Gulf Drive Cafe
Since 1987, the Kokolis family has grown two acres of Gulf-front land into a tiki bar, sunset-wedding lawn, and live-music deck — the draw here, more than quiet dinner service. The offshore wreck of the Regina, a sugar freighter sunk in 1940, pulls divers in still dripping. On a coast losing waterfront restaurants to condos, still standing counts.
If the job is breakfast on the sand, not a Venice kitchen. Gulf Drive Cafe has sat on the Gulf at 900 Gulf Drive North, Bradenton Beach, since 1981, with breakfast until about 1pm and the Kokonut Hut tiki bar attached. Official pages still call it an Anna Maria Island fixture on the south-end sand, dog-friendly, breakfast through dinner. The card is honest about the trade: you are here for the Gulf-front patio and the sunset drink, and service and value complaints are part of the record. Not the polished pick.
Read the full Gulf Coast Brunch and Date Night: Two Tables, Not a List →Map & parking
Famous Gulf Drive Breakfast on the sugar-white sand
It's dog-friendly, so the pup can join you for breakfast on the beach.
A long-running beachfront breakfast spot on Anna Maria Island with a tiki bar — the Kokonut Hut — attached. The draw is the Gulf-front setting and the sunset more than a polished meal. Casual and touristy.
Food: A classic beach breakfast — French toast, pancakes, and egg plates — is the standard order; check the live menu for the day's specifics.
Drink: The attached Kokonut Hut is a full beach tiki bar — the move is a frozen drink at sunset ($$).
Arrive near sunset for the Kokonut Hut tiki bar and live music over the water.
The 1940 wreck of the Regina sits just offshore — ask the bar for directions before you swim or dive out to it.
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Nearby on Wayfind
Star Fish Companyshopping ›Wayfind is an independent guide, not affiliated with the places listed. Details come from Google and may change — confirm hours before you go.