The Gathering Place

A little off the beaten path. Followed the red yard signs and down the halls of an old nursing home and we came upon this quaint little place. Had a great breakfast burrito and was impressed with the lunch offerings. Lots of fresh baked goods for anyone’s sweet tooth. Definitely a place to visit again.

There are gourmet breakfasts. There are good breakfasts. There are mediocre breakfasts. And then there are the breakfasts you find yourself eating based on all of the glowing reviews on Unilocal,in an old nursing home with the depressing energy intact, that is so not worth even one star, that you have to tell all your family and friends back home about it.
The reviews that say not to let the exterior scare you away must be part of the punking. After the waiter recommended the waffle, pointing out proudly that it «wasn’t the frozen kind,» and the unscrambled, overcooked scrambled eggs, and the $ 1.75 worth of cold, over seasoned home fries as a gracious swap out for the bacon I opted out of, I was sure Ashton Kutcher would be coming out with a camera crew.
I’m not sure where all the good reviews come from, and the five star reviews are everywhere… Unilocal,Facebook, Google… That’s something I’ll have to come to terms with over time.
I think back to what I said to my friend when I suggested we should try it even though every ounce of our being suggested we run; «even if it’s not as good as the reviews say, maybe we’ll at least have a funny story.» And oh boy, do we.

First of all let me say THE FOOD IS AMAZING!!! The owner is so hands on and so friendly. Made us feel like he was cooking just for us. The atmosphere is so eclectic! So I had the Belize pulled pork bowl. Needless to say there wasn’t a morsel left. My friend had the tostadas. Again AMAZING. The food is so fresh and unique. Any foodie should definitely try this place. Then we stuffed ourselves with dessert. Lemon coconut turnover and a massive strawberry banana shortcake. No words can describe the desserts. Even the crème brûlée coffee was on point. Well if you live in the area or vacationing in this area, it’s a must try. Thank you for sending me off with a fully belly.

Update on my review, we have nothing but wonderful things to say about Tony & Shawn and the gang! !! Just wanted to let you all know about the cakes Tony made for my birthday. …nothing short of amazingly delicious! !! He did a blueberry lemon cake with a lemony cream cheese frosting and a chocolate cherry cake. … the lemon blueberry is heaven. …husband said the chocolate cake is the best he’s ever tasted! All of our guests were delighted! !!

Ok ill be honest I was ready to turn around and get back in my car while walking through this old nursing home. The restaurant is very small with only a few tables. We were warmly greeted and I ordered a burrito and my husband ordered the avocado blt. Both were flavorful unexpected and delicious! They have a huge assortment of desserts too that are homemade! The food is a 10! The service a 10! However I wish they would move locations because its downright creepy. Go for the food not the atmosphere! If they moved locations I think it would be one of the hottest restaurants in Fort Myers because the food and service is just that good! Even though this quirky venue is a mild deterrent the food will keep me coming back. Best lunch spot in fort myers!

Fantastic Reuben sandwich, all fresh ingredients, no canned sauerkraut! Friendly and attentive staff, very busy, but good service, and an extensive menu for breakfast and lunch.
The peanut butter cheesecake is a meal all by itself, next time I’ll get dessert to go!

Strange location great food.
I had the western omelette with a croissant and strawberry jam home fries were excellent
My husband had the pool pork burrito with eggs and home fries it was excellent
Had no room for the desserts and cakes but they look amazing

Probably the best Gourmet breakfast I’ve had in a long time. The food quality rivals any high end restaurant.
Don’t let the exterior of the building scare you away. I almost didn’t go inside, but so glad I did!
I had Shawn’s burrito and I highly recommend it!

Hard to find, but worth the effort. Had late breakfast and a surprise desert… they were delicious. Great service. Highly recommend

The Gathering Place, Tony & Shawn & the rest of their staff are really some of the nicest people you will ever meet. The food is always fresh, homemade soups & deserts. OMG, so good…

A hidden gem! The staff is so friendly and the food is uniquely amazing! Other reviewers are right about the Cuban! The pork they use on it is above and beyond what you would expect on a sandwich. Portions are fair. Atmosphere is warm but in an unlikely location (perhaps a converted busting home?). Follow the signs or your nose and you will find the café! I’ve had wraps, salads, and sandwiches here and have never been disappointed. The soups always smell really good and looks like almost everyone else is enjoying them! I have recommended this place to others and they always thank me. I will be back and probably heading there today! I love supporting local restaurants and this is one with my seal of approval.

What a wonderful surprise. Was a little tricky to find as it is located inside an old nursing home that has been converted to an Executive Center with many small offices inside. Excellent breakfast burrito good coffee and good service. Hidden treasure worth the search. Go try it!

We stopped here on our way out of town and I’m SO glad we did. My fiancé got a breakfast sandwich and I had a breakfast burrito and it was amazing. Eggs cooked perfectly and flavor was awesome. The guys working there were extremely friendly also which topped off the experience. It’s a little hard to find being tucked away inside a building but trust me, it’s definitely worth it.

Went here because of the great reviews on Unilocal.And so glad we did! It’s a little hard to find and a little confusing once you get there, but it’s worth it! It’s an old nursing home converted into a business park. It has a nice, cozy feeling when u walk in. Everyone welcoming (even other customers!). Service was great, my caramel latte was amazing and my husband loved his pumpkin spice coffee. I had the egg, cheese & bacon sandwich, every good. My husband declared his breakfast burrito the best breakfast sandwich he’s ever had (and as a New Yorker, he’s eaten a lot of them while commuting on the train). Only the breakfast potatoes didn’t earn high marks (mushy and needed flavor), but everything else top notch! We will be back for lunch because the choices looked great!

What a terrific surprise. Four of us dined here breakfast on a whim and were not disappointed! The location is a bit unusual, but that added to the uniqueness. The food and service were top notch in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Their home made pastries were excellent! Definitely will be back to explore more of the menu.

Don’t let the exterior fool you… this place is so freaking delicious! The meatloaf sandwich was mouthwatering, but it’s only served on Mondays so make sure you’re here on a Monday. I had the Cuban sandwich… the meat was moist and the flavors meshed so well. My son had the lasagna special which was better than my homemade (tough for me to admit).
Everything is handmade and better than grandma used to make it… no joke. As their saying goes… EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!

I’ve been in the area now for about a month and half and always look to Unilocal for suggestions and they did not stear me wrong on this gem! After reading the reviews I headed for some lunch, not too far off Cleveland, all you have to do is follow your nose once you walk into the building! Felt so welcomed when I walked in, very homey, Charlie my server was very gracious, delightful and suggested the Cuban sandwich which had pulled pork and it was the best I’ve ever had! Don’t pass on the homemade desserts either I ended up eating my carrot cake when I returned home! Can’t wait for brunch with the staff again! Thank you for making my day!!!

This place is awesome! I’m not the type of person to leave a review unless the place or restaurant is outstanding ! And this place is not only outstanding is inexpensive and the service is awesome!!! My fiancé and I came to fort Myers for the weekend and we’re looking for a breakfast place and decided to come over here and try it and thank God we did!!! The moment we got there they welcomed us as if we were their friends and served us right away! I order the Cuban sandwich this is a most to try. We come from Miami were you see restaurants that make Cubans sandwiches everywhere !!! But none of them like this one !!! Will definitely be coming back on our next trip !!!

Great food at good prices. Had the veggie scramble with oat nut bread. Super flexible about subbing cheddar for feta, which is a welcome change from the way most places operate. Got the distinct impression that everything on the menu would be yummy. We’ll be back soon to test out that theory.
They make their own desserts! They looked so good we got a box of them to go.
The Gathering Place is a hidden gem located amongst several office suites repurposed from what I think was probably once a nursing home. Follow the signs and you’ll find it.

FUN PLACE
This little restaurant just opened some three months ago. Out of curiosity we stopped in here for lunch. My wife had #30, which was Two Sliders of pulled pork & a pickle. I had #18, which was a Roast Beef Club, with deli sliced beef, turkey, bacon & provolone cheese, served with a pickle. It was claimed to be on French bread, but the bread was definitely not French, more the grocery store Italian/​Cuban variety.
As extras, we also had a Cole Slaw and a Mac & Cheese. All the food was average. Not so bad, and not so good.
The excitement about dining here is twofold. And no, it’s not the food. It is, first of all, actually finding the place. It’s near Page Field, but trust me you’ll need a GPS to find it. It is located in what appears to be a former retirement home that has been converted into offices. Unique. And second, it’s the ambiance, which is terrific. It feels very welcoming and homey with mixed table sizes, bookshelves, and so on. An enjoyable place to hang out, and the owners are quite friendly as well.
Location — 2 STARS
Service — 4 STARS
Food — 3 STARS
Ambiance — 5 STARS
Value — 3 STARS