Council’s Bradenton Recreation Parlor

What an awesome throwback spot, with frosted mugs, awesome cheeseburgers and real people. Love this spot. It’s also a good place to bring my sons to play pool. The staff there has treated me and my family like a million dollars from the first time I visited.

Living in the Detroit area my whole life I think I know a thing or two about great burgers and this place has a burger that can compete in any Northern blue collar town. This is the best burger in the Sarasota/​Bradenton area… period. The burger is cooked on a cast iron griddle with almost 80 years of flavor baked into it. And don’t give me the «they don’t have fries stuff». This place is for and about a very special burger. Budweiser on Tap with a burger cooked on the aforementioned grill and you have all you need for the perfect burger experience. But if need be add the homemade potato salad to round out your meal.
Number One and it ain’t even close.

Walked in hearing this place was good, but being greeted by no one and having the locals look at us like we are idiots, was not a good impression. Sat down to give it a chance and sat for 15min before walking out. Never again

Amazing! Truly a piece of local history… and the burgers ROCK. Don’t miss out — if you like a great greasy burger and ambience for days, just do it.

Good burgers, nice owners. Not fancy! They had a good write up in the paper, best diner style burger. The same category as my more local Hob Nob. I like Hob Nob. I liked Council’s too. Glad I went. Very good for what it is, 5 stars.

THE ABSOLUTE BEST BURGER IN SARASOTA/​MANATEE COUNTIES!!! A crazy little pool hall across the street from the Manatee County Courthouse with cold draft Budweiser, great chili, potato salad and the greatest burger ever served on a napkin. JUST DO IT!!!

Umm… I like white linen table cloths and china. Forgetaboutit. This place is strangely addictive. Burgers and beer. Chili is good.

Well this is a hole in the wall dive that has pool, Bud on draft and hamburgers. I really wouldn’t call it a bar, since it only has one beer on draft and about a dozen bar stools. It is more like a pool hall that serves a burger. This place came highly recommended by two co-​workers who described it as «the best burger in Bradenton». I don’t know about that. It was okay, nice and hot off the flat top, but it was on an over-​processed white bun with iceberg lettuce and a tomato slice. Service was fast and friendly and the burger came quickly. The clientele is clearly regulars because the cook was throwing on burgers as people walked in and shouted out their order. I think we as a society have become so far removed from a fresh hot anything straight from the source and are used to food that has sat around a little bit. Maybe that is why others think this is such a spectacular burger, I don’t know. It was okay but I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat there again.

This is a pool hall, this is a hamburger, if you ask «what’s on tap?», they answer, «beer;» this is Bradenton. You don’t go to a taco truck and expect tapas. You don’t go to Council’s and expect fillet. You will not beat the price. You will not beat the burger. Stop by Council’s if you’re in Bradenton because Council’s is Bradenton.

I didn’t know this place existed until a friend mentioned it on Facebook. So we decided to stop in of course for a burger… it was pretty good… not the best I’ve ever had but good… we learned the history of councils from the lady cooking as we took in all the décor… very interesting place…

A great dive bar, very old school and I love it! We could smell the burgers cooking from down the street and had to have one. I’m really glad we stopped in. Yes, they’re served on a napkin, but some of your best food is no-​frills like that. I watched the very nice lady working there (Sorry, I’m bad with names) cook us hand-​pattied burgers with toasted buns on an old flat-​top grill that she cleaned after every order. It was the perfection of simplicity: toasted bun, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard, ketchup and mayo. The result was one hell of a great burger. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how delicious a good ol’ fashioned cheeseburger can be when you aren’t putting foie gras or pterodactyl sweet meats on it. Add a cold beer and it’s on.
As for the rest of the bar, there were pool tables, a big television with The Game on it and a jukebox for picky tune seekers. No, it’s not pretty; it’s a dive. But it’s just the right amount of divey. And the burgers and beer are all you could ask for.

I read about Council’s a few months ago in the paper. Had a free day and decided to try it out. From the outside it appears to be one of those dive places where guys who drink at 10AM go and it kind of is, but the people running it are way more friendly than you might expect. council’s is right across from the old court house and is flanked by bail bondsmen and lawyers on only main street, which adds to its charm in a sort of run down way.
Inside is a blast from the ’50’s. Kind of a smoke stained yellow paint that is probably older than I am with pool tables, but the smell of cooking burgers hits you right away. I was barely in the door when the guy working the grill turns to me and asks if I want a burger. I said yes, because that was why I as there. I grab a chair at the bar. The waitress asks me what I want on the burger and I decided to try some chili as well. The chili comes right away and is pretty decent. Good flavor, beans and meat swimming a bit. Only bud on tab, so I get an ice tea instead. The crowd was interesting. Old guys at the bar whose politics are 180 degrees different than me. Some lawyers in suits playing pool during lunch, and office types coming in to get take out.
The burger comes, looks good, but served on a napkin with a tooth pick holding it together. The bun is soft but toasted (a plus), the tomato, onions, lettuce, and pickles top notch. The burger, not so much. I think all it needs is some salt and pepper. The texture and the fixinging were good but It was just sort of bland. From the 50 year cook top they should be able to make some killer burgers, but while it was good, it just didn’t blow my mind and as dive burgers go, I’ve had better. But the entertainment value of the crazy old guys, the lawyers and the friendly owner, I could come back and maybe try a chili dog.

Not impressed, very small and old (dirty). $ 4.50 for small burger on napkin with nothing else (pickle.chips.)does nothing to impress me. A place can still be old but clean, not the case here I’m afraid. The historical values worth something I guess but otherwise not even close to the best burger in town…

This little gem of a burger joint was such a surprise. Its an old pool hall that has been around for 50+ years. You can still pool, have a draft beer and enjoy a delicious and fresh burger and the prices are reasonable. The owner was really nice, and took the time to tell me about the history of the family business. If you’re looking for a good burger, this is the place! Cash only