10 best iconic restaurants in Sarasota area for delicious food, drinks in a fun setting!

There are restaurants I recommend when asked, "Where should I eat in Sarasota and Bradenton?" I also have dining guides for more specific questions, such as "What's the best waterfront restaurant?" Now that tourist season is behind us and the summer heat hasn't hit yet, allow me to unveil my latest list, which focuses on iconic restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee counties that you'll definitely want to visit right now.

These establishments are rich with decades of history and serve outstanding food in exciting locations. They are the kind of places that new residents really need to experience before they can truly call themselves locals, and spots that we locals might overlook in our eagerness to try all the new restaurants. Presented in alphabetical order, here are the 10 best iconic restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton to enjoy quality food and drinks in settings that are fascinating and fun!

What's the best waterfront restaurant? 10 favorites I love to recommend in Sarasota and Bradenton

Top 10 restaurants I recommend when asked 'Where should I eat in Sarasota and Bradenton?'

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Columbia Restaurant

411 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota; 941-388-3987; columbiarestaurant.com

Open since 1959, Columbia is Sarasota's oldest full-service restaurant, located in the renowned shopping and dining district of St. Armands Circle. Specializing in Spanish-Cuban cuisine, the restaurant offers a beautiful setting with open-air indoor tables, and sidewalk seating ideal for people-watching.

Columbia is nationally acclaimed for its Cuban sandwich and Original "1905" Salad, both considered essential dishes in Florida cuisine. Additionally, their tapas classics include the Ybor City Devil Crab Croquettes, Croquetas de Pollo, and one of my all-time personal favorites, the Scallops "Casimiro."

Sarasota restaurant voted Florida's best Cuban sandwich by Southern Living readers

Harry's

5600 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-383-0777; harryskitchen.com

Opened in 1979 by Harry and Lynn Christensen as a destination for takeout dinners, Harry's celebrated its 45th anniversary earlier this year. Spanning two blocks on the Manatee County side of Longboat Key, Harry's features a fine-dining restaurant alongside a gourmet deli, bakery, catering operation, and corner store. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving continental cuisine with a focus on locally sourced fish.

For lunch, I highly recommend their grouper sandwich topped with remoulade, paired with their sublime corn salad. For dinner, consider trying the baked grouper prepared "Matecumbe style." Another classic entree at Harry's is the family's signature crab cakes, served with rémoulade sauce. The restaurant offers cozy and elegant indoor tables, as well as charmingly tropical al fresco seating.

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The Main Bar Sandwich Shop

1944 Main St., Sarasota; 941-955-8733; themainbar.com

Established in 1958 by a couple of former circus stars, Main Bar Sandwich Shop in downtown Sarasota offers a nostalgic ambiance with plenty of black-and-white photographs from that era still adorning its wood-paneled walls. What's even more intriguing than the historic setting, though, is the food, featuring a menu with over 50 sandwiches. I've dedicated much of the past two decades to trying every single one of them.

Begin your sandwich adventure with Our Famous Italian. This classic creation features salami, ham, and provolone cheese topped with thinly sliced tomatoes, chopped peppers, onions, and a delightful blend of oil, garlic, and spices on a toasted bun that perfectly complements the ingredients without overpowering them.

Next, treat yourself to the Mayan, which consists of thinly sliced smoked turkey breast and provolone cheese served on a toasted Kaiser roll with crisp lettuce, tomato, and onion. The standout element of this sandwich is the jalapeno dressing: creamy with a satisfying kick that enhances everything it touches. Yeah, I often order an extra side for dipping.

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Marina Jack

2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota; 941-365-4232; marinajacks.com

This downtown Sarasota destination, with more than a half-century of history, includes a nationally acclaimed marina, sunset dinner cruises, and three restaurants, including my favorite, the Blue Sunshine Patio. It offers a large bar and plenty of covered open-air seating, ideal for enjoying live music by local favorite Bain Beakley.

The best things to eat at Marina Jack's patio include the Grouper Reuben and Double Angus Cheeseburger, paired with a cold beer or tropical cocktail. Of course, no visit to Marina Jack is complete without a stroll along the Bayfront for a beverage or two at sister business O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill.

10 best waterfront restaurants I love to recommend in Sarasota and Bradenton

Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant

760 Broadway St., Longboat Key; 941-383-2391; marvistadining.com

Boasting more than 100 years of history, Mar Vista offers guests a one-of-a-kind waterfront dining experience, especially when seated at the wrought-iron tables under the buttonwood trees overlooking Sarasota Bay.

To complement the Old Florida setting and rich history, Mar Vista serves delectable Southern cuisine, including the Lemon & Herb grouper entrée featuring a fresh filet of Gulf fish covered in a superior beurre blanc sauce, served with smartly seasoned rice and delectable sausage made from Florida wild boar via Shogun Farms in Seffner.

Local resident Ed Chiles, son of former Gov. Lawton Chiles, owns Mar Vista along with nearby Anna Maria Island restaurants Sandbar, and Beach House, which is home to my favorite beach bar in the region for food, drinks, and waterfront views.

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New Pass Grill & Bait Shop

1505 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota; 941)-388-1618; newpassgrill.com

Tucked away on a prime spot of waterfront property at the south end of New Pass Bridge on Sarasota's City Island, New Pass Grill & Bait Shop dates back nearly a century. Since the 1950s, New Pass has been famous for its burgers, and that's still what you'll want to order at this casual eatery that operates much like a concession stand with orders placed at the window.

The classic cheeseburger is a fine choice, or you can splurge on the New Pass Famous Angus Burger. Both burgers come in a delightfully hearty bun with a side of fries, and really, it's hard to beat a burger and beer at New Pass while watching the boats, pelicans, and the occasional dolphin.

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Pier 22

1200 First Ave. W., Bradenton; 941-748-8087; pier22.com

Downtown Bradenton's oldest and most famous restaurant, Pier 22 places guests right on the Manatee River with indoor seating and offers a more casual dining experience on the covered patio, where you can enjoy a front-row seat to spectacular Gulf of Mexico sunsets, pelicans, and perhaps even some frolicking dolphins. Highlights from the extensive lunch and dinner menu include the burger, fried chicken sandwich, steaks, and the popular prime rib dinner served Fridays and Saturdays.

Pier 22 also serves commendable breakfast and brunch on weekends. However, the restaurant's most popular attraction is its exceptional happy hour, featuring deals on drinks and small plates daily from 3 to 6 p.m. Must-try items include the nicely loaded house-made potato chips, the poutine featuring hand-cut fries and local cheese curds, and the chicken flatbread covered in Pier 22's highly addictive molasses barbecue sauce.

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Pop’s Sunset Grill

112 Circuit Road, Nokomis; 941-488-3177; popssunsetgrill.com

Pop's offers a tropical getaway along the Intracoastal Waterway by the Albee Road Bridge connecting Casey Key to Nokomis. Originally opened as Urbanek’s Fish Camp in 1954, Pop's produces a winning combination of Old Florida charm and modern features, such as the three-level, full-liquor tiki bar.

While stopping by Pop's for libations and daily live music is always fun, be sure to bring your appetite. Personal favorites include the smoked mahi spread, fresh grouper cooked on the open-flame grill, and a veggie skewer that is not to be dismissed.

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Star Fish Company

12306 46th Ave. W., Cortez; 941-794-1243; starfishcompany.com

Named one of the best restaurants in the country this year by our sister publication USA TODAY and nestled along Sarasota Bay in the fishing village of Cortez, Star Fish Company offers exceptional Gulf seafood with a generous serving of Old Florida charm. Credit Karen Bell, a third-generation Cortezian dedicated to preserving her family's commercial fishing heritage. She not only owns Star Fish and its adjoining fish market, but also a fleet of commercial fishing boats and the adjacent “fish house.”

While dining at her dockside restaurant with a century of history, you'll be captivated by the fishermen working alongside seabirds and the occasional dolphin. Star Fish serves expertly prepared Florida favorites like grouper, shrimp and oysters. In fact, one of the best things I've eaten in recent weeks was the spicy grouper nuggets Star Fish served as a special May 1. However, the restaurant is particularly renowned for its mullet, a fish best enjoyed fried or blackened with a side of cheese grits.

Bell is also co-owner of the equally excellent, nearby waterfront restaurant Tide Tables, which is perhaps best known for its fish tacos featuring blackened fillets of mahi-mahi and a show-stopping sesame ginger sauce. In addition, Cortez is home to two other exceptional waterfront restaurants that serve fresh seafood: Swordfish Grill and Cortez Kitchen, which are both owned by local businessman and fisherman John Banyas.

Sarasota area waterfront restaurant named one of best in U.S.

Walt's Fish Market Restaurant & Tiki Bar

4144 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-921-4605; waltsfishmarketrestaurant.com

Family-owned and operated for more than a century, Walt's is a seafood market and restaurant that lives by the saying: "The fish we sell today, slept in the Gulf last night." Each meal at Walt's, which offers indoor as well as open-air seating, begins gloriously with a complimentary serving of their smoked fish dip, made in-house with mullet and mahi-mahi.

For entrees, Walt's has served me some of the best red snapper — flame-broiled with a side of lemon cream for occasional dipping — of my life. They also offer one of my favorite grouper sandwiches, the humorously named Square Grouper Sandwich. Looking for another way to enjoy fresh grouper at Walt's? Try the lightly panko-fried Firecracker Grouper Bites, which are indeed fire whenever I have them.

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Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 10 best iconic restaurants in Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice, FL