Summer’s here and the time is right for lying on the beach. Park yourself near one of our region’s top concession stands and shuffle on over when your belly starts growling.

Coquina Beach Cafe

Located in a shack alongside a gift shop, this café has a deck looking out over Bradenton Beach. Diners trudge to the water’s edge, lugging containers loaded with burgers and onion rings and returning for more rounds of beer and margaritas. Try the juicy chicken sandwich for a satisfying (and cheap) lunch. 

Lido Beach Concession

Known for a menu that includes favorites like lobster rolls and fish tacos, the restaurant at the Lido Beach pavilion serves basics like cheeseburgers and fries, plus less common fare like New York strip sandwiches. A warning: This place’s posted hours of operation are more like a suggestion of when they might be open. 400 Benjamin Franklin Drive, Sarasota, (941) 954-4182

Siesta Key Beach Pavilion

The county spent $21.4 million on improvements here, including building a two-story concession spot. The food includes stuff like nachos and panini (at sometimes high prices), while the elevated deck offers one of the region’s best lunchtime views. 

Venice Beach Pavilion

The signature feature of this pavilion, built back in 1963, is its “hyperbolic paraboloid” concrete roof, a wing-like structure over the open-air patio. The concession stand specializes in breakfast sandwiches and fried favorites like fish and chips. The BLT comes loaded with crunchy bacon and stacks of light-green lettuce.