Stan’s Idle Hour

Out for a drive with friends, we found this place.
Right on the water so you can come by boat.
Sat outside by the water under a shelter.
They had a man singing and playing the guitar.
First time there on a Saturday looking for a late lunch.
Pretty busy but service was very good.
Fried scallops with French fries — Very good — $ 14.
Conch fritters — Very good — $ 9.
12 Teriyaki wings — Very good — $ 10.
Cheese burger — Large with lettuce & tomato — Excellent — $ 9.
Onion rings — Good — $ 5.
Amber Bock beer — $ 4.
Iced tea — 2.
Soda — $ 2.
A great find but we live a 100 miles away so
it may be a while getting back.

Get ready for some of the most colorful people watching of your life! I’ve never had the anything off of the food menu, but I’m very well versed in the cock tail menu… I love that you can get to Stan’s by boat and there is dock access. Weekends there is music and lots of dancing. Best time to go I would saw is during the Mullet festival. But, it’s always a good time when you go to Stan’s.

Great atmosphere… but the food is OK at best and the drink selection is abysmal
We went here on a recent Sunday in hopes of eating something tastier and more local than we could get on the ‘fancier’ side of Marco Island. The fun atmosphere, good music, and water view seats in the shade were all great.
But the fried shrimp and scallops were both kind of tasteless. The french fries were neither particularly hot nor crisp. We had expectations of getting yummy fish, but despite what you see on their online menu Tilapia was all they had — probably frozen, almost certainly farmed, and always tasteless. Only the softshell crab was worth eating.
As for the draft beer selection, you can get any beer you like — so long as it’s a mass market lager. And any soda you like — so long as it’s sold by Coca-​Cola. And any ice tea or lemonade you like — so long as you don’t want it freshly brewed/​made. We drank water.

You just got to love old Florida. Friendly, comfortable, and on the water. I went to Stans on a weekday so it was quite. Not like the busy Sunday crowd. We had Shrimp and sweet potato fries. It was relaxing and comfortable. A perfect way to spend a afternoon.

Spend your Sunday here. You’ll have a ton of fun. Great food, atmosphere and entertainment.
A locals favorite!

Stan’s Idle Hour. A divey seafood joint out in the middle of nowhere (a.k.a. Goodland, FL). A gorgeous ride on the Harley from Miami Beach across highway 41 to Goodland. About a 2.5 hour drive through Big Cypress and the Miccosukee reservation, you’ll spot all sorts of creatures — manatees, eagles and gators — and some really beautiful scenery. I have never taken this way before so I broke out the Unilocal app to see where a nice biker-​friendly spot would be to rest up before the long 2.5 hour drive back. Stan’s turned out to be a cool place, lots of picnic tables spread out under the sun with a live band (The «Hot Damn» Country Band was playing this past Saturday). The inside is rundown, but who cares. Everyone is outside enjoying the Florida «winter» temps. Let me just say I witnessed quite a few characters at this place. Older folks getting crunk, dancing and doing their thing. A few bikers stopped in, but I hear the day to stop in is Sunday. The have a nice menu full of seafood options, but based on what we ordered, I wasn’t overly impressed. We figured a seafood sampler platter @ $ 22 (the most expensive item on the menu) would cover the best of the best they have to offer. The platter came with fries, sweet fries or onion rings and coleslaw. Service was a bit slow, but they were pretty busy. I only saw two waitresses running around for about 70 people. The food arrived faster than our beer did. The platter consisted of 2 shrimp, 2 scallops, 2 oysters, a small tilapia fillet and a soft-​shelled crab. The shrimp — OK. The scallops — OK. The oysters were borderline gross. The tilapia — mehhhh (Really the only fish you could serve in FL is tilapia? What about Mahi, Grouper or Snapper?) The soft-​shelled crab — OK. The sweet fries were soggy and limp — not crunchy and fresh like they should be. Needless to say, was not impressed with the food, but the beer was cold and the music and ambiance could not be beat. Stan’s was cool, but I would not go out of my way to go back. PS — check out Gator’s Crossroads at the intersection of San Marco Road and RT. 41. Very cool biker spot on Saturdays. Cash only.

There is a fun atmosphere here. There was a band with dancing. We did not have dinner just a few appetizers and cold beer. A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

We’ve been to Stans twice now, once on a regular Sunday and once for the Mullet Festival. I was a little scared the Mullet festival would be super crowded and not enjoyable for my retired parents, but it turns out there were more people their age there than mine. We experienced one grouchy employee who was frustrated with the crowd, but overall there were plenty of staff members working hard to keep everyone happy. The food was decent and came out fairly timely considering it’s their busiest weekend of the year. The band was pretty good and the Buzzard Queen crowning is not to be missed, although I don’t think I’ll ever get the Buzzard Lope song out of my head. It’s a dive bar, so set your expectations accordingly and you’ll have a great time!

The most horrible meal I’ve had in years. I ordered a «fresh» grouper sandwich, and was told it would be about 6 oz. I’d be surprised if it was 3 oz. It was very cold and very salty. The onion rings were very cold and very greasy. Really awful. I told the waitress to mention this to the cook and/​or owner. Never got any acknowledgement. They just don’t care. And, it cost $ 17 plus tax. Really bad all around!

I have lived on Marco for 8 years now. My thoughts on Stans was a really fun place go on a Sunday afternoon, especially for the mullet festival. It wasn’t til recent that my husband and I have been going to Stans for their food. We have been there for lunch and dinners. It is now our favorite place to go for food. They have some of the best wings I have ever tasted. I am not sure what people are talking about all fried food. I have had several grilled fishes especially the blackened tuna was exceptional. The prices are very reasonable and all dinners come with a salad. Go to Stans for his food you won’t be disappointed

Cold American beer and good Sunday music make Stan’s a must-​visit for any Marco tourist.
Food? I’d rather just inject the fryer oil directly into my veins, thanks all the same.

Well, I was disappointed at first especially with the menu. It wasn’t like anything on there site or Unilocal.Mostly fried foods. Syd wanted grilled fish but server said they only have talapia on Synday. I was like what, its a coastal area, island and you only serve a dreshwater fish on Sunday. She explained there menu is limited on Sunday. There only open from Wednesday through Sunday. I had some fried soft shell crabs. They were small but good. They had a babd there playong live country music which made my experience better. There was a little shack on the side that was grilling burgers and dogs. The burger was great. Black angus ½lb burger, came with 2 slices of cheese. They had fresh cut onions, tomatoes, pickles and romain lettuce. Locals flock to this place every Sunday. People are nice and friendly. A couple from Ontario asked if they could sit with us. We said yes. Made acquaintences and we had a few drinks. We were there about 3 hours. Its dog friendly as well. We will go back.

Stan’s is a local, colorful tradition and should not be missed. Each Sunday, live music begins in the afternoon. Fresh seafood is here, and when you’re really lucky, the grill is fired up to serve hamburgers the size of a small child’s head.
I had blackened shrimp in a basket. Cole slaw was sweet and delicious. Shrimp was fresh, plump and disappeared.
Everyone’s in a great mood. People come from all over to sit at picnic tables or under an awning, or as Stan’s son says, «Upstairs. In the cheap seats.» Local motorcycle clubs regard Stan’s as a worthy destination, so the line of gorgeous hardware on the lawn is a show in itself.
Stan died in June 2012, but by November 2012, the town fathers named the nearby bridge over Goodland waters after him. In another gesture of homage, 2015 will be the 2^nd annual Stan Look Alike contest, which rivals the Hemingway contest in Key West.
And of course, each January, there is the annual Mullet Festival, where in addition to good food slung by the kitchen, there will be dead mullet tossing by the patrons. The Buzzard Queen will also be named for the year at that time. She’s the most entertaining person doing a sort to drunk chicken dance. It’s all good fun. The ramp up to the event happens each Sunday when women are invited onstage to practice their best buzzard dance.
Another Stan tradition is the performance of the Yankee Doillar song. This is friggin’ brilliant. Stan wrote a funny song about it, and while it’s performed, the audience is invited to write where they came from on a dollar bill and then come in front of the stage. Each week, people do that, line up, and hand over their dollar so the singer can announce where they are from. Ohio! Minnesota! «Take my dollar.» Pay for a Shout out, Yankee.

Fun, fun, fun! If you’re near Marco and looking for a lively outdoor party on a Sunday afternoon go to Stans. Live music, great service, and people of all ages dancing and enjoying themselves. I haven’t eaten here so I can’t comment on food, I’ve heard Saturday’s are not busy or near as lively but haven’t been on a Saturday so can’t say for sure. Super casual atmosphere.

The bartender, Gary was AWESOME. Very attentive & personable. He also pours a damn good drink. Everyone I was with loved him (and loved to give him money). I came during the beginning of their «off season» but still had a good time. There was a band from Maine performing & danced to a few songs while everyone around me sat in their seats. I’m going to go ahead and assume that when it is busier, there’s a jammin’ dance crew!
Definitely a party place with its regular customers. They don’t do shots but have signature drinks. Although the crowd in mid May consisted of older generations than I, I still found some dancers!

Great spot for the hungover. In need of a Bloody Mary and a dozen oysters. Both were great. The outdoor bar had all the things I was looking for. Good service, cold beer, great bloody buddy, and that perfect funky ambiance. Winning. Oysters were great for the price. Check it out when you need a break from the standard Marco experience.

If you make it to Marco Island then you deserve to idle away some time at Stan’s …
nice waterfront dive bar with good food and good atmosphere… if you’re lucky you’ll show up in time to hear Billy Bridges playing covers and «dressing the part» … and if Billy is playing odd are Wilson the jack terrier is likely to be at the bar too.
Remember folks this is a fun dive bar, and they may not feel compelled to roll out the red carpet for every tourist who wanders into Goodland.

Just walked in to Stans and got the worst greeting! Other clients had a real attitude — very bad vibe for a Thursday after noon — oh well off to another place who appreciates my business!

I’ve been going to Stan’s for years and it’s always a good time. The atmosphere is great — especially on a Sunday — and the Buzzard Punches will make you feel great! I highly recommend checking out this semi-​famous place just outside of the Everglades.

Super stimmung, vorallem am sonntag

#400
Each Sunday is the start of our version of Mardi gras Heralded as a beginning of the end. The tiny drinking village with a fishing problem, who’s population quadruples up over the weekend A down to earth celebration of sunning, people watching, eating, heavy drinking, stumbling, joking, laughing, listening to live music. People fitting In by showing off their individuality. Stan Gober is the owner who kicks off the season during the Mullet festival at the end of January. Buzzard lope queens competes for the annual honor. By costume and dance. Think of it as if fans of Jimmy Buffet. But mixed with fans from many of the northern states and Canada too. Parking is limited and after 11:00am people start parking on the side of the road. Close parking cost $ 10. And goes toward increasing the IQ of the children of Goodland. Warning Domestic bottles have come up an extra dollar this season. $ 4 But nobody seems to care because Marco island is called Mark Up island. I’ll be back next weekend as the mardi gras boat parade is this next Saturday 19^th @2:00pm Wait staff friendly attentive. Food was average burgers fresh off the grill. Mozzarella sticks marinara sauce seemed salty served up hot, good sized portions. People usually wear island wear Tropical print Hawaiian shirts, T-​shirts, bikinis, flip-​flops, and silly hats are the norm.

Stan’s MUSS man einfach erlebt haben wenn man in der Nähe ist, am besten an einem Sonntag wenn sich alle Biker, umliegenden Trailer-​Bewohner, Freaks und sonst alle, die unter freiem Himmel jede Menge Spaß haben möchten. Stan’s, was normalerweise ein Restaurant und Bar ist, verwandelt sich in die reinste Party.
Es herrscht eine Atmosphäre, die einfach unbeschreiblich ist. Jeder ist nett, lacht, tanzt und feiert. Es wird gegrillt und jede Menge Bier und Cocktails ausgeschenkt. Dazu gibt’s Live-​Musik von einer lustigen Band und alle sind glücklich.
Stan’s befinet sich in Goodland (Nähe Marco Island und Naples) an einem kleinen Anleger mit ausnahmsweise mal nicht millionenschweren Yachten, sondern soliden Fischerbooten. Goodland ist eine kleine alternative Gemeinde, von denen die meisten Anwohner in Trailern leben. Auch einen kurzen Spaziergang um Stan’s herum sollte man unbedingt machen.
Einfach erstmal ein Bierchen bestellen, sich irgendwo hinsetzen und das ganze verrückte Treiben beobachten und genießen bevor man sich ebenfalls unter’s Volk mischt, denn lange hält man es auf seinem Stuhl nicht aus