LA Best Bar & Grill

The New «La Best» bar and grill was empty when we walked in at 3pm, an odd hour in between lunch and dinner. Upon first glance it seems run down and a little on the sketchy side but when we spoke with the two former owners (filling in for the new chef who had business in NYC and was gone for a few days) and saw the menu, we pulled up some chairs and prepared ourself for some comfort food. We had done a little walk around the 4 Mile Cove Eco Park in Cape Coral and had worked up a healthy appetite. The restaurant came recommended by a sound technician at an art gallery we had visited in downtown Ft Myers.
«La Best» is a restaurant by day and a venue/​nightclub by night (there’s a carpeted stage at the far end of the restaurant and a patio out back that I imagine is hopping on warm summer nights). It’s hard to imagine in it’s currently empty state that last night they had about 200 people dancing to a live Haitian Compas band. Because of this big night they were temporarily out of all the Jamaican sodas (ginger is a personal favorite) and Coconut water — a drink that would have gone nicely with our delicious meal.
We were told the entrees they had for the day — about half the menu was available and we took the chef’s suggestion of Oxtail (they claim to have best in SWFL — it WAS amazing — melted in your mouth, marinated in fresh herbs and slow simmered with veggies — although there were no visible veggies in the dish it came in the most rich sauce) and Jerk Chicken (a little on the spicy side and solid but unremarkable). These came with two sides each and warm buttery cornbread. Everything was delicious: Mac & Cheese, Collard Greens, Beans & Rice. Home cooking at its best and at a very affordable price. Entrees are $ 8-​$ 10 with two sides/​cornbread and could easily feed two for lunch. Non-​alcoholic drinks are $ 1 – 3 and Beer/​Wine/​Shots $ 2−5+.
Our first meal in Ft. Myers area and we’ll definitely be returning for the «Escovitch Fish», which, like the Oxtail, the chef told us was a true delicacy. I ended up removing a star from their rating because they didn’t have any seafood/​fish available and I was looking forward to trying their Rundown Shrimp (blend of fresh coconut milk and ginger). Next time!