Restaurants – Couple cheering glasses at dinner table – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Aleksandar Milutinovic
The culinary culture in Florida is vibrantly local.
And we mean both gastronomically and aesthetically by that.
The Sunshine State is full of strangely amazing places, like the Panhandle’s magical wizard fries, Jacksonville’s alien-themed taco and tequila bar, and the most cheesy swamp mansion by the St. Johns River.
And showcasing it all, the strangely fantastic USA TODAY Network Florida Dining & Entertainment crew just put together a list of road trip-worthy eateries, pubs, shacks, and general hidden treasures.
We are fortunate that two of the seventeen oddball locations are located in our region of Southwest Florida, including:
Naples’s Twisted Sheep
There are many traditional and high-end eateries in Naples, but Twisted Sheep Pizza & Brew is the place to go if you want something with a little more personality. The “black sheep” of Naples, this eatery takes pride in its status.
Located in an East Naples strip mall, Twisted Sheep serves bizarre but delicious speciality dishes including a pizza that is distinctly Chick-fil-A-inspired and dripping with “counterfeit chicken sauce.”
Where else in Naples can you get a complete burger on top of your pizza, waffle fries, or even chicken tenders?
Try the restaurant’s candied bacon bruschetta starter, even though its pizza is its specialty. Additionally, Twisted Sheep burgers are always a good choice. Try the pizza burger, which consists of a hand-patted Kobe burger, mozzarella, pepperoni, marinara, garlic aioli, and arugula, if you’re searching for something new. Twisted Sheep is also regarded by some locals as having some of the best burgers in town.
The pizza joint’s ambiance is in line with its delectably bizarre menu, which includes vibrant paintings inspired by graffiti that you can purchase directly from the wall. (Twistsheeppizza.com; 239-919-3287; 3802 Tamiami Trail E., Naples)
Captiva’s Bubble Room
Finding a restaurant with an old Hollywood motif is not unusual. or one with a Christmas theme. You’re talking, though, when you add thousands of toys every day of the year to the two.
This island favorite has been around for a long time and offers exactly that.
There are countless black-and-white photographs and movie posters from the 1930s to 1950s in each of the building’s three floors, along with mannequins, more than 3,000 antique toys scattered throughout the space, vintage toy trains, and the iconic bubble lights. A picture-perfect gorilla cage, a tunnel of love, and a Nemo chamber complete the scene.
For decades, the 46-year-old lunch and dinner jewel has captivated both locals and tourists.
We also find the famed towering, vibrant characteristic layer cakes to be equally attractive. The only item that can take our attention away from the décor is the orange crunch cake, which is a yellow cake that has been deliciously stacked with orange cream cheese icing and almond brown sugar crunch.However, the white Christmas, moist chocolate, red velvet, and roughly six more items (including the Key lime!) can also do the same.
Hurricane Ian in 2022 severely destroyed The Bubble Room, which reopened in July after more than 1,000 days (and was set back again by Milton and Helene).
Everything was meticulously put back together by the staff. We will gladly celebrate their labor and the restoration of this island staple with gape after gape and slice after slice. (239-472-5558; 15001 Captiva Drive, Captiva; locate The Bubble Room Restaurant on Facebook)
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.