This family-owned restaurant specializes in German-American food, including seven types of schnitzel, two types of calf’s liver, bratwurst and sauerbraten. For more American meals, there are baby back ribs, steaks, and surf and turf.
Thai and Japanese dishes plus a “build your own burrito” option.
Open seven days a week since it debuted in 1989, Zuckerello’s still has its original owner and chefs in place pumping out home-style Italian. Expect to find traditional dishes like zuppa di clams, fried calamari, and house-made meatballs, along with pasta such as penne alla vodka, crab ravioli, lasagna, and linguine with clam sauce. Large booths can accommodate family-size parties, and the casual-elegant vibe will keep you lounging long after you finish eating. Red and dark gray walls adorned with lively paintings are complemented by glossy wood tabletops and chairs in a contrasting shade of wood. House specialties like veal Marsala, chicken Milanese, and panko-breaded eggplant Parmesan are affordable and come in shareable portions. Fish lovers should try the herb-crusted salmon in orange beurre blanc sauce.
Opened in 1969, this is one of the last of the area’s corned beef-and-pastrami lunch places. Order The New Yorker and you’ll get both meats with Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, and a crisp half-sour pickle on the side. There’s also chopped liver, creamed herring, lox and bagels and, for dessert, coffee cake and rugelach.
Mexican food gets an upscale makeover at owner and Chef Eduardo Pria’s award-winning eatery. Featured in Bon Appetit, Gourmet Magazine, and on the Food Network, Pria denounces typical tacos and boring burritos for more authentic fare such as guajillo chile-spiced black bean soup, pan-seared Florida Keys yellowtail crusted in toasted almonds and thyme, and achiote-rubbed pork loin with honey-pasilla chile glaze. And it’s not always offered, but if Pria is making his cilantro soup when you visit, be sure to order a bowl.
With 25 years of Italian culinary experience, Chef Walter Hernandez brings authentic Italian cuisine to the table. Classic Italian menu items include shrimp scampi, Frutti Di Mare, Veal Frascati sautéed in a lemon white wine sauce with spinach, capers, artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers with spaghetti, pizza and more.
A beautiful restaurant with a dark wood interior, high ceilings and large windows overlooking the Intracoastal. Tables on the terrace provide a more casual setting. Sweet ginger calamari comes with a chili ginger beer glaze and the filet mignon is served with chimichurri and a loaded baked potato.
For casual-elegant dining along the Intracoastal, this acclaimed eatery provides first-class fare with an art deco interior and a stunning backdrop. Offerings from the raw bar include an iced seafood tower of oysters, shrimp, ceviche, clams, tuna tartare, and Maine lobster cocktail. Togarashi-spiced local swordfish with bok choy, udon noodles and coconut curry lime broth highlight the international inspiration.
Chef Giacomo offers Northern Italian cuisine with a twist: mushroom strudel and crusted eggplant parmigiana. More traditional fare includes veal Marsala, homemade ricotta & spinach ravioli, and cappellini filetto di pomodoro.
Located in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, serving authentic Italian food using fresh ingredients.
A casual cafe with the flair of Milan and great Italian dishes all the way through to dessert.
A ’20s-themed bar and restaurant featuring brunch, cold and hot plates, desserts and a store selling meats and cheeses.
This Gallic charmer offers an intimate dining experience where food art meets your needs for French cuisine.
Sushi and thai restaurant located just minutes from the sea.
A tribute to classic American favorites and craft beers, BJ’s is a casual dine-in (or carryout) restaurant for self-proclaimed bacon lovers. The menu includes boxes of “sticky shrimps,” or “chicken nuggs,” and even “Chuck Norris” sandwiches that include pork, coleslaw, and melted cheddar cheese on wagyu buns . Billy Jack’s offers a large variety of drafts that change daily and range from local to international, in addition to the collection of bottles or cans.
Clean and decked out in tranquil tones, Basilic is known for its variety of fresh spring rolls, Hanoi-style noodles, and bowls of flavorful pho. For a fresh and filling lunch, order a vermicelli noodle bowl with grilled pork, shrimp, chicken, or beef and loads of carrot, cucumber, and more veggies; or go for a main course like lemongrass chicken, spiked with spicy chilies and served with slaw and steamed rice. The pho takes center stage, though, with fragrant broth, tender cuts of rare steak and brisket, miniature meatballs, and an assortment of flavor-enhancing ingredients to alter the soup to your taste, such as cilantro, Thai basil, fresh jalapenos, limes, bean sprouts, sriracha, and hoisin sauce.
This small, warm restaurant named for the artist Frida Kahlo enhances the typical Mexican menu with some harder-to-find dishes like chochinita pibil (roasted Mayan pork leg marinated in achiote citrus juice), fish Veracruz style and shrimp mole verde. The tortillas, like the guacamole, are homemade.
American food by day, German food by night.
Known for its fresh seafood, Italian cuisine and Angus beef steaks, this is a great choice for a quiet evening on the town.
A familiar face on the local restaurant scene has brought a new place to Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. The name Vincent Foti will be familiar to many. Now the restaurateur behind longtime Federal Highway favorite Kitchenetta is taking his talents to East Commercial with a place that’s aiming to do something a bit different. Vincent’s By The Sea will offer many of the Italian favorites that Foti’s built his reputation on. But this time, they’ll come with more American flare in a casual place where diners can have a beer, watch the game and relax Lauderdale-By-The-Sea style. In keeping with the its location just in from Anglin’s Pier, the restaurant will offer a raw bar. There’s also a pizza bar if you want to keep up on your pie as it’s being made – and a number of TVs if you’re more concerned about the Marlins’ playoff chances than your meal prep. If you need a more ample serving, the “Big Shot” menu is there for your outsize needs.
Based out of St. Augustine, The Hyppo Gourmet Pops has finally made its way down I-95 to Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. The shop offers handmade ice pops with natural ingredients and hundreds of flavors – all crafted using their one-of-a-kind blend of “welcome and whimsy.” The base of most pops includes fresh fruit, fresh herbs and spices, dairy (sometimes) and evaporated cane juice.
Opened in 1969, this is one of the last of the area’s corned beef-and-pastrami lunch places. Order The New Yorker and you’ll get both meats with Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, and a crisp half-sour pickle on the side. There’s also chopped liver, creamed herring, lox and bagels and, for dessert, coffee cake and rugelach.
A Lauderdale legend with a menu that’s more Floridian than a Jimmy Buffet album.
If a tourist ever made his way to this neighborhood hangout just south of the swing bridge, you’d feel inclined to reward him with a beer, which would be easy, as craft brews line one wall of the place (under poster-sized vintage postcards of Fort Lauderdale). A friendly, eclectic crowd comes here for beer and food that goes well with it – fish tacos and pizza being the most popular.
Big servings, friendly staff, raucous bar – especially popular for Sunday brunch.
Fresh-faced 26-year-old executive chef Stanton Bundy helms the kitchen within this pork-centric powerhouse in the former Samba Room space. An open kitchen with a rotisserie pumps out plates of brown sugar-brined jerk chicken wings, pulled duck nachos, and grilled free-range turkey meatballs. Poultry aside, this place is all about pork, so go for the rotisserie ribs or barbecued pulled pork sliders with fried pickles, cheddar, spicy mustard, and cabbage slaw. For those craving “lighter” fare, try the warm spinach salad with balsamic bacon vinaigrette, candied walnuts, and Shropshire blue cheese.
A local place to gather at the table and enjoy modern American dining. The Rusty Hook tavern boasts local brew and craft cocktails with a causal atmosphere. See their website for great deals at 50% off specials during the week.
This beachside restaurant offers casual, classic Floridian breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Sip a cocktail while enjoying a view of the ocean at this restaurant located in the Harbor Beach Marriott. Then choose BBQ chicken flatbread, Caribbean jerk chicken sandwich, paella, or rock shrimp and avocado cocktail. The happy hour menu is available from 4:30-7 p.m.
Seasonal cuisine and an award-winning international wine list make this casual-chic chain at the Galleria a consistent draw for locals and out-of-towners. Nothing on the menu tops 475 calories, kept down either by portion control or careful ingredient selection. Flatbreads are popular, such as spicy chipotle shrimp with grilled pineapple, feta, and roasted poblano chilies, as are vibrant entrees like caramelized sea scallops, wood-fired pork tenderloin, and roasted artichoke-stuffed shrimp. Chef’s tables are available with an amuse bouche and a five-course meal with wine pairings for each course, as is private dining for special, intimate occasions. For dessert, go with guilt-free mini-indulgences – shot glass-sized sweet treats, such as Key lime pie, old-fashioned carrot cake, and chocolate peanut butter mousse.
Come pig out on the juiciest barbecue around at Smoke BBQ’s new location in Fort Lauderdale. This Kansas City-style barbecue joint offers the best cuts of meat and hearty sides, great for anyone who needs a real tank-filler. Barbecue fans can argue regional superiority until the cows – or pigs – come home. At Smoke, they do things the KC way – great ribs, great brisket, great sauce and even the “burnt ends” are good.
STEAK 954 is a luxury boutique steakhouse inside the W Fort Lauderdale that faces the ocean. The restaurant features dry aged beef from hand-picked ranches, Tajima Kobe from Australia, locally caught seafood, and the finest wines and spirits with selections from all over the globe.
The combinations may be unusual but the end result remains kosher. Specializing in fusing together old-fashioned Jewish-deli favorites and modern flair, this New York-style restaurant offers a delicious twist on traditional flavors. They have awesome plates that are even tastier than they look, like Reuben egg rolls and pastrami burgers. Those are just a couple of the many remixed-deli items pulled out of this establishment’s (top) hat.
Just steps from the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea fishing pier, the Village Grille has been serving up three solid meals a day for decades. Exposed brick, big booths with wood tables, and metal accents give the place a modern bistro look. The menu features many old standards, like the fish dip appetizer and the Boston baked cod, but there’s also an excellent Thai chicken salad and specials like a seasonal bento box. Weekend mornings will find waits around the block, and summer nights find the Village Grille packed with salty locals who come not for the near-ocean-views but consistency that has lasted a generation.
Located in the Gallery ONE DoubleTree on the Intracoastal, this restaurant offers contemporary cuisine overlooking the water and hotel pool. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with seating indoors and on the 30-seat patio. Menu favorites include crab cakes, short ribs and swordfish.
This snazzy downtown hotspot is routinely packed for lunch and dinner, offering contemporary American dining in a casual-elegant setting. The menu revolves around a wood-burning grill that imparts signature earthy flavor into dishes like grilled artichokes with lemon aioli and grilled grouper with coconut-conch stew and crispy yucca. Meat-lovers will be enchanted by the “forever-braised” short ribs, served with creamy potato risotto, roasted carrots, and crispy shallots.
American cuisine inspired by Florida and Caribbean flavors.
Located inside the DoubleTree at Bahia Mar and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Located inside the Ocean Sky Hotel & Resort, serving American Continental at budget-friendly prices.
American food by day, German food by night.
Located at the Harbor Shops, serving American dishes like burgers and ribs.
