Restaurants · Ellenton
Anna Maria Oyster Bar
The Ellenton location of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar seafood restaurants, on 51st Avenue East.
- Matthew Bender's pick
North of the River
Local Favorites
Restaurants, beaches, shops, and traditions our agents recommend, from the stories they write for our magazine.
Every place here is one a Leslie Wells Realty agent recommended in a story under their own name in Leslie Wells Realty Magazine. Each one says who recommended it and links the story, so you can read it in their words.
Addresses and websites were checked against each place's own pages in October 2026. Hours and events change, so check before you go.
Area
Restaurants
Restaurants · Parrish
C&K Smoke House BBQ
A barbecue restaurant on US 301 North in Parrish.
- Matthew Bender's pick
Coffee shops
Coffee shops · Palmetto
Eleanor’s Coffee & Cakes
A coffee and cake shop in the restored 1912 Palmetto State Bank building in downtown Palmetto.
- Carly Heiser's pick
Bars and breweries
Bars · Parrish
Good Liquid Brewing and Distilling Co.
The Parrish location of Good Liquid Brewing and Distilling Co., in Creekside Commons on US 301.
- BobbieSue Patrick's pick
Things to do
Things to do · Bradenton
LECOM Park
The Pittsburgh Pirates' spring training ballpark and home of the Bradenton Marauders, in Bradenton.
- Carly Heiser's pick
Things to do · Bradenton
Old Main Street
Downtown Bradenton's main street of shops and restaurants, 12th Street West.
- Carly Heiser's pick
Things to do · Palmetto
T4 KartPlex
An outdoor go-kart racing facility on US 41 North near Palmetto.
- Carly Heiser's pick
Things to do · Palmetto
The Beach Club at Riviera Dunes
The waterfront pool and beach club at the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa at Riviera Dunes, open to non-guests with a day pass.
- Carly Heiser's pick
Beaches, parks, and the water
Beaches · Anna Maria
Bean Point
The undeveloped northern tip of Anna Maria Island, in the City of Anna Maria, where the Gulf meets Tampa Bay. No lifeguards; swimming is not recommended.
- Jim Hegemier's pick
Riverfront Parks · Bradenton
Bradenton Riverwalk
The City of Bradenton's riverfront park, about two miles along the Manatee River downtown, open 24 hours.
- Our agents' pick
Beaches · Bradenton Beach
Coquina Beach
A Manatee County beach park at the south end of Anna Maria Island, on Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach.
- Jim Hegemier's pick
Beaches · Bradenton Beach
Cortez Beach
A Manatee County beach on Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach, on Anna Maria Island, with county lifeguards.
- Jim Hegemier's pick
Beaches · Tierra Verde
Fort De Soto Park
A Pinellas County park, outside Manatee County, near Tierra Verde across the Sunshine Skyway, with beaches, a dog beach and a historic fort.
- Jim Hegemier's pick
Beaches · Longboat Key
Greer Island Park
A Manatee County preserve at the north tip of Longboat Key, often called Beer Can Island.
- Jim Hegemier's pick
Beaches · Holmes Beach
Holmes Beach
The city beaches of Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, reached by the city's public beach accesses.
- Jim Hegemier's pick
Beaches · Holmes Beach
Manatee Public Beach
Manatee County's public beach at the end of Manatee Avenue (State Road 64) in Holmes Beach, on Anna Maria Island.
- Jim Hegemier's pick
Beaches · St. Pete Beach
Pass-a-Grille Beach
A Pinellas County beach, outside Manatee County: the Gulf beach at the south end of St. Pete Beach, across the Sunshine Skyway.
- Jim Hegemier's pick
Shopping and markets
Shopping and markets · Ellenton
At Home
The Ellenton store of the At Home home decor chain, on US 301.
- BobbieSue Patrick's pick
Shopping and markets · Palmetto
Detwiler’s Farm Market
The Palmetto store of Detwiler's Farm Market, on US 301.
- BobbieSue Patrick's pick
Shopping and markets · Palmetto
Emiline’s Antiques & Collectibles Mall
An antique and collectibles mall on 10th Street West in Palmetto.
- Carly Heiser's pick
Shopping and markets · Ellenton
The Feedstore Antique and Collectibles Mall
A multi-dealer antique mall in a former feed store on US 301 North in Ellenton.
- Carly Heiser's pick
Traditions and ideas
Fourth of July · Bradenton
Fourth of July fireworks on the Manatee River
Fourth of July fireworks over the Manatee River between the Green Bridge and the DeSoto Bridge, held in 2024, 2025, and 2026 by the cities of Bradenton and Palmetto (with Manatee County in 2025 and 2026). You can watch from the Riverwalk and Rossi Park in Bradenton or Riverside Park in Palmetto. No date for 2027 has been announced.
Recommended by Leslie Wells
Fireworks & Fresh Starts: July Fun for the Whole Family (June 2025) · City of Bradenton
An evening idea · Anna Maria Island
Sunset on Anna Maria Island or Longboat Key
Gulf sunsets from the barrier islands west of Bradenton. Anna Maria Island is all in Manatee County; Longboat Key is split, with its northern part in Manatee and the rest in Sarasota County.
Recommended by BobbieSue Patrick
A September To-Do List for the Rest of Us (September 2026) · Visit Bradenton Gulf Islands: beaches
Take a book, leave a book
Little Free Libraries
Book-sharing boxes around North of the River: take a book, leave a book.
Manatee County Agricultural Museum, 1015 6th Street West, Palmetto
Parrish Village Library, a box at a private home in Parrish (find it on the map)
Recommended by Carly Heiser
Little Libraries, Big Community Charm (April 2026) · The Little Free Library map
A night away, close to home · Bradenton
A staycation at SpringHill Suites downtown
A one-night staycation at the SpringHill Suites Bradenton Downtown/Riverfront, by the Manatee River.
Recommended by Michele Blethen
Your Summer Vacation Doesn't Have to End When You Live Here (August 2026) · SpringHill Suites Bradenton Downtown/Riverfront
Classic car show · Ellenton
Shake Station Car Show
Classic car shows at Shake Station on US 301 in Ellenton, on second Sundays during the season from 11 to 2, per the restaurant's own event posts. No summer dates were posted, and no next date is posted yet.
Recommended by Jim Hegemier and Tom Collier
Classic Cars and Dream Garages (November 2025) · Shake Station
Living here
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Photo credits
Welcome to Parrish mural by Parrish Civic Association (permission requested); LECOM Park, Bradenton by VitaleBaby (Public domain); Palmetto riverfront by City of Palmetto (permission requested); Dunes at the north end of Anna Maria Island by Gzzz (CC BY-SA 4.0); Tower Plaza on the Bradenton Riverwalk by The Grid (CC BY-SA 4.0); Old Green Bridge Pier by Sanibel sun (CC BY 4.0); Battery Laidley at Fort De Soto Park by Beyond My Ken (CC BY-SA 4.0); Sunset at Holmes Beach by Bobpinz (CC BY-SA 4.0); Pass-a-Grille Beach, St. Pete Beach by Richard Mc Neil (CC BY 3.0); Gamble Plantation mansion by Ebyabe (CC BY-SA 3.0).