Fort Myers Beach restaurant swept away by Hurricane Ian reopens in new location
Seven months after Hurricane Ian destroyed its Fort Myers Beach location, Liki Tiki BBQ has brought its dollar bills, barbecue, frosty beer and cocktails to a new spot.
The popular local and tourist-friendly restaurant opened its new home on May 1 in the former site of Skip One Seafood and the Sandy Butler on San Carlos Boulevard, a mile before the Matanzas Pass Bridge.
“The community has been so accepting to us,” said general manager Kristian Stojkoski, who co-owns the restaurant with his family. “All we did was open the doors and more and more people have been coming in each day.”
Restaurant news: Popular waterfront Fort Myers Beach bar reopens 7 months after Hurricane Ian
Hurricane Ian: Fort Myers Beach wins $50K grant to rebuild wrecked Little League fields
The original Liki Tiki BBQ, opened in 2018 at 1821 Estero Blvd. on Fort Myers Beach, was washed away by Ian in late September.
“Only the foundation was left,” Stojkoski said. “Our tiki hut was found two houses down. We owned the house behind it where I used to live. That’s gone too.”
The likelihood of the restaurant returning to that location is still unknown.
“We are not 100 percent sure what we are going to do there,” Stojkoski said. “But we are not selling the land. We will wait and see what happens.”
New location had some Hurricane Ian damage
Four months before Ian hit, the Stojkoskis bought the property on San Carlos Boulevard.
That building had roof damage and took on 8-12 inches of water inside during Ian. The parking lot, however, had 3-5 feet of water according to Stojkoski.
“There were 133 cars and three boats in the lot after the storm,” he said. “People didn’t expect the water to come this far.”
Although the building had been closed for seven years after Skip One left, the interior was in good shape.
“It was well taken care of,” said Stojkoski. “We fixed the roof then cleaned things up, dusted stuff off. The tables and chairs were here from the last tenant.”
While the new site is bigger than the Fort Myers Beach location square-foot-wise, it seats roughly the same number of people.
Guests can sit at the U-shaped bar, in booths and at tables in the bar area, or at tables scattered throughout two other dining areas.
Dining news: New Pine Island restaurant brings a taste of Fort Myers Beach
Half of the expansive restaurant is currently being used. A beer and beach-themed wall splits the high-ceilinged building down the middle.
“We will eventually open up the other half,” Stojkoski said of the closed area that once housed Skip One’s seafood market. “We are going to let this place dictate what we do next.”
'Same cold beer and good food'
Customers familiar with Liki Tiki BBQ should feel at home in the new location.
“The menu is exactly the same,” Stojkoski said. “The chefs, the cooks are the same. It’s mostly the original staff.”
That menu is known for its barbecue which includes St. Louis ribs braised with Dr. Pepper and smoked baby backs, brisket and pulled pork. There’s also barbecued chicken, a 14-ounce N.Y. strip and hamburgers, plus an array of fresh seafood — from shucked oysters and mussels to shrimp, fish and calamari.
Soups, salads, hand-helds, sides and desserts — including Randy’s Key lime pie — are also offered. Happy hour runs from 4-7 p.m. daily and includes half off all appetizers.
“It’s a different location, but the same cold beer and good food,” Stojkoski said.
Remembering the original Fort Myers Beach location
There’s a memorial wall set up to the right of the bar with the safe, some liquor bottles, signs and a couple hundred $1 bills saved from the beach location.
“I dragged that safe over the bridge as soon as I could,” Stojkoski said.
The tradition of stapling dollar bills around the beach bar continues at the new location. Bills with handwritten names and notes are already scattered on beams all around the bar.
“Within the first 10 minutes of being here someone put one up,” Stojkoski said. “It was good to see.”
Liki Tiki BBQ, 17650 San Carlos Blvd., Fort Myers Beach; open seven days a week beginning at 11 a.m.; (239) 224-4923; likitikibbq.com and on Instagram. There’s another location at 590 Tamiami Trail North, Naples; (239) 331-8510; on Instagram.
Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send scoops and news to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Liki Tiki BBQ on Fort Myers Beach reopens in a new location
