Chef who grew up on Anna Maria Island returns to open new tropical barbecue restaurant
Chef Ben Sato wants to emphasize the rub that goes on the pork belly, ribs and brisket that is cooked to perfection in the big smoker of his new restaurant.
That’s why he lower-cased the “g” in gRub Tropical BBQ, a fast-casual tropical barbecue restaurant that opened Wednesday at 415 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, and why the motto is “the place to meat.”
As a name, gRub — pronounced “grub” — may be short, but the food is long on flavor.
Natalie and Mike Thrasher were among the first to try out chef Sato’s cuisine.
Natalie was having the charred Romaine with chicken.
“It’s the best barbecue. It’s marinated perfectly with a slight kick to it,” she said.
Mike Thrasher was having the Willow Wrap with chopped pork, queso fresco, slaw and sweet chili.
“It is sweet and sour. It is tropical barbecue,” he said.
Sato grew up on Anna Maria Island, attended Johnson and Wales Culinary Arts School and refined his chef skills working in restaurants in Miami and Key West, including The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Sunset Key Resort, Hollywood Beach Marriott and the Longboat Key Club.
His long-term goal was always to return home and open a restaurant on Pine Avenue.
When lightning hit a house that the Sato family owned a few years ago and fried the wiring, Sato suggested that rather than restoring the house to what it had been, that it be renovated and converted into what became gRub.
“This is something I thought the island needed, a family-friendly, fast-casual restaurant,” Sato said.
In this case, fast casual means guests walk up to the counter and place their order, and then when it is ready, take it to their seat or take it with them.
On a recent Tuesday, the front-of-the-house manager Ashley Chiles was calling guests when their orders were ready.
The menu features platters, sandwiches, empanadas, salads, sides and desserts.
Among the platters: honey spare ribs — half or whole rack, mojo pork, Peri-Peri chicken and shaved brisket.
Sandwiches include the Cuban, the Bimini Bay Banh Mi (shaved brisket, slaw, sweet chili, on a hoagie bun) and more.
Among the sides: adobo mac ‘n’ cheese, roasted potato salad, coleslaw, banana bread, sweet potato chips, coconut cream corn, black bean coconut rice and cucumber salad.
What’s for dessert? Choices include coconut clusters, banana pudding and mango bars.
In a couple of days, Sato expects to have his license to sell beer and wine.
“It’s such a great addition to Pine Avenue and all of Anna Maria,” Natalie Thrasher said.
The restaurant has seating for 46 and wide, garage-style doors on north side of the building.
“We have been so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from the people stopping by to see when we would be open,” Chiles said.
The restaurant is open 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed Sundays.
For more information, visit grubami.com, or @grub_ami on Instagram, or call 941-900-2874.
