What are the best restaurants in downtown Sarasota? Here are 10 of my favorites
Step out anywhere in downtown Sarasota and you're soon met by a bunch of restaurants in either direction ranging from fancy to fast casual. There are dining options to consider on upper Main Street and lower Main Street, in Towles Court and Burns Court, and on various side streets such as Palm, State and Central. Yes, the choices can seem overwhelming.
To help, here are my picks for the best restaurants in downtown Sarasota. They're based on countless dining adventures I've taken just beyond the entrance of our Herald-Tribune headquarters. The hardest part? Getting my working list of about two dozen down to a more manageable 10.
Presented in alphabetical order, the restaurants range from a chef-owned Asian spot that opened in 2021 to a family Italian joint dating back to 1989. You'll also find the workplace of a James Beard-nominated chef, a "fish camp" serving fresh Florida seafood in a funky setting, and a gastropub that excels at comfort food classics. Plus, all of these restaurants offered nice, open-air seating options during recent visits.
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Bar Hana
1289 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941-536-9717, barhana.com
Opened in April, Bar Hana on Palm Avenue is the neighboring sister business of Kojo (also featured on this list), offering an upscale drinking and dining experience unlike anything else in the area. Start with Bar Hana's Instagrammable cocktails, served in a delightful collection of fun and vintage tiki glassware, but be sure not to overlook the food. The menu is smartly succinct, basically broken down into "cold" and "hot" dishes. Bar Hana's Asian influences shine through in dishes such as the Japanese-style garlic mazemen noodles (sambal butter, furikake, scallion, crispy nori;) and the Chinese-style bao, where the soft bun is filled with a tender cut of roasted duck accompanied by a house hoisin glaze, fruit chutney, cilantro, and shredded vegetable slaw for added texture. Craving an American comfort food classic? Bar Hana does that, too, serving among the best burger and wings in town.
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Brewster’s Tavern
1454 Main St., Sarasota; 941-343-2380, brewsterstavern.com
If you're craving seriously good pub grub in a fun, sports bar setting, then Brewster's Tavern should be your top spot when visiting downtown Sarasota. Located right in the heart of Main Street, with covered open-air seating along the sidewalk leading to the indoor area containing a long bar, tables and myriad TVs, Brewster's serves some of the city's best burgers, wings, and fried chicken sandwiches in addition to a bunch of other highly craveable items ranging from hand-cut pickle chips to their signature carnitas tacos. They also offer a full lineup of national and local beers, as well as cocktails, with great daily dining deals and an extended happy hour.
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Caragiulos
69 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941-951-0866, caragiulos.com
Downtown Sarasota has many quality Italian-American restaurants, but my favorite remains the one that the local (by way of Brooklyn) Caragiulos family has operated since 1989. Occupying a historic stucco building with a patio, found among the art galleries and boutique shops of Palm Avenue, Caragiulos produces a greatest-hits offering of red sauce pasta dishes and some of the best pizza in town. Plus, no visit to Caragiulos is complete without trying their superb "1989 Salad" — and then save room for their tiramisu.
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El Melvin
1355 Main St., Sarasota; 941-366-1618, elmelvin.com
Located on lower Main Street, El Melvin boasts a colorful, open interior with a hand-carved, 100-foot wood bar that's typically flanked by a DJ. Yes, it's a festive spot ideal for enjoying a well-made margarita and perhaps engaging in some salsa dancing, but for me and numerous others, the main attraction remains the food, which the restaurants calls “Mex-eclectic.” Must-try menu items include the Mexican street corn, the fiery adobo chicken fajitas, and the carne asada starring a premium, smartly seasoned N.Y. strip.
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Indigenous
239 S. Links Ave., Sarasota; 941-706-4740, indigenoussarasota.com
Occupying a cozy cottage in the historic Towles Court arts district, Indigenous is where James Beard semi-finalist chef and owner Steve Phelps has been elating guests since 2011. Serving seasonal American cuisine with an emphasis on sustainable seafood, Phelps' menu changes weekly, with recent entrees including multiple fish dishes as well as pork and a vegetarian special featuring roasted mushrooms. Plus, you can almost always count on the menu including Phelps' show-stopping My Uncle's Burger built around a pair of thin, grass-fed beef patties covered with cheddar, bacon jam and a shot of addictive “Indigenous sauce.”
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Kojo
1289 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941-536-9717, eatkojo.com
Kojo opened in 2021 and quickly established itself as the go-to place in town for continent-spanning Asian cuisine — ranging from sushi to Wagyu steaks — goosed with innovative twists by chef and owner Natalia Levey. Conveniently located on the first floor of the handsomely designed Palm Avenue parking garage, Kojo is joined by Bar Hana (also featured on this list) and Palm Avenue Deli, with all three owned and operated by Levey's Hi Hospitality Group. In addition, they own the Speaks Clam Bars on St. Armands Circle and Lakewood Ranch, and have begun construction of a five-story food hall in downtown St. Petersburg dubbed Central Park St. Pete.
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Lila
1576 Main St., Sarasota; 941-296-1042, lilasrq.com
If you're a vegetarian, in a relationship with a vegetarian, or perhaps just vegetarian-curious — or simply interested in a memorable meal — you'll want to visit Lila. Opened in 2016 and right on Main Street, Lila easily ranks as our region's best vegan-friendly restaurant with a menu of deftly constructed small and large plates in addition to various vegan sushi rolls. Plus, carnivores have the option of augmenting their plates from a roster of proteins that includes organic chicken, sustainably farmed salmon and even (grass-fed) beef. The folks behind Lila also now serve plant-based and commendable traditional pizza nearby at Lucile.
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Made
1990 Main St., Sarasota; 941-953-2900, maderestaurant.com
Chef Mark Woodruff's inspired take on upscale American comfort food has been going strong now for about a decade on upper Main Street. Offering lots of covered open-air seating to accompany the indoor dining area and full-liquor bar focused on first-rate craft cocktails, Made's many highlights include its signature gourmet burger, Music City-worthy Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich, and a four-meat meatloaf definitely not like the one your momma makes. Also, Made's Sunday brunch has become legendary in these parts with reservations highly recommended!
Owen's Fish Camp
516 Burns Lane, Sarasota; 941-951-6936, owensfishcamp.com
Building on the success of their family’s Italian restaurant, the Caragiulo brothers opened the Old Florida seafood spot Owen’s Fish Camp in 2010 and there has basically been a line outside the door ever since. Accepting zero reservations, the Burns Court restaurant housed in a historic cottage begins seating at 4 p.m. daily with the wait hitting two hours by 6 p.m. during a recent weekday visit. Fortunately, you can spend the wait in the backyard area listening to live country and bluegrass music while sipping a cold beer or glass of wine and noshing on grilled oysters, shrimp skewers or fish spread from the outdoor fire pit and bar.
When seated, I highly recommend one of their daily fresh catch "naked fish" options — I'm still thinking about the expertly blackened red snapper with lemon caper butter I had the other day — and be sure to pair it with delightful starters, salads, or sides such as the deviled eggs with "redneck caviar" (mustard seeds), fried green tomato salad, or perhaps a sizable bowl of the spicy collard greens. Feeling decadent? Order a slice of warm bourbon pecan pie with fresh whipped cream and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for good measure.
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State Street Eating House + Cocktails
1533 State St., Sarasota; 941-951-1533, statestreetsrq.com
Going strong now for about a decade, State Street offers diners a Mid-Century American style aesthetic as well as an eternally cool menu with personal favorites including the flat iron steak, fried chicken, and double-stacked burger paired with their hand-cut garlic and parmesan fries. And, yes, the "eating house + cocktails" on its namesake roadway with indoor and outdoor seating serves timelessly enticing cocktails including their brilliant revival of the 1980s London classic The Bramble. Plus, along with Made, State Street serves one of the city's best Sunday brunches with its own list of cocktails including the tasty and potent Super Mimosa 64.
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Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida-Georgia Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: The best restaurants in downtown Sarasota with outside seating
