Town Hall Restaurant & Lounge, 1970 Dr. Martin Luther King Way, Sarasota

Few restaurants have survived quite like Town Hall Restaurant & Lounge on MLK Way. Open a whopping 21 hours a day—that is not a typo—the restaurant serves the surrounding community with breakfast, lunch, dinner and, when parties are in full swing, late night bites to soak up the party punch. A neighborhood staple for decades, it’s the place where many in the Newtown area start their day.

Breakfast is served from 5 a.m. to noon, with orders being taken from the walk-up window beneath the patio overhang. Offerings include eggs, toast and grits combinations with an assortment of breakfast meats, while pancakes and biscuit sandwiches round out the breakfast menu. A bacon, eggs, toast and grits breakfast runs just $7 and includes coffee. The grits go great smeared on buttered toast and, more importantly, provide lasting, sticky energy for the daytime grind.

As for the 5 a.m. start time, the most salient question is: are those customers just starting their day or just ending their night?

Town Hall Restaurant & Lounge, 1970 Dr. Martin Luther King Way, Sarasota