4271 Pine Island Road
Matlacha, Florida 33993
239-282-3232

Near mile marker 55 & the Matlacha Bridge
REVIEWS & ACCOLADES Continued

PriceLine's Travel Guide
10Best Restaurant's • 10Best Nightlife • 10Best Seafood
"Best Value"
Overlooking Matlacha Pass, Bert's enjoys a view that makes folks visiting Pine Island for the first time green with envy. Of course, the so-called "million dollar" waterside setting is only part of this shack's appeal – after all, the kitchen does serve up tasty eats like peel-n-
   eat shrimp, farm-raised clams and even fried chicken. What's more, the place also features terrific live music, including everything from blues to good, old fashioned rock-n-roll.

-PriceLine's Travel Guide-
The Boston Globe
Fishing, farming, and making art on a Florida isle
By Ellen Albanese, Globe Staff | April 15, 2007
Accessible by causeway from Cape Coral, Pine Island is a place where people earn their livings fishing and farming. At 17 miles long and averaging 2 miles wide, it is the largest island on Florida's southwest coast and among the least developed, in large part because it has no swimming beaches. Stringfellow Road runs the length of the island from Bokeelia in the north   to Saint James City at the southern tip. The road is dotted with painted telephone poles, decorated with nature scenes, flowers, and pirates, courtesy of Pine Island artists.
Writers and musicians also contribute to the "creative coast" vibe. You can find live music most any night of the week at Bert's Bar & Grill in Matlacha ...
Southern Living Reproduced with permission
May, 2004


For years Lee County’s coastlines and barrier islands have drawn visitors to the southern end of Florida’s Gulf Coast. You’ve probably walked the beautiful beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, the region’s most popular destinations. But have you ever dropped your line with Matlacha fishermen off the World’s Fishingest Bridge at sunset? Have you ever snoozed beneath the mangroves at Lovers Key State Park, or glimpsed a heron gracefully circling Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary? You may think you know the Lee Island Coast, but do you know its secrets?

Locals call Matlacha (pronounced”MAT-luh-shay”) a state of mind. The tiny community on Pine Island sits roughly 15 miles from downtown Fort Myers and easily a generation from the rest of the Sunshine State. No beach here. No condos. No chain restaurants. “Once you go over the bridge, you feel like you’re entering another world,” says artist and resident Leoma Lovegrove.
A Taste of Old Florida
Originally a shrimping and fishing village, Matlacha experienced an artistic revolution about seven years ago, led largely by Leoma. Today, shops and galleries line the main drag like cups of sherbet, their fluorescent colors revealing the lighthearted spirit that saturates the town’s 1 square mile.

Leoma’s own Matlacha Art Gallery features a wide array of eccentric pieces, from painting to painted furniture. “We’ve got art for


Set Your Watch to Island Time
“In a place like Matlacha, what you see is what you get,” says Osi McCarney, who with husband Steve owns the Bridge Water Inn. A sign at the inn eloquently displays one definite reality: “This is where island time begins.” The modest waterfront motel offers basic accommodations, from small rooms without cooking facilities ($59 per night) to furnished bayfront efficiency suites ($119). You can even reserve a two-bedroom cottage ($129). Rent fishing equipment from Osi for $7 a day and try your luck just outside your room’s door or on the Matlacha Bridge, which is touted as the World’s Fishingest Bridge.

Mornings are especially peaceful at Bridge Water, with pelicans perching on pylons nearby, occasionally diving in the galleys bay for breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, stop by Mulletville Restaurant for an old-fashioned stack of pancakes ($3.95)liveliest drinking companions and here the only dress code seems to be those white rubber boots endearingly dubbed Pine Island


On your way off the island, stop by Planet’s Gourmet Pickles, owner Champ Planet’s (pronounced “plah-NAY”) miniature storefront, to sample award-winning, salsas, pickles, and chutneys. The prince of Pickledom learned the art of pickling without preservatives, chemicals, or flavor enhancers from his grandparents.


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