Affectionately known as “The Pink” guests have gathered at this charming restaurant for great food, signature drinks and refined service for over 60 years. Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence 2019. Open for dinner year round, and lunch daily in season (weekends in summer), The Pink Elephant is a home away from home for locals on Gasparilla Island, Inn guests, and visitors, and is a favorite for day trippers down to Boca Grande from Sarasota or other areas, or by boat with slips directly across the street.
The outdoor terrace is extremely popular in good weather. While the restaurant opens at 11:30am for lunch, there are no reservations, and locals arrive around 11:00-11:15am to stake their claim to the coveted outdoor tables with signature pink umbrellas, flanked by swaying coconut palms and breezes off the nearby Gulf of Mexico or Charlotte Harbor.
The Pink has an excellent wine list and full bar with fun cocktails, each adorned with a plastic pink elephant people often collect as a memento of a fun, enjoyable meal. The atmosphere is island casual, but don’t be surprised to see people decked out to the nines like they just stepped off the cover of Vogue or GQ in their Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines, or exclusive French, or Italian designer apparel as they pull up in golf carts or Bentleys for lunch. The Pink’s patio is also pet friendly for well-behaved canine companions, and is a favorite for my dog, Teddy when he visits the island.
The lunch menu includes a variety of soups, salads, a good burger, sandwiches, and seafood specialties. Musts include the Gazpacho with watermelon and strawberry, a refreshing tropical twist to the classic, some of the best French Onion Soup with melted Gruyere with the secret ingredient being “love,” their Fish Tacos with catch of the day, which may be Grouper, Swordfish, Tripletail, Mahi, etc. The Salads are excellent, a favorite is their Apple, Beet, Quinoa, and Goat Cheese, which I always get topped with fresh fish, grilled or blackened. The Key Lime Pie is one of the best anywhere, and totally worth the splurge, I shared the recipe on this blog last week, if you’re yearning for that taste of Florida, this is it! The dinner menu is a bit more extensive with steaks, chops, and fresh seafood. The interior of the restaurant boasts a popular bar, and dark woods as well as televisions, and is casually sophisticated, and reminds me of a few places I enjoy in Bermuda. Owned and operated by the venerable Gasparilla Inn, The Pink is a popular family-friendly outpost several blocks away from the main inn, and a slightly more casual alternative to the formal main dining room for dinner, and one of the most popular lunch spots on the island.
The Pink Elephant/The Gasparilla Inn have been awarded the Fred Bollaci Enterprises Platinum Palate Certificate of Excellence for their exemplary food, quality, service, and atmosphere since 2016!
The Pink Elephant
491 Bayou Ave.
Boca Grande, FL 33921
+1941.964.4540
