Derek’s

Not sure but I think this place is closed nobody answers the phone & we went by last week no cars seems closed anybody got the scope on this place?

Just around the corner from us, this is a go to for a great meal. Have never been here for lunch but dinners are always unique and fresh.

Oh man. Derek’s basically has my heart. Delicious doesn’t begin to describe the food. I’ve been here four times and have left full and happy each time. The pork shank. Chicken, and short ribs are incredible. The gumbo is a must have. Don’t think about leaving without trying it!

I don’t know how anybody could give this place less than 5 stars.
Like many others, we stumbled onto this place exhausted and famished. Hardly anyone was in there at 9pm on a Thursday night. Apparently everyone in Bradenton goes to bed at 7.
Anyway, we started with the pâté, which was out of this world. They were out of the two beers we ordered, but the ones our waiter recommended were terrific. My wife’s kale salad was excellent. The two items I had — a cup of gumbo and the pulled pork mussels (I thought the same thing too, but it works and it’s amazing) were thoughtfully crafted. You don’t get that dark of a roux for your gumbo quickly or easily.
Then there was dessert. A sort of fried banana bread pudding that is exactly what Jesus would have made if he worked the pastry station at Derek’s. Sublime.
I’d like to add that none of the menu items were snooty, overly complicated or too expensive. You don’t have to be a chef to appreciate the food. And yes, Americans, the portions are just fine. You’ll be full, believe me.
Here’s the thing, people: you’re lucky to have a restaurant of this quality at this price point in your town. It’s rare. If you want to keep them around, you can’t just tell everyone how great it is. You have to patronize places like this. REGULARLY. AND NOT JUST ON THE WEEKENDS.
One of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory.

Really enjoyed it. Very unique seafood and cajun dishes. Great for a date night.

We ended up here on a whim, just looking for something quick and easy. What a find! Try this restaurant! The food is great, the staff is welcoming, service is good and you will not be sorry. Don’t be fooled by the strip mall location; this restaurant can hold its own anywhere.

Through Unilocal reviews we (my wife and I_​stumbled upon this little gem while vacationing in the Bradenton area. We chose to eat lunch at Dereks.
The inside is much more elegant than the outside. While the outside is nice, clean and attractive it may give you the idea this is a diner. It’s not. It’s much nicer and better than that.
The dishes are obviously designed by a chef who knows how to make food. I opted for the Po Boy and some Gumbo. The gumbo was seasoned perfectly and tasted like Louisiana. The Po Boy was chock full of shrimp. I couldn’t believe how many shrimp were stuffed into this tasty sandwich. The bread was flaky crusty and wonderful.
This is a really nice place, quiet and elegant on the inside but laid back just enough to dress casual.
I’d definitely recommend giving this place a try. We were lucky enough for Derek himself to sit with us for a few minutes and give us suggestions on other local places to eat. His recommendations were spot on !!!

We drove an hour from Sarasota to go to Derek’s because we loved his Sarasota
Restaurant. We were very disappointed
Overall. The salads were outstanding but went downhill from there. The waiter described the special butterfish and it sounded delicious. However it could not have been farther than the description. The fish was very fishy and everyone at the table agreed. One pasta entrée was
Described as having a lemon sauce and
Was really a heavy cream sauce. All in all the food was marginal. We will not be
Driving here again. We are very sad he left our beloved Rosemary district to change
His concept.

A lady at the local organic farmers’ market told me to go there. Derek buys all his veggies from her. His restaurant really IS a «local farm to dish» experience. Trained in New Orleans, his gumbo is as good as anything in that city. His soup of the day sells out early, whatever it is that day. Mahi-​mahi fish tacos were excellent. Will prepare an excellent veggie dish, also. We wa;lked in at 5:15 and were the first there. By 5:45 the placed was full and people were standing at the door. Desserts are made «in-​house» and are well worth sharing with someone.

Happened to drop in for a quick bite for lunch.
Outstanding…
I had the special soup-​Seafood and Corn chowder. Full of flavor, loaded with shrimp and Grouper. The base was not gummy or thick full of corn and a touch of spinach.
I also had the fish tacos. The fish was blackened Mahi – there was two tacos-​with an awesome peanut slaw. Hot and perfect for lunch. I had the side of house made fried-​OMG. Michelle was our served and did a great JOB. She knew the menu and directed us to the perfect lunch!
Will be back!!!

Came here for dinner a while back with some colleagues during a business trip. My colleagues highly recommended this restaurant and I am glad I came. The service was great! l had a steak and fries for my entrée and I also tried the cornbread and the pork cracklins. Everything was delicious. If I am ever in the area again, I will definitely stop by.

Wonderful restaurant, the best we have experienced in the area so far, starts with superb friendly professional service, heart ambience & a not too large menu, Derek’s styles itself as coastal cuisine
We started with Gumbo, possibly the best I have ever eaten, full of flavor & full of shrimp & sausage
Later we had Crawfish pasta & a pulled pork sandwich, the pasta dish was full of Cajun favors & ample crawfish, the pulled Pork sandwich was served with a subtle mustard bbq sauce that really complemented & enhanced the flavor
Too full up for dessert as portions are generous without being excessive, decent small wine list
A restaurant that focuses on doing the little things right & a modest in size but exceptional in quality menu

Our new favorite restaurant!
All of our meals have been great, service is excellent, décor is upscale eclectic, and Derek has always stopped to say hello.
For the reviewer who said the prices were high because they were the same as the Sandbar… you pay for quality, or location. The food there does not even come close! Prices are in range for quality and sizes.
I have a lot of food aversions and they have always been happy to adjust plates for me.
Be sure to try the fries! We always get them as an appetizer. They are amazing!
Also, the dark chocolate mousse is fantastic.
The entrees have all been great.

One of the best meals and dining experiences I’ve ever had. Food was interesting and delicious, from start to finish. Each course had something which made it unique and incredibly tasty. Portions were generous and the service was wonderful from the very start right through to the last minute. Next time I’m down there, I’ll be sure to visit again.
I had the Southern Seafood Muddle, my wife had the Primer Burger, and we split a wedge salad. All were awesome.

We visited here for the first time last year but I wasn’t as in to doing reviews as I am now so this will be my first official review. We made it a point to come back and eat here again because we enjoyed it so much last year. We ordered a bottle of Malbec to start the evening followed by the fried green tomatoes. The tomatoes had a tomato jam and topped by a remoulade. My only criticism is the tomatoes were too small in my humble opinion. I’m used to bigger slices. My partner in crime ordered the seafood muddle for his entrée. I ordered the shrimp and grits. My gulf shrimp were spot on and the anson cheddar grits with andouille gravy were toothsome and yummy. A definite get again in the future. My hubby was disappointed with his as he didn’t think it contained enough of the seafood it was supposed to have. It was supposed to have calamari but none were detected and only a few PEI mussels. He said compared to last year it was a definite disappointment. Yes I’m sure we will return as they have a unique take on what they call rustic coastal cuisine.

I can’t wait to go back to try more menu items!!! Upon arrival for lunch, we were greeted by two welcoming friendly faces. The décor is rustic and calming… very cool!
I ordered the kale salad and fried green tomatoes which were both great. Then after receiving my bill I decided to ask about dessert and added on the bread pudding beignets. And boy am I glad I did. They were PHENOMENAL!!!
Derek’s is my new go to restaurant! Loved it!!!

I can’t tell you how delighted I was to find out that Derek’s was nearby AMI and’ served Anson Mills cheese grits with shrimp and andouille sauce. We went for lunch today and I wasn’t swayed to try anything else until I had the opportunity to try this first. It was delicious!
My husband ordered the half sandwich (shrimp po’boy) and half Caesar salad. Now, that was unremarkable. Wrong choice for sure. Salad greens a bit wilted, bread was good, shrimp ok.
Decided on the fried key lime pie with coconut anglaise garnished with strawberry/​mint. The key lime filling was excellent… Not so sweet as it often is (a good thing!) but the amount of coconut anglaise was over the top in sweetness thus it masked the lime and strawberry flavors. Nonetheless, very good.
But, something is missing at Derek’s … There just isn’t a genuine warm and welcoming vibe. I feel quite sure that the kinks will be worked out and if so, Derek’s should enjoy much success.

Dinner for 4.
— Ambiance (⁴⁄₅)
Simple but elegant. We got to sit in the back room that only houses 3 tables, so it felt very cozy. Not particularly pleased that a server dropped by to take our photo for their website.
— Service (³⁄₅)
Professional and courteous, though a bit on the slow side– one of those places where, if you ask for another moment to read the menu, they give you a lot of time.
— Bread (²⁄₅)
They try to go fancy by bringing around tiny little rolls, but the rolls were really dry and unappetizing.
— Fried Green Tomatoes, $ 8 (⁴⁄₅)
Not too heavy on the frying, enough to taste the green tomatoes underneath. Great tangy remoulade tied it all together.
— PEI Mussels, $ 10 (³⁄₅)
Delicately cooked mussels. Broth was not as flavorful as expected. I didn’t find myself seeking more bread to dip in the broth as I normally would.
— Pork Crackling, $ 8 (⁴⁄₅)
I had ordered this as a side, but it came as an appetizer, so if you want it as a side, make sure you stress you want it to come with the entrees. It’s delightfully airy, crunchy, and flavorful all at once.
— Grilled Cobia Special, $ 32 (⁵⁄₅)
Fish was grilled delicately and the accompaniments were all very tasty.
— Value (³⁄₅)
A bit on the high side considering the type of food seemed to be slightly fanicer comfort food, than anything truly innovative.
— Final Word
A pleasant experience, but nothing out of the ordinary… ah except for that soap in the bathroom. Make sure you take a nice break in there before leaving. That salt scrub (and do follow the instructions provided) leaves your hands feeling like baby’s skin.

I stopped in to Derek’s to see what is up at this new location. Food was always worth the trip to Sarasota in the pass. The newer location is nicer in that of the surrounding area .
So I indulged in a short rib sandwich for lunch. All the elements were there for perfection, but missed the bullseye. The short rib needed a little more fat, just a tad dry. The slaw was on point and went well with the short ribs flavors. Expresso was perfect with a very nice creama on top.
In all I would recommend a visit to Derek’s
and enjoy some great culinary treats!
I know I’m returning.

The food here is great! The waitress we had was really nice and answered all our questions about the menu. We got the grouper cheeks on her suggestion and they were excellent.