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.
Serving more than 15 gourmet burgers along with vegetarian options, the new burger house has a 15-step cooking process along with its proprietary blend of all natural, no-antibiotic and no-hormone beef. Add in a good selection of craft beers, specialty cocktails and an extended selection of wines by the glass, and this looks like an interesting new addition to the Las Olas restaurant and bar scene.
Located just 50 yards from the fishing pier, 101 Ocean takes advantage of beach breezes with an open bar that spans inside and out. It’s rare to see those bar stools empty, occupied by both tourists and locals. The menu offers a mélange of international offerings in a classy-yet-casual setting. Find a bit of everything, including pizza, pasta, flatbread, sandwiches, steaks, salads, seafood, and chops. There’s also a decadent raw bar with shrimp, mussels, oysters, and lobster tail.
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.
The oceanfront restaurant has recently undergone a makeover, a three-month renovation to be exact. Under the direction of newly promoted executive chef Adrienne Grenier, a Hollywood native and a Chopped TV 3030 Holiday Dr., 3030 Ocean promises a super-fresh take on American cuisine. With an ever-changing menu, Grenier takes a creative approach to her seafood and special meats options evident in items like Florida rock shrimp curried corn risotto and charred octopus salad.
Caribbean zest rules at this restaurant located right next to Funky Buddha Brewery. This food spot offers huge portions with a Haitian twist on dishes such as oxtail, fried fish and curry goat. Wash down your plate of spiced meats, red beans and rice, sweet plantains and a salad with the restaurant’s Haitian Martini for the full Caribbean experience, and enjoy your meal while watching a game or two on their giant projector TV.
City landmark with award-winning burgers.
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.
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.
This tapas-style restaurant is more casual than its sister restaurants in the growing Angelo Elia empire, but it still provides first-class elegance and healthy portions of both light and hearty Italian fare. Tapas range from familiar to exotic: buffalo mozzarella with prosciutto di Parma, tempura zucchini flowers with mozzarella, and grilled provolone over radicchio. Escarole and beans with roasted sweet Italian sausage is full of flavor, and every pizza is delicate and thin-crusted, just like you’d find in Napoli. Try the basilico bruschetta, served in traditional style with diced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, and pair it with a bold bottle of red Tuscan wine.
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.
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 popular beachfront place serving tropical drinks and comfort foods like conch fritters and coconut shrimp. The Bimini bread is baked throughout the day and served with honey butter. With rotating drink specials, the happy hour packs the ocean-view bar.
A sleek sushi, Thai, and Japanese restaurant with alfresco dining on the Tarpon River, Asia Bay maximizes its naturally romantic aspects with clean and sophisticated decor. Eight different soups, an array of cold and hot appetizers, noodle dishes, and curry plates are just the beginning here, as there are also ample options when it comes to rolls. Lunch specials allow you to combine sushi and teriyaki (among other things) and to score pad Thai and fried rice at a discount from dinner prices. For an interesting take on maki, try the deep-fried JB tempura roll with salmon, cream cheese, scallions, and eel sauce. Or indulge in the crunchy toro roll with scallions, cilantro, tempura flakes, spicy tobiko, masago, and spicy mayo for a taste of the ocean’s treasure.
The new Plunge Beach Hotel adds another eatery to Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. Backflip Beach Bar offers the right light bites and beverages any beach-goer would need to sit back and relax with. The cocktails stay true to the beach theme, being named after cult classics featuring the sea – try the “Bigger Boat Needed” or “There Was Room for Two.” As for those bites? They include street tacos, grilled steak sandwiches, fried fish catch of the day and, of course, juicy burgers. From local brews to rum cocktails to fresh juice blends to tasty treats, all you need by the sea is right here.
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.
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.
Beehive Kitchen is creating a buzz with fresh, flavorful ingredients and an innovative approach to build-your-own-bowl dining. Dishes include a wide selection of savory vegetables, wholesome grains, proteins and made-from-scratch sauces all for customers to create their own unique bowls. If you don’t know where to begin, they offer several planned-out bowls including the Mediterranean Bowl – cranberry almond kale salad, whole grain brown rice, Parmesan, roasted broccoli, wok-seared mushrooms, rustic herb-grilled chicken and soy-charred steak-roasted pepper sauce. Fresh ingredients don’t stop there; Beehive Kitchen prepares fresh cold-pressed juices daily. Grab a bowl, eat and bee happy.
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.
Modeled after classic taverns of New York and Chicago, BCT has high tin ceilings, wood floors, brick walls, and a patio overlooking the heart of Las Olas. The bar offers an extensive selection of libations, from California wines to locally brewed craft beers. The menu includes pan-seared Chilean sea bass with seasonal greens, and rigatoni Bolognese with Chianti-braised beef and veal topped with Grana Padano cheese. For lunch, stop in for a griddled burger with parmesan-truffle fries, or snag a stout-braised short-rib grilled cheese on sourdough with smoked maple cheddar. The late-night menu (Friday and Saturday from 11 p.m. to midnight) features pizzas, paninis, salads, and appetizers.
