Lazy Lobster Longboat Key

One of my favorite spots on Longboat Key! They offer an excellent early dinner and happy hour menu. I tried the Key West shrimp, which featured five large deep-fried shrimp, a basket of fries, coleslaw, and cocktail sauce. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, the fries were nice and crispy, and the coleslaw had delightful bits of pineapple that made it very refreshing! Before the meal, we were served a basket of four freshly baked rolls with butter and their famous pepper jelly. They even sell the jelly in small jars!

It's been a while since we dined here, but with restaurant week upon us, we thought it would be a great time to come back. The interior has been refreshed, and the restaurant was bustling, even on a Tuesday night. I thoroughly enjoyed my bang bang shrimp with grits, as well as the flounder francese. Our server was friendly and efficient, making for a pleasant dining experience overall. It's also kid-friendly and has plenty of parking, so I would certainly consider coming back again.

I would rate this place a 4.5. I stopped by for a late lunch and was pleasantly surprised by the updated decor; the old Cafe on the Bay mural has been replaced, giving the restaurant a refreshing beach vibe. We were warmly greeted and promptly seated. The lunch menu was well-designed, offering something for everyone. We opted for the crab cake salad, lobster quiche Lorraine, and Key West fried shrimp. We all agreed that the preparation, presentation, and flavors were excellent. The portions were generous and the prices very reasonable. The Lazy Lobster has always been a go-to for us, but our last two visits have been outstanding. It has definitely secured a spot in our regular dining rotation.

We had a wonderful server, Conner, who made the experience excellent. We made reservations and were promptly seated. It was Sarasota restaurant week so they offered 3 course prix fixe for $40! We enjoyed the fried green tomato appetizer the ahi tuna. The bisque was creamy presentation (LL on top) was cute. The swordfish was tasty. The twin tails were good as well. Lobster Mac cheese was delicious.

This time I ordered the crab cakes. There were three on my plate, along with some perfectly cooked al dente green beans and a beautifully seasoned rice. The remoulade sauce under the crab cakes had a Cajun twist. The sauce had a bit more heat than other remoulade sauces I have tasted in the past. I liked it very much. I should not fail to mention the great warm rolls with butter and some of their hot pepper jelly that were placed on our table immediately after we were seated. Our waitress was nicely attentive, including getting us a small to-go container of the pepper jelly to enjoy with our leftover dinner rolls. My one negative is that I bought 3 jars of their great pepper jelly. It was on my check and the electronic handheld devise added the jelly to the food and drink bill. That was fine, BUT the tip suggestions were based on the dinner check AND the jelly purchases. Not that our waitress was not entitled to a nice tip, but her service was on the dinner and drinks. The jelly purchases should not have been part of the suggested 18%, 20%, or 22% tip numbers. With the jelly included, the tip suggested was actually 33% of the dinner cost!