Restaurants in Fort Lauderdale
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Mai-Kai
This old-school Polynesian joint is pure kitsch – with some good food and amusing entertainment thrown in for grins. Las Vegas–style shows (additional $10.95) follow the meals, which range from Hawaiian chicken and seafood with noodles to the massive oak-roasted filet mignon Madagascar for two ($60). Don’t miss the froofy cocktails, including the potent ‘mystery drink.’
reviewed
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Lester’s Diner
Hailed endearingly as a greasy spoon, campy Lester’s Diner has been keeping folks happy since the late 1960s. Everyone makes their way here at some point, from business types on cell phones to clubbers to blue-haired ladies with third husbands.
reviewed
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Chima
Gaucho-costumed servers herd a never-ending cavalcade of meats from table to table in this Brazilian churrasco -style steakhouse. And while that may sound campy, it's not: Chima's upscale locale is one of the nicest on Las Olas.
reviewed
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Casablanca Cafe
Try to score a seat on the upstairs balcony of this Moroccan-style home where they serve Mediterranean-inspired food and Florida-style ocean views. For just a taste of the ambience, drop by for happy hour.
reviewed
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Creolina's
Get transported to the backwaters of Louisiana for some serious Cajun, Creole and jambalaya at this Riverwalk hotspot. The Sunday New Orleans brunch is a wonderful choice.
reviewed
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Johnny V’s
Chef Johnny Vinczenz is a darling of the South Florida foodie scene, as this restaurant unceasingly lets you know, but the marketing tack doesn’t detract from excellent American cuisine united by a subtle Southwestern thread; corn sauce, blue corn chips, etc. Johnny V’s also plain spoils you, with specials such as a triple-duck extravaganza that ends with duck liver stuffed with wild mushrooms. The shee-shee fish tacos are our favorite lunch on Las Olas.
reviewed
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Rustic Inn
Don’t wear your Sunday best here – or bring a date you want to whisper sweet nothings to. Hungry locals at this messy, noisy crabhouse use wooden mallets at long, newspaper-covered tables to get at the good stuff served here. The house specialty is crabs – choose from Dungeness, blue or golden – drenched in garlic and a secret family recipe (think: butter). Not in a crabby mood? This hearty, happy family-style restaurant has schools of seafood and pasta options.
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Primanti Brothers
Don’t come here if you’re (a) a prissy eater or (b) only sorta hungry. Primanti serves traditional Italian dishes, but what really makes famished diners salivate is the sandwiches. Served on Italian bread piled high with slaw, cheese, your choice of meat and a mountain of steaming fries, the whole thing’s smashed flat and wrapped in butcher paper. This greasy double-fister is the perfect antidote to the hangover you’re about to start nursing.
reviewed
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Kitchenetta
The interior is sleek-industrial - stainless-steel tables, high ceilings and cement floors - but the food at this new Italian delight is warm and delicious, with portions offered in either single or family servings. Start with made-to-order flatbread and a choice from the extensive wine list, then move on to linger over options such as tomato salad, risotto balls or macaroni with peas and prosciutto.
reviewed
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Blue Moon Fish Co
Seafood lovers flock to Blue Moon for its excellent and eclectic menu, solid service and spectacular waterside setting. The Sunday brunch, frequently with live jazz, provides a particularly bountiful meal of all-you-can-peel-and-eat shrimp, Louisiana crawfish, shucked oysters, a seafood buffet, mains like seafood gumbo or salmon strudel, dessert and either a Bloody Mary, mimosa or champagne.
reviewed
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Seasons 52
This sophisticated grill prepares market-fresh, seasonal meals – like sea scallops with roasted asparagus or grilled boneless trout with new potatoes – using natural cooking techniques to provide the best taste and the least guilt. In fact, every nutritionally balanced menu item has no more than 475 calories – including dessert. Plus, they have 140 kinds of wine. Wow.
reviewed
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Sublime: World Vegetarian Cuisine
Frustrated vegans will rejoice over Sublime’s massive menu, take-out café and a shopping boutique brimming with cruelty-free products. The menu here changes daily, but always reflects global cuisines, with options such as ancho-orange glazed soy steak, pueblo corn enchiladas and red lentil-quinoa loaf and mushroom burgers.
reviewed
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Shula’s
Owned by former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, this elegant (if slightly stuffy) steakhouse is a must-visit if you’re a fan of either the Dolphins or steak. Their thing is certified Angus beef, cut thick and seared fast – and they do it impeccably. They also serve seafood, but vegetarians may be wild-eyed at the shortage of options.
reviewed
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Timpano’s
Be sure to bring your tommy gun when you come to this Italian-flavored martini bar and chophouse. With its heavy velvet draperies, starched white tablecloths, oversized chandeliers and swooping, question-mark-shaped bar, you’ll feel like you’re in the mafia when you cut into your dry-aged hand-cut filet or bass aqua pazza.
reviewed
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Bierbrunnen German Bar
Down a little alley, this super casual bar-cum-restaurant serves authentic schnitzel, sauerbraten (sour roast beef with mashed potatoes and red cabbage), fresh bratwurst and, of course, excellent draft beer. You can always get something light like a mahi-mahi sandwich. It's a fun, beachside, partially alfresco sort of place.
reviewed
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Himmarshee Bar & Grille
The Himmarshee modestly claims to be ‘the most dynamic restaurant in the city.’ We’ll leave the verdict on that claim to your judgment, but this joint does make a strong bid, with excellent creative American cuisine including monkfish in a beet ginger emulsion and chestnut honey-glazed duckling.
reviewed
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Herban Kitchen
Especially popular with gay locals, this small renovated storefront packs 'em in for a huge and diverse menu of Italian and Mediterranean basics including grilled pork medallions, crab cakes, veal Milanese and eggplant parma. It's a great bargain, with soup, salad and dessert thrown in for free.
reviewed
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Canyon Southwest Café
This popular eatery is Santa Fe–chic, specializing in tasty, southwestern fusion grub such as smoked-salmon tostadas and filet mignon with a rich poblano-pepper goat cheese. Don’t miss the fine tequilas or the sweet prickly-pear margarita, which fuel the raucous din from late-night diners.
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Zona Fresca
The food may come quickly at this jumpin’ highway stop, but Zona is no fast-food joint. Follow the local hipsters inside for cheap, fresh and delicious Mexican eats, such as grilled-veggie or shrimp burritos, taco combo plates and tostada salads, washed down with Mexican beer.
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Riley Mcdermott’s
In Lauderdale’s culinary equivalent of a $2000-a-night escort, a cold blue bar abuts an icy rack of raw seafood. Down that oyster – hell, down six of ’em – then saw into a mouth-melting steak as your wallet burns into ash. Oh, but it burns so good…
reviewed
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Trina
This modish restaurant specializes in Mediterranean-kissed takes on Florida’s natural bounty, such as pan-seared grouper and an Atlantic paella of local seafood tossed with spicy chorizo. The atmosphere is pleasantly loud and chaotic for such an upscale joint.
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Aruba Beach Cafe
The food isn’t the only reason people flock here (though the conch fritters are divine). There’s also live music nightly, daily drink specials served from three separate bars and only a bank of sliding glass doors separating you and the beach.
reviewed
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Stork’s Bakery
Fresh breads, rich cheeses and crispy veggies load the sandwiches in this tastefully appointed, canal-fronting bakery-café, which also serves intriguing salads (like roasted sweet potato), exceptional soups, coffees and more sweets than you can handle.
reviewed
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Brew Urban Cafe
Ah. You’re one of those types who needs a coffee shop filled with shaggy artsy-fartsies and whiny indie music wherever you go, but you think Starbucks is too corporate, right? Brew’s as good as you’re gonna get here, hipster.
reviewed
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Mark’s Las Olas
The excellent menu here takes on a state-by-state theme, sampling high-end regional specialties from around the country: Minnesota elk, Florida pompano, that sort of thing, served in a surprisingly unstuffy, pumpkin-and-chocolate interior.
reviewed
