Bradenton Motorsports Park – Foodie Guide

You’re at Bradenton Motorsports Park for a pro drag racing event. How exciting! While the racetrack is well-maintained, there are not many concession options at the venue. Guests can find standard hamburgers, hot dogs, and soft drinks at the concession areas, but there’s not much else to order.

Within driving distance of Bradenton Motorsport Park, however, there are great local eateries. When you’re in Bradenton, Florida, you have many dining options in the Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota areas.

The Granary

If you are looking for an easygoing place that serves traditional American breakfast and lunch, come to The Granary. This eatery is a 14-minute drive from Bradenton Motorsports Park.

The Granary is in a strip mall, but it has the rustic atmosphere of a reclaimed barn. Their menu features many conventional breakfast favorites with a twist. They serve a variety of omelets, including the Classic with ham or bacon and cheese; the Spanish, made with chorizo sausage and spinach; and the Santa Fe Turkey with turkey, spinach, avocado, and Cheddar. Other breakfast options include pancakes, French toast, and breakfast tacos and quesadillas. Patrons can get breakfast on the go as well. Order a pastry like a coffee cake or scone with a Granary brewed coffee.

For lunch, The Granary wants to give patrons some freedom with their food. They make numerous fresh baked bread. Guests can choose any of the gluten-free bread for a sandwich, from country white to multi-grain. Some options you can order are a tuna melt, ultimate pastrami, or Thai chicken wrap. You can even opt to create your own sandwich!

Full Belly Stuffed Burgers

Bradenton Motorsports Park does sell burgers, but if you want unique, gourmet hamburgers, head to the family-run business Full Belly Stuffed Burgers. This family-run and family-friendly eatery is perfect for groups and those with younger children.

What makes Fully Belly Stuffed Burgers different is they stuff their burgers with what would normally be a topping. So when you order the Jalapeno Popper burger, it will be stuffed with a cream cheese-filled jalapeno popper. These stuffed burgers are complimented by their sides called “Belly Teasers.” These include Fried Green Tomatoes or truffle tots. If your belly isn’t full after one of those massively stuffed burgers, try a dessert like the Bananas Foster Bites.

Oak & Stone

Oak & Stone all started with Brett Decklever who just wanted to watch sports with good food and cold beer. What more could you want? Now you can enjoy exactly what Decklever envisioned. Currently, there is an Oak & Stone about a 25-minute drive from Bradenton Motorsports Park. However, as of 2019, Oak & Stone have announced that they’re opening a new location in Bradenton soon.

There are two different menus at Oak & Stone. The first menu features typical bar snacks and fare. Popular appetizers to snack on are the pork cracklings, smokey Gouda mac and cheese, whipped hummus plate, and crispy calamari. Other items on this menu include sandwiches, burgers, bowls, and entrees like tuna poke and cajun chicken alfredo.

The second menu is all pizza. You can never go wrong with this comfort food classic, and they’ve got plenty of variations to choose from. Of course, Oak & Stone has the typical plain and meat lover’s pies, but you can also get adventurous with a pizza like The Far East pizza that comes with Korean meatballs, sesame slaw, sweet chili aioli, soy pearls, and mozzarella.

Apollonia Grill

Around 18 miles from Bradenton Motorsports Park is Apollonia Grill, a Mediterranean restaurant. You’ll find a full bar and live music in this colorful, family-owned and -operated eatery. This is a great place to pop in for an entertaining night out.

Apollonia Grill is known for their great deals. During the week, you can order a three-course meal for $32 or two-courses for $16. Of course, you can also just order from the regular dinner menu instead. The menu is filled with Mediterranean dishes that will send your taste buds on a culinary journey. Order a classic gyro platter or the Apollonia kebabs that come with lamb medallions that are seasoned and char-grilled, and served with potatoes, roasted vegetables, and Greek yogurt.

Speaking of great deals, if you are traveling with family or a group of four or more, come to Apollonia Grill on Sunday and take advantage of their Sunday Family Style menu. You can order three appetizers, three entrees, and two desserts for a discounted price.

Wings-N-Things

While it is a half hour drive from Bradenton Motorsports Park, Wings-N-Things is a great choice for those who want delicious bar fare and drink deals among fun-loving company. All day, every day of the week, there is a drink special and sporting events on the televisions. There are even trivia nights on select nights. Pop in to see why this sports bar has been a Sarasota favorite for over 30 years.

As the name of this eatery suggests, they are well known for their wings. Their famous wings are always fresh and never frozen to ensure the highest quality. When you order wings, you choose the type of sauce or dry rub, and there are a lot of options. In addition to the typical Mild, Medium, and Hot, there’s also TNT, Napalm, Atomic, Honey or Tangy Barbecue, Raspberry Chipotle, and Cajun just to name a few. You can even mix and match flavors if you can’t decide on just one.

Wings aren’t the only popular dish there, however. Their foot-long hot dogs and Big Ten Burgers are also big hits with patrons. Big Ten Burgers are half-pound burgers that are always freshly handmade. The Hoosier Daddy that comes with barbecue sauce, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, an onion ring, and Cheddar and Swiss cheeses is perfect for barbecue lovers. If you enjoy spice, get the Five Alarm, which is topped with jalapenos, salsa, and Pepper Jack cheese.

The Lazy Lobster

The Lazy Lobster is in the same strip mall as Wings-N-Things, putting it roughly 18 miles from Bradenton Motorsports Park. The goal of The Lazy Lobster is to be a relaxed seafood establishment that not only has great coastal cooking but is also a fun place to escape after a long day.

Just like Wings-N-Things, this eatery wouldn’t be The Lazy Lobster without its lobster dishes. Aside from the appetizer of Lobster Scargot, which is lobster chunks baked with Swiss cheese and garlic-herb butter, there is an entire section of lobster entrees on the menu. If you want a less messy, no-shell dish, order the Lazy Man Lobster. For those who want to try more than just lobster, get Arabella’s Combo, which comes with lobster tail, coconut fried shrimp, rice, and vegetables.

Other seafood favorites include fish and chips, shrimp scampi, and a fried combo of shrimp and cod. If you don’t want seafood, that’s no problem. They also serve dishes like barbecue ribs and chicken picatta.

Hideko Sushi & Thai

Have a craving for Asian cuisine? Hideko Sushi & Thai is our recommendation if you’re at Bradenton Motorsports Park. With the best of both cuisines, you’ll have an excellent range of dishes to choose from at this chic eatery.

There are two separate menus, one specifically for sushi and the other for various Thai dishes. When you eat at Hideko, try one of their specialty rolls, such as the Florida Roll of fried snapper, spicy mayo, yellowtail, and scallions. For those who want to turn up the heat, order the Three Sum, which contains spicy scallop, spicy tuna, and spicy krab.

The Thai menu consists of soups, salads, noodle dishes, fried rice dishes, curries, and stir-fries. Many of the options come with vegetarian alternatives as guests can order dishes with tofu or just vegetables. Whether you want something familiar like pad Thai or want to try something new like sweet Thai chili, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Hideko Sushi & Thai.

Lucky Pelican Bistro

Lucky Pelican Bistro is a family-friendly neighborhood fish house that serves up full-flavored New England cuisine with flair. Their chefs make use of the fresh fish available along Florida’s coast and put special twists on classics. It’s a 25-minute drive from Bradenton Motorsports Park to get to Lucky Pelican for lunch or dinner.

The lunch menu has a major focus on sandwiches. There’s plenty of sandwich options with seafood, such as the Maryland crab cake, Dixie’s Ocean Burrito, and Cooper’s Seared Tuna. But they also offer non-seafood sandwiches like Lorreta’s BLT and Ashley’s Florida Burger.

When it comes to dinner, the menu changes, focusing mainly on seafood entrees. Start with either a hot or chilled starter. For a hot appetizer, order the calamari with either a spicy red sauce or fried squid with two spicy sauces and blue cheese crumbles. Other hot starters include the Oyster Roast, Thai- or Italian-style Mussels, and New England clam chowder. If you’re with a group, order The Full Bar chilled starter that comes with six of each of the following: clams, oysters, and shrimp. After an appetizer, move on to an entree like the roasted salmon with a caramelized honey glaze or the bacon-wrapped swordfish marsala.