Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com
If you are visiting Anna Maria Island, don’t miss these restaurants:
The Sun House Restaurant
The Sun House Restaurant is in Bradenton Beach on Historic Bridge Street at the roundabout, right across the street from the Gulf of Mexico. I enjoyed eating dinner here one evening and was completely taken by surprise at the high quality of the food and the very reasonable prices. I’m really tough on beach restaurants. They can’t just sling fried fish and beer at me and think I’m going to like it. Fortunately Executive Chef Darrell Mizell is very creative and offers something interesting on the menu for every taste. The Sun House exceeded my expectations on all counts. If you want to impress friends, a spouse, or a date without breaking the bank, the Sun House is the place to go. It’s also a great place for small wedding receptions. Get married on the beach and walk across the street to the Sun House for your reception.
I started out with their Caribbean chips and Pineapple Fire Salsa, then devoured a scrumptious order of Banana Leaf Pork. Floribbean Cuisine they call it. At sunset (visible through the windows overlooking the Gulf) diners receive complimentary ceremonial “green flash shooter” drink (non-alcoholic) as the whole restaurant sings “You Are My Sunshine.” Where else you gonna get that?
The Sun House Restaurant on Gulf Drive and Historic Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach (Anna Maria Island).
Gulf Drive Cafe
The Gulf Drive Cafe sits right on the beach overlooking a top snorkeling spot: the 247 foot Regina, a molasses barge that sunk in a storm in 1940 and is now an Underwater Archeological Preserve resting in about 20 feet of water.
Gulf Drive Cafe. I didn't even have to get up from my chair to snap this photo of the Gulf.
I stopped in for breakfast and chose to eat out back in the open air overlooking the placid Gulf of Mexico. I enjoyed French toast with cinnamon and nutmeg while watching the snorkelers paddling around the wreck. It’s a casual atmosphere and there are items on the menu for every budget. Gulf Drive Cafe has long had a reputation for excellent food. I’ll have to come back soon for dinner and a sunset.
Enjoying a casual open-air breakfast at the Gulf Drive Cafe. You can eat inside in the air-conditioning if you prefer.
The Sandbar Restaurant
The Sandbar Restaurant is another island landmark. You can dine with your toes in the beach sand if you choose. And if you want to have a beach wedding, even a large one, the Sandbar has you covered with their beach wedding pavilion. It seems like they have a wedding just about every weekend.
I’ve eaten at the Sandbar many times over the years. I almost always eat outside as close to the beach as possible, and I usually go for a grouper sandwich.
This location has a tradition as a gathering place as far back as the early 1900’s, before there was a bridge to the island. The restaurant itself was born in the 1940’s. It’s a very popular place, so if you want a seat in the indoor dining area, I suggest making a reservation.
The Sandbar Restaurant in the old days. Photo courtesy of Caryn Hodge at the Sandbar Restaurant.
Local musicians offer live entertainment most nights at the Sandbar, and sunset is a favored time for gathering with friends at this island institution. Take a walk on the beach after dinner. Photo courtesy of Caryn Hodge at the Sandbar Restaurant.
The Sandbar Restaurant was purchased in 1979 by Ed Chiles, who is the son of the late Florida Governor Lawton Chiles. It is part of a group of popular local restaurants Chiles owns: The Mar Vista on nearby Longboat Key, and the BeachHouse and Sandbar Restaurants on Anna Maria Island.
Ginny & Jane E’s at the Old IGA
Ginny & Jane E's at the corner of Gulf Drive and Magnolia on Anna Maria Island.
When I was growing up this was an IGA grocery store. Now it is Ginny & Jane E’s at the Old IGA, a unique spot that offers a cafe and bakery, antiques and cool home furnishings, a florist, and internet access (good to know). I stopped in one morning for a quick breakfast and found it a wonderful change from the usual restaurant breakfast scene. There are bookshelves filled with interesting reading. Have a seat in a comfy chair and read or chat with friends while you sip your coffee. Wander around and discover. It’s a great place to relax.
Ginny and Jane E's has a great menu. I'm told their creme brulee French toast is a must-try.
Ginny & Jane E's at the Old IGA is a lot more fun than the IHOP. Guaranteed.
Mattison’s Riverside
Mattison's in downtown Bradenton on the Manatee River.
O.K., this one’s not on the island. It’s on the Manatee River in downtown Bradenton at the municipal pier, just west of the Green Bridge on the Manatee Riverwalk. During my 42 years of living in Bradenton other restaurants have come and gone in this location, which sports a marina and a great view of the Manatee River. Many times I fished off of this pier as a youngster and dreamed of sailing the oceans as I watched the big sailboats bobbing at the marina.
Not long ago I stopped here for lunch after a sweltering morning nature walk at Emerson Point with Karen Fraley of Around The Bend Nature Tours. The air conditioning in Mattison’s was most welcome. Mattison’s is popular with the downtown business community for lunch and attracts diners from all over Bradenton. Dining on the water at night is a Florida tradition.
I don’t pretend to be a restaurant critic, so if you’d like to really learn what makes Mattison’s a successful part of downtown Bradenton’s Manatee Riverwalk you’ll want to read an article by Ralph David Romberg that appeared in Style Magazine: Mattison’s Magic Kingdom.
Casually elegant dining on white linen with a view of the river at Mattison's. I arrived after the lunch crowd left so we had the whole place practically to ourselves.
Chicken salad sandwich on a croissant along with a fresh salad hit the spot on a hot summer day.
I’ve covered some of the better waterfront and island restaurants here, but there are plenty more to write about later. You can’t go wrong with any of these.
If you’d like to read more about Anna Maria Island and its restaurants there is a great article in USA Today that will give you a nice feel for the island.
One last thing I’d like to say about island restaurants is that if you visit during the high season–January through mid-April–expect to wait longer for service and for your food, expect some difficulty in finding parking, and expect a noisier atmosphere inside the restaurant. That’s just the way it is. Relax and enjoy being on the island.
FTC Disclosure of Material Connections: I recently visited these restaurants as part of a trip sponsored by the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. In some cases I dined as a guest of the restaurant. All views expressed by me are my honest opinion as a result of my actual experience on this trip and from previous experiences at the restaurants during my many years as a native Bradenton resident.
