A Naples BBQ Legend Since 1979 Is Opening a Third Location — And This One Is in North Naples

There are restaurants in Naples that come and go with the seasons. And then there is MichelBob's.

Co-owners Marsha Gibbs and Bob Mattson have been running Michelbob's Championship Ribs & Steaks since 1979, serving more than ten million pounds of ribs out of their Airport-Pulling Road location over the past four-plus decades. The numbers behind this restaurant are genuinely remarkable: more than 100 national awards for best ribs and best BBQ sauce, a World Sauce Championship win, and a "Best Restaurant in Southwest Florida" designation that locals have been citing for years.

The baby back ribs are imported from Denmark. The pulled pork, sausage, and chicken are all smoked daily. The homemade onion rings, coleslaw, and baked beans have won their own share of awards. The Coca-Cola memorabilia, Masters golf memorabilia, and Canadian freshwater fishing antiques that decorate the dining room have been drawing compliments since before some of their current regulars were born.

Michelbob's is opening a new 80-seat location at 14700 Tamiami Trail North in North Naples — its third location, expanding beyond the original East Naples restaurant on Airport-Pulling Road and the Marco Island takeout spot.

The North Naples address is strategically positioned to serve both the North Naples and Bonita Springs markets, two areas that have been growing rapidly and where Michelbob's regulars have been driving from for years.

The new location follows the same full-service model as the original, dine-in, outdoor dining, and takeout, bringing the full Michelbob's experience to the northernmost part of Collier County for the first time.

Naples has been adding new restaurants at a remarkable pace this year: Eddie V's, La Salière, Adoré, Papa Joe's, Claypot Turkish, and Tiny Kitchen. Most of those are new concepts, new chefs, and new ideas.

Michelbob's expansion is something different. This is a 47-year-old Naples institution that has earned its reputation one rack of ribs at a time and is still growing. The fact that a family-owned restaurant started in 1979 is opening a third location in 2026 says something about the staying power of doing one thing exceptionally well for a very long time.

For North Naples and Bonita Springs residents who have been making the drive to Airport-Pulling Road for their MichelBob's fix, that drive is about to get a lot shorter.

Michelbob's Championship Ribs & Steaks — North Naples14700 Tamiami Trail North, Naples

michelbobs.com | 239-643-7427

Information sourced from Gulf Shore Business, Naples Press, and Michelbob's official website.