Dean's South of the Border

We stopped by on a rainy Thursday evening. We greatly enjoyed sitting in the roofed-over outside stage area, where we enjoyed the offerings of the classic rock band. The appetizers were delicious and extremely generous in size. Two shared appetizers were a full meal for us!

Update: Our family goes to Dean's often on Friday and Saturday nights for the live music and wonderful Tex-Mex food. I'm not saying that's the only nights with live music, that's just when we go.

Ever gone to a place and thought "there's way too many items on the menu for this place to be good!" Well this is NOT that place! Dean's does have an astounding number of menu items yet it was still delicious! I got the veggie fajitas and my wife, as usual, got something I liked even more! She had a lunch pulled pork burrito, Diablo style and it was delicious, ain't no way that came from the devil! The most surprising element was how good their chips and salsa were! If I were "that guy" I would simply order a beer and snack on those chips and salsa until they asked me to leave 🤣

I recently visited Dean's South of the Border and had an wonderful experience. This place offers an outdoor dining experience that truly stands out!

First and foremost, I ordered the sizzling shrimp fajitas, and they did not disappoint. Considering it's a bar, the quality of the food was surprisingly good. The taste was on point, and I was pleasantly surprised by the generous portion size. My plate was loaded with shrimp, onions, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, rice, and more. Every element was flavorful and well-prepared.

However, not everything at our table was a hit. My friends ordered the French dip and the patty melt, but unfortunately, the meat on both sandwiches was very rare, to the point where they couldn't finish their meals. This was a bit disappointing, but it didn't overshadow the positive aspects of our visit.

Now, let me highlight the true gem of our late afternoon experience - the live band, the Flying Doritos! The music was good and the singer was exceptional and had us all engaged, especially when he opened with a Lynyrd Skynyrd song that sounded incredibly authentic. It added an electrifying atmosphere to our dining experience and left us thoroughly entertained.

In summary, Dean's South of the Border delivered on my expectations. The food and the drinks were good overall, the outdoor atmosphere was fantastic, and the live music by the Flying Doritos was the icing on the cake. If you're looking for a place that offers both a delightful dining experience and live entertainment, this is the spot to be. I'll definitely be coming back for more! 🎶🌮🍻

p.s. My plates were loaded high with food when they arrived at the table, but I was enjoying myself too much to remember to take a picture before I dug in. Sorry for not getting a pic when they were initially delivered, but trust me they were loaded.

Don’t let the name fool you. They make a lot of different food, which was all very good. Live band was good. Server was awesome.

Had some of the BEST sushi at Deans South of the Border!!!!. What a one-stop shop.. you can get GREAT Mexican food, a burger, Wings, and now shushi!!! What a wonderful place. John, a manager, was making our shushi, and Shelby, our waitress, were exceptional!!! We were so sad when Hurricane Charlie 's closed. We went there for sushi a lot. So Happy that Dean's who owned Hurricane Charlie's brought the great Shushi to Dean's. We will tell everyone!!!! The only day they don't serve sushi is Tuesday. Come support this great local business. The outdoor atmosphere is on point also.

Hidden Gem - Great service and the food was incredible (this is coming from someone who eats on 5th in Naples and in Miami frequently). I am very picky about food quality and service and I was pleasantly surprised by both. Also, try the bloody Mary’s and the hash brown skillet. It’s a MUST have.

This place was great! The food was just plain delicious!!
My fajitas were served on a sizzling platter and had large, tasty portions of the things to go with them, like sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, etc. The meal portion was very large and very reasonably priced. Our server was very friendly, smiled every time she spoke to us and was very efficient.
I very much Dean's. I'm already thinking about what kind of great food I'm going to order next time 😋🥰

I've only ever been there to see bands so I've always sat outside. The food in the service and the value for your money are outstanding here. The only reason I gave atmosphere three out of five stars is because since it's outside of the balcony they allow smoking and sometimes it swirls around inside the patio and you just cannot get away from it.

The music is great. It was very crowded on the weekends with a nice mix of ages. Very lively atmosphere. 2nd visit came by boat parked by Lashleys and walked over . We sat right away inside. Service was good . Seems to wait a while for service, but the waitress stayed busy perhaps they are understaffed. The food was good. I ordered the country fried steak with the gravey and hashbrowns . Huevos Ranchero he liked it a lot. The prices are very good you get a lot of food for the price. The location is nice, right in the middle of downtown Punta Gorda.

Deans is an AMAZING restaurant/bar that from 9-90, construction workers-CFO's, just off work- ready to go clubbing, I promise you'll enjoy!!! Great food, great staff, fabulous patrons, and on top of it... the prices are reasonable!! MY FAVORITE PLACE 😍

Can't believe I've missed this gem all these years! Greeted with a smile...server was attentive...the food was delicious and the portions were plentiful. The atmosphere was all Florida and should have been along the beach. I've always heard about their nachos and they did not disappoint...amazing! I was also enticed to try the fried ice cream. This was a first for me and I must say...WOW that was delicious! Will definitely be returning.

Highly recommend the breakfast! Homestyle comfort foods, and generous portion sizes. The bar is a lot of fun at night! Live music, and open air seating. Great service from their amazing staff. 5 stars!

Awesome place to come and enjoy delicious food, cold beers, and live music. The staff is always friendly and attentive. We are local and come a few times a month.

Great service our waitress was super nice and good food. We sat outside and had the road noise. Inside would of been quieter but weather was thinking nice.

Service was excellent, friendly and helpful.
I was hoping for better gluten free options as the menus is extensive but had to settle for not being able to enjoy what l wanted. But our server did the best she could and it was appreciated

First time there, we ate outside, lots of fans because it's the hottest summer on record. Menu is like a book, also, menu from their sister restaurant Hurricane Charlie's!🌀we were there too early for the live music 🎶 so we'll be going again! Mexican food was good if you know what to order...great waitress we had, very sexy! And fast!

Good bands. Loud. People crazy dancing & partying. Open air. Just what you want from your local music venue.

Went for lunch with some co workers. Service was really good. Our cups never went empty. Food came out quick. The food was good. Better then average. I had nachos and my co workers had tacos and we all left very satisfied. Not to expensive either.

Some of the best Mex I've had outside of Texas. We ate there two days in a row, the first day we had a chimichanga and enchiladas and the second day I had the coconut shrimp and wife had shrimp fajitas they were all really good. Highly recommend this place with indoor and outdoor dining, live entertainment, broad menu and good food.

This place is a lot of fun and the food is fantastic as well. We sat at a large table with people we didn't know, but we were all buds by the time we left. I got the sizing steak fajitas and my wife the chicken tacos. Very plentiful, we made 3 meals out of it. Also we shared a margarita bucket. Open air style with live 🎶 too.