After a relaxing day at Siesta Key beach, we stopped at The Cottage for lunch. I cannot say enough…read moregreat things about this restaurant. It's got a relaxing beach vibe with outside seating and a nice patio in the back with enough shade. I could tell that they host nightly entertainment here with a small stage. For lunch, I ordered the lobster maki roll. I'm not a big sushi fan, but I was intrigued. This lobster roll was one of the best sushi rolls I've had in a long time. Also ordered include the blackened grouper sandwich, billionaire burger, and tempura shrimp appetizer. Our group loved every entree. The cocktails were also refreshing. I really loved my jalapeño watermelon margarita. Our server was wonderful - very friendly and quick service. Definitely an enjoyable lunch or dinner spot!

We booked this place via OpenTable since it received great reviews. We ended up parking next door…read moresince parking was a bit hard to navigate. The parking place had ample parking where you needed a mobile app to pay for your parking. There was a larger souvenir store there if you needed to kill time before your seating. Once it was our time for our dinner reservations, we were greeted and seated at our table. Our waitress was a bit sarcastic or had a witty comments that didn't sit well with my kids. When ordering our foods, the kids asked what type of drinks they had since it was not listed on the menu. She said Coke but didn't elaborate that they had Coke products. Since she said Coke so fast our daughter didn't hear the response and asked her the question again where she just said that's a great question and ignored her and moved on. Food wise - we had the Peruvian ceviche, Peruvian chicken, I think I had a special grouper dish. The food was good. We were able to eat everything and the kids enjoyed their kids burger meals. Outside of the waitress comments, the place placed nice modern music to listen to and had the basketballs games playing on the tv at the bar.

I was searching Google for vegan restaurants in the area and decided to give this one a try. Since…read moreI was ordering to go, I picked a few items that caught my attention: the crab cakes, tofu Reuben, and the raw blueberry cheesecake for dessert. The wait time was about 45 minutes, which wasn't bad at all. The crab cakes were delicious, but the sauce was a miss for me. It was way too spicy. With crab cakes, I think it's best to keep it simple with a tartar-style sauce, of course vegan. I ended up eating them without the sauce and enjoyed them much more that way. The tofu Reuben was good overall, but the bread was a little soggy. A thicker or sturdier bread might hold up better. Even so, the flavors were good and I enjoyed it. Last but definitely not least was the raw blueberry cheesecake. It was absolutely delicious! However, the sauce served with it wasn't for me at all. Thankfully, I tasted it separately before pouring it on the cheesecake because I would have been disappointed. The sauce wasn't sweet and took away from the dessert rather than adding to it. Overall, I had a good experience and enjoyed most of what I ordered. I'll definitely be back, and next time I'd like to dine in and enjoy the meals.

It's not easy to find vegetarian food in the South when you're hungry. Lila came to the rescue!…read more Downtown Sarasota parking can be tricky, but we found a parking structure with one hour free nearby. When we first entered, there was just one table occupied, it was early afternoon. The music was a bit too much for the setting. The environment was clean. But, it took 5 minutes or more for someone to come out and greet us. We went to the restroom and almost left, thinking they were closed. But, finally they noticed us. Thank goodness, because I had one of the best BLTAs of my life. The bread looked boring, but it was soft and the perfect blank slate for the seitan bacon, tomato, avocado, and mayo. Very tasty! My husband had the Tofu Rueben. The tofu was a thick slab and the faux corned beef idea would have been better as thin seitan slices. But, he still enjoyed it. Both came with a small salad of just lettuce. I enjoyed my meal (obviously) but I think they could improve their hospitality. Prices indicate a higher level of service. Maybe to go is best.

Some of the best Bar B Q brisket, ribs & burnt ends around... and I'm from Texas…read more We ate here as a family a while back and everyone loved what they ordered. The food, drinks and desserts were spectacular! My kids loved it too so that's a huge bonus! Service was great, vibes and views were awesome. Great place to get some excellent food!

Allison was our server and she was so attentive and nice. We loved the smoked wings, brisket w bbq…read moresauce, fries (especially good), and cowboy caviar! Definitely want to come back to try their tacos :)

What a terrific night. The menu is very diverse, giving you lots of options to mix and match which…read morewe took advantage of tonight. First, I must commend the staff at the restaurant. Misty was our server and she was so pleasant, engaged and professional. She took the time to have a lovely chat with us and that was so nice. Also, I ordered a Lemon Drop martini and it was so wonderful that I asked if I could talk to the bartender. I Didn't get her name but she was so nice! She Gave us the recipe, the process and stayed for a lovely chat. Oh, and BTW, the food was great! We mixed a bunch of things ( mussels, Brussels, tacos and peppers) and all were terrific. With the exception of the peppers. Not great and Misty took care of us when we gave her that feedback. Overall, a 10 of 10 for service and 9 of 10 for food! Go there, you'll love it!

Very disappointed by the false advertising. Boca promotes that they serve lunch, but if you visit…read moreon the weekend, you'll quickly find out that they only offer a brunch menu with very limited lunch options. We specifically came expecting a lunch experience based on their advertising and were frustrated to discover that wasn't the case. There's a big difference between serving lunch and serving brunch with a few lunch items sprinkled in. Restaurants should be transparent about what they actually offer so customers can make informed decisions before visiting. If you're looking for a true lunch menu on the weekend, this may not be the place for you.

Great food and service with attentive staff and bartender…read more Best view of the bay in all of Sarasota.

Awesome place. View/ service/ food. Top notch. We visited 5 times this past 2 weeks on our…read morevacation. Best value / quality around. Love it!! I'd give it 6 stars if I could!

What an absolute gem of a restaurant. The ambiance is artsy, whimsical, fun--and it all just works…read more Really well. Our server, Juliana, provided absolute perfection. She was bright, effervescent, eager to please, extremely knowledgeable about every drink and food item on the menu, always present when needed but never hovering. She has perfected her craft and it made for a wonderful experience. The menu is written with flair and verve, and every offering seems irresistible. We wanted to try everything, but of course couldn't, so we made do with a couple of their signature cocktails (wonderful), a flatbread appetizer (also wonderful) and the very delicious meat loaf and the gemelli pasta entrees. I 10 out of 10 in every respect. We were quite concerned that we were the only patrons in the restaurant during our entire meal. It was early on a Tuesday evening in low season, but still. I hope more folks discover Wink Wink as it would be a shame to lose such a treasure. I would think they might want to consider offering a happy hour to boost things a bit. On the other hand, they could be doing very well and we just hit an off night. Go. Try it. The whole experience will be very entertaining with the art and whimsy of the decor and the menu. Great vibes. and the service and food were wonderful.

There's a floral pop up event of some sort going on The food…read morewas great! And the drinks were unique and tasted even better! The charcuterie was like a dream, and the Popsicle champagne drink wasn't too shabby! The service was good, and it wasn't too busy when I went. There's definitely photo ops for days for all my fellow content creators! The manger was friendly as well, and was nice enough to check in on all the guests here and there. Will def come back soon!

For my first experience I came here under my dining partner's urging for dinner and we found our…read moreexperience to be kind of mediocre. I'm not sure what happened or if we were there on an off night the ambiance is nice/upscale so that was enjoyable. Firstly, we opted for the bread service and the whipped ricotta. The bread was a bit heavy and very oily, albeit was tasty. If that's not your preferred bread style please take note. The whipped ricotta was quite nice, and it was fun to try. I had the branzino fish entree which was okay. My partner's meal was a chicken parmigiana which, I hate to report, was largely unimpressive. We ate our entrees but agreed we weren't thrilled. My second visit was redemptive. On this visit I ate with a friend in the bar area. The bartender was awesome and was very attentive and personable. We enjoyed our drinks and I enjoyed the salad I added fish to. I enjoyed the atmosphere and it was fun to sit in the bar area. All in all, this isn't bad for a chain Italian restaurant. I hear lunch at Bar Italia is good. There is plenty of parking near this standalone restaurant with lots of other businesses adjacent to explore as wells check it out if you're in the area.

My wife took me to Bar Italia for my birthday and wow was I impressed! The HH menu has so many…read moregreat food options. We tried the stuffed peppers and the calamari. Both were great!! I had the lasagna and my wife had the lemon chicken. I really enjoyed her chicken and would definitely get that next time. The lasagna was still excellent but the chicken had out of this world flavor! They treated us to a tiramisu for dessert. Great restaurant can't wait to come back!

What a fanatastic place. It was our first time going and the place was happening for a Friday…read morenight. Lovely decor inside which makes you feel right at home. Ordered the Pornstar martini to start and it was delicious (came with a side of proseco). We didn't know how big the portions were so we didn't order any apps. For dinner my husband had the korean meatloaf and I had the veggie pasta alfredo. Both were so good! We ordered the dessert special and it was fantastic. Definitely will go back since they have so much to choose from!

i had the beet salad, and wine - which was a really nice pour of malbec. my son had a steak and…read morechocolate cake, and hubby had the special which was a goulash. everything was phenomenal- taste and presentation both spot on. our server took a while to initially come up but in his defense the restaurant was slammed. i don't know that i would go back for a family meal as much as maybe a girls night out or date night. the vibe is relaxed and chic.

We were in Sarasota for a crew state championship and decided to try this spot--really glad we did…read more The food was exceptional, with great presentation and thoughtful plating. The ambiance was upbeat, warm, and just a really pleasant place to relax. What stood out most was the service--the manager came by several times, always smiling and genuinely making sure we were enjoying everything. That kind of attention goes a long way. The steak was excellent, and my daughter absolutely loved her chicken. Overall, a fantastic experience. Definitely recommend if you're in Sarasota.

Libby's was our FAV restaurant in all of Sarasota. We came here on a Saturday night and sat in a…read morelovely little spot right at the threshold between indoor and outdoor. Our server Casey was one of the best in the biz - he made the experience so great! We felt like we were besties with him. We shared the shrimp as an appetizer and ate it alarmingly fast. Then for entrees, my darling got the Chicken Milanese (Casey gave the hot tip to do mashed potatoes as a side and that was a crucial and worthwhile decision) and I got two apps as my entree, the Brussels sprouts and the Tuna tataki. The tuna is something I will be thinking about for years to come. We polished it all off by sharing a deliiiiightful key lime pie, a 10/10 choice. All the employees at Libby's are top tier and so kind, and we couldn't stop talking about our dinner here for the rest of our time in Sarasota. Can't wait to come back :)

Really lovely Sunday lunch after our visit to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. The decor was airy…read moreand bright, the food was delicious and the service friendly and prompt. We loved the Millionaire Bacon which was on everything we ordered starting with the Deviled Eggs and then sharing the Cobb Salad and the Bacon and Blue Cheese Burger. We finished off our meal with a perfect Strawberry Shortcake. Highly recommend this restaurant whether you are visiting the Botanical Gardens or not. But it's definitely a must stop if you are going to be at the gardens anyways.

February 16, 2025 - 4 for lunch…read more We are long time members and this is my first time since all the renovations and work. First time to The Green Orchid. Perfect name! We had friends in from snowy cold NY / LI and this was one of the key stops with them during their stay. The place was pretty packed in season. No outdoor spots and we waited a few minutes for an indoor four top. Service was spectacular. The food was very good as we got a bunch of salads and light food entrees. There were a few cocktails as well for the wives. My salad was a lot of romaine but very spartan on edamame, onion, nuts or anything else. The green dressing was good. Clean as a hospital operating room!! Food was fresh and delightful. All the entrees we had were mid $25 range and with a beer at $8 and mixed drinks at $15 we zoomed up to about $42 per person or $174 for 4 people tax and gratuity. It was surely "tourist" and higher priced for a lunch. I picked up the tab for our guests and with the over 65 restaurants I have reviewed on Main Street and in Sarasota....... I am not sure this was so convenient and easy to be worth the cost/value for what you got? We might even walk the waterfront or head down Lemon or Pineapple and hit Main Street as an option next time? More friends in a few days and a few in March. The "boss" and social director will make the call.!!!