Ticket Editor: Best waterfront restaurant in Sarasota named among most popular in U.S.
We are fortunate to have many great local waterfront restaurants in Sarasota, Anna Maria Island, the Venice area, Bradenton, Englewood, and Cortez fishing village. However, among these establishments, only one has been consistently receiving national attention. Recently, the online restaurant reservation and review service OpenTable revealed its annual list of the 100 Most Popular Restaurants for Outdoor Dining. Florida had 17 restaurants on the list, putting the Sunshine State second only to California, which had 31.
Two restaurants from Sarasota County made the list, but only one of them offers guests seating right on the water. In fact, this particular waterfront destination was among the select few Florida restaurants that also made OpenTable's list of the best places for outdoor dining last year. You're likely familiar with the Longboat Key landmark, which has been open since 1989.
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Dry Dock on Longboat Key is the best waterfront restaurant in Sarasota County
Of the many waterfront restaurants I love to visit in Sarasota County, Dry Dock is my favorite. I've been a fan for about a decade, and the restaurant's winning combination of superior seafood, gorgeous views of Sarasota Bay, and excellent service remains unmatched. Owned by the Sarasota-based Gecko’s Hospitality Group since 2015, Dry Dock is an ideal spot for both a casual lunch and a special occasion dinner, which is one of the many reasons it continues to garner national praise.
In addition to landing on OpenTable's latest list, the popular restaurant review site Yelp ranked Dry Dock at No. 54 on its annual Top 100 Florida Restaurants list that came out in March. Moreover, Dry Dock appeared on OpenTable's 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America published in January. In December, Dry Dock secured a spot on OpenTable's even more prestigious Top 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America for 2022. The first time that I recall writing about Dry Dock's inclusion on one of OpenTable's popular best-of lists is in 2019 when it appeared on the 100 Most Scenic Restaurants in America.
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On Sunday, I visited Dry Dock shortly before noon, just before the lunch crowd reached its peak. I was promptly seated at a table covered by an umbrella, with cooling fans, and enjoyed a front-row view of Sarasota Bay. With the recent news from OpenTable in my inbox, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to see if Dry Dock still lived up to the hype. As soon as I took a bite of the unbelievably fresh grouper bites ($22), lightly battered and fried to crispy perfection, it became evident that the restaurant's dedication to sourcing local fish remained unwavering.
My other favorite appetizer at Dry Dock also did not disappoint. It consists of five tender scallops wrapped in crispy bacon strips and drizzled with maple syrup, which pools neatly on the plate for dipping ($22). Yes, it's the rare dish that I would happily indulge in on a daily basis. However, the most exciting and essential dish at Dry Dock remains the citrus grouper. It features a breaded grouper filet sautéed and served with the restaurant's citrus cream sauce, which tastes remarkably like liquified Key lime pie. On Sunday, I was served one of the best filets of grouper I can recall. The moist and flaky pieces of this slightly sweet fish were made irresistible by the savory breading and the sweet citrus sauce.
Of course, another option at Dry Dock is to simply order the fresh catch of the day, which on Sunday included grouper or red snapper. We opted for the blackened red snapper, and it tasted as if it had been freshly caught from the Gulf that very morning. The brilliant black grill marks were beautifully complemented by a smart coat of seasoning, which enhanced rather than overpowered the natural flavor of the fish. Both the citrus grouper and red snapper were priced at $39 each and served with Dry Dock's always impressive garden or Caesar salad, a vegetable side, and a choice of rice, red skin potato, French fries, or mashed potatoes after 4 p.m.
The only drawback? I must admit that by the time we received our check around 1 p.m., the oppressive Florida summer heat had taken its toll, despite having a fan pointed directly at us. Unfortunately, there was no breeze that day, which is typically provided by Sarasota Bay. However, one of the great features of Dry Dock is that in addition to its patio seating, there are two floors of indoor tables and a bar, all with huge windows that offer postcard-perfect views of the water. The next time I visit Dry Dock, especially during the scorching noon heat, I might have to opt for the comfort of air conditioning instead of dining al fresco!
Dry Dock Waterfront Grill is at 412 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. For more information or to make a reservation, call 941-383-0102 or visit drydockwaterfrontgrill.com.
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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 wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Dry Dock best waterfront restaurant Sarasota also most popular in U.S.
