For lunch today I thought I would visit one of my favorite Sarasota hangouts, the Siesta Key Oyster Bar or SKOB as we locals like to call it.

SKOB never disappoints for a casual lunch, a friendly dinner, or a lively night out with live music in the company of good friends.  Today, I chose to sit outside on the covered patio (which has dollar bills tacked to the ceiling just like inside) and feel a little bit of the tropical Florida weather.  To begin the lunch hour we started with a round of drinks: my friends and I ordered two Kona Coco Browns on tap and a Mojito.  For those of you on the constant quest to find the perfect Mojito, this one is very satisfying.  It had just the right blend of lime, club soda & simple syrup and lots of muddled mint! Drinks at hand we ordered a variety of SKOBetizers to share: Coconut Crusted Fried Shrimp with Red Pepper and Papaya Jam, Caprese Salad, Hot Wings (buffalo style), and a staff favorite – Jerk Style wings.
The food came up promptly and was served, as always, with a beautiful orchid on each plate.  Everything was delicious! The Hot Wings were piping hot and spicy but not too saucy, the Jerk wings were crispy and neither wings were breaded or greasy, and the Caprese tomato & mozzarella was fresh and yummy.

My favorite though was the Coconut Crusted Fried Shrimp.  Perfectly crusted with shreds of sweet coconut and dipped into the red pepper and papaya jam, they were a wonderful taste of Florida. My friends and I all agreed that our shared appetizer lunch at Siesta Key Oyster Bar was a hit. We’ll be back….perhaps for Happy Hour.

Siesta Key Oyster Bar is located on Siesta Key in the heart of the Siesta Key Village, 5238 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota, Florida.