Most visitors who travel to a destination are looking for unique dining venues with local color and food. After all, for those of you who chose to stay at a vacation rental during your visit to Naples, wasn’t that why you did that instead of a hotel? Weren’t you looking for a bit of local color, and culture when you chose to stay at a vacation rental? Well, there are quite a few restaurants with local color, food and culture that are worth your time visiting them. In this article, we will focus on one of them, called Camilla Street Grill, located in Everglades City.
You might have noticed mention of Everglades City in your research to come visit Naples. Everglades City is a very small fishing village located 45 minutes to an hour away from Naples. It attracts visitors from all over the world who wish to visit the Western Everglades, because the town is located within Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. So, in between your sightseeing of the Everglades via an airboat tour, a guided kayak tour, a guided boat tour, or a self-guided hike or kayaking trip, go grab a bite to eat at Camilla Street Grill.
Camilla Street Grill is the kind of restaurant you can’t drive past. As you head towards it along Camilla Street, you pass by the Ivy House, which is a well renowned bed and breakfast in the area, in addition to some of the commercial fish houses in the area, and a small residential area. Then, you see the brightly painted old Volkswagen Beetle, which has painted all over it, “Welcome to Camilla Street Grill!” As you turn into the parking lot and get out of your car, you will notice that brightly colored Volkswagen Beetle is merely the beginning of the folk-artsy, tropical, beachy décor of Camilla Street Grill. For a fun activity, maybe encourage the entire family and kids to wander around the property, just to try to pin point some of the creative decorative items used at Camilla Street Grill.
To order, you must go inside towards the counter. There, you will find menus, and place your order there. Then you get a number, and your dish is brought to your table. So, what kind of food is served at Camilla Street Grill? All the fare is very casual, yet locally inspired favorites, like fried gator nuggets, grouper main plates, salads and sandwiches, fried oysters, stone crab appetizers and main courses, and dishes featuring gulf shrimp, like shrimp and grits. They are also well-known for their angus burgers, their steak plate, and their Spanish inspired dishes, including mussels in a red Basque sauce. You cannot miss dessert, where authentic key lime pie, peanut butter pie, and carrot cake are on the menu! There is also a line of milk shakes that are innovative, yet appropriate if you can’t imagine that you can eat another bite, yet want to end your meal with a nice dessert. Camilla Street Grill is also one of the few restaurants that offers a green salad, known as an “herb salad” on the menu, which features fresh greens and herbs from their own garden! You can see the garden on-site in fact, during your dining experience. It is located in the outside dining area along a fenced wall nearby where the small outdoor bar is! They top their herb salads with their homemade salsa, which also helps to add extra vegetables to the salad, in addition to color. If you are not a salad person, you will be after trying Camilla Street Grill’s herb salads!
In addition to the great local food, unique dishes on the menu and unusual yet funky décor, Camilla Street Grill has an amazing view. Camilla Street Grill is situated along the Barron River. As you sit along the outdoor terrace, you will see boats pass by, of all shapes and sizes. In fact, some guests to Camilla Street Grill park their boats at the restaurant’s own dock. You also have the chance for some great bird watching, to see an amazing sunset, and maybe catch a dolphin or two!
Camilla Street Grill is also a great location for some awesome nightlife. During the peak of the high season, Camilla Street Grill hosts live music concerts. A local band plays every Saturday and Sunday evening classic rock and easy listening favorites. Sometimes, the owner of Camilla Street Grill joins the band and sings lovely show tunes and old pop favorites if she has the time or is on site that night!