Very nice attraction if you have never been. You can only get there by boat. You can visit on a paid boat out of pine land, fl; captiva fl or Punta Gorda. Jimmy Buffett is said to have gotten the inspiration for cheeseburgers in Paradise at cabbage key. Our server today was Katie S. and was outstanding. Cabbage Key also has 6 hotel room and some cottage. Many of the wait staff lives on the island. There is a small bar inside. Dollar bills hang from the ceiling or on the walls. Place is known for their cheeseburgers but other items on their menu is also good.

After a long haul run around Pine Island from Matlacha, we approached the calm waters and slower speed of Cabbage Key. We idled past boats and slips, and kedged the personal water crafts into the small sandy-grassy beach. Walking up the hill, we met the tortoise the children were feeding. The three of us sat at an outdoor concrete mosaic topped table. A cheery server, Kaite S, welcomed us quickly. In but a short time, the young lady-with energy abounding-delivering the famed 'cabbage creeper.' The slushy, sweetness was just the perfect cocktail to sip under the shade of the table umbrella. Form our view of the table on the hill we enjoyed a view of the water and approaching vessels. Katie S. chatted with us a bit on the 'what to knows.' She was delightful, attentive and happy!!
Our orders arrived; 2 cheeseburgers and a grilled fish atop greens salad. My husband and niece raved about 'the most delicious' hamburgers EVER. My fish was also delicious. Food proved worthy of the adventure! Cabbage key was a food oasis in the water. We ended our lunch with 2 desserts, a typical key lime pie, and a chocolate-carpel-sweet-frozen-yummy thing. We rolled down the hill, after all that food, to the t shirt shop for a souvenir (great stocking stuffers) , before the water ride back. We are looking forward to returning, hoping Katie S. will be there, too.

While staying on North Captiva, we boated up to Cabbage Key for a lunch stop on the way to Cayo Costa state park. While I'd been here before, I was pleasantly surprised by the entire experience, beginning with Dockmaster Joe. He welcomed us, helped us tie off, gave us some local knowledge on timing of lunch and planning, and was terrific. We had lunch in the historic inn, which is really a step back in time - dark old wood, the original "hang dollar bills on the wall" decor, terrific staff (our waitress, Rebecca, was outstanding), and living history in the form of authentic fishing posters, gigantic tarpon from tournaments, and the smell of decades-long, baked-in drinks, fish and burgers. Food was good (not overly memorable, but the perfect tonic after a morning on the water, baking in the sun and working up an appetite), and we left sated and ready for the next adventure. But, here's the hidden recommendation that is most important: We went back for breakfast the next morning (which they serve from 7:30-9), and that was SUPERB. It's hard to find a good breakfast down in the out-islands, and the crowd was sparse, but it's hard to think of a better environment than sitting on a porch, watching the world come to life around the bay, enjoying hot coffee, french toast, eggs and bacon and the best biscuit you're ever going to eat, and being drenched in relaxed, pastoral enjoyment. Get out of bed and head to CK for breakfast - you're not going to be disappointed. Only caveat on CK is that it gets crowded in the primary lunch hour (11:30-12:30) as tour boats stop in, but work around that and take a quick tour of the island, including the dark mangrove swamps - and watch for gators.