Traveling to Sarasota, Florida? Here are some of the best places to eat! Find local favorites to visit for breakfast, lunch or dinner during your vacation. Enjoy!
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I’ve lived in the Sarasota/Bradenton area my entire life. While we have the #1 beach in the U.S.A., we also have some killer places to eat. My boyfriend, Andrew, and I love trying local restaurants. We cook a majority of the time, but we really like to go out for breakfast on a day off or try a new sushi place on date night.
If I had a friend visit from out of town, I wouldn’t take them to a chain restaurant. I would want them to experience a restaurant or type of food that they can’t get back home! Some of my all-time favorite places to eat in Sarasota are locally owned.
If you are planning a trip to Sarasota, be sure to stop by at least a few of these local treasures. Whether you are looking for a breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee or dessert, I’ve got something for you here!
Goat Cheese and Mixed Berry Donuts at Star Keeper Cafe.
Where to go for Breakfast & Lunch:
Station 400: Built in an old railroad depot and the perfect place for breakfast or lunch. I love eating outside on a crisp Fall day. What to get: Balsamic Marinated Chicken Sandwich.
Star Keeper Cafe: This is one of Sarasota’s best hidden gems. The atmosphere makes you feel like you are at a friend’s house for breakfast. Their donuts will change your life! What to get: Goat Cheese & Mixed Berry Donuts. UPDATE: This restaurant is no longer open.
The Breakfast House: If you are looking for a homestyle breakfast or lunch, this is the place to go. What to get: Uncle Harry’s Hearty Breakfast
Coffee at Perq Coffee Bar
Where to go for Coffee & Tea:
Perq: Easily my favorite coffee shop. The atmosphere at Perq can’t be beat. They feature four different single origin coffees that rotate periodically. What to get: Mocca or Gibraltar.
The Tea House: The perfect place to meet up for a chat with a friend. The Tea House is in an old house, and each room has a different theme with comfy couches, eclectic decor and antique furniture. They have over 140 loose leaf teas to choose from. What to get: Pomegranate Vanilla Tea.
Sushi at Thai Wasabi
Where to go for Dinner:
Yummy House: This is the most authentic chinese food I’ve found in Sarasota. They are always packed, but trust me, it’s worth the wait! They have a wide variety of options on their menu and huge portions. What to get: Salt and Pepper Eggplant (appetizer), Spicy Yummy Chicken or Beef Udon with Black Pepper Sauce.
Crab and Fin: This upscale seafood restaurant is one of my favorite date night spots! Their menu is printed every day to reflect the freshest seafood available. They are located in St. Armands, so after dinner you can visit the shops and walk down to Lido Beach. What to get: any of the seafood and pasta dishes.
Tandoor: Authentic Indian food that tastes homemade. I prefer going to the lunch buffet so that I can try a variety of dishes; but for a more formal dining experience, you can also go for dinner. What to get: Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken).
Thai Wasabi: Andrew and I love trying new sushi places, but we keep coming back here! They have delicious curries, pad thai and stir fries, but I almost always get sushi. Many of their specialty rolls are so big and loaded up with toppings that you only need one roll for a meal. What to get: Crab Rangoon (appetizer), U-lala (sushi).
Casa Di Pizza: This is one of my favorite New York style pizza places, and Andrew loves their wings. It’s a great low-key place to meet up with friends. What to get: Chicken Finger Pizza.
Kazu’s 2.0: We love to go after 10 PM for their happy hour $4 and $5 sushi rolls and drinks. Their sushi rolls taste so fresh and they have a huge selection of craft beers, sakes, and more. What to get: Crab Lagoon roll and raspberry sake.
Where to go for dessert:
Sweetberries Eatery & Frozen Custard: I grew up going to SweetBerries for dessert with my cousins. They have lots of sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch or dinner, but my favorite is their custard! They have so many choices of toppings! You can customize your own dessert or get one of their specials. What to get: Utterly Reese’s Sundae.
Big Olaf Creamery: After a day at Siesta Key Beach, be sure to stop by the Big Olaf for dessert! Big Olaf is homemade ice cream company in Sarasota. They have several locations throughout Sarasota, and their ice cream is served at many other restaurants. What to get: Brownie Fudge ice cream.
Where to Stay in Sarasota
Looking for a great place to stay during your visit to Sarasota? We have a number of great hotels and resorts in the area. One of my favorite options for traveling is to stay in an Airbnb. It’s generally much more affordable and you can stay in a house instead of a hotel room. There are lots of Airbnb’s here that are located close to the beach! If you are new to Airbnb, get $40 off your trip with this link!
Fun things to do in Sarasota
Visit Siesta Key Beach or Lido Key Beach. Shop at St. Armands. Visit Mote Marine Aquarium. Stroll the downtown farmer’s market each Saturday morning. Shop at University Town Center. Bike or kayak at Nathan Benderson Park.
Joanna says
That coffee art is so neat! I love finding places that will do this:)
Jenna Brussee says
I love finding coffee places that do that, too. It’s such a nice touch.
Nicky says
Great list of restaurants.
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you! If you ever visit Sarasota, I think you will find something you like on this list.
Carly Anderson says
Wow, there’s definitely a lot of things to pick from in Sarasota. Those mixed berry donuts looks SO good!
Jenna Brussee says
I can’t believe it took me so long to find those donuts! They are dangerous.
Andi Fisher says
Posts like these become a permanent part of my travel resource list! It is always great to hear from a local! And a foodie to boot!
Jenna Brussee says
If you ever find yourself in Sarasota, these are some places you need to try! I always love reading your local foodie posts, too.
Mia Myrabev says
Thai wasabi looks like a place I would definitely love to perch my behind for a long while.
Jenna Brussee says
I was just craving it today. They have some of the best sushi I’ve ever had!
Jenna Brussee says
Where in Florida are you? I would love to meet up with other bloggers!
Jenna Brussee says
You should be sure to check out Sarasota! There is so much to do here.
Jenna Brussee says
Agreed! If you come to Sarasota, we can go to these places together!
Jenna Brussee says
It’s always nice to find a great local spot to get coffee.
Amby Felix says
Any place called Yummy Place is a place I would love to go!! I am such a fan of Indian lunch buffets. We have a few really legit ones here in Sacramento! Yum! Great post as always!!! 😀
Jenna Brussee says
This is the only Indian buffet I’ve found, but it is so good! Thanks for your kind words.
Ashley LaMar says
I used to live there too! I lived there until July of this year in fact. Crazy. So can I just say yes yes yes to breakfast / lunch at Station 400?! I love that place! I’m also a huge fan of Daiquiri Deck in Siesta Village for post-beach drinks and conch fritters. Have you ever done a post about best post-beach bars and restaurants in the area?
Jenna Brussee says
Oh wow, that is so cool! How long did you live in Sarasota? I think a post-beach bar and restaurant post is a great idea. Daiquiri Deck is perfect after a long day at Lido. It’s so refreshing!
Ashley LaMar says
I lived there almost my whole life; in fact I just moved away in July of this year. I love the banana daiquiris there. When my in-laws came to visit last summer we were there a lot. Definitely one of my favorite SRQ places.
Nancy says
I haven’t made it out to Florida yet – my Mom’s been there once with her Sister-in-Law on a girls trip. She LOVED it.
Jenna Brussee says
You need to make a trip to Florida soon! Sarasota is a great place to stay.
Lindsay says
That coffee looks delicious! There is just something about coffee that it always looks so good to me!
Jenna Brussee says
Especially when they put pretty designs on it! Perq has some of the best coffee I’ve had, too.
What the Bride Wore says
looks sooo delicious!
Jenna Brussee says
It is all so good! I may have to do a part 2 soon because I have lots of other great restaurants to share.
Katherine Gilbert says
Oh my goodness this is a great list of places. My kids love to visit Florida. I think I’ll put Sarasota on our list of cities to visit next.
Jenna Brussee says
You should! There are a lot of fun things for kids to do here, plus we are close to Tampa and Orlando.
Beth@FrugalFroggie says
Those look like some great places to eat. Now that I think it about it there are some great local restaurants in Kansas City where I would take friends from out of town. Most likely BBQ.
Jenna Brussee says
You should write a post about it! I had a lot of fun putting this one together.
Angela Livingston says
I’ve never been to Sarasota, I’d love to one day! Everything looks and sounds amazing!
Jenna Brussee says
You should visit here someday! Sarasota is a lot of fun.
Joy @ The Joyful Foodie says
Goat Cheese & Mixed Berry Donuts sound AMAZING. Seriously. Donut heaven!
Jenna Brussee says
Oh yes! They were heavenly.
Jessica Angeles says
That sushi oh my gosh! I need that, stat!
Jenna Brussee says
I think I need to go there this week! This post made me crave it.
Kristine Foley says
We love Florida but have yet to visit Sarasota! Thanks for the tips!
Jenna Brussee says
Sarasota is a great place to visit! I may be a little biased, but Siesta Key is one of my favorite beaches.
Katie says
Doughnuts with goats cheese and berries sounds like an incredibly interesting combination! I totally agree, I don’t like the tourist trap places, I’d rather head to where the locals go!
Katie <3
Jenna Brussee says
Yes! Goat cheese sounded a little strange on donuts at first, but it is a great combination!
Amanda Love says
I love these kind of posts because if I ever visit I’ll know where to go to eat. Sounds like some great places are here.
Jenna Brussee says
You should save it for when you come to Sarasota! I always love finding these posts, too. I’ve got quite a few places I need to visit just for the food.
Brenda Lawrence says
Yum! looks like some good eats! Especially loving that sushi! It looks crazy!
Jenna Brussee says
Their sushi always has tons of toppings! They are so good.
Ruffled Paper - Jessica says
We are planning a trip there! How helpful! Thank you!
Jenna Brussee says
How exciting! You will definitely need to check out some of these restaurants.
Nichole Monk says
Everything looks delish! I love being able to find the hidden treasure restaurants that only locals know about!
Jenna Brussee says
Local places are always the best! I love discovering new hidden gems.
Jessica at Team Wiking says
All of these places sound soo good. I haven’t been to Sarasota but will def. keep this in mind if I do go.
Jenna Brussee says
You will love it in Sarasota! I would love to see your pictures if you come here.
Karissa Ancell says
I’d love to visit here. That’s a great picture of the coffee.
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you! Sarasota is a great place to visit.
Megan says
Oooh! It all lolookso good! I’m such a foodie! Thanks for the great list!
Jenna Brussee says
Foodies unite! Thanks for stopping by.
French Robin Designs says
I want to come visit you! This food looks amazing. Now I’m hungry! Lol
Jenna Brussee says
You should come visit! It would be so fun to have a bloggers meet up in Sarasota.
Frenchell Hampton says
The food looks delish and that coffee its so pretty!
Jenna Brussee says
I just love these restaurants! After writing this post I have been craving them all.
Jenna Brussee says
That is so cool! It has been really neat finding bloggers near me thanks to this post. Lido Beach is one of my favorites because it’s not as crowded as Siesta Key. And Yummy House…. need I say more? It’s the best!
Michelle says
Thanks for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party! Your post has been pinned to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board 🙂
Jenna Brussee says
Thanks for stopping by!
Brittney Embree says
I have ate at Star Keeper cafe, and you are right their donuts are so great!
Jenna Brussee says
I just discovered it a couple months ago. It’s such a cute little place!
Lana LeFevre says
I envy your proximity to a beach. All I have is mountains! I love them, but I LOVE OCEAN TOO.
Jenna Brussee says
I wish I had mountains near me! It is nice to be able to get to the beach in a few minutes instead of having to make a whole trip out of it, though.
Sandy says
I highly recommend the Bijoux Cafe in the theater district of Sarasota. We’ve have 2 fabulous meals there. Get the potatoes au gratin as an additional side. You’ll never eat plain potatoes again. This is a top-notch restaurant!
Jenna Brussee says
I have never eaten there before. Thanks for the suggestion! I can’t wait to try their potatoes au gratin.
Montana Ross says
Station 400 and the Breakfast House are some of my favorite places for brunch! I will definitely have to try out your dinner list though, haven’t been to many of those places yet.
Jenna Brussee says
We have some great breakfast places in SRQ, don’t we? I hope you get a chance to try some of the dinner places soon, they are so good!
Tara says
We are camping in someone’s yard for a few weeks this winter in Sarasota. Love your list….except we seem to eat every other meal at Yoder’s and don’t venture anywhere else. Love their chocolate cake and peanut butter pie. haha
Jenna Brussee says
You should try a few of these places! If you like Yoders, you should visit Troyers Dutch Heritage, too.
Mary says
Add the Sun Garden on Seista Key for breakfast!
Jenna Brussee says
I’m always looking for a new breakfast place to try! I’m definitely going to put that one on the list of places I need to try. Thanks for the suggestion!