It’s ‘one of the weirdest restaurants’ in Florida. Snakes are staying, but there’s change
TV’s Al Roker once called Linger Lodge “one of the top five weirdest restaurants in the country.” Forbes put it in the top 10 of unusual places to eat.
No argument there.
Snakes mounted on the walls. Alligator bites and frog legs on the menu. “Swamp Water” at the bar.
Now this piece of old Florida, first opened in 1945, has a new owner.
Here’s what to know about changes and constants at the long-lasting Linger Lodge:
Change at old Florida restaurant
In business: Linger Lodge closed for more than a year during the COVID pandemic and for renovations. It reopened last August.
New owner: Rita Lewis, 64, now owns the place. She started at Linger Lodge 14 years ago in the kitchen, became the head chef and then general manager through several ownership changes.
Former owners: Mike Bennett, former state senator and the current supervisor of elections in Manatee County, bought the restaurant and RV campground in 2005 with his partner, Marvin Kaplan, from longtime owner Frank Gamsky. Bennett and Kaplan sold the campground and restaurant in November 2016 to Linger Loft, an Austrian company.
Location: On the northern bank of the Braden River, 7205 85 St. Ct. E. in Bradenton’s Manatee County.
What makes Linger Lodge quirky?
The decor: Americana and taxidermy on walls and shelves.
Offbeat menu: Gator bites, frog legs, catfish, alligator chowder, fried green tomatoes; drinks include Swamp Water and River Otter.
People behind Linger Lodge
New workforce: In March 2022, Lewis quietly became owner of the restaurant, while Linger Loft retained ownership of the spruced-up campground. Lewis had to recruit a virtually all-new crew after the prolonged closure but says she now has a wonderful team. She said she also upgraded the menu to serve a better quality of food.
A regular customer: Previous owner Gamsky, who used to entertain guests tableside with his magic tricks and jokes, is still a regular at Linger Lodge at age 92. “I look forward to seeing all of our old and new customers joining us for lunch or dinner,” Lewis said.
More information
Hours: Linger Lodge is closed Monday and Tuesday and open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Music: The restaurant has karaoke every Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. and live music all day on Sundays.
Contact: For more information, visit https://www.lingerlodge.com/ or call 941-755-2757.
