Clayton’s Siesta Grille in Sarasota, Making Every Gathering Special
When considering a restaurant to gather for a celebration with friends or family, you want to place your efforts into being in the moment and enjoying your guests. Life’s stresses often get in the way, but on this night, you are committed to just relaxing and taking in the specialness of the moment. Being able to count on excellent food and top-notch service at a restaurant that has stood the test of time just elevates your occasion. For locals and tourists alike, Clayton’s Siesta Grille has been their place to go for a great meal and impeccable service for nearly twenty years. As we celebrated a family birthday recently, we were reminded that amazing, fresh food and a friendly waiter staff can be rare to find but so appreciated when experienced.
The standard bearer for a supreme prime rib is perhaps the ease with which a butter knife glides through that first bite of meat. At Clayton’s Siesta Grille, your server’s confidence level hits the roof when they serve a prime rib meal. They know your senses are already intoxicated as you smell the herbs and spices, hear the sizzle, and anticipate the superb taste of their prime rib. And, yes, you can cut it with a butter knife. On our trip to Clayton’s three out of six diners chose prime rib and all were thrilled with the quality of the meat and traditional sides that included mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, and salad. Two of our guests chose the margherita pizza and salad. Both diners commented, “This is the best pizza I have had in my life.” They enjoyed the crispness of the crust and the perfection of the toppings. For me, ordering the Jerk Spiced Airline Chicken was a game changer. The chicken was cooked to a splendor-tender and flavorful throughout without being overly spicy. But what was even better than that was the creamy risotto with spinach and roasted corn and poblano. It was everything I have ever dreamed of in one satisfying dish. If I said I woke up extra early just to warm up the leftovers I had enjoyed so much the night before, I would not be lying.
With an easy-going, casual feel, Clayton’s staff is very efficient and welcoming. From being immediately seated with menus, water and rolls coming soon after and that delicious meal arriving perfectly timed with the table’s hunger level, the level of service just complemented the wonderful time we were all having just being together. And of course, they have a variety of taste-tempting options on their menu including scallops, burgers, fish tacos and several vegan dishes as well. Wine, beer, and signature drinks are available also. We cannot wait to return to Clayton’s Siesta Grille. Since we don’t have any “occasions” coming up to celebrate, we will let the wonderful food be the reason we return.
From their website: Since our opening in 2004, it has been a pleasure to serve all of you who support our vision for Siesta Key’s best eatery, Clayton’s Siesta Grille. We are committed to exceeding your expectations, by appealing to locals and visitors alike, with our great location, remarkable atmosphere and of course, our great menu items.
Clayton’s Siesta Grille’s success has allowed us the privilege to indulge in some dreams which extend beyond our doors. We have helped to organize an annual golf tournament with the proceeds going to Practicing Good Decisions since 2005. This is a three-time award winning reading and mentor program which supports over 1100 of our community’s school children.
In addition to this we have maintained a mentoring program for high school students since day one of our opening. The program is designed to provide our kids with a friendly work environment, encourage the development of work ethics and to teach them to be ladies and gentlemen. We have raised money for, and contributed to, worthy causes including Kiwanis, Seratoma, Rotary, Breast Cancer, Wounded Warriors, PGD, MDA and victims of Haiti and Hurricane Katrina, Harvey, and Irma.
We are concerned with helping the environment and reflect this through our oil, cardboard, glass, and plastic recycling program. Other eco-friendly measures we have undertaken include converting vegetable oil to bio diesel fuel and installing high-efficiency equipment and lighting. Clayton’s Siesta Grille could not be successful without you, and we hope that you can continue to enjoy your experience with us.
Photos from Facebook