Sarasota Bay Help

brewster16

brewster16

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2009
1,452
Long Beach Island, N.J.
Boat Info
'07 44 Sundancer
Engines
Twin Cummins QSC 8.3
Hello friends...My wife and I are visiting Anna Maria Island next week and of course we had to rent a boat for a few days while down there. I've done a bunch of research so I'm pretty familiar with things but I'm kind of interested in Dock and Dine recommendations. I already know about Old Salty Dog, Dry Dock Grill on LBK, Marina Jack's. Any others I should consider??
 
Casey Key Fish House, Pops Sunset Grill, Pelican Alley, Crows Nest at Venice inlet. These are all a little South of Sarasota Bay but if you are cruising down the ICW, it's not far.
 
Halfhitch said:
Casey Key Fish House, Pops Sunset Grill, Pelican Alley, Crows Nest at Venice inlet. These are all a little South of Sarasota Bay but if you are cruising down the ICW, it's not far.
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+1 on the Casey Key Fish House. The tiki outside is a great place to blow an afternoon.
If you happen to get near, Spanish point and the Point kitchen in Osprey is pretty good as well.
 
Up by jewfish key are 2 restaurants Shore (bit up scale) and next door to that is
Mar vista dockside both really good easy in /out for a shallow draft boat

where are you getting the boat from that may determine how far you want to travel.
 
While you are still in your neighborhood of Anna Maria, Bridge Tender is good, with a great outdoor bar and seating area, as are a couple of other places you can walk up to (Island Time, Daiquiri Deck, etc), or Trolley down from. If you are a Moose member, we have the best lodge in the nation, with the largest membership, and the smallest parking lot. Across the bridge (or under it in your case), Cortez village has a number of great restaurants. Swordfish Grill (watch those unmarked markers), Cortez Kitchen, Tides Table, etc. are all fed (and some owned) by the wholesale fish houses in Cortez. can't speak for Seafood Shack at the moment as I haven't been there in a couple of years, but was always easy docking, and good food. A relatively new spot is the Margaritaville associated Floriday's bar and grill. Just on the Northeast side of the Manatee bridge. It's part of the Compass hotel, and although a bit touristy, does have some good food for about what you'll pay everywhere else. Easy docking in the marina. Watch out for the Freedom Boat Club customers.
If you want some real 5 star dive bar action, grab an Uber, or drive off the key at Cortez bridge to just past the village around 100th st. for the Cortez Clam Factory. My brother and his business partner of 30+ years own it. You'll not be disappointed.
 
And, on my side of the bay, up Bowlee's creek you'll find the Tarpon grill at a hotel marina. Nice Tiki bar there, and a big pool if you dare take a plunge in March. Food is good, service is like being in the Bahamas.
Further down the East side of the bay, heading for Marina Jacks, there is a Hyatt Hotel and Ritz Carlton just North of the bridge. The Hyatt will take boating guests, and I suspect the Ritz will not. (Not really anywhere to dock).
+1 on Spanish Point and Jimmy's Casey Key Fish House, and Pops for sure, but it's an all day haul down and back from where you are. When going to Marina Jacks, you can dock in front of the large restaurant, or go around the mooring field to O'Leary's, which is much more of a tiki bar, picnic tables on the beach kind of thing. Docking is pretty limited though.
 
Havana Shamrock said:
Up by jewfish key are 2 restaurants Shore (bit up scale) and next door to that is
Mar vista dockside both really good easy in /out for a shallow draft boat

where are you getting the boat from that may determine how far you want to travel.
Click to expand...

Joe’s comment on where you’re renting the boat from determines where you may want to go. Some rental companies have very short ranges of where you can go.

We visit AMI every year and rent a boat at least once during that time. Our next trip is in June. Here’s a rundown running north to south.

-North end of AMI. Rod n Reel Pier and City Pier. City Pier doesn’t have a sit down restaurant any more, I don’t think.
-Galati Marina- Island Ocean Star sushi. More upscale than a typical dine and dock. This location used to have Rotten Ralph’s which was great!

-Holmes Beach. Trickier docking situation. Waterline hotel has a dock and restaurant called the Chateau. Next door is Keys Marina which may have dock space. If so, a few restaurants across the street in the shopping center.

-Across the ICW from Holmes Beach (at base of Manatee Bridge). Floridays is on the water. Not sure of docking situation there.

-Bradenton Beach Pier. Has a day dock. Anna Maria Oyster Bar on pier. Tons of restaurants nearby on Bridge Street.

- Across ICW from Bradenton Beach is Cortez. We like docking at Starfish. Tide Tables is good, but not sure of docking.

-North end of Longboat. Mar Vista and Shore are next door to each other and have their own docks.

-Southern end of Longboat. Dry dock is great!

-City Island/Lido. We enjoy both Old Salty Dock and New Pass Grill.

-Downtown Sarasota. Marina Jack’s and O’Leary’s.

Hope this helps.
 
Extremely helpful you guys! We're renting for 2 days out of Bridge Tender Marina and apparently they limit to as far south as Ringling Bridge and North to Manatee Bridge. I'm sure we can keep busy. But thanks for the info...I'll be hitting Google Maps with all that in mind! I also pre-ordered 4 lbs of jumbo stone crabs from a fishing boat so we can stay nourished! :cool:
 
In Anna Marie is one of favorite Florida west coast restaurant, Waterfront restaurant. Excellent, reservations highly recommended.
 
Question…..is Chart House on Long Boat Key a boating option? I see a dock, I see boats but the water in looks mighty skinny.
 
Halfhitch said:
Casey Key Fish House, Pops Sunset Grill, Pelican Alley, Crows Nest at Venice inlet. These are all a little South of Sarasota Bay but if you are cruising down the ICW, it's not far.
Click to expand...
My dad starting taking me to Pops when it was Pops Tropigrill over 20 years ago. They have the best grouper sandwiches!
 
brewster16 said:
Question…..is Chart House on Long Boat Key a boating option? I see a dock, I see boats but the water in looks mighty skinny.
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I'll let one of the locals confirm, but I think it's pretty skinny in there.

I forgot to mention to make sure you enjoy some time hanging out at the Jewfish Key sandbar (inside of Longboat Pass). Make sure to pay attention to tides there.
 
You can definitely get in on an OB there’s a sandbar in front (or back ) of the restaurant but have seen boats do it. Gotta watch the tides. If your starting from Anna Marie try Anna Marie Oyster Bar side tie, pretty good!!! your limited to ringing (SB) so I’d hit OLearys TIKI for fun grab a cheap mooring not sure how you get on land?
Shame your missing Casey key by boat go by car if needed ! Let me know maybe we can coordinate.
 
brewster16 said:
Question…..is Chart House on Long Boat Key a boating option? I see a dock, I see boats but the water in looks mighty skinny.
Click to expand...
That's Sands Point cove. Except for a NNW blow like we had this past weekend that blew ALL the water out of the West coast, you should be able to see where the water is to get back there. Usually a cut between the bridge and the sandbar. I've never docked and dined there, but have picked up people in the past from the dock. there is also a small beach next to the dock by the bridge, so maybe pull up there. That sandbar changes constantly, so best to go on a weekend, where someone else may go in ahead of you. Once over the bar, it's 20 ft deep. It is not frequented like it used to be. They're all going to Jewfish now. My guess is noise complaints from the private homes on the West shore.
 
Halfhitch said:
Casey Key Fish House, Pops Sunset Grill, Pelican Alley, Crows Nest at Venice inlet. These are all a little South of Sarasota Bay but if you are cruising down the ICW, it's not far.
Click to expand...
+1 Casey Key fish house….
 
brewster16 said:
Hello friends...My wife and I are visiting Anna Maria Island next week and of course we had to rent a boat for a few days while down there. I've done a bunch of research so I'm pretty familiar with things but I'm kind of interested in Dock and Dine recommendations. I already know about Old Salty Dog, Dry Dock Grill on LBK, Marina Jack's. Any others I should consider??
Click to expand...

You're going to need at least 2 months down here to cover all the great food choices.
+1 on the Chart House
Enjoy
D
 
Blueone said:
+1 Casey Key fish house….
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Unfortunately, even Marina Jacks is "out of bounds" for his Anna Maria pontoon rental agreement. However, I'd probably sneak under the bridge that far unless I can tell the tracks are being recorded, and I can't turn them off.
 
370Dancer said:
Unfortunately, even Marina Jacks is "out of bounds" for his Anna Maria pontoon rental agreement. However, I'd probably sneak under the bridge that far unless I can tell the tracks are being recorded, and I can't turn them off.
Click to expand...
If you rent a pontoon…. You are suppose to break the rules…. You can’t look cool in a pontoon following the rules :rolleyes:
 
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