Stopped here for some breakfast before we left. Quick service Friendly staff Good Food Pricey put expected that on the island They have covered seating and open air seating here. The view here is great and I would come back again. read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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Our drinks came 1 minute, maybe, before our food. I asked the server several times where our drinks were...then the real shock...we spent $100 on a cheeseburger and 2 sandwiches that were being served on DIXIE paper plates! Even the whole fried fish was being served like that. The water must be horrible because our only option was to pay $1 for a members mark bottle of water. I believe it's actually against the law to charge your customers for water. Cheap, cheap owners. I'd be embarrassed. Felt like I was at a ghetto bbq with a really good view of the Gulf. Next time I'll bring a bagged dinner and sit in the beach. Do better Gulf Drive! read more

We had the best afternoon- great food cold drinks and attentive service. I'm so happy this place is open again after the hurricane. Please support this business. read more

Mmmm...burnt toast and cold omelet. Gormet prices for slop. Waited 15 minutes to be seated. Sat at 10:50 am. Got food at 11:40 am. Cheddar cheese, onion, peppers and 4th item spinach for an extra $1.50. 3 pieces of onion. 2 pieces of green pepper. Some cheese Literally one leaf of spinach. It wasn't even hot, but somehow over done. Burned toast. The ONLY saving grace was it was at the beach on a nice day. Way over priced for the quality of food. Years ago this restaurant was on dirty dining. First time eating thete since then, I thought since renovations it would be improved. Ive lived a block away from this place for 21 years. Locals don't eat here kitchen staff should be fired. AVOID. Not joking. read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Really bad food here. - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

If you're looking for a low key, vacation vibes, and good food with a view- I highly recommend this spot. The server was attentive and kind. She was eager to please and checked in often. The food was delicious, too. We ordered the fish dip and hummus platter to start. The fish dip was light and refreshing. It could have been my meal- but other menu items were calling me. For my main entree, I had the grouper sandwich but with no bun. The broccoli that came as my side could have been steamed longer but no complaints. I'm so pleased they had healthy side options to choose from. The menu is balanced well between fried options to vegan. Many gluten free, dairy free and low gycemix options. So, there's something for everyone. read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Hummus platter with extra veggies for dipping. - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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Can beat the atmosphere. Had one of the daily specials Chicken Salad Sandwich with a side of fresh fruit. Sandwich was good but a little shy on the chicken salad and fruit was amazing. read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Picture of Bradenton Beach from out table. - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

So glad we didn't skip this restaurants based off the reviews. Not sure if they were having a bad day in the past but thankfully that wasn't our experience. We got to watch the sunset on the beach and nibble on some great appetizers. The calamari, hummus and coconut shrimp was absolutely delicious. We will definitely be going back soon. read more

Ha...we also got the Old Guy Yelling About the Parking experience, but his face dropped when I told him we parked on the street. He also apparently didn't noticed we are at his restaurant. Lol! But seriously, they need an automated validation system for their parking lot, not a crazy old guy stalking it. At the end of the day, you're paying for an amazing location and eating literally right on the beach. Our breakfast was good, the food was better than expected. Our server was attentive but not focused. She spilled creamer all over everything but didn't move to clean it. Can't beatbthe location. Just prepare for quirks along the way. read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Menu and a view - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

This place was way too expensive for what it was. We couldn't believe it. The food was nothing special at all and was just sub par. I wouldn't come back here again. read more

We love this spot. It truly is on the beach and boasts beautiful views of the Gulf. Sit outside and you are literally on the beach. Choose a table with a little sun and you can enjoy the delightfully cool breezes in the morning. We had the 3-Egg Breakfast and the Skillet Breakfast. The food was amazing and the service was great (thanks, Cortes!). Plus, so relaxing --- a perfect spot for a wonderful, peaceful breakfast. Get there between 7 am and 9 am, and you can get the Eye Opener "Early Bird Special": Two eggs any style and a bottomless mug of coffee, served with your choice of the following items: home fries, steel-cut oatmeal, or stone ground grits, and accompanied with your choice of English muffin or a buttermilk biscuit. Parking is in the lot across the street. I highly recommend; we can't wait to be back when we're in town again, next time for lunch or dinner! read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico from our table - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

We travel to the area annually and this was our first year trying gulf drive cafe and let me just say we have been missing out. Although kind of pricey it's worth it for the beach view, friendly bar staff, and tasty drinks and apps. We stopped after walking around on bridge street and refueled with a few appetizers and beachside beers and daiquiris. The coconut shrimp was served with an amazing dipping sauce and pinnacle slaw and was the best I've ever had of its kind, do yourself a favor and give it a try. Check this place out if you want great food, views, and friendly service. read more

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Very disappointed! This was one of the best places to eat and watch the sunset. Service was terrible and we had to beg fir any service. The fish and chips looked like a kids meal for $18.00. No one even tried to make it right. We have ate there several times over the years and it was awesome. This time was very disappointing. read more

Just waited 40 minutes on a salad and the shrimp was not good for how much it costs so I rated this a 1 star

This spot is great because it is literally on the beach which is exactly want I wanted! However, the wait to be seated and for your food is a bit excessive. After the wait however, the food was really good. Quiche Lorraine and the Farmers meat omelette were great! read more

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Came here with my coworkers as our last meal before heading back home after a staff retreat. This place is one of a kind . The view from our table is literally ithe ocean, and that alone was such a great way to start our day! Our waitress was very nice and attentive, and also very proactive as she had to take about 18 different orders as well as drinks and what not. We ordered breakfast. I ordered a waffle which was not the best but my actual omelette and bacon was delicious. All my coworkers were very happy with their meals as well. Would definitely recommend this place! read more

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Had breakfast there 3 days in a row. It was so awesome just walking off the beach. We got to sit at the tables that were in the sand, so still had our feet in the sand. Had three different servers, but don't remember names, sorry guys. All were excellent and attentive. Food was awesome! Omelets and potatoes too big for one person. My favorite eggs Benedict of all time. Saturday morning had great live beach music making it perfect! Mango cart beer for breakfast? Tasted like juice so I don't see any foul there. read more

We came here on a Friday night for a date night. We had been to the adjoining Kokonut Hut bar and really enjoyed it-- the drinks were fantastic, the bartender was very friendly, and we got our appetizer fast! We thought surely this place, given it's the same owners and kitchen, would be just as good. We were seated quickly, which surprised me given it's a Friday night, but I'll never complain about that. However, we very quickly realized this place was disorganized. Despite being seated right away, it took twenty minutes for a server to come by us so we could get a drink menu. Upon getting one, we had at least three different employees come by trying to take an order before we could even look at it. We ordered our drinks, and another fifteen minutes later they arrived, so we could order our dinners. It seemed that the servers weren't operating by sections, they were just checking tables as they went, so you could have several people coming by or none. Our dinners took 40 minutes to come. When they finally came, my grouper sandwich was hot.... but very bland. There was no seasoning to it, aside from one section that was bathed in salt. My partner's grouper tacos were tiny, with very little fish in there-- it was all cabbage. The yellow rice that came with his tacos was completely unseasoned as well. For nearly $20 a plate and waiting 40 minutes, we were disappointed. Overall our dinner and one round of drinks took nearly two hours. read more

My wife and I drove 45 min to eat here and loved it! Our experience was great, service was great and food was delicious. We were the first ones there and very polite staff along with quick service. This will be a place we will definitely recommend and come back to and might make it a sunset dinner since breakfast was so nice. They had some construction (only reason I didn't give 5 stars) going on but wasn't a bother at all, kinda excited to see what it will be after they get done. Parking across the street was easy to find and good size parking lot. Very good place despite the other reviews. We will be back next time in Sarasota! read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Souther eggs Benedict and Classic Eggs Benedict! - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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Oooof. Don't waste your money or time. Management is incredibly rude. Food is below mediocre. Drinks are expensive and nothing great. Staff is very clearly stressed and unhappy. Tourist trap to the max. You're paying for the view. No memorable experiences will be found at this location. You have been warned. read more

Perfect for breakfast or brunch by the gulf the food is great price is not that bad my family enjoyed the breakfast at the gulf.

Went to anna maria island last weekend and stopped here to eat afterwards. The best part about this place is the location. Its right on the beach. You can even get a tiki covered table on the sand. I was pleasantly surprised about the food. I had a grouper sandwhich and it was really good. I have a slight addiction to grouper sandwhiches and always order one if its on the menu. It was a crazy busy day and our server did pretty good on the service side of things. We originally wanted to try tide tables or starfish company but both were closed on memorial day. Im glad this place was open and we got to try it out. I would definetly eat here again. read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Fried grouper sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

Food is blah and drinks ok definitely pay for the scenery. We did crab dip from appetizer menu which was best food item we had. I had a salad with Salmon it was not even chopped up enough to eat I had to cut the lettuce up and cucumbers were in 3/4" slices then tomato was cut into four thick wedges that were tough to cut probably due to not being ripe, avocado was good and citrus house dressing which was not tasty. Grouper tacos were good and stir fry was ok-veggies too done and soggy. Had a great server Brandon but that's not enough to justify the poor tasting food/price. Definitely won't be back read more

One of my favorite places in the area for breakfast or cocktails by the beach. Just ask Stephanie about her "Pregnancy Special" or as I like to call it "I'm eating for 2 today". Amazing biscuits, sausage, sausage gravy, eggs over easy with cheese and bacon. The island French Toast, also amazing and I can't say enough about their loaded grits. I promise I didn't eat all that by my self although I wish I could have. The coffee is hot, the service is warm and my family, friends and I will be back. read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Island French Toast - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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Everything was awesome. A beautiful experience relaxing with drinks and food right on the beach. The service was excellent!!

Fantastic food and service. Beautiful views. Our server was very knowledgeable and helped us decide between a few options based on our preferences. Continuous service for coffee and any extra needs was also very good. Love coming here! read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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Had an amazing time there today ! Had delicious fish tacos ! Was served by truly the BEST server I Ever had. He was so attentive and efficient and treated me better than family. His name was Brian and I will always request him when going there. read more

Seated by a surley hostess and asked about hanging around for a while after lunch to spend some time on the beach and was told pretty much absolutely not. Website said brunch until 1 but at 1230 we were informed brunch was over by a surley waitress. Opted to walk out and go elsewhere read more

Often times I'm hesitant about food places near the beach because they're over priced and not so tasty. NOT the case here. You get your money's worth and the food is absolutely delicious. I had the Eggs Benedict breakfast with my choice of side (fresh fruit) and choice of meat (crab cakes). Drinks- mimosas pictured were $9 each read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Gulf Drive Omelette Breakfast and Seafood Benedict Breakfast with mimosas - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

Went with a group of 8 women for dinner and holiday gift exchange. Server was great, food was great and no complaints- that's shocking with 8 women lol. Dinners ordered were the fried gulf shrimp, fish tacos (grouper- yum), fish & chips, shrimp, mango & avocado salad. All was excellent. read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - View from our table - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

Been coming here for years, a local favorite! Great atmosphere right on the beach, good food, and fabulous service! Brian gave us great service today! read more

We were excited to go here for some drinks and hang out but our experience wasn't great and we left after a drink. We went to back area and asked if we could sit down anywhere. The server said that was fine so we chose a spot and there we sat for about 15 minutes. Normally I would say I understand because everyone is short staffed but we saw 2-3 servers talking in the back area so I don't think that was the issue. We ended up getting our own drinks at the bar. They were just ok so we headed out after that. Undecided if we would try again next visit to the island. So many other places to go that we had more positive experiences at. read more

Amazing food great view and amazing + service! Thank you everyone for their great experience on our anniversary vacation!

Dinner Saturday January 6,2024 crab-cake appetizer was gourmet, fish and chips very good, salad fine. we were disappointed because the only indoor seating available was high tops and one of our party was in a wheelchair BUT staff was extremely considerate, and accommodating by letting us sit in a "closed" section that was out of the wind and set up a heater for us. do wish they would provide accessible tables in the bar/enclosed section. Our server (Madison?) was excellent! Efficient and friendly!! read more

We have been to the Gulf Drive Cafe several times and while normally it's just ok, today was far more disappointing. This morning was overcast, cool, and windy so beach dining wasn't all that popular. Typically we'll sit outside, however due to the weather we made the decision to dine indoors. I think there were only 2 other tables seated in total when we arrived. We were seated without silverware (not a huge deal, it happens) and our drink order was taken promptly. Long story short, our food came out stone cold, was served by someone on the kitchen staff (probably to just get it out of the kitchen) the banana we paid $2 for, was rotten and looked like it had been run over by the produce truck. The manager was far too worried about his email, web browsing or playing solitaire on the computer at the hostess stand than to check on his guests. They had equipment and furniture stacked up in the dining room like a storage unit taking up about 20% of the floor space. I'm sure we'll be back, only for the location, but it sure would be nice if they delivered a premium product to match their premium location and premium pricing. read more

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This was a great experience for an afternoon drink and snack. Sitting on a beach and sipping margaritas is priceless. The service was quick, they even offered us remote sitting to give privacy. We had "catch of the day" fish dip and ordered apple sauce for the child. The dip was light and fresh, the crackers it came with could be updated. The double rum daquiry was $17, I guess, you pay for the view, which is totally worth it. They charged us $3 for a small serving of apple sause, not ordering it again, our baby preferred the dip any way. read more

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We were arriving up in the area to spend the week at Anna Maria Island. We were still in Sarasota when our friend arrived, and saw the Gulf Drive Cafe sitting with its large tiki presence. The restaurant sits on the beach with a nice view. There is an inside restaurant area, bar area inside, and outside seating with umbrellas. The Cafe has a parking lot directly across the street for your convenience. We had just ate prior to arriving so I opted for a rum bucket that was comprised of about 5 different flavored rums and some juices. Fruit it was! I can't tell if the rum was that blended due to all the flavors, or if it just didn't have much alcohol in it. It made my stomach hurt. My husband had a few beers on draft. My girlfriend was having some mimosas which she enjoyed, however, she ordered a crab cake appetizer and got a little something extra NOT on the MENU! As she was eating her crab cake, I asked how the mango salsa was. I love mango salsa. She said she didn't eat it, because there was a hair in it. She said the crab cake was good, but never attempted the salsa for obvious reasons. I don't think I could have ate the crab cake as the black hair entwined in the mango salsa stared back at me. Our waitress was barely around, and we had to track her down for the check. I'm not sure if they had the servers helping in other places that weren't their sections. The best thing about the place was the view. There was live music, but when we arrived it was just wrapping up. It was nice while we were able to enjoy it. It would not be my first pick. read more

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Food & drinks definitely on point! We come here annually for a week. I however, don't agree with the server not being able to split checks! We were a party of 10 & definitely didn't order expecting for them to only be able to split the check 10 ways evenly! When we questioned the server, not stating that prior to ordering she stated " it's posted everywhere", when in fact it was posted in 1 spot at hostess stand. So 1 person in our party paid entire bill of almost $500 & we paid him. This was unnecessary & poor customer service from this establishment! Do better! read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

Ambiance was great, outdoor seating right on the beach (great for watching the sunset too). The chairs were all plastic with arm rests so it wasn't very comfortable for a relatively larger friend of ours. The food was fantastic, no complaints there - but the drinks are outrageous expensive and the wait staff is so short handed (Thursday evening) it made getting some attention significantly difficult. Overall a nice place to go and I would recommend it but go with a smaller party (4 or less) and sit underneath the bar tiki hut... after sunset the little gnats are intolerable at the tables in the sand. read more

Great place for all you can eat pancakes ..everyone is friendly and able to sit right by water .

Madison took great care of me. The cold fries were immediately replaced and the burger was great! read more

Gulf Drive Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida