When Gibby and Bessie Gibbs bought the Island Hotel  in 1946, Bessie concentrated her efforts on the dining room and quickly established the hotel restaurant as the place to come for seafood.  Having very high standards, the seafood, vegetables and other ingredients used in food preparation, had to be fresh.  The seafood was often  just off the boat and the vegetables fresh from the garden.
    As the Hotel was sold to different owners over the years, the restaurant also experienced changes.  When Marcia Rogers bought the Hotel in 1980 she took great interest in the restaurant, hiring Chef Jahn McCumbers, therefore putting the Island Hotel back on the "gastronomic map" as one of the best places in Cedar Key and the surrounding area to eat good fresh seafood. The Island Hotel became a favorite of many from nearby Gainesville.  Jahn McCumbers continued as Chef for the next fourteen years, adding steak, chicken and pork tenderloin to the menu. 

    Dawn Cousins supervised and nurtured the kitchen after Jahn's departure and continued to refine the earlier recipes to create even better tasting specialties.  When Dawn and Tony sold the hotel in January, 2004, Jahn McCumbers returned.  Our Crab Bisque and Heart of Palm Salad are examples of her superb skills in the kitchen.
   You may dine in our "casually elegant" dining room or on our screened porch.  Either way, your dining experience will be relaxing and enjoyable.  While we offer fine dining in our restaurant, we provide a casual, relaxing atmosphere in keeping with the Cedar Key attitude.