There’s no shortage of excellent restaurants in East Bradenton! Recently, Discover Bradenton’s food blogger Jean Totti provided some insight into three newer locations that he’s deemed “must-visit” eateries. Check out his recommendations…
Miller’s Ale House
Miller’s started in 1988 in Jupiter, Florida, and has developed into a casual, sport-themed restaurant with 100 locations over 10 states. Their menu is extensive, including appetizers, pastas, seafood, steaks, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and chicken wings.
They’re best known for the boneless wings or “Zingers”. These are buttermilk-breaded chicken strips tossed in one of their specialty sauces. The sauces themselves present an array of flavors ranging from a savory Garlic Parmesan to a Chili Lime Dry Rub or a more explosive Mt. St. Helens or Five Pepper Fire.
There’s a dish that stands out to me when it comes to appetizers at Miller’s, that is the Mountain Melt Madness. This is a jumbo pretzel topped with fries, beer cheese, mozzarella sticks, and zingers, all drizzled in hot Buffalo sauce. Put it down as a colossal and shareable dish.
They also have a range of favorites such as Pork Potstickers, Fried Calamari, Quesadillas, and Mozzarella Sticks. House specialties in the entree category include Barbeque Baby Back Ribs, Mimi’s Chicken and Shrimp Bowl, and Pork Osso Buco.
I find their osso buco quite interesting for this type of establishment. It is a marinated and slowly cooked shank, a dish that requires a significant amount of time and attention in a fast turnaround kitchen. It’s definitely worth a try.
Their steak menu is also more complex than you would expect at a sports bar. It offers Prime Rib, Filet Mignon, and Ribeye cuts. Their ½ lb. burgers are hand-packed and 100% ground beef. Toppings and combinations include a Prime Burger with shaved prime rib, roasted mushrooms, sautéed onions, gravy and garlic crema; and the Brunch Burger topped with a fried egg & creamy red chili sauce.
Miller’s offers a Daily Special, which I find to be really good menu options at discounted prices. Mondays feature Zingers at $9.99, Wednesdays are 12 or 24 wings at $11.99 and $23.99, and Thursdays and Sundays is Prime Rib at $17.99. All good reasons to check them out.
Miller’s Ale Houe is located at:
7175 SR 64 East, Bradenton, FL 34212
(941) 210-0661
Website * Facebook
Ed’s Tavern
This sports bar has two locations in East Bradenton, the first one in Lakewood Ranch and the second and newer location on State Road 64. What most people don’t know about this tavern is that it has its roots in New Jersey and as far back as 1935.
Ed’s is the perfect place to enjoy a casual meal, watch professional sports, or participate in one of their many weekly activities – including Trivia Nights on Thursdays, Poker Nights on Tuesdays, Classic Car Show on the first Wednesday of each month. There’s also an extensive list of local musicians that play at both locations.
Their cocktail menu is quite unique with their take on some traditional drinks like the Rodeo Old Fashioned, a tequila cocktail aptly named LWR Ranch Water, and a rum based drink named Faderade. Other alcoholic selections include ales, stouts, ciders, sours, and IPA’s from local and national breweries.
Egg Rolls are an exciting part of their menu, with offerings like Bacon Mac & Cheese, Southwest Chicken, and Pizza EggRolls. Boneless and bone-in wings are also a staple here, with around 20 different rubs and sauces to choose from – incluidng a Cajun Dry Rub, XXX Buffalo Sauce, and a Margarita House Sauce.
Sandwiches, flatbreads, wraps, bowls and burgers are on the list as well. I singled out the Carolina BBQ SmashBurger which is a combination of two smashed burgers, cheddar cheese, and coleslaw with Carolina BBQ sauce. Steakhouse Burger, Sunshine Burger and Avocado Burger are other options to check out.
Larger plates include a variety of seafood, pasta and BBQ. Entrees include Penne Alfredo, Salmon, and Brisket. One item that sets Ed’s apart is their Homemade Chili.
From fun events to delicious food, there are plenty of reasons to head out to Ed’s Tavern for fun.
Ed’s Tavern is located at:
State Road 64: 1305 108th Street East Bradenton, FL 34212
(941) 329-1010
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Lakewood Ranch:10719 Rodeo Drive Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
(941) 907-0400
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Good Liquid Brewing
Good Liquid is right on the edge of our Manatee County line but it’s definitely a “must-visit” locatoin. They are not only a brewery but also a distillery with their own artisan spirits, cocktail bar and lounge.
The unique selection of appetizers caught my eye, including Fried Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts and Baja Shrimp Cocktail. Of course they have wings too, and they come with sauces like Nashville hot and Pineapple Habanero.
Salads are a bit more unique here and include the Henrietta Red Salad with mixed greens, cherry tomato, pickled cucumber, shallot, and quinoa; and the Napa Chicken Salad with roasted pulled chicken, grapes, toasted almonds, cranberry and avocado.
A few sandwiches that stood out to me are the Crab Cake Sandwich with a hand packed blue crab cake, lettuce, tomato, and tartar. This one is fresh, simple and delicious. Next time I’ll probably try the Fried Green Tomato and Shrimp Salad Po’Boy.
They offer a few pizzas on their menu and several burger combinations. The Haymaker Burger is an angus beef patty piled with applewood smoked bacon, onion straws, guacamole and pepper jack cheese; The Black & Blue starts with a blackened angus beef patty and then adds applewood smoked bacon, bleu cheese, grilled onion and garlic aioli; and their plant based option is the Portobello Burger with a roasted portobello cap, caramelized onion, swiss, red peppers and garlic aioli.
Entrees range from Braised Pork Ribs and Steak Frites to a Blackened Gulf Grouper with mango salsa. They also offer a Bolognese with classic Tuscan sauce including veal, pork, and chuck topped with sweet butter and parmesan and Stir Fry with rice noodles, mushroom, snow peas, baby bok choy, sweet Thai chili and peanut sauce to which you can also add chicken or shrimp.
I noticed that martinis were in high demand that evening, the Espresso Martini in particular. I ordered one and agreed with the description on the menu – it was “smooth and easy sipping”.
Some of their weekly specials include Martini & Manhattan Mondays; ½ priced Margarita Tuesdays; DJ & Cocktails on Fridays; and Saturday & Sunday Brunch with a custom Bloody Mary Bar. You can sit inside where the atmosphere is lively and casual or enjoy their veranda on the Waterside lake.
Good Liquid Brewing is Located at:
1570 Lakefront Drive Sarasota, FL 34240
(941) 238-6466
Website * Facebook
