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Ahead of National Hamburger Day on May 28, it's time for my annual list of the best restaurants for burgers in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Over the past year, I've indulged in burgers at local establishments approximately twice a week in order to compile this 2023 edition of the list. It features many of the most popular restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee, along with hidden gems. From upscale dining destinations to casual bait shops, this selection encompasses a wide range of places, offering gourmet burgers priced at nearly $30 as well as affordable diner-style gems under $7.
Yes, these burger joints offer a diverse range of experiences and price points, providing something for every burger enthusiast. While I've included a beloved chain originating from Fort Myers, national chains were skipped for the list. The featured restaurants — located in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Palmetto, Lakewood Ranch, University Town Center, Siesta Key, and Anna Maria Island — are presented in alphabetical order. Please note that menu prices are subject to change, and some burgers come with sides, including hand-cut fries and chips that were totally worth mentioning.
Prepare yourself for an epic journey through the burger scene of Sarasota and Manatee that now includes 42 restaurants.
Two days after enjoying dinner at one of the best restaurants in downtown Sarasota, celebrity chef Bobby Flay ate at a popular local food truck hired to cater a birthday party.
Chef Jarek Rosaire Dymek, owner of Clean Plate Club SRQ food truck, received a call about catering a birthday party near his home in Sarasota. Everything sounded ordinary until the client mentioned that the guest list included celebrity chef Flay. "Okay, no pressure," Dymek recalled with a chuckle when reached by phone Thursday, July 6.
Clean Plate Club specializes in elevated paninis and pressed wraps, which is what he began serving outside from his food truck during the birthday party Sunday while Flay whipped up some appetizers in the house. Eventually, though, Dymek spotted the Food Network star in line with other guests outside his food truck.
Dymek did more than just meet Flay; he cooked for the "Iron Chef." Flay ordered Dymek's signature sandwich, The Neon Cowboy ($15). It features tender, braised beef with chimichurri, pickled red onions, and shredded mozzarella on rustic panini bread. Dymek then presses the sandwich with olive oil, creating a crunchy exterior and a warm interior with melted cheese.
"He grabbed it and went to the table, started eating with his girlfriend and her family," Dymek said. "But I made sure to keep an eye on him as he took few bites, to see his reaction. Well, he finished the whole thing. He came up afterward and said, 'Everything was absolutely delicious, really good stuff,' and just generally gave me a thumbs up."
Dymek recommends ordering The Neon Cowboy along with his Chili Lime Cucumbers ($4), which are seedless English cucumbers, freshly sliced and tossed in chili lime seasoning. He also noted that another popular sandwich is his Cali Chicken Panini ($12). It features chicken thighs, guacamole, bacon, mozzarella, and chipotle sauce on rustic panini bread. You can also order it as a pressed wrap, which consists of a 12-inch white flour tortilla rolled up like a burrito and pressed.
Clean Plate Club SRQ will be at Big Top Brewers Collective (2507 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch) along with the band Rye Road today (July 7) from 5 to 9 p.m. The food truck will then be at Curaleaf Dispensary (1435 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday (July 8) and then at Sun King Brewery (1215 Mango Ave., Sarasota) later the same day from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information on Clean Plate Club SRQ, visit: facebook.com/ChefJarek.
A new Mexican restaurant is coming to Gulf Gate in mid-August. The restaurant, called Kolucan, is the brainchild of Reyna’s Taqueria owner Gino Calleja and Jose Rojas, his business partner in this new venture.
When Calleja came across the new restaurant space, which was formerly home to Opus Restaurant and Lounge, he knew it was time to reach out to Rojas to follow their dreams of opening a space together.
Thus Kolucan was born.
The restaurant’s name is an alternative spelling of Calleja’s hometown, San Lucas Colucan in Mexico.
“We want to show all types of Mexican cuisine, like traditional items, popular items and even street food,” Rojas says. “There are different techniques for all of these types of dishes and we want to serve them all here, but in an elevated way.”
The restaurant will have 170 seats across two restaurant spaces separated by a shared kitchen. One space is a smaller bar and lounge; the other is a larger dining room. The partners are still determining if there will be a different menus for each space and are toying with the idea of serving lighter bites in the lounge as they continue to conceptualize the menu. However, both sides will feature a full liquor bar and plenty of margaritas.
The new spot will initially open only for dinner, but the pair have plans for lunch and weekend brunch in the future.
Kolucan will be located at 6644 Gateway Ave., Sarasota.
"Growing up in New York you get spoiled when it comes to great food. Fabulous Chinese food, the best pizza, awesome bagels, and some of the best Italian Deli’s in the world! Right here on the Florida Suncoast in Sarasota, Florida we have a fabulous Italian Deli and Market, Piccolo! I have been a fan of Piccolo for years. They have the best Italian sandwiches, great pizza, and wonderful hot dishes. Piccolo is a gem in our town. I had the opportunity to interview the new owner, Serge Khazen! He had some very interesting comments. Enjoy the interview!"
Rise & Nye’s is a coffee and ice cream shop that offers much more than freshly made ice cream, coffee and sandwiches.
“People come in, Kelley runs around and gives you a hug,” said co-founder Beaver Shriver. “She remembers your name and what drink you got, just to know that it’s a place for everybody.”
The shop in downtown Sarasota employs more than 35 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Kelley, who has been making customers her famous iced lattes for two years.
Kelley is always looking forward to putting on her apron.
“Every day is good,” said Kelley.
The shop has also implemented a buddy system, which brings in local high school volunteers like Pine View student Brooke Wolfinger.
“Everybody has their talents and abilities, and even if you have one disability you have so many more abilities that you can do a normal job. There shouldn’t be discrimination in the workforce,” said Wolfinger.
Rise & Nye’s recently won the Community Impact Award at the Sarasota Chamber Small Business Awards. The business hopes to inspire other employers to follow their blueprint as Shriver has hundreds of people with disabilities on his job waitlist.
Rise & Nye's is located at 1534 State Street in Sarasota. For more information about Rise & Nye's visit their web site:
Two Sarasota area restaurants named among Top 100 in U.S. for outdoor dining by OpenTable
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Two Sarasota County restaurants were named among the best outdoor dining experiences in the U.S. by a national website that's showcased our area multiple times in the past.
Dry Dock Waterfront Grill on Longboat Key and The Rosemary & Thyme in Sarasota were both included in online restaurant reservation and review service OpenTable's 100 Most Popular Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in America: 2023 Edition list. OpenTable has included both restaurants in previous lists, with Dry Dock Waterfront Grill also making last year's outdoor dining list along with being named one of the 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America, while The Rosemary & Thyme was named one of the 100 Best Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in America for 2021.
Overlooking Sarasota Bay, Dry Dock offers covered open-air seating as well as umbrella tables that place customers right on the water, where they might glimpse pelicans and dolphins. Dry Dock belongs to the same locally owned Gecko's Hospitality Group that also operates fellow seafood restaurants Dockside Waterfront Grill in Venice and Tripletail Seafood & Spirits in Sarasota, as well as its namesake Gecko's Grill & Pub with multiple locations.
The Rosemary & Thyme, meanwhile, is located in Sarasota's Rosemary District neighborhood and is open for dinner hours and Sunday brunch, with its nearby sister restaurant The Rosemary currently closed for the summer season. The Rosemary & Thyme expanded its patio seating amid the pandemic, taking over the outdoor space of the then-temporarily-closed Angelino Sarasota, which has since closed permanently, with 481 Gourmet now in the space.
Along with Dry Dock and The Rosemary & Thyme, other Sarasota area restaurants that've been recently highlighted by OpenTable include Connors Steak & Seafood, which opened in 2017 in the mall now known as Crossings at Siesta Key and is one of six currently operating locations, according to its website. The Connors in Sarasota was also named one of OpenTable's 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America for 2022, as well as one of the 100 Most Popular Brunch Spots in America earlier this year.
"Before Wade Tatangelo joined the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and became Florida regional dining and entertainment editor for the publication's USA Today Network, he grew up eating Italian food at his family's restaurant, Lucy's Cafe, in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
"But then my family moved to Tampa when I was 12," he said, "and I fell in love with local seafood and Cuban cuisine, so my last meal would have to include my favorite Florida foods along with my family’s most famous dish."
Here's Tatangelo's perfect last meal in his own words:"
"While I struggle with the summer heat like everyone else, this is still my favorite time of the year for visiting destinations like the Sarasota-Manatee gem, Anna Maria Island, with its abundance of charming restaurants. Now that the snowbirds and tourists have mostly left the region, it's an especially good time for visiting the island's popular waterfront restaurants.
In this collection of mini-reviews, I focus on the very best for enjoying seafood, as even the most impressive view can't salvage a meal consisting of poorly prepared frozen fish of suspect origin — unless, of course, the restaurant is visited by a pod of playful dolphins. A smiling dolphin can make even the most woeful meal a joyous occasion.
But there's no guarantee of dolphins, so here are my picks for the six best waterfront restaurants for fresh, locally sourced seafood on Anna Maria Island. Presented in alphabetical order, the reviews are based on my recent visits, mostly taking place in June."
Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach and The SandBar Restaurant in Anna Maria have been named two of the 15 best beachfront restaurants in Florida by Trips to Discover.
"Here are some of the best restaurants in Florida where you can dine on delicious eats while taking in beautiful beachfront views," says Trips To Discover, a digital travel publication.
"Boasting a family atmosphere and toes-in-the-sand setting, The SandBar Restaurant in Anna Maria Island is a top pick for a beachfront meal in Florida," Trips to Discover said.
Both The Sandbar Restaurant, 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria, and Beach House Waterfront Restaurant, 200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach, are owned by Chiles Hospitality.
"The ideal mix of casual and stylish, Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach is the perfect spot to relax with friends and family. The show-stopping sunsets are the icing on the cake, along with the restaurant's climate-controlled deck overlooking the ocean," Trips to Discover said.
Jul. 11—ANNA MARIA — Bortell's Lounge, a longtime favorite of celebrities and locals alike, has gone on the market for $7.2 million.
Steve Rose bought Bortell's, 10002 Gulf Drive, in 2016 and then closed it in 2018 for remodeling, posting a "gone fishing" sign.
After three years of reconstruction, the sign was updated to "almost done fishing" in 2021.
During the rebuilding of Bortell's, Rose and his wife, Marci Wilhelm, were in a 2019 plane crash in Greenville, S.C., that nearly claimed their lives. They were passengers in a Dassault Falcon 50 jet, that slid off the runway, killing the pilot and co-pilot.
Bortell's reopened in 2021, the second year of the pandemic, initially with limited hours.
During the remodeling, it had been reduced to a shell, and then rebuilt with a kitchen, new look and made flood-proof, said listing agent Richard Bucko of Machado Property Pros of Sarasota.
Bortell's Lounge first opened in 1977. The 2,850-square-foot building was previously home to a VFW post and Sundries Drug Store.
"Many stories of local celebrities such as Greg Allman and other band members, as well as many sports stars, have called Bortell's home while living and visiting Anna Maria Island," the online listing website says.
"What makes Bortell's legendary is not all the famous celebrities, but it's the long history with the locals and vacationers that have created lifelong memories and friendships over the past 46 years," the website says.
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