Best beach bar in Sarasota, Bradenton? My favorite for food, drinks, waterfront views!

While last month we published my list of the 10 best waterfront restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton, I've recently concluded that our corner of the Gulf of Mexico features one spot I want to recommend this year for the best beach bar.

From setting and service to drinks and food, this establishment scored high across the board during multiple visits in recent weeks. You've likely heard of the place, but perhaps you haven't visited in a while. And if you have visited, maybe you haven't secured a seat at the outside bar, which boasts some of the best views of any public business in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

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What makes Beach House on Anna Maria Island stand out

Beach House lives up to its name by placing guests right on the sugary white sands of Bradenton Beach, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, on the southern end of Anna Maria Island. While Beach House offers indoor dining as well as an inside bar, the place to be, especially during this time of year before the summer heat strikes, is on the covered patio area where you'll find a bar hugging the beach.

There are approximately 15 seats at the square bar, with the side closest to the water reserved for walk-up orders. This is an ideal option if you're spending the day at the public beach. Additionally, there are a handful of high-top tables for bar patrons to use, as well as Adirondack chairs for those who wish to enjoy the Beach House experience with their toes in the sand.

Beyond the idyllic setting that makes every visit feel like a Caribbean getaway, Beach House serves quality, locally sourced food and beverages. In fact, one of the first things you should notice when approaching Beach House from Gulf Drive is an exterior chalkboard listing the restaurant's partners, which include their own sister business, Gamble Creek Farms in Parrish, as well as other businesses in places like Bradenton and Seffner for clams and wild hog. Most famously, Beach House has a long, rich relationship with an acclaimed winery in Napa Valley.

What to order at Beach House

Lola Wine ($13 for six-ounce glass, $19 for nine-ounce glass, $48 per bottle): Founded by Manatee County native Seth Cripe in 2008 and lauded by publications such as the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle, Lola Wine is based in Napa Valley and proudly served at Beach House by the glass and bottle. Lola is perhaps best known for their pinot noir, and they also make a delectable chardonnay, but I'm partial to their rosé, which is made from pinot noir grapes. It's bright and crisp with hints of cherry and guava, pairing perfectly with seafood and a balmy day at the beach.

Category 3 Margarita ($14): Granted, wine is not for everybody. If so, consider Beach House's menu of frozen, classic, and signature cocktails, which includes Beach House's signature Category 3 Margarita. It features house-infused jalapeno silver tequila with triple sec, agave, and fresh lime juice, served with a salted rim. Another fine option is Beach House's mai tai ($15) made with Sarasota's own Siesta Key Toasted Coconut Rum, which has been praised as one of the best coconut rums in the world and definitely ranks among my favorite spirits.

Calusa Brewing Zote IPA ($9): If, like me, beer is your adult beverage of choice, Beach House has you covered. While it's not an extensive list, they serve a winning mix of macro and microbrews, including Sarasota standout Calusa Brewing's flagship Zote. A deft blend of citrus and hoppy flavors, it's the rare hazy IPA that can be enjoyed on a warm Florida beach. Just don't drink 'em too fast, because it weighs in at a stiff 7.5% ABV. Seeking something a bit less potent? Beach House serves St. Petersburg brewery 3 Daughters' Beach Blonde Ale ($9), which is light and refreshing with a touch of citrus and still packs a sizable enough punch at 5% ABV.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip ($19): Beach House offers their entire menu to bar guests, but when I'm seated at the bar or an adjacent high-top right on the sand, which is where I dined the other evening, I prefer finger foods to fancy entrees. A surefire crowd-pleaser is the restaurant's spinach and artichoke dip. I know, it sounds rather pedestrian, but this house-made dip is fresh and flavorful, not overly creamy, and served in a ridiculously tasty focaccia bread bowl from the Anna Maria Bake House, another sister business of Beach House.

Beach House Burger ($24): Cue the Jimmy Buffett song, because at Beach House, you truly can enjoy a "cheeseburger in paradise" experience you will soon not forget. In fact, the burger I had the other day at the Beach House bar might just be the tastiest burger I've had this year. A thick, juicy patty cooked to a perfect medium, just like I ordered, it's covered with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, smoked Gruyere cheese, and strips of bacon, with lettuce, tomato, and onion on a toasted and buttered bun worth every extra calorie. The accompanying pickle and seasoned fries are worth a few extra minutes of cardio as well!

Fish Tacos ($26): As soon as our smart and affable bartender informed me that the fish tacos were filled with cobia, I ordered them. I've had great experiences recently with the cobia served at both Beach House and its sister restaurant, Sandbar, and this week was no exception. An order of fish tacos consists of two flour tortillas filled with nicely sized pieces of marinated fish, complemented by a mango salsa and an avocado-laced crema that I could've consumed by the bowlful.

Grouper Sandwich ($34): My grandma, Mary Tatangelo, who successfully ran a restaurant in Pennsylvania for more than 50 years, had a favorite saying, “You buy cheap, you get cheap.” I find that especially true with Florida grouper, which will set you back 34 bucks at Beach House. The restaurant regularly procures fresh fish, and for their sandwich, the grouper comes deftly blackened with a delightfully tangy and creamy lemon aioli, crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, and red onion, all nestled between two halves of a freshly baked bun. It's accompanied by their seasoned fries and a sizable pickle spear. Factor in the beachfront view and, yeah, it's totally worth $34.

Did you know?

Beach House is part of the Chiles Hospitality group that also includes the waterfront restaurants Sandbar, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico in the city of Anna Maria, and Mar Vista, which features views of Sarasota Bay from the Manatee County side of Longboat Key. The Anna Maria Bake House and Gamble Creek Farms, as well as an events brand, are also part of the Chiles group. It's owned and run by local resident Ed Chiles, son of former Gov. Lawton Chiles.

If you go

Beach House Waterfront Restaurant is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and does not accept reservations. It is located at 200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island. For more information, call 941-779-2222 or visit beachhousedining.com or facebook.com/TheBeachHouseAMI.

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: Best beach bar in Sarasota area for food, drinks and waterfront views