The Real Macaw

One surly waitress! The waiter at the next two tables offers the specials, lights the votives, pours the beers. Ours: we had to ask for each of these things, which she did begrudgingly. No smile, just exasperated signs. No offer of coffee or dessert menu afterwards, just threw the check at us.
All four glasses on the table were filthy. I asked for a replacement Pilsner as mine had black stuff on it. She took it to the kitchen and came back with a wine glass. They were out of Pilsners! We were one of only three seated tables, and one was also a two top. Guess it never occurred to her to wash the Pilsner.
I left a small tip, reluctantly. Really, she wrecked the evening with the grumpy mood. Any food is better than I make at home, so that’s never the point of going out for me. I just want nice ambiance and not have to deal with a server’s attitude.

First have to rate service as excellent. We arrived, seated right away based on our reservation and our waitress indicated she would be right over to us. For some reason she got hung up. Rather then making us wait another waitress came over and took our drink order. Our waitress delivered our drinks and took our order all within a very reasonable amount of time.
Food was incredible. Two of the best crab cakes I ever had. Tuna was served perfectly. Salmon was fresh and again prepared just right. Side items with the meal fit each of the dishes perfectly.
I would prefer a more extensive wine list by the bottle but what was on the menu was priced right. Wine I had off the glass menu was perfect which was a Castle Rock Chardonnay was very good and priced right.
Would recommend this restaurant anytime.

Nice atmosphere but bring bug spray. We ate on the patio and got eaten alive. Some dishes were excellent (steak) others (tuna and the chicken dish) were mediocre. They serve Johnnycakes with strawberry butter which were delicious.

People park like knobs in the parking lot, once inside, if you happen to be seated in one of the dining rooms, be prepared, IT’S LOUD. Food was good, understaffed perhaps the night I stopped in. Killer iced tea and jerk pork tenderloin. Almost too eclectic…

Absolutely the best food in Naples, we are regulars at the Ritz-​Carlton and find the real McCall’s food equal to this five-​star facility
This is a great hidden gem located in South East Naples that gives you the feel of the islands
There is usually live music on weekends, and a great happy hour with the world’s most pleasantly cantankerous bartender!!! You will always know her opinion without question, we love her
Although everything on the bar is phenomenal, the two is a must if you like this fish, in 20 years we have never had a bad meal

Excellent place to relax, enjoy a nice drink then have a great dinner. Happy Hour has great drink prices and food to go along with it. Everything on the menu is reasonably priced and a variety of food. My rating 10 stars

Watch your bill and bank statements after! Short and sweet!

We stumbled upon the The Real Macaw late this week while out exploring the area. We had a wonderful meal and got to know Jean the owner as she was our server for the evening. Not sure what to make of the mixed reviews but we had a great experience.
We had the Cuban Black Bean soup and Bermuda Triangle Onion Soup to start with. Both very good. The Black Bean is almost a meal by itself. For our entrees we had the Snapper in Phyllo Snapper, with bananas, feta cheese and spinach wrapped in phyllo served with rice and vegetables and the Medallion of Pork Tenderloin, Fire roasted jerk spiced pork tenderloin, guava strawberry sauce, served with mashed & veggies.
One of the best meals and dinning experiances we have had in our short time in Naples. Very cute place, Caribbean — Southern Fl eclectic décor. Seemed like some place in the islands.
If you know island dinning then you know what I mean.
Thanks Jean, we had a fantastic time and will be back!!!

Went last Saturday night. Food was good, pricey however. The place is like a garage sale blew up wrongly. The service is very slow unless your a regular, then they swarm them with attention. Too bad you’ll never see us as a regular. The biggest complaint is the owner lady was there, hovering in the dining room over the «rich» regulars. She never shuts up. There was live music, could not hear it over her endless drabble of conversation at each table. Shut up! We don’t care to hear about your life. REALLY.

Another great evening at The Real Macaw. Went with friends that had not been there in years. They just fell out of the habit of going. But were very happy little had changed. The ambiance, service & food will have these Snowbirds coming back again when they return from Cape Cod next year. For us, lucky to be locals it will remain high in our restaurant rotation. The duck terrific, wrapped Snapper my fav. Goat cheese salad a winner. Black Bean soup yum. Fish chowder yum yum. We didn’t need desert but happy shared Key Lime and Guava Bread Pudding both worth the calories. The only thing missing was the MaCaw we were told he stayed home yesterday

A unique and hidden gem. For island atmosphere and Caribbean dining the Real Macaw is «The» place to go in Naples, Florida. The front area is a rustic Caribbean tavern. The rear of the establishment is a quiet dining area. The menu is a bit short on selections; however, I found my selection of a main dish of «duck» and an appetizer of calamari to suite me fine. Mostly I found the establishment to be a great place for conversation and ambiance suited to meeting with friends. The prices are a bit on the higher side of average. The service was terrific. I will return at another time for a better «in depth review of the menu.

Off the beaten path — good food when you’re looking to explore a community restaurant. The Mediterranean grouper wrapped in phyllo dough was incredible. My husband and I split that along with the salmon and fruit chutney. Both entrees were delicious! We started our evening with the calamari. It was lightly breaded and very good. We also tried the portobello stack — super delicious.
The previous reviews were helpful, as we determined where to dine. You won’t be disappointed.

This is a really neat place. A must visit in south naples!

The food is creatively prepared and delicious. We had the swordfish and duck and recommend both. The atmosphere is Caribbean elegant and the waitstaff is well trained and attentive. Not inexpensive, but a good value. Seems to have a lively bar area too that’s populated by regulars.

The Real Macaw is a must when in Naples. We have taken several friends there for dinner and have never been dissapointed. The food is delicious, the atmosphere eclectic and fun, the wait staff attentive and the owner, Jeanne is a hoot! This restaurant is easily on par with the restaurants in Old Naples and not as pricey. We highly recommend a meal there.

I honestly was floored when I seen the prices considering the location in Naples and the general construction and layout. Then I was P.O.ED when i checked my bank account later and found the 48.00 soup and salad I had was charged to my account as 58.00. I definitely will be contacting my bank over this and its sad cause I left the waiter a 20.00 tip. Never again… never

Great atmosphere and unique food but they seem to not have enough wait staff. If you need something we found every table having to flag someone down and only one outside heater worked on a cool night. If they fix thise issues it’s 5 star. Great food regardless if you are good with mediocre service

The Real Macaw fulfilled our dining needs on the first and last nights of our week-​long New Year’s getaway. It was our first time in Naples and we’d arrived late after a rental car fiasco at the airport. (Boo, Hertz!) We asked our landlady to recommend a «nice but casual place close by» since we just wanted to eat and get to bed early. She suggested The Real Macaw less than half a mile away.
Not wanting a big meal at 8:30 pm we opted for salads and appetizers. Reading the rest of the menu left us wanting a return trip later in the week.
I’ll say now that the service is lackadaisical — We asked for casual, right? — but the personal touch from the proprietor, Jeanne, makes up for it. She just wants to share her little bistro and keep you around a while. Upon entering I even had to go up to the bar and ask, «Do we just seat ourselves?» and was told to go into the dining room and we’d be seated. We did and we were. .. at a nicely adorned table for two with linen napkins and peacock chairs. I looked around the dining room, thinking I might catch a glimpse of Bette Davis and Paul Henreid out for a late repast.
This is not a beer place. I asked for a beer list, but there was none. When asked about their beers, our server listed a half dozen beers you can order in any American city. However, there was a very adequate cocktail menu and wine list. A few craft brews would complement the alcoholic offerings. People who appreciate good food also appreciate good beer. I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio Italia. It was a good table wine. Unless dining with friends, I’m always relegated to the limited wine-​by-​the-​glass selections since I’m married to a teetotaler.
The food, you ask? My wife started with the French onion soup. It was well prepared with the traditional bread and cheese, and quite tasty. I had the house Caesar, which was just average. My wife followed her soup with the shrimp Caesar — also average. After my salad came the crab cakes, which were really good. .. nicely seasoned and just the right amount of char. The two cakes weren’t huge — apéritif not entrée sized — but just what I wanted.
In the «nice touch» department, each table gets an order of warm johnnycakes with a strawberry spread. Jeanne explained that she uses flour instead of cornmeal to create a fusion between the traditional johnnycake and a New Orleans beignet.
We spent the next week enjoying Naples and other dining opportunities. I even grilled steaks and fresh seafood a couple nights at the condo.
On our last night in Naples we returned to the Real Macaw. The Caribbean roast duck, mentioned by several reviewers, was calling me back! I’d eaten duck earlier in the week at another of Naples’ highly rated restaurants. It was very good, but I’ve got to give the nod to the Real Macaw on the duck throw-​down. Jeanne came by just as I was gnawing the last morsel of flesh off the thigh bone. I told her that, it’s highly unlikely but should I ever find myself awaiting execution on death row, I’ll request her Caribbean roast duck for my last meal on earth. Truly a meal to die for!

Tried of the $ 58 rib eye on 5^th and all of the pretentious hoodlydoo that comes with it? Go to the Real Macaw. I’ve been in the Resturant business for over 30 years and the FOOD it is easily on par with anything found in «Old Naples» Just a wonderful experience with and evening of great food and service.(ask for Tom) Have gone twice in the same week (yea it was that good) and my opinion was not just held up it was strengthen. The Real Macaw I’ve learned is a very well established operation that has been quietly surpassing the «other high profile establishments» for years. DO NOT let the building or the small parking lot on a relatively remote road off rt 41 persuade you to go back to the familiar haunts on 3^rd and 5^th. The Real MaCaw is the «David» in a sea of purported Goliaths, EnJOY!

I must admit, we got a bit of a strange look when we walked up. Probably because we dress very casually, which was a bit out of place in this high-​end area. In any case, the hostess (and owner!) warmed up quickly enough and worked to accommodate our desire to sit under a heater outside, though there were none left. Shucks.
Service was initially a bit slow but, having waited tables on my journey through the U I could see that the waitress had just gotten slammed. No problem. Two samples of wine later we had picked out one and gave her the chance to catch up. When she did service was spot-​on.
If you read my other reviews you know that I like my food! The Real Macaw did not disappoint. The Portabello Stack was unusual in that it was very good, healthy, AND my kids liked it! I asked for suggestions on the Steak Caribe vs. the duck and the fowl was recommended. Spot-​on, again! I like duck, but this was over the top good. Cooked perfectly and complimented like no other with the caribbean flair.
Son had the Kobe burger and raved, daughter had some shrimp thing and raved, wife had… eh, I don’t remember. Who cares? She raved.
We found Jeanne, the owner, to be very pleasant and she spent some time with us at the table, eventually recommending Jimmy P’s Butcher Shop and Deli for lunch the next day, which turned out to be another gem.
I see a bad review not far below mine. Please note that this lady has only ever done two. I give her little credence and can without any reservation recommend you try this place.