Good restaurants in Fort Lauderdale?

[Scarpozzi]

I'm here for another 2 nights. Any places I should hit up while around here?

I'm getting hungry.

 

[alkemyst]

What budget / type of food?

 

[Scarpozzi]

What budget / type of food?

I'm a sucker for good seafood and live hours from the coast. I prefer dives to high end...mainly because they have better beer selection and possibly work out better for me since I'm solo.

I've already hit up a few places at Lauderdale-by-the-sea, Flanigan's, Texas de Brazil, etc...

....and I just looked out the window of the hotel. It's like Home Alone 2 out there.

 

[nace186]

I was there last year for a conference and went to this place call: Casablanca Cafe.

I got the Chilian sea bass. It was very very good. I'm going back this year, and intend to get that again.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I was there last year for a conference and went to this place call: Casablanca Cafe.

I got the Chilian sea bass. It was very very good. I'm going back this year, and intend to get that again.

I don't know if I could dress up enough for that place with my current wardrobe selections. (I packed really light). It looks good though if I ever bring the wife down for a weekend.

 

[nace186]

I don't know if I could dress up enough for that place with my current wardrobe selections. (I packed really light). It looks good though if I ever bring the wife down for a weekend.

Oh, it's very casual. I went there in khaki short, t-shirt and sandals lol.

 

[Jeeebus]

Catfish Dewey's is laid back and has different all you can eat specials nightly - catfish, shrimp, ribs, etc. There's always Joes in Miami.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I drove up to Pompano Beach and went to Fish Shack.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/12/1629409/restaurant/Miami/Fish-Shack-Pompano-Beach

I somehow found it straight away....it was off the main road and my GPS went nuts when I put in the address.

I got fried oysters + a fried mahi sandwich and cole slaw.....Key Lime Pie for desert. All that and a few drinks for $30. It was top notch....exactly what I was looking for.

 

[alkemyst]

I drove up to Pompano Beach and went to Fish Shack.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/12/1629409/restaurant/Miami/Fish-Shack-Pompano-Beach

I somehow found it straight away....it was off the main road and my GPS went nuts when I put in the address.

I got fried oysters + a fried mahi sandwich and cole slaw.....Key Lime Pie for desert. All that and a few drinks for $30. It was top notch....exactly what I was looking for.

Awesome! I had to step out so I couldn't reply back.

Since you are solo, some of the "Top 10" lists are sort of a waste unless you are a total Foodie.

My parents have a couple units down at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea that has been in the family for 50 years.

Ocean 101 you may have hit up...I like it and Aruba's down there too....they aren't the best of best, but have a nice vibe and on the weekends they shut down that intersection and have live bands.

Chuck's Steak House is up the street on Commercial and is a nice family owned steak house with a great salad bar and nice pricing.

There is a famous sub place down there that the name is slipping me. It's got like an hour long wait at times.

There is a pizza place I love called Ferro's Pizza up on University in Tamarac. My dad was the lender that helped them start (not his own money, but he was the VP at the S&L) and believed in the guy's business. That was back in the early 80's and since then it's explained). It's real New York Pizza.

If you like the show Diner's, Drive-in's and Dive's these made their list:

http://www.tvfoodmaps.com/s4/Diners-Drive-Ins-Dives/FL/Fort Lauderdale

The three numbers below are "Thumbs Up", "Thumbs Down" and "Recommended/Try"

Blue Marlin Fish House
2500 NE 163rd St Miami, FL (305) 957-8822

Seafood
All Kinds of Classics

BRONZE for Blue Marlin Fish House
10 1 20

Creolina's Dixie Take Out - CLOSED
209 SW 2nd St Davie, FL

Cajun & Creole

2 3 6

Grampa's Bakery
17 SW 1st St Dania Beach, FL (954) 923-2163

SILVER for Grampa's Bakery
30 2 22

Sonny's Famous Steak
1857 NW 66TH Ave Hollywood, FL (954) 989-0561

Steakhouse Pizza

BRONZE for Sonny's Famous Steak Hoagies
19 7 29

Whale's Rib Diners,
2033 NE 2nd St Deerfield Beach, FL (954) 421-8880

Seafood

SILVER for Whale's Rib
35 3 39

There is a nice little restaurant at the private airport on Commercial called Jet Runway Cafe. It's by my office and tends to fill up at lunch (parking is very limited). However; I have seen some pretty nice private aircraft land there just for lunch.

NewTime's puts out a paper every year that rates the best of the best in several categories, this is a typical page:

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/c...l_best_places_to_hand_out_fort_lauderdale.php

HTH, I grew up down there.

 

[Jeeebus]

actually, if you want a burger for lunch or dinner, Le Tub on Hollywood Beach would be worthwhile. I believe it's been named best burger or one of best burgers in USA before. Right on the ICW so nice views too.

 

[RossMAN]

You should organize the ultimate AT meat:

PAB + yakko + CasioTech + alky = ????

 

[SagaLore]

There are none. Sorry.

 

[Tombstone1881]

Casablanca is very nice. (And casual) You should check it out, even without your wife along, but definitely take her there sometime. It's funny you guys bring it up, as just the other day I found a picture of me and my wife and another couple eating there. They have a built in dock type thing that you can eat out on, and looking through the floorboards, you can see the water beneath you. The views of the Intercoastal Waterway are fantastic.

It's too bad that "R's Donuts" closed, after the old guy that ran it had died.
It had a simple menu.
1) Plain donut
2) Coffee
That was it. $1 each. Served by topless waitresses. It was just down the street from Dreamgirls on US1.

 

[PricklyPete]

Nearly everything along the beach is an underwhelming, overpriced tourist trap. Most of the good restaurants are along Las Olas Blvd... But they are generally overpriced. One if my favorite seafood restaurants is actually very close to the beach, but overlooks the intercostal... Coconuts. The seafood there is great and the prices are reasonable. Definitely recommended.

 

[unokitty]

When I lived in Lauderdale, I could walk to Los Olas... Nice place to walk and window shop, if you are into that sort of thing...

There were a number of places that had outdoor patios. Even if you don't get anything to eat, you might like having coffee and desert at one of them.

Generally, I tried to stay away from anyplace that had a water view or attracted tourists...

While its been too many years for me to recommend a specific place, you can still walk down Los Olas to A1A, take a right, walk by the Bahia Mar and say hello to Travis McGee.

Uno

 

[alkemyst]

You should organize the ultimate AT meat:

PAB + yakko + CasioTech + alky = ????

We will need you there for the coupons, bro.

 

[evident]

I was there last year for a conference and went to this place call: Casablanca Cafe.

I got the Chilian sea bass. It was very very good. I'm going back this year, and intend to get that again.

as soon as you mentioned that name i remembered going there, right on A1A right? we went there for lunch before flying back to philly. I forgot what i had, but remembered that it was good. most places in general were meh or touristy to me which is probably why i hate florida in the first place

 

[Lyfer]

Mons Venus.

 

[Scarpozzi]

as soon as you mentioned that name i remembered going there, right on A1A right? we went there for lunch before flying back to philly. I forgot what i had, but remembered that it was good. most places in general were meh or touristy to me which is probably why i hate florida in the first place

I like upscale places, but have a thing for the dives that serve good food. The Beach Cafe at Lauderdale by the Sea across from Arubas was where I ate the first night. Basically, it's a Greek owned place that specializes in organic greens and has pretty good food. They had grilled swordfish and a few of the standard fish dishes. I ended up trying the gyro platter they had to go with some calamari (yeah, I wanted surf and turf).... It was all really good.

The place I went last night was really good too....definitely more bang for your buck, but lacking atmosphere for the sake of getting awesome food at awesome prices...plus, half of the experience was going to a place called "Fish Shack".

I'm getting ready to seek out tonight's meal. I'm thinking about either going to Hott Leggz or the German place next to it.

 

[MongGrel]

NM.

 

[alkemyst]

NM.

lol

 

[GasX]

I forget the name but there is an unbelievably good crab shack near the airport

edit: The Rustic Inn
http://www.rusticinn.com/index.html

 

[alkemyst]

I forget the name but there is an unbelievably good crab shack near the airport

edit: The Rustic Inn
http://www.rusticinn.com/index.html

Just about to post Rustic Inn (or Joe's)

 

[natto fire]

NM.

I agree, as long as you are not a seafood junkie, New Mexico has much more to offer than any restaurant in Florida. Cheaper, too.

 

[alkemyst]

I agree, as long as you are not a seafood junkie, New Mexico has much more to offer than any restaurant in Florida. Cheaper, too.

wow New Mexico? Let's make this the new tourist trap.

/never has anyone said.