Where to Eat in Lakewood Ranch, by Occasion

How are these restaurants chosen?

Every pick below is an editorial choice made by Live Ranch Life; no restaurant paid to be listed, and we checked that each one appears on Lakewood Ranch’s official dining listings or its own website. Restaurants open, close and change menus often, so check hours and reservations before you go.

Lakewood Ranch, Florida (Manatee and Sarasota counties) has two main dining hubs. Lakewood Main Street, in the Manatee County part, is the original town center with pubs and casual spots. Waterside Place, in the Sarasota County part, sits on Kingfisher Lake and has a broader mix. Our guide to Main Street and Waterside Place covers parking and the best times to go.

Quick picks by occasion

Occasion	Pick	Where	Why
Date night	Osteria 500	Waterside Place, 1580 Lakefront Drive	Handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza, lakeside patio
Date night	GROVE	10670 Boardwalk Loop	Chef-driven contemporary American, bread baked from scratch
Date night	Paris Bistrot	Lakewood Main Street	French bistro on Main Street
Special occasion	Korê Steakhouse	Waterside Place	Korean steakhouse
Brunch	Remy’s on Main	8138 Lakewood Main Street	Weekend brunch with drink specials
Brunch	FORKED at Waterside	Waterside Place	Breakfast, brunch and lunch spot
Brunch	Good Liquid Brewing Co.	Waterside Place	Brewery with weekend brunch
With kids	Pincher’s Crab Shack	Lakewood Main Street	Kids eat free with an adult entree
With kids	Percoco’s Pizza and Pasta	Lakewood Main Street	Easy pizza and pasta night
Quick lunch	Quincy’s Original Lobster Rolls	Waterside Place	Fast-casual lobster rolls
Quick lunch	Carved	Waterside Place	Rotisserie and carved sandwiches
Barbecue	Twisted Pit BBQ	Lakewood Main Street	Texas-style barbecue
Sushi	Kuro Sushi	Lakewood Main Street	Japanese and sushi
Mexican	AGAVE Bandido	Waterside Place	Mexican food with Tuesday taco specials
Seafood	Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House	Waterside Place	Seafood and oysters
Dessert	Kilwins, Duck Donuts	Waterside Place	Sweets and donuts after dinner

Where should I go for date night?

Osteria 500 at Waterside Place is our top date-night pick for its lakeside patio and handmade pasta. It serves Italian food, including wood-fired pizza and fresh seafood, with an Italian wine list and craft cocktails, at 1580 Lakefront Drive.

For a quieter, chef-driven meal, GROVE at 10670 Boardwalk Loop serves contemporary American food made from scratch daily, including fresh-baked bread and hand-cut proteins. It also runs themed nights such as wine dinners and murder mystery dinners, which can make a fun date. On Main Street, Paris Bistrot brings French bistro cooking to the original town center. For a splurge, Korê Steakhouse at Waterside Place is a Korean steakhouse.

Where is the best brunch?

Remy’s on Main is the classic Main Street brunch, served on weekends with drink specials. Remy’s also hosts piano music on Thursday nights.

At Waterside Place, FORKED at Waterside is a breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant, and Good Liquid Brewing Co. serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. On Sunday, pair brunch with the farmers market, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Waterside Place. See our farmers markets guide for details.

Where can I take the kids?

Pincher’s Crab Shack on Main Street is the family value pick, since kids eat free with an adult entree purchase. Check the current terms when you order.

Percoco’s Pizza and Pasta on Main Street is a reliable pizza night. At Waterside Place, finish with dessert at Kilwins or Duck Donuts, then let the kids run off energy at Waterside Park’s splash park and playground, across the footbridge. On the first Friday of most months, Music on Main has food vendors and kids’ activities on Main Street, and it is free to attend.

Where can I eat outdoors?

Waterside Place is the best outdoor dining spot because it sits on Kingfisher Lake. Osteria 500 has an outdoor patio and lakeside dining. From October through May, Ranch Nite Wednesdays bring local food trucks, drinks to go from Waterside Place restaurants and live music to Waterside Place from 6 to 9 p.m., with free entry.

Bringing a dog? Florida only allows dogs in restaurant outdoor areas set up for them, so ask first. Our dog-friendly places guide explains the rules.

Where can I grab a quick lunch?

Waterside Place has the most fast-casual choices. Quincy’s Original Lobster Rolls serves lobster roll sandwiches, Carved focuses on rotisserie meats and sandwiches, and Eatalia is an Italian market and eatery. For coffee, try O&A Coffee Supply at Waterside Place or Starbucks on Main Street. Juice Pod on Main Street serves smoothies and juices.

Where should I go for drinks and live music?

Main Street is the pub district, and Waterside Place is the craft beer and cocktail district.

• The Peculiar Pub (Main Street): craft beer bar with live music on Saturdays and weekly game nights.
• Ed’s Tavern (Main Street): American tavern with live music on Friday and Saturday nights, trivia and poker nights, and the monthly Classic Car Show.
• Delany’s Public House (Main Street): an American pub.
• Good Liquid Brewing Co. and The Lounge by Good Liquid Distilling Co. (Waterside Place): house beer, cocktails, trivia, karaoke and weekend DJs.
• Allswell (Waterside Place): live music on Thursdays and DJs on weekends.
• Florida Provisions (Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive): weekly bingo and trivia nights.

Weekly game and music nights change often. Our monthly events calendar lists what is on this month.

Where can I host a private dinner or party?

GROVE is the most complete option for a private event, with a ballroom, a private dining room and catering. Osteria 500 also has private dining spaces. For a birthday or celebration at home instead, see our kids’ birthday party venues guide and our balloon decor guide for prices and lead times.

Where else should I eat nearby?

Beyond the two town centers, Lakewood Ranch Blvd and the University Town Center area add many more restaurants. We will add picks from those areas as we check them. For more ideas, see things to do in Lakewood Ranch.