My Favorite Local Spots to Eat in Sarasota
We all know the infamous restaurants to check out when you’re first visiting a town- you can find them on Yelp, Google, or any other review site, but I want to talk about the best local and borderline hole in the wall spots in SRQ that are worth checking out next time you’re in town!
Restaurants
Isan Thai - This is my go-to spot for Thai food in Sarasota. It’s located in a very easily missed strip mall on Tamiami Trail and when you enter the restaurant, you feel like you’re being transported to the North East region of Thailand known as Isan. This is a family owned restaurant and their food is absolutely incredible. You can either order takeout or dine in, depending on your mood, I do both but either situation you will be happy you ate here! My go-to order is: Thai spring rolls, vegetable soup, pineapple fried rice with veggies, and a Thai tea!
Pineapple Fried Rice with Vegetables and Chicken Pad Thai - takeout on a rainy Saturday night, so delicious!
2. The Parrot: The Parrot is a local neighborhood restaurant and sports bar that I frequent weekly for a casual dinner and drink. They offer an extensive menu featuring salads, burgers, sandwiches, entrees, and pizzas, and a full bar with live music Wednesday-Sunday. The owners are from New York originally and their menu stays true to their roots with NY favorites. I like this spot because the food is good, they offer a covered outdoor bar with plenty of seating and tables, and great music to enjoy while you eat and have a cocktail. My go to order is the Chop Stix Bowl with veggies and a glass of Kim Crawford. My significant other claims they have the best wings in Sarasota so if you’re a wing fan, I highly recommend checking it out.
3. Shaners Pizza: Located in Gulf Gate in South Sarasota, this is THE spot for thin crust pizza and wings. The owner was a professional baseball player for 16 years and 12 major league seasons including playing for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, and the Texas Rangers. If you’re a baseball fanatic, you will love the aesthetic of this spot because it’s filled with baseball memorabilia. Their food is amazing and my go-to order is the large margarita pizza and buffalo chicken wings.
4. Nokomo’s Sunset Hut: This is a must visit tiki bar located on Tamiami Trail in Nokomis and is situated along Dona Bay. You can enjoy a cocktail in the sand overlooking the bay or watch sunsets from the tiki bar while enjoying their unique Caribbean inspired menu, this spot is accessible by boat also, and they offer live music. The ambiance is great and the food is even better! My go-to order is their Caribbean pulled chicken tacos paired with the sunset hut margarita.
5. Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar: Located off of Tamiami Trail in South Sarasota, this is a really great casual seafood restaurant situated perfectly along Phillipi Creek and is always super busy so make sure to reserve ahead of time if you plan on checking this spot out! They have been voted best of best for seafood and raw bar for 16 years in a row so if you’re a seafood fan, this is the place to enjoy the freshest seafood! They also have a cute boutique next door with restaurant swag, wine, taffy, and other little knick knacks. My go-to order is the Crab Dip & Oysters to start and the crab cake sandwich for dinner. Please save room for the key lime pie for dessert!
Let me know if you check out any of these spots in the comment section below! Thank you for reading.