Residents and visitors alike can’t seem to get enough of Connors Steak & Seafood, located just off Siesta Drive and South Tamiami Trail. It’s a neighborhood gem, positioned close to the Southside community and just over the bridge for Key dwellers.

While their location is great, it’s surely not the main reason for Connors’ strong following of foodies. They’re known for their quality service and solid menu of fresh seafood, premium aged steaks, and gourmet salads. If you look over some recent Open Table reviews, you’ll find that the lobster bisque, the prime rib, and the strawberry shortcake are some fan favorites, but here’s a roundup of our four favorites for the season.

On the appetizers and small plates menu, you’ll find the pan seared ahi tuna, which features tender wild-caught tuna encrusted in sesame seeds and seared rare. The sliced tuna is then assembled with freshly marinated vegetables and accompanied by a creamy wasabi sauce and a tangy orange ginger sauce.

The baby spinach and strawberry salad is a staple dinner salad original to the first Connors Steak & Seafood restaurant. Tender baby spinach is mixed with crumbled walnuts, chunks of blue cheese, freshly cut strawberries, and a sweet red wine vinaigrette.

Connors Steak & Seafood's blue cheese filet is one of the most popular entrées on the menu. First, a choice cut of beef tenderloin is grilled over mesquite wood to the desired temperature, adding a unique, smoky flavor to the filet. A house-made blue cheese butter is added on top of the filet, and then a red wine reduction is drizzled on top. The meal comes with one side dish and also a choice of soup, Caesar salad, or house salad.

Seafood lovers flock to the Cajun red grouper, a mesquite-grilled fillet of USDC-inspected fish topped with a chipotle tomato butter served alongside couscous. Tender collard greens, cooked low and slow, round out the pairing.

On your next lunch or evening out, try one of these for a can’t-miss meal at Connors Steak & Seafood. And while you’re at it, order the strawberry shortcake, too. It’s been said that the ice cream is homemade—life’s short, get dessert.