Mastro’s is well-known nationally as a high-end steakhouse chain that also features a line in seafood. Their new location in Fort Lauderdale sits on the Intracoastal near Oakland Park Boulevard, an area that’s quickly becoming a go-to dining locale. Executive Chef Rocco Nankervis aims to give customers plenty of options with a menu that, alongside prime cuts of beef, offers all sorts of seafood and even a sushi menu.
Dockside dining is just one attraction at this eatery perched on the Intracoastal just south of Oakland Park Boulevard near A1A. The vibe is Florida-casual, and you can expect to see men in Hawaiian shirts disembarking from boats and strutting inside. Traditional bar bites, Floribbean fare, and international offerings comprise the menu, including crabcakes, fried calamari, coconut shrimp, seared ahi, and conch fritters. You can also order half-pound beef burgers, overstuffed wraps, and out-of-the-ordinary takes on fish, like the blackened mahi Reuben sandwich. Cocktails run the gamut, including fruity martinis, thick frozen margarita-like concoctions, and enormous fish bowls filled with fizzy, vodka-based drinks.
Internationally inspired fare meticulously prepared by Chef Hector Lopez is complemented by an extensive wine bar that will have gourmands and foodistas raving. Doubling as a purveyor of gourmet yacht provisions, this restaurant boasts refined elegance in its 55-seat dining area. Dishes like pan-seared foie gras with truffle strawberry carpaccio, cherry gastrique and blinis, and grilled hanger steak with crushed rutabaga, asparagus, and red wine demi-glace make every bite memorable.
Contemporary, global Greek food with daily catches and great cocktails.
Bakery and gelato shop.
Steve Martorano got his start hawking Italian sandwiches out of his basement in Philly. But his strip-mall restaurant a few blocks from the beach went upscale, and diners wait hours during season for a table (Martorano famously turned away Madonna’s entourage when she refused to wait outside). Those willing to wait find Italian classics dressed up with top-notch ingredients, like the eggplant stack featuring some of the crispiest breaded eggplant slices you’ll find sandwiched between fresh-pulled mozzarella. Not everyone will be down with the gangster movies showing on the overhead TVs, the dance music, or the women who sometimes take to the tables and dance. If you’re the type to like that kind of people watching, you’ll also find some of South Florida’s most soulful food.
An Asian fusion restaurant specializing in Japanese-Thai tapas, sushi and food that is just as beautiful to look at as it is to eat. Dishes like the Pineapple Fried with shrimp, chicken, chunks of sweet pineapple, cashew nuts and raisins and the Rising Sun Roll with pears, apples, mango and loaded bake seafood will have you begging for more.
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.
Moksha is an Indian restaurant offering a contemporary dining experience featuring 70 South Asian selections composed of traditional flavors with a twist. The 85-seat indoor restaurant’s menu includes signature specialties such as the MOKSHA Feast with chicken tikka malai kabab, tandoori prawns, tulsi kabab, lamb chops, rosemary naan and black lentils.
Family owned farm-to-table Italian bistro.
A menu based around fries? Trust us on this one. This restaurant takes you on a tour of inspired alternatives to and takes on the humble fry. Their French fries come in all shapes and sizes, as well as different root vegetables. Try yucca fries, truffle fries, ropa vieja poutine and churrasco frites. Oh, and wash it down with a craft cocktail from a speakeasy-style menu.
Sometimes you just crave a plate piled with plantains and black beans and rice. The original restaurant opened in Hollywood in 1984; today there are a dozen scattered around South Florida. People come not just for the Cuban sandwiches and the ropa vieja but for the homey atmosphere.
A local favorite, Fishtales offers an indoor / outdoor full liquir bar. the patio offer a great view of 33rd street. Live entertainment and dinner specials are offered every night of the week. Come enjoy the food, fun and friends at “Fishtales on 33rd.”
This Mediterranean mecca in the Galt Ocean Mile area is known for Greek meze, or small plates, such as gyros, spinach pie, and pikilia, a sampler of four traditional spreads served with pita. The ambiance is that of a traditional taverna – festive and loud with a lively, casual feel. Red and white checkered tablecloths and Greek paraphernalia stand out within the interior, while diners can also opt for alfresco seating under a ceiling with fans if they want to escape the noise inside.
Well-regarded Chinese cuisine for lunch, dinner and take-out. Begin with the sesame scallops Grand Marnier or the Hunan popcorn squid before moving on to the salmon Gwin Jin, Hunan sesame chicken, or shrimp in Szechuan sauce. There is also an excellent selection of wine.
Spanish classics in a restaurant that has been around for more than decades.
This Italian bakery/café/wine bar offers a great variety of freshly baked sweets and savory specialties from Sicily. This intimate cafe also serves a diverse range of small plates of classic Southern Italian pastas. Their menu also features paninis, pizzas, arancini, cornetti and more. The most requested pizza dish is the Sicilian lamb pizza, while the chef recommends trying the raviola, fried dough with fresh ricotta inside. And what’s an Italian café without hot drinks? The Bake Bar has all the Italian favorites such as cappuccino. And if you want to keep it cool, try some gelato.
Chef Song brings New York flair to his sushi, sashimi and specialty rolls.
All food made fresh daily.
Country Ham N’ Eggs Bar & Grill is here to fill you up with generous portions of the most scrumptious home-style breakfast and lunch entrees around. From traditional morning meals like country ham and eggs to mouthwatering specialty dishes like our pork roll, you always get the best of classic American cuisine.
We have a full bar which is very unique to a breakfast and lunch restaurant.
Il Paesano emphasizes fresh ingredients, quality food and spreading love. There’s no set menu, only daily specials determined by the fresh ingredients that are found in the market. During the week there are about 15 to 16 different dishes. And owner Vergilio Peixoto has no freezers; from the pasta to the tomato sauce, everything is made fresh in-house. Il Paesano’s chef formerly owned Vesuvio, which was a popular Italian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale back in its heyday.
Il Paesano has a wide variety of wines and the private wine room can also be used as a more intimate setting for couples to dine. (There have been marriage proposals, Peixoto reports.) And if you want to know more about wine, Peixoto hosts a winetasting class every month. But be quick – the classes tend to fill up within minutes of being announced.
Dockside dining is just one attraction at this eatery perched on the Intracoastal just south of Oakland Park Boulevard near A1A. The vibe is Florida-casual, and you can expect to see men in Hawaiian shirts disembarking from boats and strutting inside. Traditional bar bites, Floribbean fare, and international offerings comprise the menu, including crabcakes, fried calamari, coconut shrimp, seared ahi, and conch fritters. You can also order half-pound beef burgers, overstuffed wraps, and out-of-the-ordinary takes on fish, like the blackened mahi Reuben sandwich. Cocktails run the gamut, including fruity martinis, thick frozen margarita-like concoctions, and enormous fish bowls filled with fizzy, vodka-based drinks.
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.
A part of the Ocean Manor Beach Resort, this casual spot serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. There’s brunch on Sunday, followed by a late-afternoon Caribbean pig roast buffet. Mondays are dedicated to Italian food, and parties are held whenever the moon is full.
Roxanne’s aims to be a locals’ watering hole with classic music and a cozy cool atmosphere. The bites menu features beer-battered onion rings (cilantro lime chili or Rod’s Cajun remoulade), sliders and wings. The cocktail list includes the Cuban Chica (vanilla-infused Bacardi chinola passionfruit liqueur, orgeat and lime) and the Respect Your Elders (Old Forrester bourbon, Frangelico hazelnut liqueur and Skrewball peanut butter whiskey).
Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa recently debuted their take on light fares. Located on the beach walk level of the resort, HB Fresh serves freshly squeezed and cold-pressed juices, frozen yogurt, healthy snacks, wraps and acai bowls. The casual restaurant joins Sea Level, 3030 Ocean and Riva as dining options in the Marriott Harbor Beach complex.
Country Ham N’ Eggs Bar & Grill is here to fill you up with generous portions of the most scrumptious home-style breakfast and lunch entrees around. From traditional morning meals like country ham and eggs to mouthwatering specialty dishes like our pork roll, you always get the best of classic American cuisine.
We have a full bar which is very unique to a breakfast and lunch restaurant.
Located inside the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale with a great view of their sunlit atrium and waterfalls serving as a relaxing environment.
Get the best of both worlds at this restaurant that incorporates the cultural and culinary backgrounds of South America and Europe. The menu features modern American dishes served with Peruvian flair and Italian comfort. Notable menu items include the Crispy Pork Belly Tacos with pickled onion and aji verde sauce and the Spiced Cauliflower Steak with bleu cheese and roasted vine tomatoes.
Known for its wood-fired dishes, J. Alexander’s serves classic cuisine in a sophisticated setting. Enjoy Tuscan steak, grilled fish with mango papaya salsa, chicken Milanese and seafood czarina. Pair your meal with wine from the full-service bar.
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.
A local institution offering breakfast, lunch and dinner all day and night. Try the egg specials or hot cakes for breakfast, catfish fingers for a mid-day snack, and then a burger for dinner. No credit cards accepted, but there is an ATM on-site.
This locally owned restaurant offers a wide selection of classic American dishes. The lunch and dinner menu includes Jamaican grilled wings, crispy walnut shrimp, orange chicken and a deep-sea tuna burger. On Saturdays and Sundays, guests can choose from a selection of made-to-order brunch dishes, including six styles of eggs Benedict.
American food by day, German food by night.
When celebrity chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian was looking for a location for Point Royal, his new upscale-yet-casual restaurant and bar, he didn’t need to look any farther than the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood. The chic spot serves up coastal American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, specializing in small plates. If you’re a seafood fanatic, we recommend the raw bar. To complete a meal, diners can sample from an indulgent dessert menu, have a drink or two from a bar that offers an extensive wine list and a number of signature cocktails – or just enjoy one of Hollywood’s prime spots.
Laudy Bar Craft Kitchen’s FAT Village tapas and cocktail experience includes peach burrata, biscuit pot pie (chicken, carrot, peas, corn, celery and buttermilk biscuits) and mussels diavolo (spicy marinara and white wine with crostini). Among the crafted cocktails: Lucky 7 (New Amsterdam Vodka, blackberries, lemon juice, ginger, Orgeat and Peychaud’s Bitters and Fever Tree Ginger Beer) and CUT. IT. OUT (Misunderstood Ginger Whiskey, prickly pear, Amaro Montenegro, peach, lemon, Select Apiritivo and Fever Tree Sparkling Lemon).
Chef Oliver Saucy and general manager Darrel Broek have earned this restaurant distinction as one of the nation’s best, with a menu updated daily featuring the best local ingredients. Dishes include: duck confit phyllo purses with raspberry-glazed beets, pearl onions and chives; and three-peppercorn filet mignon with three-cheese potato au gratin and shallot-thyme butter.
Walking along the Riverwalk, or perhaps sailing down the New River, you may have noticed a new addition to the waterfront standing downhill from the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. The two-story Huizenga Pavilion is part of the center’s $58 million expansion. A private reception area occupies the top floor, while Marti’s New River Bistro fills the ground floor.
Located inside the DoubleTree at Bahia Mar and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For the better part of a decade, the bar and restaurant has been one of the go-to spots at the northeast corner of the Galleria Mall – the bit of the shopping center that’s been redeveloped into an upscale dining and nightlife hub. It’s a little spot mostly given over to upmarket national chains – Capitol Grille, Seasons 52, P.F. Chang’s. (Blue Martini is headquartered in South Florida, which is also where four of its six locations are.)
Then there’s the weekly fun, such as Wednesday-night ladies night – a fairly recent addition that includes half-off cocktails all night, $5 Tito cocktails all night for everybody and complimentary cocktails and champagne from 9 to 11 p.m.
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.