Palm fronds, a thatched roof and a poolside seat set the tone at Harold’s Place, the outdoor bar and grill at Naples’ Gulf Coast Inn. It is not a big, street-facing restaurant demanding attention from Tamiami Trail. Instead, it sits within the inn at 2555 Tamiami Trail North, offering a pleasantly off-the-main-drag stop for a cold drink, a burger and an unhurried meal outdoors.
The setting has the easy, mildly vacationish mood many people hope to find on a Florida afternoon. Lunch can be a simple sandwich and a seat beneath the tiki roof; dinner can stretch into drinks and conversation. The bar has room for solo diners, couples and groups, without requiring the occasion to be any more complicated than that.
A seat by the pool or at the bar
The outdoor patio is the natural place to settle in when the weather cooperates. With the palms nearby and the poolside setting in view, it offers a more relaxed counterpoint to a conventional indoor sports bar.
There is also seating in the bar area and at the counter. The interior can become more animated when games are on or entertainment is underway, so the choice of seat can shape the whole visit. On a busier day, the outdoor area can be a useful escape hatch for a quieter meal and a little more breathing room.
Burgers have a following here
Harold’s Place has built much of its casual-food reputation around burgers. The regular burgers are a dependable place to start, and the Southwestern burger adds a more distinctive variation for diners who want something beyond the basic pub-grill order.
This is straightforward bar-and-grill food, served in a setting where it makes sense to order a drink, stay awhile and perhaps add another round. Prices have generally been considered reasonable, which helps when a quick lunch turns into a longer poolside pause.
Seafood without the white-tablecloth routine
Seafood sandwiches and baskets bring a Gulf Coast note to the menu without changing the laid-back format. Blackened grouper is a notable sandwich choice, while grilled chicken and other seafood sandwiches broaden the options for a table with different appetites.
Coconut shrimp and fried shrimp are among the familiar favorites associated with the kitchen. The fried shrimp basket has been especially noted for its crisp, flavorful shrimp, the sort of uncomplicated order that suits an icy drink and a late-afternoon seat outdoors.
Fish dip and jumbo chicken wings make easy additions for a group, especially when the table is more interested in grazing than committing to a full entrée. A corned beef and cabbage special has also appeared for St. Patrick’s Day. Menu selections can change, so the current list is worth checking for particular dishes.
Rum punch, rum runners and a lingering lunch
The drink side of Harold’s Place is built for the surroundings. Rum runners and rum punch fit naturally under a tiki roof, and the rum punch has been served with a floater for an extra little flourish.
Happy-hour drink specials have also been part of the routine. That makes the place well suited to the loose middle ground between a meal and an evening out: order food, have a tropical drink, and see where the afternoon goes.
Game days and livelier weekends
Harold’s Place can shift gears quickly. During the day it may work as a calm lunch stop, but football Sundays and other game days bring a sports-viewing crowd to the bar. It is a natural gathering place for people who would rather watch a game with a sandwich and a drink than make a production out of the outing.
The schedule has also included a poolside DJ on Saturdays and karaoke on Sundays. Those events give the place a more social, more energetic side, particularly around the interior bar. Entertainment programming can change, so it is wise to check the current schedule if a DJ set or karaoke night is the reason for the visit.
A practical stop on Tamiami Trail
Because Harold’s Place is within the Gulf Coast Inn, it can be easy to miss if you are expecting a freestanding restaurant at the curb. Once inside the property, though, the poolside location is a welcome change from the traffic and commercial bustle of Tamiami Trail.
Free parking is available in the hotel lot, with ample spaces reported. Between the patio, bar seating and counter seats, the setup is flexible enough for a quick burger, a seafood-sandwich lunch, a football gathering or an evening that happens to land on karaoke night.