Lucky Pelican: Your Hidden Gem for Fresh Seafood in Sarasota

First visit and there will be many more to come.The appetizer special of the day was"Grilled Octopus"it was cooked to perfection.Fried Shrimp and or Oyster plate, the batter was nice and light and fried also to perfection.Staff was outstanding! I would definitely recommend to family and friends.

My husband and I were recently there for the first time with friends who are regulars. The atmosphere is very casual, which is fine, but it does get a little loud. However, my dinner was Amazing! The best salmon I have had in 5 yrs. When people say they are a hidden gem, that is so true, and our waitress Rose was sweet and so accommodating. I will definitely be going back!

We went here at 5pm, found out it was happy hour! The hours are 4:30-6pm. Good for us! Lots of choices for fresh fish! We enjoyed the grilled salmon atop a rocket salad (arugula, sliced almonds, grape tomatoes, mango and delicious vinaigrette), grilled Wahoo (delicious white fish) with asparagus and lemon rice, grilled shrimp atop a salad of julienne carrots, artichoke hearts, mixed greens and goat cheese. Also had the fish and chips. Each dish was prepared deliciously, was fresh and generous portion. Also enjoyed the small Greek salad and fresh warm baguette with butter! This place was busy and everyone was enjoying the atmosphere. Our server was very knowledgeable and helpful in deciding on our dinner choices. Definitely coming back!

Highly recommend this establishment. Went at 6:00 pm on a Tuesday with a party of five. Got seated immediately. Our server, Larson, was a pleasure. Four stars for service because we never got our Gulf Oyster appetizers, a second drink order (wine) took a long time to arrive, and we waited quite a while for the bills. But they were very busy and clearly working fast-paced. The food is amazing. The complimentary mini bread loaves were served hot with butter patties - delicious! Drinks ordered included Blue Moon beer (served with an orange slice), Stella Artois beer, gin & tonic, House CK Mondavi Chardonnay (a generous pour and well priced), and a St. Francis Buttery Chardonnay. The person who ordered the St. Francis Chard doesn’t recommend it. All other drinks were enjoyed. All of the food was delicious: Pelican Salad with blackened chicken, Blackened Mahi Mahi with roasted red pepper sauce (potatoes and veggies), Sake Glazed Sea Bass, and Roasted Cod. The tempura veggies are awesome. Also ordered the Key Lime Pie (four could split) and Bread Pudding (the best!). Deserts were amazing and reasonably priced. The atmosphere is comfortably casual. Great dining experience.

Great experience! Everything was delicious. The bread is warm, the calamari crispy and hot. Dinners were delicious, and the fish was fresh. We will return.

First visit to the Lucky Pelican! There were so many cars in the lot, it appeared to be very crowded, However, we quickly found a close-by spot, and were seated within minutes of arriving inside. Comfortable, clean, nothing fancy but pleasant. Our food was delicious. We ordered fish and chips and the roasted cod with Asian sesame glaze, vegetable pancakes, and tempura veggies. I don’t know what I expected it to look like, but was surprised when it arrived - beautiful presentatio! Next time I think I’ll order it with the sauce in the side. Don’t get me wrong, it had a delicious, sweet flavor but it was just a little much for my taste, and the tempura veggies lost their crisp. My only complaint would be the noise factor. If they could find a way to dampen the din a bit, that would make it an even better experience! We WILL be back!! Great place!

Solid 4. To get a 5 requires a bit better all around. The wait to be seated was quite a let down (standing at the entrance waiting on a hostess for 7 minutes). Our server was great but was extremely rushed, which is okay for a cheap restaurant - not a place where you drop $18 on a burrito.... The food was pretty good! No complaints there. The location is nice, it could be considered a hidden gem if the total package was better. Overall we liked our experience but at the price we paid, we most likely will not be back. Sorry management.