Award Winner Spotlight: gRub

There’s no shortage of seafood on Anna Maria Island, so when Ben Sato decided to open a new restaurant on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria, he wanted to go in a different direction. With many establishments having long wait times to dine, he wanted to offer a healthy, high-quality menu that could be ordered and eaten more quickly than at many other restaurants, without sacrificing quality. The result is gRub, a fast, casual tropical barbecue restaurant with a menu inspired by Sato’s travels to tropical locales.

Sato has a background in fine dining, but realized that not every family, especially those with young children, had the time to wait to get a table. Ticket times average only 15 minutes, so the kids won’t get restless and mom and dad still get to enjoy quality dining.

gRub opened its doors to the public on Feb. 22, 2022, and has gotten a warm reception and rave reviews from both locals and visitors. While Sato wanted to do barbecue, he didn’t want to be confined to one style, such as Texas, Memphis, Carolina or Kansas City. He has always appreciated the flavors of the tropics all around the world, so it made sense to do a fusion of those tropical flavors. Taking home Reader’s Choice Awards for Best BBQ, Best Restaurant, Best Bartender and

Best Chef, the public seems to be on board with his choices. gRub is located at 415 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, and is open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.