Hopefully you got to check out the recap of the trip my husband and I recently took to Anna Maria Island! (If not, check that out here.) I mentioned that when we are going on vacation, the only thing we plan is where we’re going to eat, we’re serious about food. Also, if you know my husband at all you know that any food recommendation he gives is not made lightly, so it felt like our favorite AMI eats deserved their own post.
*I will just make a disclaimer here that I completely forgot to take a photo of all our favorite meals - mostly because many times we were so hungry that we just started eating. And we all know that a photo of a half eaten meal isn’t aesthetically pleasing, so I opted to go without.
Now, to get into it: the food recommendations of AMI.
Of course, we have to start with coffee and breakfasts!
North Shore Cafe is the cutest little spot and was a short walk from our AirBnb. They have a walk-up counter where you order and seating outside in their beautiful patio. We went on our first day and both got a chocolate croissant. They were to die for. So good, that they were gone before I even thought about needing a photo. If you go, get one! Trent got black coffee (as always) and I got a mocha (as always) - both were very good!
We ended up at North Shore a second time on our last day. This time, Trent got the poached egg toast with cheese and bacon. They were out of chocolate croissants, so I got a blueberry muffin instead - which was also so delicious! I also got their specialty latte this time which was vanilla and coconut latte, also amazing. We didn’t get to try their smoothies or bowls, but those also looked like a great choice.
The Fox Mercantile, though mainly a store, also has coffee and food which I was so excited to try. Trent ordered the Nutella and strawberry toast, and I got the liege waffle. Both were incredible and I wish I had ordered my own toast to have with my waffle! We also got our usual coffee orders (you can expect this a lot). Trent said this was his favorite of all the places we got coffee - some in this post and some not mentioned!
Ginny and Jane E’s Cafe came highly recommended to us by pretty much anyone we had talked to who was local, and it did not disappoint! This was another repeat place during our stay. The first time, Trent got it to-go and grabbed me a smoothie (delicious) and coffee and a breakfast sandwich for himself. The second time we went, we ate there. It’s a cute and eclectic spot with a gift shop inside. In addition to our usual coffee orders, I got an egg and cheese croissant with fresh fruit and Trent got an apricot and cream cheese scone. Not only was the breakfast sandwich SO good, but the fruit was incredibly fresh and honestly the best side of fresh fruit either of us have ever had somewhere. Since I almost forgot, Trent kindly snapped this picture for me of our food!
Now for dinner we had a really good mix of places we had wanted to try and recommendations from locals - luckily some of our favorites overlapped!
Starting with Smoqehouse, an awesome BBQ spot with some really unique sandwiches. I got a classic pulled pork sandwich, and Trent got “The Islander” which was smoked chicken, ham, pineapple, pepper jack cheese and teriyaki mayo. As good as my sandwich was, The Islander was definitely the move and was absolutely delicious. The house chips and fries were both very good, you can’t really go wrong here!
The Porch was another one of the places that came very highly recommended and it was just as good as everyone said it would be. It’s a little fancier and pretty small and intimate (in a good way) so either go early or make a reservation. We didn’t sit outside but their patio seating was really nice and shaded! They bring out fresh bread (YAY) so we didn’t order any appetizers, and like most places that serve you fresh bread, it was delish. For dinner, Trent got shrimp and grits (his favorite) and I got the Sherry Chicken, marinated chicken breast with sherry cream sauce. For my sides I chose a side Caesar salad and garlic parmesan mashed potatoes. The salad alone was so good, but the combo of the chicken, cream sauce and the mashed potatoes? *Chefs kiss*. There are no photos of this dinner because it was eaten very fast.
One of the nights we decided to order takeout rather than eat out. Trent found a pizza place called Pizza Social (also very close to our AirBnb). We got two make-your-own pizzas - one white pizza with chicken and pineapple (IYKYK) and one with ground beef, red onion, and BBQ sauce. You may be wondering why I’m including pizza on my list of top vacation eats, but this pizza was SO good we would have eaten there again if we had been there longer. Whether you eat there or take it to-go, this is a must!
And, last but not least, is our favorite spot of the whole trip - Skinny’s Place. This was one we had on our list to try, and all week as we drove past it we kept noticing the “#1 Burger on the Island” sign. So, on our last night we finally went and let me tell you, they are not just saying that they have the best burger on the island. Another place we tried also made that claim (I got said burger) and it was not even a close contest. Skinny’s was by far the best, we both thought so. Trent got curly fries with his and I got regular (to share) and both were great, you can’t go wrong. The water came in glass bottles which made me feel super fancy and I loved it. It was a super casual spot but definitely had an island feel. Had we gone earlier in the week, we definitely would have gone a few times! Skinny’s would be my vote for must-try spot if you visit AMI.
Of course, there are a lot of other spots around that we didn’t get to try while we were there and I’m sure that some of those would have also made this list! But, if you find yourself visiting the island, be sure to check these places out!