30
The food and vibe are casual. While
the restaurant draws many vacationers
- patrons in bathing suits and coverups
who aren’t in any rush, who aren’t on any
timeline - Horne also has a loyal, local
customer base.
“You get to know so many awesome
people,” Horne said, adding that his main
job these days is meeting and talking to
customers, although he always cooks
Sunday breakfast and brunch at the
pier location.
“At rst, you work 90 to 100 hours per
week for the rst 15 years,” Horne said
of successful restaurant ownership.
“That’s what you’ve got to do to get it
started. But then you surround yourself
with good people.”
Horne said he has 35 managers spread
throughout his four restaurants, including
one managing partner at each location
(including his brother, Lynn Horne). When
asked if he and Amanda have children, he
replied “323,” referring to the total number
of employees.
Over its 20-plus years, Anna Maria Oyster
Bar has won multiple accolades. For
example, readers of the Bradenton Herald
and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune have
voted it the Best All-Around Restaurant,
Best Seafood Restaurant, Best Early Bird
Special, and Best Margarita.
New Kid on the Block
By opening Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the
Pier, Horne has offered patrons what he
calls an “a-Bridged Street” version of the
restaurant. The menu is quite a bit smaller
than those at the other three mainland
locations. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner,
along with a full bar, are offered every
day, beginning at 8 am and ending at 9
pm. (10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.)
Oysters - not surprisingly - represent
about 10 percent of sales, Horne said.
They are offered raw or steamed, and are
prepared seven different ways, including
randma eorgie’s Chipotle Oysters
and Oysters Rockefeller. The Tequila
Lime Oysters are topped with a housemade
tequila citrus blend, garlic butter
and parmesan cheese, then baked and
nished with scallions.
The Fish and Chips is the restaurant’s
top seller, with fresh ulf grouper (fried,
grilled, or blackened as an entree or in a
sandwich) coming in second. Also on the
menu are burgers, mahi mahi and fried
clam strips. Shrimp, scallops, salmon and
salads are offered, too.
“We’re all about seafood,” Horne said, but
added that the restaurant’s fall-off-thebone
baby back ribs and Jumbo Chicken
Wings - barbecue, teriyaki, buffalo, or
plain - are also popular. Many recipes
were inspired by the Horne’s close friends
and family members.
The restaurant is the only one in the chain
to offer brunch - from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
on Saturdays and Sundays. Signature
menu items include the Cortez Benedict,
featuring blackened shrimp and grilled
tomatoes on wheat toast, along with eggs
over-easy and hollandaise sauce.
The AMOB Hash, a mix of spinach,
salmon, sausage and seasoned potatoes,
peppers, mushrooms and onions, all
topped with hollandaise sauce, is also
popular. Another favorite is The Hangover
- a buttery and aky croissant bun, topped
with country-fried chicken, sausage
gravy, a fried egg and cheese. There
are also mimosas, and a build-your-own
Bloody Mary bar.