Kick Back & Relax

By Rick Dakan

Tamiami Tap

711 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota 941.500.3182

Closed Mondays 

Tues – Friday: 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. 

Sat: 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. 

Sun: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Late night dining is like a mythical creature in Sarasota. There are always rumors, there’s always some hope that there’s good food after 10pm, but it’s pretty hard to find a place when you want one. The new Tamiami Tap bar and restaurant has stepped up to the challenge, hoping to be the kind of neighborhood hang out joint that both serves locals and offers good food even after midnight. So far they’re off to a good start. 

The Osprey Avenue location has hosted a number of different restaurants over the years, including a Word of Mouth location for quite a while. I’ve alway enjoyed the bright, airy dining room, and Tamiami Tap has taken full advantage of the generous outdoor seating area. On a beautiful evening, with all the doors open and the breeze blowing, its mix of bar, tabletop dining, and lounge areas feels delightful and welcoming.

As the name suggests, Tamiami Tap offers draft beer as well as bottled, with a nice mix of local brews and popular brands, along with a full bar and some intriguing cocktails. The menu is pretty straightforward American bar and grill food. Burgers, sandwiches, shrimp, fish tacos, salads. On Fridays and Saturdays they also serve prime rib, which is always a crowd pleaser. There are a few more interesting offerings, such as the Tuna Poke appetizer served with tortilla chips, which is a nice, light and tasty opening act that feels a little more adventuresome.

There are also plenty of good options for vegetarians, including the Impossible meat-substitute in both burger and taco forms. I’ve been following Impossible foods for a couple of years now, ever since glowing initial reports from food writers who taste-tested the original formula. Impossible products are entirely vegetable-based, but use a naturally occurring molecule called heme to produce a meaty flavor. It’s great to be able to get them in Sarasota, and it’s definitely something that sets Tamiami Tap apart from the crowd. Now your late-night munchies can be at least a little bit healthy too.

The Lazy Parrot

3602 Webber Street, Sarasota 941.952.3352

Kitchen Hours: 

Sunday -Thursday 11a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Bar Hours:

Sunday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. – Midnight

I drive through the intersection of Webber and Beneva in Sarasota almost every day, and for years there’s been an abandoned bank right there on the corner. Then last year construction started. A new bank? No. I watched week after week as they transformed the drive-through bank teller area into a big, open air bar. I kind of couldn’t believe it, but it’s true, and the result is The Lazy Parrot, a bar, grill, and live music venue that’s now packed every time I drive by. 

And there’s the one big challenge of success: parking. The restaurant sits in the parking lot of a small strip of stores that includes at least five or six other restaurants and bars. Finding a spot to go anywhere in the strip is a challenge on a Friday night. There is more parking behind the strip, and across Webber, but it’s not ideal. 

Once you’re inside (maybe take an Uber or Lyft?), The Lazy Parrot has a lot to offer. The menu is bordering on vast. There’s nothing too inventive, but there are a lot of appealing options: eight kinds of burgers (including veggie), twelve different sandwiches (including the slightly unusual Beef on a Weck roast beef sandwich from Buffalo), and personal pizzas. And then all the classic Americana mains, from steak and fish to pasta and tacos. There’s also a raw bar with oysters along with cooked shrimp and mussels. 

The big attraction of course is the added experience besides the food and drink. There’s the open air location, which is great when the weather’s nice. TVs show the big game, whatever it is that day. But really, it’s the music. There’s live music every night, usually from around 5 p.m. to around 10 p.m., give or take half an hour. Styles vary from acoustic to rock to funk, so check out theparrotpatiobar.com to see who’s playing any given night.