Best seafood restaurant in Sarasota and Bradenton? 10 favorites for a grouper sandwich

One of the many things I love about living and working in Sarasota and Bradenton is our abundance of restaurants specializing in fresh Florida seafood, such as stone crab, which I wrote about at the start of the season in October. Now, with Florida stone crab season nearing its annual May 1 end date, let's turn our attention to another iconic Florida seafood item: the beloved grouper sandwich.

Like stone crab, grouper is delicious and expensive. In fact, I'm suspicious of the authenticity of any grouper sandwich priced under $20, and $25-ish seems to be the new norm, especially for any restaurant on the water. Another similarity grouper shares with stone crab is that it's best enjoyed freshly plucked from our Gulf of Mexico waters before being expertly prepared by a standout local restaurant.

Presented in alphabetical order, here are 10 of my favorite establishments in Sarasota and Manatee counties for a grouper sandwich. Most of these restaurants offer their grouper grilled, blackened, or fried. If so, I typically try the grouper grilled to best taste for freshness before biting into the blackened or fried options. Full disclosure, I absolutely adore a smartly blackened, fresh grouper sandwich.

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Beach House

200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach; 941-779-2222; beachhousedining.com

A waterfront beauty with indoor and outdoor seating located on the sugary white sands of Anna Maria Island's Bradenton Beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, Beach House serves its grouper sandwich only one way, blackened, and that is fine by me. The fresh cuts of fish with the bold seasoning are topped by delightfully tangy and creamy lemon aioli, crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, and red onion, all nestled between two halves of a freshly baked bun, accompanied by a side of fries and a sizable pickle spear. Local resident Ed Chiles, son of former Gov. Lawton Chiles, also owns the nearby waterfront restaurants Sandbar and Mar Vista, which I also highly recommend for grouper and other fresh seafood dishes, as well as waterfront views.

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Blue Marlin

121 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach; 941-896-9737; bluemarlinami.com

A hidden gem in a historic setting, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Blue Marlin serves its grouper sandwich in a distinctive manner — in fact, it's unlike any other. The grouper, sourced from the docks of the nearby fishing village of Cortez, is egg-washed and brown-buttered, then topped with a fried green tomato, baby greens dressed with "orange sunshine" vinaigrette, and finished with breadcrumbs on a brioche bun, and served with the daily vegetable and citrus cabbage. Craving something similar as an entrée? Ask your server if they can prepare their famed Grouper Fulford, which no longer appears on the menu.

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Dry Dock Waterfront Grill

412 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-383-0102; drydockwaterfrontgrill.com

I've been raving about the grouper sandwich at Dry Dock for nearly a decade now. For this story, I returned to the restaurant right when it opened to secure an umbrella-covered seat right on the water. The grouper sandwich comes grilled, blackened, or fried, and during my latest visit in February, I had it grilled and just added a light layer of their tartar sauce to go with the lettuce, tomato, and onion. Paired with a cold beer and the view of Sarasota Bay, it was again paradise. Seeking a similar experience in a slightly more casual waterfront setting to the south? Visit sister restaurant Dockside Waterfront Grill in Venice, which is also owned by the Sarasota-based Gecko's Hospitality Group.

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Harry's

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

There are many reasons to visit Harry's Continental Kitchens complex on Longboat Key, which includes the fine-dining restaurant offering intimate indoor as well as tropical outdoor seating, but my favorite reason to visit Harry's might just be their grouper sandwich served daily at lunch from 11 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. It's a hunk of fresh fish prepared grilled, blackened, or fried (I enjoyed mine equally grilled and blackened), elevated by remoulade instead of tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a toasted brioche bun. It comes with a choice of side, and trust me, you definitely want the corn salad, which might just be the greatest corn salad concoction I have ever tasted.

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Hurricane Hanks

5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach; 941-778-5788; hurricanehanks.com

Hurricane Hanks is one of the hidden jewels of Anna Maria Island, located in the old S&S Plaza strip mall of Holmes Beach, next door to the liquor store owned by the same folks and named Hurricane Liquors. And yes, while people visit both Hurricane establishments for the booze, Hurricane Hanks is also a top spot for food, including the grouper sandwich, which comes grilled, fried, or blackened. Order it blackened, slather on some tartar sauce, and enjoy it with a side of fries and a strong adult beverage.

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The Old Salty Dog

1601 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota; 941-388-4311; theoldsaltydog.com/city-island

The Old Salty Dog on City Island might be most famous for its gorgeous views of New Pass Inlet and its signature deep-fried hotdog, but the dog-friendly, waterfront restaurant also serves an excellent grouper sandwich. It comes charbroiled, blackened, or fried, and you will want to enjoy it blackened with the restaurant's superb blend of Cajun spices. In addition to the City Island spot, don't forget about the original Old Salty Dog, which opened in 1986 in Siesta Key Village, as well as the newest one of the bunch on the water in Venice.

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Star Fish Company

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

It has been a huge year for Star Fish Company, which made USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year list published Feb. 15. For the unfamiliar, the super-casual restaurant overlooks north Sarasota Bay in the commercial fishing village of Cortez. All the seating is outdoors on the docks and first-come, first-served. You order at the counter; it's cash only, and your food is brought to you in cardboard boxes. It is among the freshest and tastiest Florida seafood you will find in the entire state, including a glorious grouper sandwich that comes fried, grilled, blackened, or sautéed on a Kaiser roll. I prefer mine blackened. I also love a grouper Reuben, which Star Fish often offers as a special. That's what I ordered when I visited last month.

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Swordfish Grill

4628 119th St. W., Cortez; 941-798-2035; swordfishgrillcortez.com

One of my favorite local dining experiences of recent memory is sitting on the covered back patio of Swordfish Grill, eating fresh seafood while watching more fresh fish being unloaded at the adjacent "fish house" in the commercial fishing village of Cortez, with a backdrop of north Sarasota Bay featuring the skyline of downtown Sarasota. You can't go wrong with any of the seafood at Swordfish, including the grouper sandwich prepared grilled, blackened, or fried, and served on a locally baked bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and your choice of fries, potato salad, or pineapple coleslaw. I also highly recommend the grouper sandwich or the Buffalo grouper bites at the next-door sister restaurant Cortez Kitchen.

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Tide Tables

12507 Cortez Road W., Bradenton; 941-567-6206; tidetablescortez.com

A mostly outdoor restaurant located on the west end of Cortez overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and Anna Maria Island, Tide Tables recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. I've been regularly visiting Tide Tables, usually sitting at the tiki bar that serves many of my favorite beers as well as wine, since it opened. Perhaps no restaurant in the entire state has consistently procured fresh Florida grouper like Tide Tables has. In fact, you really should enjoy grouper two ways there. Start your feast with the lightly breaded grouper bites before ordering a blackened grouper sandwich because their seasoning is spot-on.

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Walt's Fish Market Restaurant & Tiki Bar

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

Owned and operated by fourth-generation commercial fisherman Brett Wallin, Walt's boasts more than a century of history in Sarasota. Located on South Tamiami Trail with indoor and outdoor seating, the restaurant and market serve all manner of fresh Florida seafood, including their signature Square Grouper Sandwich. You can have the grouper cooked any way you like it — flame-broiled, blackened, chargrilled, fried, or panko fried — and it's served on ciabatta with lettuce, tomato, crispy onions, and a Key lime tartar sauce that elevates the sandwich to the next level, especially, I've found, if you order it blackened.

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Bonus pick: Annie's Bait & Tackle

4334 127th St. W., Cortez; 941-794-3580; anniesbaitandtackle.com

Hugging the Intracoastal Waterway at the northeastern base of the Cortez Bridge, this Old Florida gem has a history as a bait shop dating back to the 1950s and still provides boaters and fishermen with fuel and supplies. It also serves food at a couple of inside tables, a cozy beer and wine bar, and, my favorite spot, on the covered waterfront patio. Annie's serves a tasty burger, but is most famous for its superior fried grouper sandwich. In fact, you can only get it fried, and after a single bite, you will never want it any other way.

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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 seafood restaurants in Sarasota for a grouper sandwich