If you believe that “less is more” and “bigger is better” are incompatible concepts, then you haven’t eaten at Manatee Max at the Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers. Manatee Max is located under the signature bell tower in the upscale retail center, directly across from the movie theaters.
For nearly two years, the seafood restaurant has offered quality, casual family dining at value prices. However, since brothers Tom and Sydney Sawyer assumed ownership of the restaurant last April, diners have enjoyed a number of subtle but significant changes in the menus and meal presentation.
First, the veteran restaurateurs edited and divided the 209-item menu, making it much easier to read. “Before, it was just too intimidating,” said Tom Sawyer, who has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years, managing restaurants from Colorado to Key West. “People were getting lost in the menu, which made it difficult to order.”
For the sake of efficiency and readability, the Sawyers narrowed the lunch menu to 120 items and the dinner menu to 80 items. They also abbreviated most of the original descriptions. According to the Sawyers, the concise menus enhance speedy service without sacrificing quality or selection.
What hasn’t changed are the portion sizes (which remain generous to say the least) or the restaurant’s colorful dècor, which features marine-life murals, a saltwater aquarium stocked with tropical fish, and other cheerful touches. Further, the quality of the food continues to be top-shelf.
Freshness also applies to Manatee Max’s other offerings, including its made-from-scratch soups, salads, made-to-order sauces, and side dishes. Among the more unusual best-selling sides are its delicious sweet potato fries, homemade broccoli casserole and Key West Potato Panchos. The panchos, which are also available as an appetizer, are small, potato pancakes stuffed with spinach, cheese and spices, deep-fried to perfection and served with a key-lime/honey-mustard dipping sauce.
Although the restaurant’s recommendations are denoted on the menu by a tiny manatee, everything is so tasty, diners may find it hard to make final selections. Also, because there’s a good deal of overlap between the two menus, lunch patrons will be pleasantly surprised at the variety that’s available during the day.
Not surprisingly, the lunch menu offers an extensive selection of “Fast, Furious and Filling” sandwiches. In addition to five varieties of chicken, sandwiches range from Grouper and Gourmet Burgers to Po Boys and deli sandwiches. There are also at least two dozen Manatee Max Specialties under the subheadings of Seawiches (shrimp, tuna and crab creations), Deli Delights (BLTs, Clubs, etc.) and Specialties (which run the gamut from Philly Cheese Steak to Cuban Class and Frenchy’s Dip). Prices range from $4.99-$9.99.
There are also various seafood combinations, surf Ôn turf-style entrees, beef and chicken dishes, and seafood pots at both lunch and dinner, all of which come with a choice of side dishes. Although the dinner menu has a larger selection of entrees, many of the most substantial and popular dishes also are available at lunch, including the Maine Lobster Pot and the Rajun Cajun Pot.
A pleasing array of pasta dishes can be found under Pasta Bilities and there are salads galore. A Manatee Max favorite is the Sanibel Salad for $8.99. This enormous creation features mounds of tuna, chicken and shrimp salads on a bed of mixed greens with sliced and diced veggies, cheddar jack cheese and sliced egg. For the same price, you can also get a mixed green salad topped with one of many grilled or broiled fish choices.
Those with a taste for beef will not be disappointed. In addition to Filet Mignon and New York Strip steaks served daily, Max’s Prime Rib of Beef is served Thursday through Sunday. Slow-roasted to perfection, it is available in two sizes (regular and Max cuts) for $12.99 and $15.99.
A fairly extensive children’s menu is offered to kids under 10, with choices including pizza, fried shrimp, and baked macaroni and cheese. All items are priced at $3.99 and $4.99, except on Mondays from 4 p.m. until closing, when items from the kids’ menu are just 99¢.
Manatee Max can seat 200 diners between its indoor dining room, full-service bar and outdoor patio. Happy Hour is from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with half-priced beer, wine and well drinks.
Due to the restaurant’s popularity, the Sawyers recently opened a second Manatee Max in Bradenton, which serves dinner only. The brothers’ long-range plans are to open additional Manatee Max locations on Florida’s west coast at the rate of one per year.
(Manatee Max is open daily in the
Bell Tower Shops on U.S. 41 and Daniels Parkway in Fort Myers. Hours are 11:30 am - 4 pm for lunch; dinner is served from 4 - 9 pm Sunday - Thursday, and until 10 pm Friday and Saturday. Phone: 590-6311 or visit www.manateemax.com)