange juxtaposition of a cafe and a fancier restaurant. The food is pretty good and the service was alright as well. The triple tail special was really, really good with a sweet sauce that paired excellently with the blackened fish. Everything else was pretty good, but not spectacular.
(4)Jon H.
Went for happy hr and calamari was warm and dried out, wife's salmon was dry as well and the picatta sauce was poor but drinks were good
(3)Kristen H.
I always look forward to eating here on our yearly Sanibel trips. Mainly because their patio is just gorgeous. My kids love walking around the lush greenery in front and back of the restaurant when they're antsy :) It really is one of the prettiest patios, and I look forward to sitting on it every year. The food is good, I've never had anything bad here. 4 stars because the food is not inexpensive by any means, but nothing that I would distinctly remember. All in all, a nice place to eat on Sanibel.
(4)J D.
Yes it's a restaurant and it serves food. I wasn't expecting anything fancy and that's just what we got. The fajitas are unique, it was like a cake style stack of fajitas. I wouldn't get them again. Even though the fajitas were topped with sauce, cheese and sour cream, the chicken was still dry. How can that be possible. I also got a Mojito to drink and that was pretty good. Our waitress was attentive until it got busy, but after that we were on our own. My review, it's a restaurant and it serves food. If your bar is low this is the place for you.
(3)Maria Carolina M.
Everything in this place is very good. First all, it is a great pet friendly place! The food was delicious, very good price and amazing service. They were very helpful when I asked if they could prepare a grilled chicken for my dog. It was the first place that I've been which that kind of service. Also the waitress Terry was so nice. I strongly recommend this place! :)
(5)Tom S.
We ate here Sunday night. Food was good and the price moderate. Both of us had seafood which was fresh, tasted good. Decor is very nice, atmosphere very casual and friendly. Good drinks. If you go, you will enjoy it.
(4)Susan C.
This was our first time at Cip's and I had high expectations being it was recommended by so many....I think it was an issue of just misordering. My husband and I shared the special of the day which was a strip steak with mushrooms in some kind of sauce. The steak was tough and grisly. Did not send it back because they were kind enough to let us share the meal although we both ordered a cup of the shrimp and crab gumbo. The gumbo was very spicy and it looked like they used whatever leftovers they had to make it...although I admit, it was tasty. Will return and probably order fish or seafood.
(2)Phil R.
Was refused a table for 5 later 3 people with there 2 dogs showed up and got the table our waitress was outstanding the food was fair would not return.
(1)Christy V.
Great food, happy hour food specials until 6 pm. The buttermilk chicken dish, buttermilk wings, scalloped potatoes, and the seared tuna salad were all delicious!! The patio was lovely and we really enjoyed Cip's.
(4)Fab F.
More sophisticated ambiance than the rest in the island. Service was very good but food was disappointing. Everything I've ordered had pepper on it and no warning on the menu. I like spicy food but not hot food. Even the crab cake was so spice I couldn't taste the crab. It gets 3 stars for the service, ambiance and if you like spicy pepper on everything (even your soup), it might be the place for you.
(3)JJ R.
We ate here based on a recommendation from our hotel. My guess is that Cip's must be providing a kick back as this was the worst dining experience of our week long entire trip. Mostly, the service was terrible. Our waiter took over 15 minutes to stop by our table after we sat down. He said no more than 3 words and took our drink order... A simple order of 2 Landshark beers. 10 minutes later, he shows up with some porter and a glass of wine. When told we ordered the 2 Landshark beers he said "oh", took the drinks away and came back 10 minutes later with our "correct" drinks. Rest of the experience followed suit... Food had no flavor, was over priced, and service continued to be overly lackluster at best. Not a single employee said "thank you" and we walked away quite disappointed. Much better options around or out on Captiva. Stay away from Cip's.
(1)Marinda H.
Day/time of visit: weekend dinner 1 star for food 3 stars for atmosphere Very disappointing. There are many mediocre overpriced restaurants on Sanibel/Captiva and Cip's is high on this list. The restaurant itself is very attractive and the outdoor patio is lovely - that's where my positive comments end. We started out with a Caprese Pizzata which looked delicious - fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and what looked like pesto. Wow, how did this amazing looking flatbread end up tasting just like a mediocre frozen pizza? Blech. I ordered fish and chips after the waiter told me the 'fresh' fish was Grouper. I highly doubt it was Grouper because it tasted 100% like Van de Kamps frozen fish. BF was very limited in what he could order due to his seafood allergy (could not order chicken even) so ordered baby back ribs which tasted like week old pre-made (like the pre-cooked kind you buy at the grocery) ribs - absolutely disgusting. Because they couldn't guarantee fries were not fried in oil that seafood had been fried in he substituted au gratin potatoes - these also tasted like pre-made food service potatoes. And when we got the bill we were charged $2.50 extra to substitute these horrible potatoes. Our server was pleasant but did not check in very frequently which we later realized was due to him also being the bartender which was odd because they did not seem busy. The manager did stop by the table at the end of our meal when I asked her to remove the $2.50 fee for the au gratin potatoes. Very overpriced for horrible frozen food. Will never revisit.
(1)Bill C.
A local gave a strong recommendation, so we tried it. There are so many good restaurants on Sanibel, the mediocre ones don't last long, so I anticipated something special. The setting is beautiful, the food good, but the service so lacking it spoiled the experience. The help was not well trained. We were taken to a table, then had to wait while it was wiped, although there were plenty of empty tables that looked perfectly clean. There was nothing special about the table. Maybe it was in the area for the waiter? We had to remind the waiter to bring water. Twice. Coffee had to be asked for twice. The check had to be asked for twice. We had a crab bruschetta that was as good as anything like that I've ever had. Could have easily made a meal of them. The steak was cooked exactly as ordered and was good, just not special. The Ciopino was excellent, but just a tad underspiced. The chocolate desert was absolutely outstanding. Sort of a mousse plus. We were in sort of a mellow mood and the food was good, so the service didn't ruin the meal until mid-way through the desert, the bus boy started spraying disinfectant on the table next to us. I should have stopped him, but instead let the Lysol flavored aerosol cover us, our table and the rest of the really good chocolate. I didn't complain, but should have I suppose. We left, fully confident that Cips does it's best to keep germs from spreading. I rate stars based on comparable level restaurants in the same area. Better service, no spray and Cips Place would get more stars. Maybe it was an off night?
(3)Maurice L.
Besides the wait for a table, and the hostess telling me it would be 50 minutes for a table with 3 kids, i decided to stick it out, in the end we only waited about 20 minutes (in-experienced hostess, not a true reflection of the restaurant), other than that the food was actually great (loved the mahi with peach salsa, and the clams&toast awesome, french onion soup was pretty good too). I would definitely recommend making reservations (fyi - no expresso... only american!!! I told the manager /owner to get an Nesspresso Machine there free, when you buy the coffee???.
(4)Jason H.
Great atmosphere on the patio, service was excellent, food was above average. We had 4 kids in our group 3 and younger and they were extremely accommodating.
(4)Jen B.
Really great place! Fired chicken was awesome! The outdoor seating is also great, since its hard to find at the nice restaurants on Sanibel. A definite go!
(5)Chip S.
Loved this restaurant. Nice seating on porch. Great food and cocktails as well.
(4)Lorraine H.
Went on vacation and thought we'd go to CIPS place for happy hour & then have dinner. We were the only people there. After we sat down & mentioned happy hour the hostess actually took the menu out of our hands and said happy hour ended at 6 (we got there at 6:05.) So guess what - We left! There's plenty of other places to go with nicer people who want our business.
(1)R T.
Wow! What a pleasant surprise! A great menu with unique takes on old favorites. Our group love the Grouper Esperanza and the Mango Mahi. Don't be misled by the location in the shopping center. Cip's is high on ambiance with two outdoor porches. Ask to be seated on the lower porch which has a wonderful garden view. And...they take reservations! This is uncommon on Sanibel but it is welcome when dinner can be a hour wait at some of the more popular places.
(4)Dave D.
We have lived on the Sanibel for a year and this is one of our favorites. Food is always good (especially barbecue shrimp). The atomsphere is great. I can't wait til summer when all the tourists go home and back up north.
(4)Arnold N.
We gave this place a try, based on reviews on another site. The food was not a good as the reviews would lead you to believe. It was OK, but nothing special. The ambiance was nice, but they need to put a little more work into the food preparation, and little less on the ambiance.
(3)Rebecca G.
I loved this place. Each time we went it was never busy and I always wondered why when all the other local places had hour long waits and this place is way better. The food is priced the same but to me is a notch above and more refined. Service was great, atmosphere was great and the food was awesome. The barbeque shrimp appetizer was delicious and we enjoyed the wrap sandwiches and the bbq pork sandwich with fresh homemade chips. A great kids menu tops it all off. Definitely don't wait at other places-try this place!!
(5)Vicky P.
It was... Good. We'd go again. It wasn't amazing, but good enough that we're interested in going back and trying other things on the menu. (There were a number of things on the menu that looked intriguing. We shared 2 appetizers and an entree. The crab cake app was not the best on the island, but enjoyable. (I prefer a lump crab cake, but this was more blended.) The clams had a great broth, but the waitress caught me right after having a sandy clam and apologized, then took it off our bill, even though we protested. (We had eaten the rest of them.) We got the Crumpler platter which another reviewer complained about the size, but we had no complaints. It was plenty of food for one platter. About 4-5 oz of fish, 3 shrimp, and 2 scallops. We changed out the side of fries for a side salad, because, well, a little bit of green on the table seemed like a good idea. The entree was all cooked very well and we enjoyed it. The kids menu was a pass, like most restaurants, but the waitress was more than willing to work with us in setting up half portions or a plate of sides. My 4-year-old daughter ended up with some fantastic black beans and rice and a Caesar salad. Ambiance was lovely. The service was competent and not hovering. There when we needed it, but not constantly underfoot. The bar made a great cocktail. The manager stopped by to check that things were going well with our meal. So all that said, it's definitely worth giving it a shot. We'll be back.
(4)Bryan S.
We ate here as a family of 8 with 2 kids (3 and 10 mo.) and the service was fantastic. The food was great and moderately priced and the drinks were ok but refreshing. We enjoyed the place and the fish we ordered was great. Mind you they serve very good seafood and that's all we had, we did not have any meat items. In any case they gave us exactly what we were looking for and did so at a good price. We would return due to the convenience, food, and outdoor seating.
(4)Vivian T.
We were looking for a place to eat since everyone on Sanibel island was PACKED on a friday night. Cip's was crowded but were able to seat us. They served a wide variety standard american (burger, chips, steak) with some mexican tacos and many great seafood selections. We got the crispy calamari for appetizer which was delicious. My friend and I shared two entrees the enchilada stack which was pulled chicken served with queso blanco and the grilled snapper tacos. The food was good to slightly above average.
(3)Cori R.
Great experience and 2 awesome meals. Nice not to fight the crowds in the more trendy places.
(4)Brian H.
I don't get the 5 or even 4 star ratings for this place. I left here with more questions than I arrived with. For example, are they a dining establishment or a sports bar? You cannot tell from the menu choices, i.e. wings, 'peel and eat' shrimp and sloppy chips and cheese, better known as nachos?? Come on!! Also, is this place a mexican place or an Island place? I am having a hard time here. Draught beer selection was a little weak. I did find a bottle of Napa Organic IPA that was acceptable, very different, like a light porter with not more than a slight hoppiness, very different for an IPA to me. Apps: The Chilled Poke Martini, a martini glass overfilled with yellowfin tuna in a teriyaki/ginger with green onion, avocado and tomato was the best choice for the night. The tuna very fresh, no veins, melt in your mouth tenderness. The lobster and corn chowder was too thick, lumpy, like it's been cooking down to almost it's original bare cornstarch base. Entrees: I had the Snapper Veracruzana. Nope, didn't do it for me. The fish itself was tender, the topping of the pico de gallo had a real nice heat to it, but the spice flavor itself tasted like it came out of a can. I am sure it didn't, but the taste was somewhat metallic, or just a cheaper mexican spice rather than the good stuff. The fish tacos were a-ok. Service: The host sat us immediately, we requested an indoor table when I made a reservation, it WAS a Saturday night, but the place never got over half full. Not a good sign on an resort Island at the beginning of the season. But we should have sat outside because I was expecting air conditioning indoors vs. outdoors. But the freakin doors were opened to create an open air ambiance. Strike one. The host himself was a nice guy but overly talkative, telling us what HE liked on the menu before even a server showed up to take our drink order. The server was a nice guy too, however, I had to get out the semaphore flags throughout the night to get his attention. I will try to get back there in the next few weeks for happy hour, it looks like that may be it's best modus operandi.
(3)Foodie E.
Extensive menu with a broad range of seafood and meat choices. The wait staff is attentive and professional. Fairly priced and good atmosphere. Would recommend sitting outside if available.
(4)Mercy T.
Don't go hungry, an older gentleman was raving to me about the service and food. We are from out of town and happened upon this place because our first choice was closed. I don't know if they were short on staff but everything took sooooo long, granted it was right after the holidays. My chopped chicken salad was good and my mates wraps and chips made up for it when we finally got it. Overall nice atmosphere.
(2)Don P.
Very friendly and attentive service by the entire staff.
(4)Mark L.
Service and atmosphere was excellent. My wife's chicken pasta dish wasn't bad (chicken was from frozen bits), although the supposed pesto sauce was not detectable. I had the Capt Crumbler (or something). Second most expensive dish, which came with about 4 shrimp & scallops and supposedly battered grouper, with a huge pile of fries to make you think you're getting your money's worth (sorry, but I'm just not that gullible). The shrimp & scallops were very tasty, but a swear that the dried out grouper was just a piece of cod. And the "hand cut fries" were cooked way too slowly, causing them to be little more than hardened strips of grease. Consequently, my meal was a disappointment and way over-priced.
(2)Kayla M.
Very friendly staff and were able to cater to my gluten free needs. Our server was very attentive and made sure my meal was gluten free. My husband loved the red snapper tacos and my shrimp stir fry with quinoa was perfect! Recommend sitting outside and enjoying the view!
(5)Timothy A.
Service was so slow. Food arrived lukewarm. Asked for dessert menu then the waiter disappeared. Finally decided to skip dessert and jut get the check. They need to hire better wait staff.
(2)Renee W.
Cips' apparently is a favorite in my family that lives on Sanibel - and it was very good! We were able to snag a table outside in the garden area which was quite nice; especially with a warm breeze blowing. The 3 of us each ordered a different salad; I had the chopped rosemary chicken, my aunt had the greek and my mom had the rebel. All 3 were pleasers! The service was quite slow and he didn't really check in that often which was fine to a degree but when you're thirsty....
(4)Rachel G.
Ate here twice over our 5 day vacation in Sanibel. Bread is awesome! And the Caesar salad.
(4)Filip D.
great food and very friendly staff. A littl long wait though. But it's wordt it. It's traditional Florida food with an aztec twist. My whife especially appreciated the gluten free menu.
(4)J P.
Our first time at this restaurant -- lovely interior and exterior design (much improved over previous eateries in this location). The menu is diverse is variety of food and price, something for everybody. The grouper BLT is quite good. Nice choice of meal-sized salads, sandwiches, and fresh and creative entrees. Also a full bar. I'm sure we'll be back. Great service as well!
(4)Kobus R.
Great service - even on a very busy Friday evening, but the food get a plus and a definite minus from me. Shrimp gumbo was delicious, piping hot and just the right amount of spice. Soperb. The crusted tuna was awful. Not only was it served almost cold, it was tough and obviously not fresh. the accompanying potato mush was also cold and tasted way too rich. Skip it. Best approach is to go for drinks and appetizers.
(2)Kristin T.
i cant believe i read a review that went on about how great cips is and then gave three stars. Then i read a review about how terrible the service was and gave four stars. I give this place four stars because the food was very good for the price and service was pretty good and wine selection was pretty good. I had scallops added to my salad and they were just. 30 seconds too well done. But the pear hazelnut vinaigrette and roasted beets were to die for. The key lime pie was like cheese cake. Very good but heavier than normal. The deck was wonderful and lots of greenery. Service was great! Raphael was sweet and very good. Wine for 11 bucks was just okay but happy hour gets it to you for ten bucks. One dollar off. We will go back. Loved it!
(4)Benjamin T.
Healthier selections, nice, clean atmosphere with a beautiful garden in the front and back. Yes, the service was slow, but for us the pace was perfect. All the employees we encountered were friendly!
(5)William P.
Nice happy hour. Bob the bartender was very friendly. We had 4 apps for $5 each. Calamari was decent - prefer marinara to the meat sauce or chili sauce that came with it. The chicken wings were excellent, more like fried chicken, meaty and tender, great blue cheese. Greek pizzata was OK, heavy on the olives. Chips with chili and peppers were great. Draft beers were cold. Nice ambiance. Less busy and less pricey than Traders. We will return.
(4)Brian F.
Food was decent. Wait staff was attentive and helpful at first, but quickly became negligent as the place packed up. As for food...fried oysters and calamari were very good. I got the grouper BLT on the waiter's enthusiastic recommendation. I thought it was good, but not remarkable. Overall, a decent option for Sanibel somewhere in between the casual fish shacks and the fancy bistros. It felt nice without feeling too upscale, and was somewhat kid friendly which was a plus for us. Overall, recommended but could be better.
(3)Cindy N.
Cip's seems is ok
(3)Kate C.
Really friendly bartender. Was there for happy hour and had the sloppy chips which were yummy and some drinks, would go back for a full meal.
(4)M K.
We went to Cips for happy hour and it was great! The owner came up to our table and was very friendly. She was extremely welcoming and attentive. The food was not as good as expected but the drinks and prices made up for that. If we had more time on the island I would have visited again because the outside patio was gorgeous. All together Cips was the perfect place to have an appetizer and drink before a night on the town.
(3)Ted L.
Went to Cip's for dinner. Relatively new place, its in the same space as was the Mermaid kitchen. Great choice. Service and food were great. Personable waitstaff. We had a group of 5 so we called for reservations. We did not need them but with a group, I always prefer them. Great calamari app. The stuffed shells were amazing as was the shrimp and pasta. The burger was cooked to order and I was told it was excellent ! Huge meatballs were also very tasty in the pasta. Finally, the Mahi dish was top notch. We will definitely go back ! Make this a stop when you're in the area.
(5)Suze R.
We visited Cip's Place while here on vacation. The menu sounded great and it had good reviews on Tripadvisor. Well, sorry to say we were a bit disappointed. Two of us ordered the lobster and corn chowder, while it was tasty, I found it pretty salty and had to overlook the very unappealing color and texture. I could not detect any lobster in the chowder at all. My husband and I ordered the Grouper BLT, which sounded great, served on rosemary ciabatta with an avocado mayo. Unfortunately it had no flavor at all, tremendously bland. The kettle chips are very greasy and not salted, yuck! The waiter got my son's order wrong, they brought him the wrong entree, then he refused to admit his mistake until my son said he would just eat it rather than wait. No apology or compensation for screwing it up. Cip's Place is on the expensive side for the quality of food, they mask the quality by using fancy rattan chargers under your plate, giving you the illusion of being somewhere special and classy. Wrong! They failed in my opinion.
(1)Laura R.
I think Cip's is one of the most under-rated restaurants on Sanibel. It's such a beautiful restaurant and always has wonderful service and delicious food. They have a really lovely patio with outdoor seating (and lots of fans too for when it's warm out) and it's set in a smaller shopping area with Ace and Eileen Fischer, so parking isn't usually a problem. The food is always fantastic - recently I had the catch of the day BLT with mahi and it was really yummy and the fish was excellent. I always suggest Cips!
(4)Daniel K.
My waiter took my steak order and did not ask me the temp of the steak.eat out side get bit by bugs and eat inside and lose your hearing.this place sucks
(1)Chris S.
Pretty decent food, good service and a lovely atmosphere - pretty hard to go wrong with this place, although nothing really stands out too much. I like the cute lighthouse-themed interior but really, the patio is the place to sit. The food is plentiful and the fries fantastic, my BBQ ribs were good if a bit dry, and my companion's burger was fine but again not particularly mind blowing. Lovely coleslaw though.
(4)Robert G.
Food and service was excellent! Karlee our waitress did a great job. My wife had the ribs. Our nanny had the fettuccine. And I had the enchilada stack. all were excellent in the chocolate mousse dessert was spectacular - definitely top choice on the island.
(5)Remie S.
A really nice place the eat. Good food courteous staff. All in all a very nice experience.
(4)Mitchell A.
Extremely good! You can taste the homemade quality in each dish. If you are tired of overpriced touristy crap, this is your place.
(5)Darci S.
Second visit to Cip's and while I still liked it a lot, the service was a little slower and more disjointed this time around.
(4)Maria Carolina M.
Everything in this place is very good. First all, it is a great pet friendly place! The food was delicious, very good price and amazing service. They were very helpful when I asked if they could prepare a grilled chicken for my dog. It was the first place that I've been which that kind of service. Also the waitress Terry was so nice. I strongly recommend this place! :)
(5)Arthur H.
One of the better restaurants on the island by far. My wife and I stayed for a week and went to seven restaurants during our stay. We went here three times. The food is top notch. I recommend the buttermilk chicken and the margarita. Our servers were great. If I had one complaint it would be our starter salads lasted about one minute before our entree showed up. It wasn't really a starter I guess more of a side.
(4)Tom S.
We ate here Sunday night. Food was good and the price moderate. Both of us had seafood which was fresh, tasted good. Decor is very nice, atmosphere very casual and friendly. Good drinks. If you go, you will enjoy it.
(4)Laura R.
I think Cip's is one of the most under-rated restaurants on Sanibel. It's such a beautiful restaurant and always has wonderful service and delicious food. They have a really lovely patio with outdoor seating (and lots of fans too for when it's warm out) and it's set in a smaller shopping area with Ace and Eileen Fischer, so parking isn't usually a problem. The food is always fantastic - recently I had the catch of the day BLT with mahi and it was really yummy and the fish was excellent. I always suggest Cips!
(4)Vivian T.
We were looking for a place to eat since everyone on Sanibel island was PACKED on a friday night. Cip's was crowded but were able to seat us. They served a wide variety standard american (burger, chips, steak) with some mexican tacos and many great seafood selections. We got the crispy calamari for appetizer which was delicious. My friend and I shared two entrees the enchilada stack which was pulled chicken served with queso blanco and the grilled snapper tacos. The food was good to slightly above average.
(3)Cori R.
Great experience and 2 awesome meals. Nice not to fight the crowds in the more trendy places.
(4)Renee W.
Cips' apparently is a favorite in my family that lives on Sanibel - and it was very good! We were able to snag a table outside in the garden area which was quite nice; especially with a warm breeze blowing. The 3 of us each ordered a different salad; I had the chopped rosemary chicken, my aunt had the greek and my mom had the rebel. All 3 were pleasers! The service was quite slow and he didn't really check in that often which was fine to a degree but when you're thirsty....
(4)Rachel G.
Ate here twice over our 5 day vacation in Sanibel. Bread is awesome! And the Caesar salad.
(4)Brian H.
I don't get the 5 or even 4 star ratings for this place. I left here with more questions than I arrived with. For example, are they a dining establishment or a sports bar? You cannot tell from the menu choices, i.e. wings, 'peel and eat' shrimp and sloppy chips and cheese, better known as nachos?? Come on!! Also, is this place a mexican place or an Island place? I am having a hard time here. Draught beer selection was a little weak. I did find a bottle of Napa Organic IPA that was acceptable, very different, like a light porter with not more than a slight hoppiness, very different for an IPA to me. Apps: The Chilled Poke Martini, a martini glass overfilled with yellowfin tuna in a teriyaki/ginger with green onion, avocado and tomato was the best choice for the night. The tuna very fresh, no veins, melt in your mouth tenderness. The lobster and corn chowder was too thick, lumpy, like it's been cooking down to almost it's original bare cornstarch base. Entrees: I had the Snapper Veracruzana. Nope, didn't do it for me. The fish itself was tender, the topping of the pico de gallo had a real nice heat to it, but the spice flavor itself tasted like it came out of a can. I am sure it didn't, but the taste was somewhat metallic, or just a cheaper mexican spice rather than the good stuff. The fish tacos were a-ok. Service: The host sat us immediately, we requested an indoor table when I made a reservation, it WAS a Saturday night, but the place never got over half full. Not a good sign on an resort Island at the beginning of the season. But we should have sat outside because I was expecting air conditioning indoors vs. outdoors. But the freakin doors were opened to create an open air ambiance. Strike one. The host himself was a nice guy but overly talkative, telling us what HE liked on the menu before even a server showed up to take our drink order. The server was a nice guy too, however, I had to get out the semaphore flags throughout the night to get his attention. I will try to get back there in the next few weeks for happy hour, it looks like that may be it's best modus operandi.
(3)Robert G.
Food and service was excellent! Karlee our waitress did a great job. My wife had the ribs. Our nanny had the fettuccine. And I had the enchilada stack. all were excellent in the chocolate mousse dessert was spectacular - definitely top choice on the island.
(5)Remie S.
A really nice place the eat. Good food courteous staff. All in all a very nice experience.
(4)Jennifer K.
First and for most Sanibel Island is a world of it's own and so is Cip's Place. My boyfriend and I visited Sanibel Island on 4/15/15 and loved every minute of this beautiful island. We originally had reservations at another eatery however we cancelled them so we could let the day take us. We did this not realizing that most restaurants do in fact close by 9:00pm--so we needed to hit somewhere fast--I pulled up Cip's Place on my phone and we bee lined for the restaurant. Both of us were a bit skeptical because we knew they would be closing in 15 minutes and they would let us know and rush us. That was not the case at all! We were greeted by a lovely hostess who said "Right this way"--never indicting what time it was--meanwhile we clearly saw the restaurant was pretty empty because it was almost closing time and they were getting ready to clean up certain areas. We were seated outside on an adorable patio--there were two couple across from us but that was it. The waiter (I wish I knew his name)-was pleasant--happy--and very attentive. I told him I was a "vegan" and he made sure I was able to eat the garden pasta dish without a problem. He kept talking to us--asking us when we would be moving down to a place like this--told us how he got there. Again, never rushing us to order. My boyfriend had the clams on toast as well as the snapper tacos. He thought they were amazing. He is by far a food critic but he has had his share of delicious seafood experiences and this one was by far one if not the best. I had the garden vegetable pasta with gluten free bread--it was very good! We both washed our meals down with a "Ciptini" (def recommend it). While we were eating the other two couples left and it was just him and I. They dimmed the lights for us--lit a candle--and we couldn't believe we were the only two on this little island in this wonderful place--eating--drinking--and smiling away. The waiter told my boyfriend to save room for dessert (which he declined because he was so full) but he kept telling him he simply had to try one of them. Now I believe the time was after 10:30 or so and we were blown away by the service--the food--and the ambience of this place. When it was all said and done--and we paid the bill--as we walked out--everyone was cleaning up--getting ready to leave for the night--they all said "goodbye" to us--and they were all smiling. We walked out the front door and both look at one another and said "I can't wait to come here again!" Do yourself a favor--eat here--drink here---and lose yourself in the Sanibel air.
(5)Daniel K.
My waiter took my steak order and did not ask me the temp of the steak.eat out side get bit by bugs and eat inside and lose your hearing.this place sucks
(1)Chris S.
Pretty decent food, good service and a lovely atmosphere - pretty hard to go wrong with this place, although nothing really stands out too much. I like the cute lighthouse-themed interior but really, the patio is the place to sit. The food is plentiful and the fries fantastic, my BBQ ribs were good if a bit dry, and my companion's burger was fine but again not particularly mind blowing. Lovely coleslaw though.
(4)Mitchell A.
Extremely good! You can taste the homemade quality in each dish. If you are tired of overpriced touristy crap, this is your place.
(5)Darci S.
Second visit to Cip's and while I still liked it a lot, the service was a little slower and more disjointed this time around.
(4)Jamie R.
Cute decor - including somebody's tug. Great seafood. Salmon was delish!
(5)Don P.
Very friendly and attentive service by the entire staff.
(4)Sandy M.
Great place for a leisurely lunch on a beautiful day. Nice selections on the menu, we opted for comfort food. The sloppy Joe was tasty, with a vinegar based cole slaw. The service was very good, the server checked in regularly to keep our glasses full. She was attentive and friendly, we never felt rushed. Finally found a good key lime pie, creamy and a little tart. Much better than the frozen, tasteless stuff we found at other restaurants.
(4)David P.
We decided to go to CIPS for my mother in law's birthday. the overall experience was excellent. When we called for last minute reservations, they were extremely accommodating to get us on the front porch and under a heat lamp. The server was nice and the food delicious. In our party we had: grouper tacos, BBQ shrimp, ribeye steak with a Cabernet demiglas, chicken Caesar salad, and scallops with alfredo pasta. The scallops were done perfectly. The ribeye steak was cooked to order and the sauce was excellent albeit slightly salty. The only blemish in the dinner was that they forgot to bring out the barbecue shrimp with the rest of the dinners. However, the waitress offered a free cup of soup as an apology for this oversight. We would definitely come back here, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was lovely.
(4)Alicia H.
I loved that I could lunch with my furry friends on Cip's well appointed patio. This fact is a major plus for my husband and me as we enjoy taking our well behaved dogs out and about with us on vacation. The food and service was fairly unremarkable, save the Grouper BLT, which was well executed. Still, this is about as good as it gets on Sanibel! It's worth mentioning that Cip's has a nicely attended happy hour from 4-6.
(5)Megan D.
This place is a strange juxtaposition of a cafe and a fancier restaurant. The food is pretty good and the service was alright as well. The triple tail special was really, really good with a sweet sauce that paired excellently with the blackened fish. Everything else was pretty good, but not spectacular.
(4)Jon H.
Went for happy hr and calamari was warm and dried out, wife's salmon was dry as well and the picatta sauce was poor but drinks were good
(3)Kristen H.
I always look forward to eating here on our yearly Sanibel trips. Mainly because their patio is just gorgeous. My kids love walking around the lush greenery in front and back of the restaurant when they're antsy :) It really is one of the prettiest patios, and I look forward to sitting on it every year. The food is good, I've never had anything bad here. 4 stars because the food is not inexpensive by any means, but nothing that I would distinctly remember. All in all, a nice place to eat on Sanibel.
(4)J D.
Yes it's a restaurant and it serves food. I wasn't expecting anything fancy and that's just what we got. The fajitas are unique, it was like a cake style stack of fajitas. I wouldn't get them again. Even though the fajitas were topped with sauce, cheese and sour cream, the chicken was still dry. How can that be possible. I also got a Mojito to drink and that was pretty good. Our waitress was attentive until it got busy, but after that we were on our own. My review, it's a restaurant and it serves food. If your bar is low this is the place for you.
(3)Susan C.
This was our first time at Cip's and I had high expectations being it was recommended by so many....I think it was an issue of just misordering. My husband and I shared the special of the day which was a strip steak with mushrooms in some kind of sauce. The steak was tough and grisly. Did not send it back because they were kind enough to let us share the meal although we both ordered a cup of the shrimp and crab gumbo. The gumbo was very spicy and it looked like they used whatever leftovers they had to make it...although I admit, it was tasty. Will return and probably order fish or seafood.
(2)Phil R.
Was refused a table for 5 later 3 people with there 2 dogs showed up and got the table our waitress was outstanding the food was fair would not return.
(1)Christy V.
Great food, happy hour food specials until 6 pm. The buttermilk chicken dish, buttermilk wings, scalloped potatoes, and the seared tuna salad were all delicious!! The patio was lovely and we really enjoyed Cip's.
(4)Fab F.
More sophisticated ambiance than the rest in the island. Service was very good but food was disappointing. Everything I've ordered had pepper on it and no warning on the menu. I like spicy food but not hot food. Even the crab cake was so spice I couldn't taste the crab. It gets 3 stars for the service, ambiance and if you like spicy pepper on everything (even your soup), it might be the place for you.
(3)JJ R.
We ate here based on a recommendation from our hotel. My guess is that Cip's must be providing a kick back as this was the worst dining experience of our week long entire trip. Mostly, the service was terrible. Our waiter took over 15 minutes to stop by our table after we sat down. He said no more than 3 words and took our drink order... A simple order of 2 Landshark beers. 10 minutes later, he shows up with some porter and a glass of wine. When told we ordered the 2 Landshark beers he said "oh", took the drinks away and came back 10 minutes later with our "correct" drinks. Rest of the experience followed suit... Food had no flavor, was over priced, and service continued to be overly lackluster at best. Not a single employee said "thank you" and we walked away quite disappointed. Much better options around or out on Captiva. Stay away from Cip's.
(1)Christopher L.
Good craft beer selection (at least 4 options), excellent Lobster Corn Chowder, good Mussels Cipriano special. Salmon Piccata was good, but a bit oily. Service was a bit slow.
(3)John K.
Great food. Great prices. Their happy hour specials are awesome. Our new favorite place on Sanibel
(5)Maura L.
My group of 5 had dinner tonight at Cip's and we loved it. Great burger, ribs, and snapper tacos. My crab cakes were delicious. We've been to lots of restaurants on Sanibel and paid a lot more money for a meal nowhere near as good as we had tonight. Great service, nice ambience, we can't wait to come back!
(5)Debrah H.
Food is nothing extraordinary. Just OK. Nice atmosphere inside though. Waitress attentive.
(3)Deb R.
Delicious speciality drinks! Homemade potato chips with sloppy joes fresh jalapeños and cheese ohhhh yum yum BLT grouper sandwich and cioppiono were all delicious would go back again!
(5)DeAnna B.
I had the grouper BLT and it was fantastic!! Great service and nice little restaurant. Highly recommend!
(5)Stacy C.
The food here is delicious! Happy hour has great pricing 4-6pm $1 off drinks, $12 meals and $5 appetizer specials. Great service, great location, plenty of parking and tasty food. Request special garden seating for a great view.
(4)Maddy S.
Cip's provides consistently good food and service. Their menu offers something for everyone, and the seafood is very fresh. The food itself is nothing special, but definitely a strong choice on the island. I had the caramel cheesecake for dessert, and it was absolutely delicious. Service was friendly, although the course pacing was a little slow. All in all, you can be sure that Cip's will provide a great meal.
(4)Marinda H.
Day/time of visit: weekend dinner 1 star for food 3 stars for atmosphere Very disappointing. There are many mediocre overpriced restaurants on Sanibel/Captiva and Cip's is high on this list. The restaurant itself is very attractive and the outdoor patio is lovely - that's where my positive comments end. We started out with a Caprese Pizzata which looked delicious - fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and what looked like pesto. Wow, how did this amazing looking flatbread end up tasting just like a mediocre frozen pizza? Blech. I ordered fish and chips after the waiter told me the 'fresh' fish was Grouper. I highly doubt it was Grouper because it tasted 100% like Van de Kamps frozen fish. BF was very limited in what he could order due to his seafood allergy (could not order chicken even) so ordered baby back ribs which tasted like week old pre-made (like the pre-cooked kind you buy at the grocery) ribs - absolutely disgusting. Because they couldn't guarantee fries were not fried in oil that seafood had been fried in he substituted au gratin potatoes - these also tasted like pre-made food service potatoes. And when we got the bill we were charged $2.50 extra to substitute these horrible potatoes. Our server was pleasant but did not check in very frequently which we later realized was due to him also being the bartender which was odd because they did not seem busy. The manager did stop by the table at the end of our meal when I asked her to remove the $2.50 fee for the au gratin potatoes. Very overpriced for horrible frozen food. Will never revisit.
(1)Bryan S.
We ate here as a family of 8 with 2 kids (3 and 10 mo.) and the service was fantastic. The food was great and moderately priced and the drinks were ok but refreshing. We enjoyed the place and the fish we ordered was great. Mind you they serve very good seafood and that's all we had, we did not have any meat items. In any case they gave us exactly what we were looking for and did so at a good price. We would return due to the convenience, food, and outdoor seating.
(4)Foodie E.
Extensive menu with a broad range of seafood and meat choices. The wait staff is attentive and professional. Fairly priced and good atmosphere. Would recommend sitting outside if available.
(4)Cecilia B.
My family and I visited Cips after reading reviews on Yelp. We were disappointed. The food was bland and expensive for what it was. The waitress was nice enough but the bottom line for us is always the taste of the food and it just wasn't there. It is a nice looking place and the service was prompt, but the main ingredient is missing.
(2)Kayla M.
Very friendly staff and were able to cater to my gluten free needs. Our server was very attentive and made sure my meal was gluten free. My husband loved the red snapper tacos and my shrimp stir fry with quinoa was perfect! Recommend sitting outside and enjoying the view!
(5)Timothy A.
Service was so slow. Food arrived lukewarm. Asked for dessert menu then the waiter disappeared. Finally decided to skip dessert and jut get the check. They need to hire better wait staff.
(2)Kim R.
On our recent family vacation to Sanibel we stopped by Cip's Place for dinner. Even though it was boiling hot outside, we decided we couldn't pass up dining on their inviting patio. All of the servers and staff are very helpful and friendly, and they quickly offered to bring us a fan since we were the only table dining outdoors. We came early so we could take advantage of their Six beforeSix menu, which has a few special entrees that are $12 if you order before 6:00pm. I didn't end up ordering anything off of the special menu, but instead opted for the snapper tacos. I thought the tacos were light and tasty, and I really liked the slaw that came with them. The entree also came with homemade chips that were very nicely seasoned. As good as the entrees were, I really liked their desserts. We ordered the carrot cake and the icebox chocolate cake, and both were excellent. The carrot cake was served as a cupcake and came out warm. I really enjoyed the chocolate cake. It was cool and refreshing for a hot night. It consisted of a few layers of chocolate mouse and layers of chocolate graham crumbs. It was excellent!
(4)Ron C.
Had dinner here a couple of weeks ago; food was delicious and service was good. Had the Cioppino and would go back and have it again as it was so good. Entire experience exceeded my expectations!
(4)Mitchell M.
Great Service! Great Food! Excellent menu, with wide variety. Great outdoor seating, with wonderful view and spacious seating.
(5)Tong J.
Hungry, tired and itchy from sand fly bites we arrived at Cip's to find an empty parking lot. We went ahead and ordered taking in the tikki torches, huge flat screen tv's and a lone guitarist on the upper level crooning classic oldies. The food arrived....who cares about ambiance! The fish dishes were excellent, fresh and nicely seasoned, the steak chimichuri was cooked perfectly and the service was great. Definitely not your average tourist trap.
(4)Mercy T.
Don't go hungry, an older gentleman was raving to me about the service and food. We are from out of town and happened upon this place because our first choice was closed. I don't know if they were short on staff but everything took sooooo long, granted it was right after the holidays. My chopped chicken salad was good and my mates wraps and chips made up for it when we finally got it. Overall nice atmosphere.
(2)Mark L.
Service and atmosphere was excellent. My wife's chicken pasta dish wasn't bad (chicken was from frozen bits), although the supposed pesto sauce was not detectable. I had the Capt Crumbler (or something). Second most expensive dish, which came with about 4 shrimp & scallops and supposedly battered grouper, with a huge pile of fries to make you think you're getting your money's worth (sorry, but I'm just not that gullible). The shrimp & scallops were very tasty, but a swear that the dried out grouper was just a piece of cod. And the "hand cut fries" were cooked way too slowly, causing them to be little more than hardened strips of grease. Consequently, my meal was a disappointment and way over-priced.
(2)Bill C.
A local gave a strong recommendation, so we tried it. There are so many good restaurants on Sanibel, the mediocre ones don't last long, so I anticipated something special. The setting is beautiful, the food good, but the service so lacking it spoiled the experience. The help was not well trained. We were taken to a table, then had to wait while it was wiped, although there were plenty of empty tables that looked perfectly clean. There was nothing special about the table. Maybe it was in the area for the waiter? We had to remind the waiter to bring water. Twice. Coffee had to be asked for twice. The check had to be asked for twice. We had a crab bruschetta that was as good as anything like that I've ever had. Could have easily made a meal of them. The steak was cooked exactly as ordered and was good, just not special. The Ciopino was excellent, but just a tad underspiced. The chocolate desert was absolutely outstanding. Sort of a mousse plus. We were in sort of a mellow mood and the food was good, so the service didn't ruin the meal until mid-way through the desert, the bus boy started spraying disinfectant on the table next to us. I should have stopped him, but instead let the Lysol flavored aerosol cover us, our table and the rest of the really good chocolate. I didn't complain, but should have I suppose. We left, fully confident that Cips does it's best to keep germs from spreading. I rate stars based on comparable level restaurants in the same area. Better service, no spray and Cips Place would get more stars. Maybe it was an off night?
(3)Maurice L.
Besides the wait for a table, and the hostess telling me it would be 50 minutes for a table with 3 kids, i decided to stick it out, in the end we only waited about 20 minutes (in-experienced hostess, not a true reflection of the restaurant), other than that the food was actually great (loved the mahi with peach salsa, and the clams&toast awesome, french onion soup was pretty good too). I would definitely recommend making reservations (fyi - no expresso... only american!!! I told the manager /owner to get an Nesspresso Machine there free, when you buy the coffee???.
(4)Jason H.
Great atmosphere on the patio, service was excellent, food was above average. We had 4 kids in our group 3 and younger and they were extremely accommodating.
(4)Jen B.
Really great place! Fired chicken was awesome! The outdoor seating is also great, since its hard to find at the nice restaurants on Sanibel. A definite go!
(5)Chip S.
Loved this restaurant. Nice seating on porch. Great food and cocktails as well.
(4)Lorraine H.
Went on vacation and thought we'd go to CIPS place for happy hour & then have dinner. We were the only people there. After we sat down & mentioned happy hour the hostess actually took the menu out of our hands and said happy hour ended at 6 (we got there at 6:05.) So guess what - We left! There's plenty of other places to go with nicer people who want our business.
(1)Filip D.
great food and very friendly staff. A littl long wait though. But it's wordt it. It's traditional Florida food with an aztec twist. My whife especially appreciated the gluten free menu.
(4)J P.
Our first time at this restaurant -- lovely interior and exterior design (much improved over previous eateries in this location). The menu is diverse is variety of food and price, something for everybody. The grouper BLT is quite good. Nice choice of meal-sized salads, sandwiches, and fresh and creative entrees. Also a full bar. I'm sure we'll be back. Great service as well!
(4)Kobus R.
Great service - even on a very busy Friday evening, but the food get a plus and a definite minus from me. Shrimp gumbo was delicious, piping hot and just the right amount of spice. Soperb. The crusted tuna was awful. Not only was it served almost cold, it was tough and obviously not fresh. the accompanying potato mush was also cold and tasted way too rich. Skip it. Best approach is to go for drinks and appetizers.
(2)Kristin T.
i cant believe i read a review that went on about how great cips is and then gave three stars. Then i read a review about how terrible the service was and gave four stars. I give this place four stars because the food was very good for the price and service was pretty good and wine selection was pretty good. I had scallops added to my salad and they were just. 30 seconds too well done. But the pear hazelnut vinaigrette and roasted beets were to die for. The key lime pie was like cheese cake. Very good but heavier than normal. The deck was wonderful and lots of greenery. Service was great! Raphael was sweet and very good. Wine for 11 bucks was just okay but happy hour gets it to you for ten bucks. One dollar off. We will go back. Loved it!
(4)Benjamin T.
Healthier selections, nice, clean atmosphere with a beautiful garden in the front and back. Yes, the service was slow, but for us the pace was perfect. All the employees we encountered were friendly!
(5)William P.
Nice happy hour. Bob the bartender was very friendly. We had 4 apps for $5 each. Calamari was decent - prefer marinara to the meat sauce or chili sauce that came with it. The chicken wings were excellent, more like fried chicken, meaty and tender, great blue cheese. Greek pizzata was OK, heavy on the olives. Chips with chili and peppers were great. Draft beers were cold. Nice ambiance. Less busy and less pricey than Traders. We will return.
(4)R T.
Wow! What a pleasant surprise! A great menu with unique takes on old favorites. Our group love the Grouper Esperanza and the Mango Mahi. Don't be misled by the location in the shopping center. Cip's is high on ambiance with two outdoor porches. Ask to be seated on the lower porch which has a wonderful garden view. And...they take reservations! This is uncommon on Sanibel but it is welcome when dinner can be a hour wait at some of the more popular places.
(4)Dave D.
We have lived on the Sanibel for a year and this is one of our favorites. Food is always good (especially barbecue shrimp). The atomsphere is great. I can't wait til summer when all the tourists go home and back up north.
(4)Vicky P.
It was... Good. We'd go again. It wasn't amazing, but good enough that we're interested in going back and trying other things on the menu. (There were a number of things on the menu that looked intriguing. We shared 2 appetizers and an entree. The crab cake app was not the best on the island, but enjoyable. (I prefer a lump crab cake, but this was more blended.) The clams had a great broth, but the waitress caught me right after having a sandy clam and apologized, then took it off our bill, even though we protested. (We had eaten the rest of them.) We got the Crumpler platter which another reviewer complained about the size, but we had no complaints. It was plenty of food for one platter. About 4-5 oz of fish, 3 shrimp, and 2 scallops. We changed out the side of fries for a side salad, because, well, a little bit of green on the table seemed like a good idea. The entree was all cooked very well and we enjoyed it. The kids menu was a pass, like most restaurants, but the waitress was more than willing to work with us in setting up half portions or a plate of sides. My 4-year-old daughter ended up with some fantastic black beans and rice and a Caesar salad. Ambiance was lovely. The service was competent and not hovering. There when we needed it, but not constantly underfoot. The bar made a great cocktail. The manager stopped by to check that things were going well with our meal. So all that said, it's definitely worth giving it a shot. We'll be back.
(4)Brian F.
Food was decent. Wait staff was attentive and helpful at first, but quickly became negligent as the place packed up. As for food...fried oysters and calamari were very good. I got the grouper BLT on the waiter's enthusiastic recommendation. I thought it was good, but not remarkable. Overall, a decent option for Sanibel somewhere in between the casual fish shacks and the fancy bistros. It felt nice without feeling too upscale, and was somewhat kid friendly which was a plus for us. Overall, recommended but could be better.
(3)Cindy N.
Cip's seems is ok
(3)Kate C.
Really friendly bartender. Was there for happy hour and had the sloppy chips which were yummy and some drinks, would go back for a full meal.
(4)M K.
We went to Cips for happy hour and it was great! The owner came up to our table and was very friendly. She was extremely welcoming and attentive. The food was not as good as expected but the drinks and prices made up for that. If we had more time on the island I would have visited again because the outside patio was gorgeous. All together Cips was the perfect place to have an appetizer and drink before a night on the town.
(3)Ted L.
Went to Cip's for dinner. Relatively new place, its in the same space as was the Mermaid kitchen. Great choice. Service and food were great. Personable waitstaff. We had a group of 5 so we called for reservations. We did not need them but with a group, I always prefer them. Great calamari app. The stuffed shells were amazing as was the shrimp and pasta. The burger was cooked to order and I was told it was excellent ! Huge meatballs were also very tasty in the pasta. Finally, the Mahi dish was top notch. We will definitely go back ! Make this a stop when you're in the area.
(5)Arnold N.
We gave this place a try, based on reviews on another site. The food was not a good as the reviews would lead you to believe. It was OK, but nothing special. The ambiance was nice, but they need to put a little more work into the food preparation, and little less on the ambiance.
(3)Rebecca G.
I loved this place. Each time we went it was never busy and I always wondered why when all the other local places had hour long waits and this place is way better. The food is priced the same but to me is a notch above and more refined. Service was great, atmosphere was great and the food was awesome. The barbeque shrimp appetizer was delicious and we enjoyed the wrap sandwiches and the bbq pork sandwich with fresh homemade chips. A great kids menu tops it all off. Definitely don't wait at other places-try this place!!
(5)Suze R.
We visited Cip's Place while here on vacation. The menu sounded great and it had good reviews on Tripadvisor. Well, sorry to say we were a bit disappointed. Two of us ordered the lobster and corn chowder, while it was tasty, I found it pretty salty and had to overlook the very unappealing color and texture. I could not detect any lobster in the chowder at all. My husband and I ordered the Grouper BLT, which sounded great, served on rosemary ciabatta with an avocado mayo. Unfortunately it had no flavor at all, tremendously bland. The kettle chips are very greasy and not salted, yuck! The waiter got my son's order wrong, they brought him the wrong entree, then he refused to admit his mistake until my son said he would just eat it rather than wait. No apology or compensation for screwing it up. Cip's Place is on the expensive side for the quality of food, they mask the quality by using fancy rattan chargers under your plate, giving you the illusion of being somewhere special and classy. Wrong! They failed in my opinion.
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