Dining on the Beach on Florida's West Coast

You go to Florida for the sun, the beaches, and the atmosphere of fun. One of the simpler pleasures encompassing all three is eating out. at a restaurant along a sandy stretch of beach. If you're along the West Coast of Florida, there are a couple of restaurants you shouldn't miss.

They are the Sandbar Restaurant on Anna Maria Island and the nearby Beach House Restaurant on Bradenton Beach, both owned by the same company. A third restaurant they own, the Mar-Vista just south of these two on Longboat Key, doesn't quite have the same ambiance, at least to me, probably because it's on the inland waterway. Each sits right on the beach (some tables are actually on the sand) and provide a variety of excellent, reasonably priced food from fish to beef to chicken.

But it's the turquoise water lapping next to you, the birds flitting about, the sunsets, and plenty of parasailors and beachgoers to watch as you eat that completes the pleasant experience. Live entertainment is provided by local musicians. You can't help but feel that you're on some distant Caribbean island.

The Beach House Restaurant is located at 200 Gulf Drive, Bradenton Beach (941-779-2222). The Sandbar Restaurant is located at 100 Spring Avenue, Anna Maria Island (941-778-0444). Near the Sandbar is the Historic Pier with its own restaurant at the end where you have a terrific view of the graceful Sunshine Bridge. This one has a definite local feel to it.

Both the Beach House and Sandbar Restaurants can be reached by taking route 64 off Interstate 75 in Bradenton. A more scenic drive is to leave Sarasota and travel north on Longboat Key to Anna Maria Island. Longboat Key has the feel and look of wealth while Anna Maria Island has the colorful buildings and feel of a beach getaway.