Siesta Key has several kid-friendly casual restaurant options for families so that they never need to leave the island to enjoy a great meal.
Below is an overview of 4 excellent Siesta Key family-friendly restaurants, to choose from while staying at our Siesta Key condo rentals – but there are many others.
The Old Salty Dog
Location: 5023 Ocean Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34242
Hours: Daily from 11am to 9:30pm (10pm on Friday and Saturday).
For affordable cuisine, a family-friendly atmosphere, and some good and classic American fare, you can’t go wrong with the locally famous Old Salty Dog. It has become a rather iconic restaurant on Siesta Key.
Some dish highlights include the Mango Mahi Wrap, soaked in passion fruit mango dressing and sweet chili sauce. There’s also the whiplash Chicken Firecracker Wrap – a chipotle chicken wrap is dipped in the Salty Dog’s definitive “Boom Boom” sauce.
Kids can order from a kids’ menu or baskets menu, which includes staples such as fish n’ chips, miniature cheesy hot dog bites, the butterfly shrimp, or chicken tenders.
Your family won’t get enough of the sunny layout and beach atmosphere of the Old Salty Dog. It is quintessential Florida beach dining, with a straw roof and an old wood aesthetic running through the large-scale shack.
Sun Garden Café
Location: 210 Avenida Madera, Sarasota, FL 34242
Hours: Breakfast and brunch/lunch stop only. The hours for the café are 7:30am to 2:30pm every day.
There’s something so quaint and lovely about the Sun Garden Café. The café isn’t big and it isn’t open late into the night to meet that demand for nighttime beach dining.
But, it has some of the best waffles, pancakes, and sandwiches you can find on the island, some stellar smoothies, and enough omelets options to make the biggest breakfast fanatic excited.
And if you can’t decide what direction to go with for your breakfast or brunch, go for the “Kitchen Sink”- it’s a tailor-made with whatever you want, including bacon, ham, spinach, mushrooms, and many other cheese and veggies.
It also has a very homely feel and a comfortable ambiance that is more than welcoming for even the biggest and loudest of families.
Since it closes early, you can easily spend the back half of the day exploring the nearby attractions, such as Siesta Key.
Siesta Key Oyster Bar
Location: 5238 Ocean Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34242
Hours: Open 11am to 12am most days, opening at 9am on Sundays.
The high-energy and buzzing ambiance of the Siesta Key Oyster Bar, locally known as SKOB, will engage the kids and satisfy the pickiest of eaters.
The Oyster Bar has a kid’s menu, with a small portioned burger, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, and fish tacos and coloring games to keep them busy.
While the kids can comfortably stick with what they know, you can ready up with a few platefuls of oysters and some of the best seafood in Florida.
The Hub Baja Grill
Location: 5148 Ocean Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34242
Hours: Open 11am to 10pm every day of the week, and open a little later (11pm) on Fridays and Saturdays.
Baja food is the name of the game at the Hub Baja Grill. The family-friendly energy here is inviting for all ages.
You can’t miss the Baja-inspired everything here, including the Corona Baja Shrimp, the Spiced Ahi Tuna, and Truffled Shrimp. Kids will have no problem fitting in this casual restaurant.
The above restaurants offer different types of experiences for families seeking the most out of Siesta Key. Go down the list and visit them all for a wonderful dining adventure on the island.