When heading out for the night in Fort Myers, you may know exactly what you want; maybe it's dinner and dancing, or perhaps it is live music. But for those times when you're feeling wishy washy or trying to please a group of people with varied interests, it’s good to have lots of options in close proximity.
That is one reason why Gulf Coast Town Center (GCTC) is so popular with partygoers of all ages. The shopping, dining and entertainment complex has become one of the hottest nighttime destinations in the Fort Myers area.
Blu Sushi is a "tres chic" place for cocktails and dance music. — Photo courtesy of Blu Sushi
The thirty dining options range from affordable pizza and burger joints to well-known national chains to higher-end steak houses and sushi bars. You can literally start here for happy hour, stay for another eight hours and never get bored.
When it's time to turn the party up a notch, the choices for live music, DJs and cold drinks are impressive. Take, for instance, Keys Bar and Grille, one of the newest favorites, with a dueling piano bar and a Key West theme. The shows here are always entertaining, with lots of interaction between the performers and the patrons.
You’ll not only find live music at Salado Pedros Veracruz Cantina, but also some 200 different tequilas. This cantina has a large bar and ample outdoor space for your tequila tasting, with seven on tap, including their own private label.
A more sophisticated party is found at The World Famous Cigar Bar. The "kool kats" hang out here, drinking small batch bourbons, single malt scotches and stiff martinis. Cigar aficionados love the walk humidor and expert cigar rollers who frequent the weekends.
If you want a good beer hall, GCTC has a few good options, the most popular being the House of Brewz Taps & Tapas. Greeting you when you walk in is the Bury Me Brewing Micro-Brewery, the only on-site brewery in the center. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, one of the 50 draughts or 200 bottles should. There is also a large selection of affordable appetizers, live music on the weekends and karaoke on Tuesday.
Market Plaza, in the middle of the action, has a large stage with an open grassy area. It's often home to free concerts, movies, fashion shows and other nighttime entertainment.
Bar Louie has lots of weekly happy hour specials, a huge oval bar with dozens of taps, live music and the occasional reggae band. It gets loud and packed late at night.
Miller’s Ale House also has dozens of taps and even more bottled beers. More laid-back, it's the perfect spot to play a game of pool and/or watch a game on TV.
If a movie fits into your perfect night out, add it to the list of options at Gulf Coast Town Center. — Photo courtesy of Gulf Coast Town Center
Speaking of sitting back and watching a screen, Regal Cinema has sixteen theaters if your ideal night out includes the latest big-screen release.
While there are no clubs in the traditional sense of nightclubs, many of the bars at GCTC have room for dancing. Perhaps the most popular is Blu Sushi, a posh spot where people go to see and be seen. Here you’ll find some of the area’s hottest DJs spinning dance and party music until 2 a.m.
Gulf Coast Town Center is in close proximity to Florida Gulf Coast University, so it is quite popular with the college crowd. In fact, Thursdays are designated "College Night" at many bars. But with the variety of establishments at this entertainment destination, all age groups are well represented and can find something to suit their fancy.
