Tasty Travels - Cantina Captiva

After arriving from Toronto that resulted in me having a late afternoon lunch, I didn’t get hungry again until around 8pm.  While Captiva Island has quite a few different restaurants, many of them close super early.  I don’t know if this is typically the case or the fact that I was here during late January, which is low tourism season around here.  That being said, I ultimately decided on having some Mexican food at Captiva Cantina.

Cantina Captiva

Located less than a ten-minute walk from the South Seas Island Resort along the main road, Captiva Cantina is easy to find.  As it was already pitch dark when I arrived, the neon lights welcomed me in despite the patio being completely void of patrons.  Upon entering the restaurant, I was completely shocked to find the place near capacity with a party of about 30 women celebrating a special occasion.  What that was, I am not sure as they finished dinner only a few minutes after I arrived.

First time trying Carta Blanca

Once Jay arrived, we sat at a table near the front with less than 30 minutes until close.  We started off with some tortilla chips for an appetizer, which included some salsa and guacamole dip.  I decided to wash this down with a bottle of Carta Blanca – a Lager brewed in Monterrey, Mexico.  While I have had a few different Mexican beers through the years, this was a new one for me.  The jury is still out on this one, but at 4.5% ABV, it was light enough for me after a long day of travel.

Chicken Chile Poblano

Now that I was completely hungry at this point, I opted for the Chicken Chile Poblano.  This entrée included two grilled chicken breasts in a spicy chile poblano sauce with a side order of sautéed vegetables and Mexican rice.  While the poblano sauce was decent, the Mexican rice was a bit underwhelming.  I am not sure if they just refried the bean sauce because it was almost closing time and weren’t expecting any more orders, but I would have expected a little bit better for an $18 US entrée.  It did come with a small cob of corn that I did not expect, however.  Meanwhile, Jay ordered a Chicken Fajita sandwich thinking it was a smaller entrée.  However, it nearly covered his entire plate resulting in him having to taking back some of it to the hotel.

Cantina Captiva - A "Taste of Mexico" Off the Gulf of Mexico

While waiting for the waiter so we could settle our bill, I took in some of the interior décor.  It was interesting to see into the kitchen from our section while admiring the dollar covered walls of the restaurant.  Where this tradition originated from, I have no idea.  But I always smirk when I see this as it almost immediately brings me back to past quirky establishments I have been to on my travels.  Two places that quickly come to the top of my mind are this dive bar in Fort Worth about a year ago and this kitschy restaurant near Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  Although I don’t have a lot to compare it with, Cantina Captiva certainly hit the spot and is one restaurant worth checking out on this sleepy little island.

Some of the American Dollar Bills adoring the walls of Cantina Captiva

Cantina Captiva

14970 Captiva Drive

Captiva, FL 33924

Open Daily:  11:30am – 10:00pm EST

Phone: (239) 472-0248