It’s time to rearrange your Sarabeth’s schedule.
The classy but casual cafe at the corner of Simonton and Southard streets has long drawn diners to its courtyard tables and high-ceilinged dining room for breakfast, lunch and that mimosa-filled meal in between the two.
But new(ish) owners Ann and Jonathan Jonas, who bought the restaurant in 2018 and seriously renovated it in September 2019, have launched a weekday happy hour — Tuesday through Friday — that promises to be one of the happiest hours in town.
Located at 530 Simonton St., Sarabeth’s happy hour starts at 5:30 and its glasses of wine and associated appetizers each cost $5.30.
But make no mistake. These are no chips-and-salsa happy hour apps.
Chef Christopher Woodard continues to create small happy hour plates that look as good as they taste. The caprese flatbread is crisp, golden and perfectly topped with just the right amount of mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and a balsamic glaze. The herb-grilled mahi skewers offer a fresh take on kabobs, and are just as fun to eat. Don’t dismiss the jicama slaw under the kebobs as garnish to be overlooked. It’s a crisp and refreshing combination of jicama and shaved coconut. And Woodard’s ricotta risotto fritters with a garlic parmesan sauce will demand an extra order — or two.
“We’re really hoping to get people to start thinking about Sarabeth’s for happy hour and dinner, rather than just breakfast and lunch,” said Ann Jonas, who worked as a server at Sarabeth’s from 2008 until buying the place in 2018. “I’ve expanded the wine list, as well as our Big Girl Mimosas that are available in three flavors: poinsettia (cranberry), bellini (peach) and Hawaiian (pineapple) offerings.”
The interior dining room also has a bright new look, with white-washed tabletops, a crisp new paint job, brand new restrooms and sky-high ceilings.
But Jonas also knows better than to mess with some of the restaurant’s longtime favorites, so their award-winning velvety cream of tomato soup remains a mainstay, along with their bread pudding and flash-fried whole yellowtail snapper.
Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., with the happy hour till 6:30. Sarabeth’s is closed on Mondays. Dinner reservations are recommended at sarabethskeywest.com.
Schedule a stop on Simonton Street for happy hour — then stick around for dinner.
