Council’s Bradenton Recreation Parlor, 536 12th Street West, Bradenton, 941-746-8350

I spent this past weekend in Bradenton and was determined to eat, drink and play like a local. I consulted the trustiest tribe of tastemakers in town (my Facebook friends) and decided to get a cheeseburger at Council’s Bradenton Recreation Parlor. I received the following instructions/warnings along with the recommendations: 

1. Bring cash (the registers are relics from 1926, they don’t take plastic)
2. It’s a dive bar (don’t expect anything fancy, like a plate or a hostess)

I walked in on a Saturday afternoon and experienced a disorienting wave of nostalgia, walking in to Council’s is like falling backwards through time and landing on a bar stool in the old days. Tomatoes ripen in the window and regulars order in a shorthand developed over decades. The bartender is also the owner, and so was his father before him. The cook, Cory, handed me a juicy burger, wrapped in paper napkins, with a smile and I felt that anticipatory flutter you get when you’re about to really enjoy something. The bun was lightly toasted, the tomato was juicy, the cheese was yellow and melty, and the patty was well-seasoned. I wanted a taste of old Bradenton. I got it, and it was perfect.

Council’s Bradenton Recreation Parlor, 536 12th Street West, Bradenton, 941-746-8350