El Vez, from James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Stephen Starr, offers a menu by chef Steven Menter that features Mexican favorites such as classic guacamole, crispy Mahi Mahi, tacos al carbon and others. The 300-seat Mexican eatery is located on the first floor of the W Fort Lauderdale and includes indoor and outdoor bars and an expansive lounge area. The W’s signature artistic décor and style are present and include a unique beer can wall art installation. If art’s not your thing, there’s also cornhole and shuffleboard.
The Wan family has been running successful Chinese restaurants in South Florida since 1966, and this outpost in the Winn-Dixie shopping plaza serves up all the classics. Christina Wan’s does it all in a relaxed atmosphere, including dumplings, slices of caramelized roast pork, and beef lo mein. A full bar is its newest draw, so you can sip cocktails with your honey garlic wings. Wood tones and white tablecloths complete the motif, and a flat-screen hangs over the bar so you can catch the big game while dining.
This quaint French provincial restaurant is known for crepes that come filled with just about anything you can imagine. Sweet crepes include fresh fruit, Nutella, caramel, and ice cream. Savory ones come with seafood, meat, scrambled eggs, and cheese. Signature crepes include the Crepe Orleans, with blackened chicken breast, sliced tomato, and Gruyere cheese. The Crepe Nova Superbe is stuffed with smoked salmon, asparagus, capers, and béchamel. For dessert, try Johnny’s Favorite crepe, stuffed with fresh strawberries, banana, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce.
Arrive by boat or auto at this seafood mecca tucked inside Lauderdale Marina to experience breathtaking views of the 17th Street Causeway drawbridge. Seafood dominates here, from shrimp ‘n’ grits with trugole cheese and applewood-smoked bacon to wild blue crab cakes with double mustard cream, scallions, tropical slaw, and yuzu tobiko. Waterfront cocktails are a major draw here, but don’t leave the kids at home – they can help feed the tarpon that crowd the dock while you order another round of margaritas.
Empanada Top specializes in Argentinian-style empanadas and serves wines and beers perfect to wash down the Latin delicacy. Their menu includes unique empanadas such as Hawaiian (ham, mozzarella cheese and pineapple), corn and pumpkin (corn, pumpkin, onion, red bell pepper, mozzarella cheese and seasoning) and guava and cheese.
The Foxy Brown serves an eclectic menu such as “bangers and smash” (English-style pork sausages and mashed potatoes), nicoise salad (with sliced rare ahi tuna to change things up), and Mabel’s chicken (which comes with house-made spaetzle and herbed pan gravy). Additionally, there are three flavors of milkshakes, innovative appetizers like “little shorties” (lollipop chicken wings with red bean, garlic ginger sauce), and enticing sandwiches like the Bratburger with house-made sauerkraut and shallot jam on a pretzel bun.
At Sapido, you’ll find all your favorite Italian dishes like pasta, gnocchi, lasagna, cannelloni and more. Each dish is homemade, making you feel like you just stepped into a close-knit Italian family’s Sunday dinner. The modern twist comes into play with their gourmet Italian-style sandwiches and organic coffee. The cozy atmosphere is coupled with wooden accents and a wall displaying their large collection of wines.
The Floridian restaurant and meal plan service has opened a fifth location right on Federal. Their restaurant menu includes build-your-own bowls (with chipotle mac as a base option, your choice of seven proteins and six sauces) and a “Super Food Station” that features acai bowls, avocado toast, nut butter toast and poke bowls. Their meal plan service includes two style options: weight loss or maintain. Each meal is chef-made and delivered daily for the freshest taste and quality.
Shake Shack, known for its 100-percent all-natural Angus burgers, fresh-made frozen custard and crinkle-cut fries, has finally opened in Fort Lauderdale. The East Coast rival of West Coast icon In-N-Out Burger also serves chicken sandwiches and griddled flat-top dogs (which have no hormones or antibiotics). Keeping things local, they offer brews from Wynwood Brewing Co., Due South Brewing Co. and Funky Buddha Brewery. Lucky for us, this location includes a collection of frozen custards exclusive to Fort Lauderdale: Pie OH My, S’more and Caramel Crumble (in addition to the classics).
It’s hard for Fort Lauderdale locals to imagine a summer without taking a dip in the water…well, what about their bagels? Known for a 14-step water filtration process that goes into its authentic Brooklyn-style bagels and coffee, Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. has officially opened its second Fort Lauderdale location. In addition to bagels and coffee, menu items include breakfast and deli sandwiches, baked goods, omelets and “baninis” – bagel paninis, naturally.
As you might have guessed, the Capital One Café on Las Olas belongs to Capital One Bank. Their goal is to have customers experience their digital and financial tools while grabbing some coffee and mingling with their ambassadors. Plus, they have free Wi-Fi.
Headed by two-time James Beard-winning chef partner Guillermo Pernot, the 9,200-square-foot eatery celebrates Cuban culture through its interior design, music and of course, cuisine. The menu is as authentic as it gets as chef Pernot takes his inspiration from travels throughout the island and experiences with the local chefs and restaurants. Selections include Octopus a la Parrilla, malanga fritters and Pernot’s Pineapple Guacamole Cubano. The rum bar offers more than 90 premium varieties of dark, light, spiced and aged rums.
Cozy coffee shop located in Victoria Park offering lattes, cappuccinos and espressos.
A libation-lover’s paradise, this gastropub produces American-style grub and serves up frosty pints of craft beer, more brews from frozen “pour-it-yourself” beer taps, and spirits infused with sweet fruits. The decor incorporates old gas lanterns and Chicago bricks with an array of historic Life magazines. Flatbreads with barbecue chicken and marinated pork and snacks like parmesan-truffle fries and short rib sliders with bacon-onion jam pair well with darker, bold-bodied brews, while the arugula shrimp salad with toasted pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese works with lighter Belgian white beers including Hoegaarden.
An intimate, elegant lounge and hookah bar located on Las Olas Boulevard.
Bright, attractive place doing great justice to both cuisines.
Family owned and community driven, Press & Grind Café has opened its doors in Fort Lauderdale. Press & Grind supports local businesses and has partnered with Argyle Coffee Roasters, Gran Forno Bakery and Aroa Yogurts, among others to bring guests fresh and tasteful food. The welcoming coffee shop serves a variety of fresh-pressed juices, single-origin coffee and teas. It also includes imported açai and a full chef-inspired menu with healthy eats such as sandwiches and salads. It is the perfect hangout spot with delicious food, great atmosphere and incredible service.
Doc B’s menu includes everything from hand-pressed burgers to healthy sandwiches and entrees, to salads with daily homemade dressings, and even a variety of satisfying desserts. Their most unique meal, however, is the Wok Out Bowl, which consists of your choice of six protein bases, flavoring and a healthy carb. If the weather’s nice, take advantage of the place’s outdoor seating overlooking downtown on Federal.
Shrimp N’ Grits, chicken n’ waffles and pulled pork sandwiches are coming to Fort Lauderdale. Batch is bringing Southern comfort food to Flagler Village. Serving a farm-to-table menu, the kitchen gets its products from local farmers. Reservations are required for a taste of Southern, but delivery, take-out, and catering are also available.
A fast-casual restaurant with Cuban-style coffee, sandwiches, frita burgers, empanadas, pastries, desserts and drinks.