The Sandbar Restaurant - Right on the Gulf of Mexico on Anna Maria Island with a view to die for!On the north end of the island, in a picturesque setting looking out on the sparkling Gulf of Mexico water, just steps away in the sand from your table, this is one of the kinds of places you come to Florida for. Our visit to the Sandbar Restaurant was on a hot, bright, Florida sunshine filled Labor Day. The place was packed; both outdoor deck and indoor dining room and bar. Of course, it was crowded but we “snuck in” compared to others with only a 15-20 minute wait at about 1:30 pm. After we were seated the waiting time increased to about an hour.
While we were settling in at our table and cooling down with some iced tea we could see some of the orders being delivered to other tables and it all looked tantalizing. While perusing the lunch menu we found some nice surprises other than the standard “beer & burger” fare. Anna Maria Island Restaurants - My Sandbar Restaurant reviewSome of the lunch entrée descriptions were very tempting. For example there was a “Seafood Mar Vista” comprised of sautéed shrimp, scallops and fresh fish with garlic herb butter, white wine, mushrooms, red and green peppers and artichoke hearts served over linguine! ($14.99) That all sounded terrific. (And I’ll be going back for that!).  My lunch partner had the Sandbar Crab Pasta Salad ($10.99) and was delighted with this old Anna Maria Island favorite. Filled with chunks of crab and white fish then tossed with Sea Shell Pasta and served with fresh fruit, she found it to be pleasing and delicious and plenty for her.   The menu, on our visit, was eclectic enough to offer a “Buffalo Burger” of 97% fat free buffalo grilled the way you like it, as well as escargot on the appetizer menu. Suffice it to say that there were plenty of appealing and creative choices on the Sandbar Restaurant’s lunch menu. The Sandbar Restaurant also has full bar service and all your favorite tropical concoctions from Margaritas to Caribbean Breezes! If you like the thought of lunching or dining right on the beach, where with some tables you can swirl your toes in the sand, this is the place for you. You can watch the boats anchoring off the beach, the guys and girls on the beach and just people-watch in general.   The Sandbar Restaurant on Anna Maria Island is definitely worth the scenic drive from Sarasota and a good choice amongst other Sarasota Restaurants in the region as well as a fun experience.
 Directions: The scenic route: From downtown Sarasota, drive across the Ringling Bridge onto St. Armand’s Key; follow Rt. 789 around St. Armand’s Circle to Longboat Key. Follow Gulf of Mexico Drive north across Longboat Key and across the draw bridge onto Anna Maria Island. Once on Anna Maria Island simply follow Gulf Drive North all the way to Spring Avenue and the Sandbar Restaurant. From downtown Sarasota it’s about an hours’ drive. 100 Spring Avenue - Anna Maria, FL 34216 - (941) 778-0444 Hours: Daily from 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. -- Early Bird Special: Inside Dining Only: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Tip: There’s an additional parking lot off site about a block south on the west side (gulf side) of the street. Tip: Since you’re heading out on a road trip from the Sarasota area allow an extra hour or so to stop and explore the shops in Bradenton Beach on Bridge Street (at the intersection of the roundabout at Gulf Drive South/Rt. 789 and Bridge Street) at the far south end of Anna Maria Island.
Return from the Sandbar Restaurant to Sarasota Restaurants main page.
|
Did I mention it was hot? The Sandbar Restaurant’s outdoor deck has numerous fans strategically placed around the deck, on the ground and from the ceiling, that keeps the breeze flowing. But it was still hot; after all it was normal early September weather in Florida!