Always seeking and savoring new restaurants, the East Naples area landed some fresh and highly accessible dining spots within the last month.
Seventh South Waterfront
It was a major move for the talented team at the former Seventh South Craft Food + Drink, which closed at the end of April ahead of redevelopment for the Naples Community Church on Seventh Avenue South. The church, which has owned the property since 2012, began demolition June 11 on the western end of the building, with plans to create a new fellowship hall for its congregation.
In October 2020, Seventh South Craft Food + Drink replaced 7th Avenue Social, which had operated since March 2015 on Seventh Avenue South. That downtown Naples location had been a series of other restaurants during the past 20 years, including Flava, Eric Pate’s Backstreet Bar & Grill, Gina’s on 7th Ave and Nektar.
Seventh South – Furikake Encrusted Tuna
The new Seventh South Waterfront has settled in across Haldeman Creek from the Celebration Park food truck venue. Naples entrepreneur Rebecca Maddox, who operated Three60 Market there from 2011 to 2024, brought the place back from the brink after it was vacated for many years following runs as the Tipsy Seagull, Moby Rick’s Marina and the Boathouse Grill and Marina. Maddox still owns the real estate but reached out to Seventh South to relocate its business there. The cozy, creek-side venue continues Seventh South’s focused collaboration between a craft kitchen and bar.
“We loved what it was and we love what we’ve created with it,” said Barry Larkin, the beverage director, who co-owns Seventh South with his wife, Carolyn, as well as Executive Chef Jay Schrednitz and General Manager Pal Ladanyi.
With its move and slight name change, Seventh South’s managing partners tried to bring as much as possible from their old digs to the new location. Lunch service is a new feature.
“Being on the water here, we can be more successful than we could be there having lunches open,” Larkin said. “Here, we’re able to do lunch and dinner and, I think, do them both well. There’s a demand for both, being on the water.”
The restaurant and bar is open Tuesday through Sunday with lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and dinner 5-9 p.m. Late night food is available until midnight.
Seventh South – Miso Broiled Seabass
“We have a limited menu between lunch and dinner. The bar stays open from 11:30 (a.m.) straight though (until 1 a.m.),” Larkin said.
Seventh South’s menu features handhelds, shareables, salads and main dishes such as Moroccan Chicken, Duck Carnitas Tacos and Poke Bowl on the lunch menu; and Harissa Spice Salmon, Sticky Miso Short Ribs, Tagliatelle Lamb Ragù and Grilled Butterflied Branzino on the dinner menu.
“We have a diverse menu. Our sea bass has been a highlight. Jay’s steak selection has been incredible,” Larkin said. “The appetizers have been going over well; we have a salmon tartare that’s been very popular. Even our late-night menu, having a burger on the late-night menu with a lobster roll is very popular. My favorite dish right now is the snapper dish.”
The Grilled Red Snapper lunch entrée includes preserved lemon risotto, sautéed baby spinach, tomato relish and lemon beurre blanc. The Chorizo Encrusted Red Snapper dinner entrée features lobster risotto, sautéed spinach, tomato relish, lemon butter and pomegranate reduction.
The chef tries to change up the menu seasonally, and Seventh South’s craft cocktail bar works with the kitchen to complement the food, Larkin said. “Our bartenders are getting creative back there and having some fun,” he said.
The new location has more outdoor seating but less indoors than the original downtown spot.
Brooks Bar & Grill
Brooks Bar & Grill
Brooks Bar & Grill launched June 7 at Hibiscus Golf Club on the south side of Rattlesnake Hammock Road about a mile east of U.S. 41. It’s the latest in the Brooks Burgers family, which has locations in downtown Naples and The Pavilion in North Naples, as well as a licensed restaurant at Logan Landings in North Naples.
The new Brooks Bar & Grill is in the large clubhouse near the entrance of Hibiscus Golf Club at 5375 Hibiscus Drive. It’s in the former Mulligan’s Bar & Grill, which operated for five years in a space that previously was home to Erin’s Isle and Bogey’s Bar & Grill. The menu is different than the Brooks Burgers joints in Naples and North Naples.
“We have our burgers, but we also have entrees,” said owner Todd Brooks. “We have miso salmon. We have Mediterranean grouper. We have ribs. We’ve got a bistro steak, so you can have steak and fries. So, it’s kind of like Brooks Burgers, plus there are entrees, salads, sandwiches, pizzas — so much more bar and grillish than just Brooks Burgers.”
The new menu is similar to Brooks Grill & Tavern, which Brooks opened in Logan Landings but later sold, with a license to use his name and burgers. The venues have some different options, though.
“It’s probably the closest to Logan. I think we just have a few more options than they have. We have a pretty extensive menu,” Brooks said.
Brooks Burgers – Todd’s Way
The most popular of its 10 specialty burgers are Todd’s Way, which features a fried egg, bacon and American and provolone cheeses; and Fig & Fine, which has fig jam, goat cheese and sautéed onions. Of course, the Donut Burger, which replaces the traditional bun with two hot glazed doughnuts, remains a novelty item. All burgers have options for black Angus beef, turkey, grilled chicken, fried chicken, bison and veggie patties.
Although the new Brooks Bar & Grill is part of the golf club, the local hospitality venue is open to the public without reservations.
“We do all the food for the golf. We do it for the tournaments, plus it’s a bar and grill that’s open to the public. We’re kind of hand in hand with the golf community. We’re going to work together with some charities and some different things like that over the next year or two.”
The new Brooks has a full bar with happy hour drink and food specials 3-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The 240-seat venue — the largest Brooks location — transpired during some uncertainty about the original downtown spot.
“We had our eyes peeled in the area because we were under the impression that we’d probably be out of downtown in the next six to eight months, and then we came across this and we thought it was a perfect fit,” Brooks said. “The view out here is great. It overlooks the golf course. We’ve got a huge, great patio, so it just kind of seemed like a no-brainer.”
Brooks Burgers was in jeopardy of losing its longtime original location in the former Lindburgers space in downtown Naples to inevitable redevelopment until it recently was able to sign a new lease.
“We’ll be there for at least another three years,” Brooks said. “We’ll be there until 2028; it might be 2029. We’re still working on that, negotiating that. It might be a four-year lease.”
Turco Taco East Naples
Three’s company
Restaurants also opening in June in East Naples included the third locations in Collier County of two dining concepts that debuted their first area spots in Naples and their second in North Naples.
Turco Taco opened its new spot June 10 in River Reach Plaza at 1230 Airport-Pulling Road N. Restaurateur Oz Ozturk replaced his three-year-old Simit Fresh Mediterranean concept with Turco Taco, a fast-casual local dining brand, that also has locations on the corner of U.S. 41 and Fourth Avenue North; and in Creekside Corners at Good-lette Frank and Immokalee roads.
“I just want to focus on one concept,” said Ozturk, who also plans another Turco Taco location in downtown Fort Myers.
Turco Taco fuses Mexican and Turkish cuisines using organic, locally grown produce and premium meats free of hormones and antibiotics while providing gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and keto dietary choices. The new location is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays with a menu of gourmet tacos, quesadillas, salads, desserts and beverages that include draft and bottled beer.
Rosati’s East Naples
Rosati’s East Naples
Rosati’s Pizza, promoting itself as “Chicago’s Greatest Thin Crust Pizza,” opened a new location June 9 in the Publix-anchored Naples Lakes Village Center on the northwest corner of Rattlesnake Hammock Road and Collier Boulevard.
Longtime North Naples residents and Chicagoland transplants Joe and Melanie Roppo opened the pizzeria franchise in the remodeled former longtime spot of Charlena’s Pizza, which closed April 15. The location at 8595 Collier Blvd., Unit 106, features an outdoor patio with 30 seats and another 24 seats inside. The menu includes thin-cut and deepdish pizzas, Italian beef and sausage sandwiches, calzones, pasta, wings, appetizers, salads and beer on tap.
The new pizzeria is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Dine-in, delivery, carryout and catering are available.
