Hurricane Ian: Did Doc Ford's, Bubble Room, other Sanibel, Captiva restaurants survive?

As Hurricane Ian roared across Southwest Florida, it damaged homes, the Sanibel Causeway and some popular restaurants on the islands and nearby Fort Myers Beach.

Many on social media have been reaching out, wondering whether popular spots known worldwide for their chill island vibe survived the relentless wind, rain and storm surge Thursday afternoon.

Fans of the various Sanibel and Captiva restaurants began posting on social media before and during Ian, many hoping the businesses would pull through.

Here's the latest on these popular places known for fine good, exotic cocktails and gentle Gulf breezes.

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Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille

Randy Wayne White, a best-selling author and a partner in Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille restaurants on Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach, said one did well and the other did not.

He said he and his wife, Wendy Webb, made it off Sanibel Island after riding out Ian for four hours Thursday.

“Some Navy SEALs picked us up off the beach," he said Friday. "I went through Hurricane Charley in 2004 on my house on Pine Island. This one was worse. It lasted longer. The winds were extraordinary. My wife and I were absolutely safe in our house.”

He said the Sanibel Doc Ford restaurant had some damage but the Fort Myers Beach one on San Carlos Island did not. Doc Ford is the name of the popular character in his novels, Marion “Doc” Ford, a marine biologist and former CIA agent living and working in Southwest Florida.

White said the Sanibel restaurant sustained mostly mud and damage, but the Fort Myers Beach site wasn't spared, along with many other nearby Fort Myers Beach businesses. Powerful storm surge poured through its downtown streets, leveling many businesses and homes.

Initially, White said Friday that the Fort Myers Beach Doc Ford's — named one of the best country's in the U.S. a year ago — survived but he said he was mistaken.

Tripadvisor in summer 2021 crowned the Fort Myers Beach Doc Ford's the No. 1 restaurant for "Everyday Eats" in the U.S. as part of its 2021 Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" Restaurants awards.

“My wife and I had just gotten off the boat after being evacuated from the beach," White said. "As far as I knew, (the Fort Myers Beach Doc Ford's) was great."

He said he saw photos of the restaurant later Friday and realized it's destroyed.

"I apologize to you, The News-Press, your readers, our partners and our clients," he told The News-Press on Saturday.

White said he stayed on Sanibel after the storm to help neighbors, especially those in medical need, to evacuate.

"I was very happy to be there and help some neighbors who were in trouble," he said. "That's what we do.”

The Pecking Order Fried Chicken and Pies

Bridgit Stone said she and her husband, Dan, rode out Ian and survived along with their restaurant, The Pecking Order Fried Chicken and Pies.

Their restaurant, like some others on Sanibel and Captiva, found muddy sludge "coated on everything."

The couple — she's from Wisconsin, he's from New Jersey and they met during Hurricane Charley — plan to clean the restaurant and throw out all the food.

"My plan is to at least stay until we can get the restaurant cleaned out and presentable," she said from the island Friday. “If we do leave here, we don’t want to leave someone with a stinking mess.”

She said their three children evacuated to Miami and she, her husband and mom stayed as the hurricane brushed the shoreline and eventually made landfall just north of them, on Cayo Costa.

“The things that surprised everybody on this one is every hurricane we’ve had so so far, including Charley, everybody always puts the fear of storm surge on us," she said.

"Holy crap, the surge really came fast. Believe it or not, I napped whenever I could hoping it would be gone whenever I woke up. We sat on our front porch like we did for Irma."

Bridgit Stone called Ian five times stronger than Charley, as they watched powerful winds roll in "and trees snap in front of you" Thursday.

"I know I could keep hearing tornadoes all around," she added.

The Bubble Room

Aerial photos and video of Sanibel show that The Bubble Room appears intact.

Without seeing ground-level photos, it's tough to determine the extent of damage to the colorful restaurant for locals and tourists, some referring to it as the "Beloved Bubble."

"The Bubble Room still stands! A Captiva institution, many Shirley Temples and chicken fingers were consumed there by yours truly on family vacations in the late 80s through the early 2000s," wrote Jenna Laine, who covers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for ESPN, on her Twitter account @JennaLaineESPN.

"They survived Irma too. Godspeed."

Mucky Duck

Down the street from The Bubble Room, the Mucky Duck on Andy Rosse Land and on the Gulf, took a hit from the hurricane but the exterior appears intact.

Opened in 1976, the restaurant has long been a popular spot for downing cocktails and watching sunsets outside on picnic tables.

Doc's Beach House

Anyone who travels west along Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs knows where the road curves northward. And right there, standing out in in vibrant colors stood the two-story Doc's Beach House.

You could enjoy a meal and drinks and even rent a personal watercraft. Sadly, Ian wiped out the restaurant. Photos show the building intact but the inside completely gutted.

Doc's Beach House on its Facebook posted a photo looking out from inside the skeletal remains of the restaurant, looked toward the Gulf with a message: "Sunset felt a little different tonight. Thank you everyone for the overwhelming love and support! We will be back soon!!!"

Status of other Sanibel, Captiva nearby restaurants

Other popular restaurants that appeared to have survived, at least from the outside, include: Keylime Bistro, Green Flash, RC Otter's and Sunset Grill.

Restaurants that look destroyed or heavily damaged include the Blue Dog Bar & Grill on Matlacha and The Mad Hatter Restaurant and Lazy Flamingo on Sanibel.

Restaurants along Periwinkle Way on Sanibel especially were hit hard, as storm surge gushed through the main thoroughfare. Other restaurants along Periwinkle include the Sanibel Fish House, Schnappers Hots, The Whale, Sanibel Cafe, The Clam Shack, Salty Crab Bar & Grill, Cafe Bar @ Bailey's and many others.

What's next for island restaurants

Ultimately, restaurant owners will have to decide whether to rebuild, Bridgit Stone said. With no main access point because Ian destroyed the Sanibel Causeway, it may not be practical to keep a business going.

“We know that we have to leave eventually," she said. "My husband is in construction and he can’t even get supplies.”

She said she could "make it happen" if food vendors could resupply her by boat. But even after they restore the restaurant and make it customer-ready, she's unsure that island officials would let her reopen in the near future.

Sanibel is a special place, she said, one that would be tough to bid farewell.

“The weather is perfect, the nighttimes are quiet."

Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and News-Press. Follow him on Instagram @lacrossewriter and on Twitter @NDN_dosborn.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Doc Ford's, Bubble Room: Which iconic restaurants survived Ian?