Large outdoor patio seating with live music and American eats.
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.
The casual café now has two locations, with a new spot on Wilton Drive joining its existing Marina Mile location. The largely Greek-inspired menu features unique favorites such as konafa (fillings such as spinach, eggplant, beef or lamb in a thin, shredded golden-brown pastry) and pita bread mini-pizzas. Or try favorites such as taramosalata, saganaki, moussaka and baba ganoush. Open all day, it also offers a full breakfast menu, as well as take-out and delivery.
Cuban-style restaurant featuring traditional recipes and drinks.
Grab a plastic bib and a wooden mallet and beat away at the famous garlic crabs. As a reward for your labors, there are specialty frozen drinks. For an easier time of it, try jumbo grilled shrimp, filet of grouper, steak crabiola or fried sea scallops.
A Fort Lauderdale staple since 1982, this Italian-American eatery will bring you back to Sunday dinners at your Nana’s house – if you’re Italian, that is. Expect Sinatra to play in the background as Chianti flows and platters of shrimp oreganata, veal Francaise, and zuppa di pesce are shared family-style. Intimate meals also work inside Runway’s setting, with its low lighting and mellow atmosphere. Don’t miss the Sicilian stuffed peppers (served cold with red wine vinegar and stuffed with bread crumbs, capers, olives, anchovies, and grated cheese), and the plump meatballs with marinara. Big-time diners will want the surf and turf entree, a combination of New York strip and South African lobster tail.
Say the name of the restaurant fast enough and you can guess what type of food they serve here. Still need a hint? Pizza.
A unique 50s-style restaurant that has been around for over 40 years. Be sure to try their infamous 14oz coffee cup if you need a quick pick-me-up!
Made-to-order subs, salads and sandwiches.
Local pizza joint with fast delivery.
Owners Sean and Blaise McMackin revamped the former Brownie’s Bar location with this eco-friendly gastropub known for American craft beer, bourbon, and artisanal burgers. Many unique dishes are offered, such as tuna-watermelon sashimi with jalapeno and lime, and Berkshire crispy pork belly with huckleberry jam and farro. Burgers come with surprising toppings like fried green tomatoes, beets, Bibb lettuce, apples, and Rogue River blue cheese.
The first thing you receive, after the warm welcome, is a basket of warm bread and a small bowl of garlicky chimichurri sauce to dip it into. Run by Salvadorans, the restaurant has a cozy elegance and serves generous portions of everything, including ceviche, mariscada soup and churrasco.
After a long four-year process, Bar Rita has finally opened its doors. The two-story, 5,500-square-foot restaurant serves up modern Mexican food with an eclectic margarita menu. You can enjoy rooftop city views alongside menu items such as build-your-own bodega bowls and a selection of tacos including truffle barbacoa and carne asada cheesesteak. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available.
This family-run restaurant has been serving steak, seafood and Italian dishes for over 60 years. Among other items, there’s petite filet mignon, cowboy steak, crowned chopped sirloin, chicken parmigiana, seafood penne a la vodka and baked stuffed shrimp.
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.
Anthony Bruno, of Runway 84, opened this pizza joint in 2002 because he couldn’t find the “well done” pizzas of his native New York here in Fort Lauderdale. The flagship location has since become a nationwide chain. Ashy flavor permeates the crust of pies like the “Paul & Young Ron,” piled with meatballs, sausage, ricotta, and hot or sweet peppers. Oven-roasted chicken wings and salads round out the menu, and beer and wine are served.
Many people come here for the music: that of the Beatles on Tuesday and of Rod Steward on Wednesday, then the real thing, Celtic Bridge, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But the kitchen and the friendly servers are the co-stars, delivering Irish stew; Donegal mussels in a Chardonnay, garlic and cream sauce; and a truly outstanding Reuben wrap.
The founder of Anthony’s Runway 84 and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, Anthony Bruno teamed up with restauranteur Michelangelo Mozzicato to open a casual restaurant with a Santa Maria-style grill as the centerpiece. The menu consists of American classics with a Florida twist – appropriate for a place in the old Dirty Ernie’s building.
Only open on Saturdays with reservations and known for their homemade gluten-free cheese bread.
Jerk Machine specializes in Jamaican Style Jerk Cuisine and has become famous for its smoky, spicy, Jerk Chicken and other delectable dishes like Jerk Pork, Oxtails, Curry Goat and of course, Jerk Machine’s own favorite, Jerk Stew Peas.
Enjoy Thai food with a direct view of the beach.
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 Fort Lauderdale staple since 1982, this Italian-American eatery will bring you back to Sunday dinners at your Nana’s house – if you’re Italian, that is. Expect Sinatra to play in the background as Chianti flows and platters of shrimp oreganata, veal Francaise, and zuppa di pesce are shared family-style. Intimate meals also work inside Runway’s setting, with its low lighting and mellow atmosphere. Don’t miss the Sicilian stuffed peppers (served cold with red wine vinegar and stuffed with bread crumbs, capers, olives, anchovies, and grated cheese), and the plump meatballs with marinara. Big-time diners will want the surf and turf entree, a combination of New York strip and South African lobster tail.
A unique 50s-style restaurant that has been around for over 40 years. Be sure to try their infamous 14oz coffee cup if you need a quick pick-me-up!
Owners Sean and Blaise McMackin revamped the former Brownie’s Bar location with this eco-friendly gastropub known for American craft beer, bourbon, and artisanal burgers. Many unique dishes are offered, such as tuna-watermelon sashimi with jalapeno and lime, and Berkshire crispy pork belly with huckleberry jam and farro. Burgers come with surprising toppings like fried green tomatoes, beets, Bibb lettuce, apples, and Rogue River blue cheese.
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.
The founder of Anthony’s Runway 84 and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, Anthony Bruno teamed up with restauranteur Michelangelo Mozzicato to open a casual restaurant with a Santa Maria-style grill as the centerpiece. The menu consists of American classics with a Florida twist – appropriate for a place in the old Dirty Ernie’s building.
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.
A lively place to kick back along the New River, the historic Downtowner is a casual bar-restaurant offering live music Thursday and Saturday nights and during Sunday’s blues brunch. This watering hole with a view dishes up wings, burgers, salads, and sandwiches. Specials like Monday’s “rib night” and Tuesday’s “tacos and trivia” attract fun-loving locals aplenty. Wine bottles typically max out at around $30, and there are ample brews available in bottles or on tap.
Located inside the Embassy Suites by Hilton Fort Lauderdale, this chic restaurant and lounge serves food and drinks.
Located west of the Himmarshee bars, this is the place to go for a rustic breakfast, featuring the best pancakes you can find in town. Made with buttermilk, organic flour, sour cream and fresh, free-range eggs, these pancakes come served in a cast-iron pan with Vermont maple syrup. Try the “Mexican Ship Wreck,” a play on huevos rancheros served with oven-roasted yukon gold potatoes or scrumptious cheese grits.
Located at the Harbor Shops, serving American dishes like burgers and ribs.
Salads, sandwiches, shakes and their specialty, chicken tenders, with an array of sauce options.
With three other South Florida locations already proving successful, this trendy Mexican restaurant chain is trying Fort Lauderdale. They serve tacos, burritos, bowls and brunch. Menu favorites include the Phili Burrito (grilled rib eye steak, Mexican rice, Oaxaca cheese, rajas, black bean refrito, potato sticks and red chili crema) and the Late-Night Burrito (guajillo braised short rib, roasted pork, roasted chicken, Mexican rice, black bean refrito, Oaxaca cheese, mariquita sticks and salsa rosada).
A unique concept consisting of bowling, dining and nightlife has opened in Dania Pointe. Bowlero is a blacklight bowling and retro-inspired destination with a menu that features oversized shareables and signature cocktails. Food options include the XXL Pretzel (a gigantic soft pretzel served with mustard and queso), Nacho Avalanche (corn tortilla chips layered with nacho beef, queso, jalapeños and pico de gallo, topped with sour cream) and Buffalo Chicken Melt (crispy tenders tossed in Buffalo sauce, mozzarella cheese with tomato and ranch dressing on sourdough).
Home-style American cooking, open for breakfast and lunch.
LauderAle is South Florida’s only nano brewery creating the best in authentic hand-crafted beer with exceptional taste.
This chain serving American food and steakhouse options has opened a location in Dania Pointe. They serve everything from hand-cut, aged steaks to seafood to burgers and pasta. Popular items include the Durango Burger (chile-spiced pepper jack cheese, pickles, fried onions, roasted garlic ranch dressing and brioche bun) and the Firebirds Chicken Pasta (spicy Asiago cream sauce, applewood-smoked bacon, green onions, tomatoes). They’re now doing takeout.
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.
This spot, the new Fort Lauderdale location of a popular Delray Beach restaurant, offers an upscale, lively atmosphere and a brunch experience unlike many others. We can guarantee – you’ll come for the food (which is amazing) but you’ll stay for the party. Their dinner menu includes Chianti-braised short ribs (baby portobello mushroom risotto, winter squash, white truffle, pecorino Romano and natural jus), citrus-crusted ahi tuna (roasted jalapeno potato puree and grilled Japanese eggplant) and bone-in ribeye steak.
A trendy chain in the center of downtown, Cheesecake Factory is known for its massive menu with more than 200 selections and its decadent cheesecakes available in over 50 varieties. Inspiration comes from the world over. Unexpected offerings include the Moroccan chicken with spicy harissa sauce, miso-glazed salmon, and a macaroni and cheese burger with deep-fried macaroni and cheese balls and cheddar cheese sauce. Lunch specials cover all areas of the menu and are reasonably priced. For cheesecakes, go all-out with Dutch apple caramel streusel or wild blueberry white chocolate.