When the island air turns crisp and comfort food calls, chowder takes center stage on Anna Maria Island—though sometimes gumbo makes a flavorful appearance too. From creamy bowls of New England–style chowder to spice-kissed gumbo, these hearty soups bring warmth, tradition, and coastal character to the island.
Whether you’re craving something classic or a little bold, Anna Maria Island knows how to serve comfort by the spoonful.
Contents
- Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the Pier
- Beach House Waterfront Restaurant
- Blue Marlin Seafood Restaurant
- Bridge Street Bistro
- Bridge Tender Inn Dockside & Tiki Bar
- Gulf Drive Cafe & Kokonut Hut
- Harry’s Grill
- Hurricane Hanks
- Island Fresh Market
- Island Time Bar & Grill
- The Lazy Lobster
- Mar Vista
- Sandbar Seafood and Spirits
- Slim’s Place
- Star Fish Company
- Swordfish Grill
- Tide Tables Restaurant
- The Toasted Mango Cafe
- The Ugly Grouper
Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the Pier
- 📍 200 Bridge Street · Bradenton Beach
- 📞 941-778-2662
- ⏰ Sunday through Thursday · 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- ⏰ Friday & Saturday · 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Warm up with a bold Spicy Seafood Gumbo, packed with rich flavor and just the right kick, available by the cup or bowl. If you’re craving something classic, the New England Clam Chowder is creamy and comforting.
Beach House Waterfront Restaurant
- 📍 200 Gulf Drive · Bradenton Beach
- 📞 941-779-2222
- ⏰ Daily · 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- 🍹 Happy Hour · Daily · 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM · inside bar only
The Clam Chowder at Beach House Restaurant is a Gulf Coast favorite, made with tender clams, hearty potatoes, and smoky bacon. Rich, comforting, and full of coastal flavor, it’s the perfect bowl for a breezy island day.
Blue Marlin Seafood Restaurant
- 📍 121 Bridge Street · Bradenton Beach
- 📞 941-896-9737
- ⏰ Friday and Saturday · 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- ⏰ Tuesday through Thursday · 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
- 🎶 Live Music · Friday and Saturday · 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
The Cortez Seafood Chowder features tender grouper and shrimp simmered in a house-made seafood broth with leeks, potatoes, and okra, served with toast for a hearty, coastal bite. For a classic option, the Clam Chowder at Blue Marlin Seafood Restaurant is a creamy, house-made white chowder with local littlenecks, also served with toast.
Bridge Street Bistro
- 📍 111 Gulf Drive · Bradenton Beach
- 📞 941-782-1122
- ⏰ Sunday through Thursday · 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
- ⏰ Friday and Saturday · 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- 🍹 Happy Hour · Daily · 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
The Seafood Chowder at Beach Street Bistro is rich and comforting, loaded with salmon, grouper, shrimp, and clams in a thick, creamy broth with bacon, potatoes, celery, carrots, and onions. It’s a hearty, flavor-packed bowl that’s perfect for soaking up island vibes one spoonful at a time.
Bridge Tender Inn Dockside & Tiki Bar
- 📍 135 Bridge Street · Bradenton Beach
- 📞 941-778-4849
- ⏰ Daily · 11:00 AM to 11:30 PM
- 🎶 Live Music · Daily · afternoon and evening
The New England clam chowder at Bridge Tender Inn Dockside & Tiki Bar is rich and comforting, loaded with tender clams, potatoes, and smoky bacon in a creamy base.
Gulf Drive Cafe & Kokonut Hut
- 📍 900 Gulf Drive North · Bradenton Beach
- 📞 941-778-1919
- ⏰ Cafe · Sunday through Thursday · 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM
- ⏰ Cafe · Friday and Saturday · 7:00 AM to 9:30 PM
- ⏰ Hut · Daily · 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM
- 🎶 Live Music · Daily · 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
The clam chowder at Gulf Drive Cafe & Kokonut Hut features tender clams and potatoes simmered in a creamy broth with their special house seasonings.
Harry’s Grill
- 📍 9903 Gulf Drive · Anna Maria
- 📞 941-567-5999
- ⏰ Monday through Saturday · 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM
- ⏰ Sunday · 1:00 PM to 9:30 PM
- ⏰ Sunday · Harry’s Hallelujah Brunch · 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
- 🍹 Happy Hour · Monday through Friday · 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
- 🎶 Live Music · Daily · 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Billie’s Gumbo is a family legacy dish. Served in a hearty bowl over rice, this rich gumbo begins with a classic wheat-flour roux and a deeply flavorful fish stock made from shellfish and lobster. The creamy soup base is filled with onions, garlic, fresh fish, shrimp, okra, and smoky andouille sausage, creating a comforting dish layered with depth and tradition.
Hurricane Hanks
- 📍 5346 Gulf Drive · Holmes Beach
- 📞 941-778-5788
- ⏰ Food · Sunday through Thursday · 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM
- ⏰ Food · Friday and Saturday · 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM
- ⏰ Bar · Daily · 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM
For a cozy, comforting bite, Hurricane Hanks’ New England clam chowder is the perfect choice on a cooler day. It’s rich, creamy, and satisfying,
Island Fresh Market
- 📍 5604 Marina Drive Suite A · Holmes Beach
- 📞 941-567-6130
- ⏰ Monday through Friday · 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- ⏰ Saturday · 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Island Fresh Market serves up house-made favorites like Manhattan Clam Chowder, New England Clam Chowder, Seafood Gumbo, and Blue Crab & Corn Chowder. Each bowl is crafted fresh daily, bringing comforting, flavorful soups straight to your table.
Blue Crab & Corn Chowder · A rich blue crab and corn chowder made with sweet blue crab, corn, onions, butter, flour, whole milk, cream, crab base, Worcestershire sauce, Marsala wine, pepper, and natural spices.
Clam Chowder · A creamy clam chowder simmered with diced clams, ocean clam juice, potatoes, butter, onions, flour, milk, cream, and subtle natural spices for rich, coastal flavor.
Manhattan Clam Chowder · A hearty Manhattan clam chowder packed with clams, celery, onion, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, thyme, olive oil, and a savory blend of spices.
Seafood Gumbo · A hearty seafood gumbo loaded with shrimp, blue crab, and andouille sausage, simmered with green pepper, onion, okra, tomatoes, clam juice, flour, and bold Cajun spices.
Island Time Bar & Grill
- 📍 111 Gulf Drive South · Bradenton Beach
- 📞 941-782-1122
- ⏰ Wednesday through Saturday · 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM
- ⏰ Sunday through Tuesday · 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- 🍹 Happy Hour · Monday through Friday · 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- 🎶 Live Music · Daily · 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
The Seafood Chowder at Island Time Bar & Grill is rich and comforting, loaded with salmon, grouper, shrimp, and clams in a thick, creamy broth with bacon, potatoes, celery, carrots, and onions. It’s a hearty, flavor-packed bowl that’s perfect for soaking up island vibes one spoonful at a time.
The Lazy Lobster
- 📍 5350 Gulf of Mexico Drive · Longboat Key
- 📞 941-383-0440
- ⏰ Monday through Friday · 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM
- ⏰ Saturday · 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM
The New England clam chowder at The Lazy Lobster is a creamy bowl filled with tender clams and savory seasonings, perfect by the cup or bowl.
Mar Vista
- 📍 760 Broadway Street · Longboat Key
- 📞 941-383-2391
- ⏰ Monday through Friday · 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM
- ⏰ Saturday and Sunday · 11:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Mar Vista serves a rich Gulf Coast Chowder loaded with gulf shrimp, clams, smoky bacon, potatoes, corn, and cream. It’s a hearty bowl that delivers big coastal flavor in every spoonful.
Sandbar Seafood and Spirits
- 📍 100 Spring Avenue · Anna Maria
- 📞 941-778-0444
- ⏰ Daily · 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
The Clam Chowder at Sandbar Seafood and Spirits is a classic New England–style favorite, rich, creamy, and comforting. Packed with tender clams and traditional flavors, it’s the perfect seaside bowl to enjoy just steps from the sand.
Slim’s Place
- 📍 9701 Gulf Drive · Anna Maria
- 📞 941-567-4056
- ⏰ Tuesday through Sunday · 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM
- ⏰ Monday · 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- 🍹 Happy Hour · Monday through Friday · 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
The Jersey Shore Crab Soup at Slim’s Place is a comforting, flavor-packed classic, available by the cup or the bowl.
Star Fish Company
- 📍 12306 46th Avenue West · Cortez
- 📞 941-794-1243
- ⏰ Tuesday through Saturday · 11:30 AM to 8:00 PM
- ⏰ Sunday and Monday · 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM
The Cortez Fish Chowder at Starfish is a hearty, tomato-based delight, packed with fresh seafood and vegetables for a flavorful meal. When in season, they also serve a rich stone crab chowder that’s a must-try for seafood lovers.
Swordfish Grill
- 📍 4628 119th Street West · Cortez
- 📞 941-798-2035
- ⏰ Daily · 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- 🍹 Happy Hour · Monday through Saturday · 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
- 🎶 Live Music · Daily · evenings · Saturday and Sunday additionally in afternoon
The Clam Chowder at Swordfish Grill is a creamy New England-style classic, served with crackers and available by the cup or bowl.
Tide Tables Restaurant
- 📍 12507 Cortez Road West · Cortez
- 📞 941-567-6206
- ⏰ Daily · 11:30 AM to 8:00 PM
The Chicken & Sausage Gumbo at Tide Tables Restaurant is a flavorful dish served by the cup or bowl, perfect for a comforting island meal.
The Toasted Mango Cafe
- 📍 3240 East Bay Drive ·Holmes Beach
- 📞 941-213-9948
- ⏰ Daily · 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM
The New England Clam Chowder at Toasted Mango Cafe is rich and comforting, loaded with tender clams, hand-chopped celery, hearty potatoes, sweet onion, and just a touch of bacon for a deep, smoky finish.
The Ugly Grouper
- 📍 5704 Marina Drive · Holmes Beach
- 📞 941-896-8033
- ⏰ Daily 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- 🎶 Live Music · Daily · 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- 🎶 Live Music · Saturday and Sunday · 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
The Coastal Clam Chowder at The Ugly Grouper features tender ocean clams, potatoes, parsley, and a house blend of spices, available by the cup or bowl.
Until next time…
· izzy
The Anna Maria Island Restaurant Guide includes 80+ local restaurants and $200+ in exclusive activity coupons.
Restaurants are categorized by location, phone number, hours of operation, happy hour, live music, cuisine, vibe, waterfront, price, and reservations.
Activity coupons include beach equipment setup, bike rental, jet ski rental, eco kayak tour, mixology class, boat tour, golf cart rental, fishing charter, and a horseback ride!
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Here is a comprehensive list of shops on AMI.
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This coffee guide spills the beans on the island coffee vibe.