New American in South Florida

17 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-256-7873

New American, Critics' Pick, Sponsor, Menu

The clean and modern décor of the Atlantic Surf Club is a stark contrast to the dark sports-bar-type aesthetics of the majority of Beach Place. With varying shades of soft blues, pops of orange, warm woods, stainless-steel accents, and sea-glass-inspired light fixtures, the ambiance incorporates contemporary dining concepts for an atmosphere that is trendy without the pretense; beachy and inviting. And the food offers a welcome alternative to the sports bar fare found at the rest of the plaza. Dishes range from burgers and thin-crust pizzas (think salumis and chicken pesto) to lobster mac 'n' cheese and tuna tartare.

4 articles

Brimstone Woodfire Grill

14575 SW 5th St., Pembroke Pines Miramar

954-430-2333

New American, Best Of, Sponsor

33 articles

3030 Ocean

3030 Holiday Dr. Fort Lauderdale

954-765-3030

Seafood, New American, Contemporary, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

This hotel restaurant inside the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa brings a fresh perspective to the well-known and beloved concept with a seafood-heavy menu. It begins with several crudo options like the wahoo sashimi, given an unexpected crunch of crispy fried shallots and an umami rush from a touch of dashi, followed by starters like a traditional tuna poke with a soy-sambal chili sauce that lends a garlicky, gingery-sweet heat to the delicate tuna, and ends with larger plates and entrées highlight the best of both land and sea.

62 articles

Beauty and the Feast

601 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-567-8070

New American, Tapas, Critics' Pick

Reclaimed wood and brick, Edison bulbs, tufted leather booths, small plates, and an emphasis on craft seem to be the main ingredients for a trendy restaurant these days. Beauty and the Feast Bar | Kitchen on Fort Lauderdale Beach has all of the above. Set in the ground floor of the boutique Atlantic Resort & Spa, the restaurant boasts that rustic vibe that has been sprouting up all around South Florida. And the fare is just as hip. The restaurant offers a range of global comfort dishes intended for sharing. Sea scallops are served over sweet basil oil with porcini mushroom sauce and microgreens. Crispy chicken sliders are slathered with honey sriracha and mango slaw, then sandwiched between Hawaiian buns. Pizzas range from old-school meatball to white clam. The dishes are interesting, the decor is nice, and the place offers great views of the beach.

44 articles

Big City Tavern

609 E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-727-0307

New American, Bistro, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Menu

This classy bar and restaurant is one of Las Olas' key pickup scenes. Dinner is served in over-sized, circular booths, from which the diners can eye the folks at the bar and vice versa. Big City Tavern is reminiscent of the classic, traditional taverns of New York City, Chicago, and Boston. With a dozen international brews on tap and two dozen in bottles, Big City Tavern's selection might seem short when compared to those sports bars that pride themselves on 99 bottles of beer on the wall. But as the saying goes, it's not the quantity, it's the quality. And beer snobs all over South Florida slobber over the pints of Warsteiner (Germany), Guinness Stout (Ireland), and J.W Dundee's Original Honey Brown Lager (New York). The bar turns up the power with the Grolsch 16-ounce megabeers from Holland and domestic microbrews like the Abita Turbo Dog from crawfish country, Louisiana. Best of all, the Tavern stocks four Samuel Smith imports from England, ranging from the brewery's lager to its imperial stout. You'll pay more for any one of these last few than you will for a glass of merlot, but hey, Sam Smith's Nut Brown Ale has twice the bouquet of any vino out there.

15 articles

Boathouse At The Riverside

620 SE 4th St Fort Lauderdale

954-377-5494

New American, Mediterranean, Menu

Boathouse at the Riverside is a dock-and-dine, waterfront restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The Mediterranean-inspired menu includes an array of hot and cold tapas paired with several coastal-inspired main courses.

Bull Market

210 SW 2nd St. Fort Lauderdale

954-523-1213

New American, Tapas, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Slideshow, Readers' Choice

Inspired by the ups and downs of the stock market, this downtown Fort Lauderdale bar is all about offering deals on drinks — that is, if you stick to the ticker. Every seven minutes, prices on the screen adjust to reflect demand on drinks. While the selection is mostly of beer (with a nice selection of craft) on the "market," one specific type of liquor is offered each night. To counteract the booze, the restaurant offers a wide range of small plates intended for sharing. Slanted toward the New American side of cuisine, the menu includes options like Captain Crunch chicken fingers, Dr. Pepper pulled pork sliders, Angry Orchard sloppy joes, and a variety of tacos. It's just one part of three separate concepts that occupy the building.

48 articles

BurgerFi

1902 S. University Dr. Davie/West Hollywood

954-900-5203

Burgers, New American, Recommended, Readers' Choice, Takeout-Home, Takeout-Cuisine, Takeout-Neighborhood

This fast-casual burger chain offers burgers, fries, frozen custard, and a range of vegetarian and red-meat-free options. Try the Burger Fi burger (with two angus patties, lettuce, tomato, and Burger Fi sauce) or the New York Style Dog (topped with deli mustard and sauerkraut).

1 article

Dave & Buster's

3000 Oakwood Blvd. Hollywood

954-923-5505

American, New American, Traditional, Attractions and Amusement Parks, Bars and Clubs, Best Of

After a recent remodeling, this massive entertainment complex – a great place to watch sports – features more than 42 high-definition TVs, a wide variety of beers that come in what the bar calls “beer tubes” of 50 and 100 ounces. Try the calamari appetizer or the potato-chip encrusted chicken. Don't want to watch the game? There are more than 250 games and happy hours Monday to Friday from 4:30 to 7 p.m. – as well as Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. until closing. Football is the big game here, so head over on Sundays and try the $5 appetizers.

5 articles

Fork & Balls

1301 E Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-771-2257

Italian, New American, Recommended, Menu, Readers' Choice

Another concept by the Restaurant People (the folks behind YOLO, Vibe, Tarpon Bend, and S3), Las Olasâ?? Fork & Balls focuses on -- you guessed it -- balls. It was inspired by the Meatball Shop in New York. The vintage-looking bar is usually packed, with a wide mix of people sucking down drinks and slurping up meatballs. Like its muse, the eatery offers customizable and composed dishes at reasonable price points. â??Just Ballsâ?� ($8) come with three meatballs (with options ranging from classic beef or spicy pork to veggie and the special of the day), sauce of your choice, and a side of focaccia. Composed dishes are slightly more expensive at around 14 bucks. Try the Spicy Italian, a combination of pork balls with creamy polenta, roasted tomato sauce, peppers, and dollop of ricotta on top.

25 articles

The Foxy Brown

723 E. Broward Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

754-200-4236

New American, Recommended

G&B Oyster Bar, Eliot Wolfe and the company that helms Coconuts is behind this spot offering creative comfort foods. Foxy Brown is a riff on multiple meanings. It is a play on the 1974 blaxploitation film as well as the rapper who violated probation on a trip to South Florida in 2007, during which she was arrested for allegedly caused a scuffle in a Pembroke Pines beauty supply store. (She pleaded not guilty.) The real inspiration is this, says Wolfe: Foxy Brown is named after his dog. The other inspiration for the restaurant is the patty melt, the burger and Swiss with caramelized onions on marbled bread.

11 articles

Hardy Park Bistro

21 SW Seventh St. Fort Lauderdale

954-652-1475

New American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

After years of planning and traveling the world, former yacht chef and Australian native Philip Darmon opened downtown Fort Lauderdale's Hardy Park Bistro in November 2013. Here, he serves upscale food in a casual neighborhood environment. Though Darmon has an affinity for the Mediterranean and its cuisine because of his travels throughout the region, his food also reflects a rich Southeast Asian influence because of its proximity to Australia. He serves dishes like coconut risotto with a green bean, asparagus, and cilantro salad; beef short ribs that are braised in classic red wine with palm sugar; and Maine lobster salad with grapefruit, avocado, herbs, and vanilla vinaigrette. But the menu changes weekly. Expect to see a stellar selection of wines by the bottle and glass; celebrity chef Angelo Elia helped compile the list.

10 articles

Hooters

8695 NW 13th Terrace, Doral West Dade

305-593-5088

American, New American, Traditional, Wings

Home of the double entendre, the Hooters chain has become an American icon over the course of its short life. Founded in Florida during the glorious 1980s, the company with a hooting owl for a logo boasts its own magazine, a hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, and famous alumni like Hugh Hefner's former girlfriend Holly Madison. The Hooters girls at each of the 450 locations are the heart and soul (or is it the "T and A"?) of the company; from the American Midwest to the Czech Republic to Tokyo, every girl sports the same bright orange short-shorts, flesh-colored pantyhose and white sneakers. Perhaps it could be the food that keeps loyal Miami customers coming back. The menu focuses on chicken wings, with sauces ranging from mild to atomic, but there are also seasoned curly fries, shrimp, oysters, crab legs, burgers, and sandwiches, along with plenty of televisions tuned to whatever's going on in the sports world. Check out your local Hooters on Voice Places.

Kaluz

3300 E. Commercial Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-772-2209

New American, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

Kaluz on Commercial Boulevard is Argentine businessman Carlos Demirjian's first attempt to set up a restaurant in the U.S. after operating his successful minichain of Kansas City Grills in Buenos Aires. The 200-seat waterfront eatery opened quietly in early 2013 and was immediately popular with Fort Lauderdale's mature and professional crowd. The menu, similar to that of American chain restaurants like Season's 52, offers fried appetizers, salads, burgers and flatbreads, plus more substantial entrees like seared diver scallops.

2 articles

The Keg on Sixth

3218 Southeast 6 Ave. Fort Lauderdale

American, New American, Bars and Clubs, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

Set off the main road, among warehouses, auto repair shops, and cheap motels just south of State Road 84 and west of Federal Highway, the Keg on Sixth isn't a place most Fort Lauderdale residents would just happen to stumble across. But the place offers a cool vibe, good food, and one of the best selections of beer south of Broward Blvd. The fare is global comfort, with dishes ranging from curried cauliflower and salads to pork belly sliders and burgers. With an urban industrial vibe complete with graffiti murals by local artists, the spot is like a cool underground escape from the pomp and pretension of much of South Florida â?? and the fist-pumping, beer-pong crowds that like to overtake our town from time to time.

3 articles

Mango's Restaurant and Lounge

904 E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-523-5001

New American, Seafood, American, Traditional, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Slideshow

Having weathered the economic downturn that knocked off some of its neighbors, this Las Olas mainstay is still kicking. Of course, this corner joint comes with some of that boulevard's highbrow appeal (you can spend $17 on a salad here). It's popular place for a power-lunch, an interview, or a first date - it smacks of professionalism. That carries to the kitchen, which pumps out semi-fancy grub with panache. Entrees are adventurous but not so crazy they'd bother Grandmother, and most feature an Italian flair. The outdoor tables - even the interior window seats - are perfectly positioned for late-night people-gawking on this trendier-than-thou strip of Fort Lauderdale's prime real estate, and live bands play nightly.

5 articles

Mustard Seed Bistro

256 S. University Dr. Plantation

954-533-9326

New American, Best Of, Menu

5 articles

PL8

210 SW Second St. Fort Lauderdale

954-524-1818

American, Bar Food, Contemporary, New American, Seafood, Small Plates, Music Venues, Menu, Slideshow

Formerly known as Himmarshee Bar & Grille, PL8 specializes in small plates, which include seafood, sliders, skewers, pizzas, salads, and greens. A stylish dining room is anchored by bar tables of reclaimed wood and sleek steel. Abstract silk-screens and varied textures nod to nature. Accent lighting is easy on the eyes too, especially in the adjacent room at Sidebar, with its name spelled out in orbs like a retro-sexy Lite Brite. Try the local rock shrimp bruschetta with fresh ricotta, roasted cherry tomatoes, and a touch of balsamic or the arugula and roasted corn salad with smoked almonds and strawberries. In both dishes, the kitchen nods to local ingredients and tends to detail by adding complexity with roasted vegetables. Mini bratwurst sliders are also crowd pleasers, served with red-bliss potato salad as a condiment with violet mustard. The menu encourages sharing, so grab a table, graze on a few plates, and allow yourself to people-watch in one of the most animated stretches of town.

28 articles

Prime One Twelve

112 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach South Beach

305-532-8112

New American, Steakhouse, Recommended, Menu

There's much more than just beef at this inventive New American steak house. Noncarnivores can also dine happily on creative "chef's composition" entrées featuring poultry or seafood (like wild salmon -- incomparably better than farmed fish -- with a lemon nage) or on meal-sized salads like the signature Prime 112 (romaine, spinach, cucumber, hearts of palm, celery, tomatoes, asparagus, and bacon chunks) or on cold-water oysters and other pristine raw bar selections. That said, the prime dry-aged steaks are superb, and so are the sides diners can order à la carte. These upgraded versions of steak-house classics -- vibrantly green creamed spinach with crispy shallots, cornmeal-crusted real onion rings, and the like -- plus unique creations like sweet potato and vanilla bean mash cost $12 each but well worth it. Reserving weeks in advance is wisest.

S3

505 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-523-7873

New American, Seafood, Bars and Clubs, Critics' Pick, Best Of

S3, short for Sun, Surf and Sand, is the latest project by the Restaurant People, owners of YOLO, Vibe, and Tarpon Bend. It's the team's first foray onto Fort Lauderdale's beachfront, and it's doing it in high style -- with an even higher budget. Nearly $4 million was spent transforming the first floor of the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort into a Pacific-inspired oasis. For this project, which opened mid-2013, company execs Tim Petrillo and Peter Bouloukis have reunited with chef Chris Miracolo. The trio have worked together on and off all the way back to 1995 but parted ways for a while when Miracolo went to work at the farm-to-table restaurant Max's Harvest in Delray Beach. The menu features entrees that appeal to a professional crowd -- like pork loin and skirt steak -- more than a dozen raw and sushi items, and a wide choice of small plates that pair well with a trendy cocktail and ocean views. The grilled octopus, for instance, is one of the best dishes in town.

13 articles

Seasons 52

2428 E. Sunrise Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-537-1052

New American, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

This Fort Lauderdale storefront is just one of seven chain restaurants courtesy of Darden Inc. (of Olive Garden fame). And you can bet your Prada handbag that this test concept, "seasonally inspired healthier dining," has been thoroughly researched, tested, evaluated, and strategized. Low-cal flame-grilled meats, 60 wines by the glass, whole grains, fresh veggies, and tiny little desserts that amount to no more than a spoonful are designed to keep the boomer's belly from spreading unnecessarily. Seasons 52 serves no dish with more than 475 calories, but the result is still pretty tasty. And the menu changes weekly, keeping things interesting and reflecting the changing availability of seasonal meat and produce. As for the setting: dark and voluptuous, in a corporate sort of way.

8 articles

Swank Southern Kitchen

4196 S. University Dr. Davie/West Hollywood

954-423-2220

New American, Southern, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

It's no secret: Southern food is hot right now -- and it has been for a while. But like much else in the food world, it took a while to find a home in Broward and Palm Beach. With a group of classically trained chefs from Miami on the stoves, at Swank Southern Kitchen you'll find modern takes on traditional dishes from the South in the country-western themed town of Davie. From chicken and waffles with homemade marshmallow sage sauce ($16) to 18-hour pulled pork sliders ($10) to low-country shrimp and grits ($14), everything served is lowbrow but with a haute twist -- and that's just the way we like it.

3 articles

Unit B Eatery + Spirits

610 SW 145th Terrace Pembroke Pines

954-367-6896

New American

Located at the Shops at Pembroke Gardens, Unit B Eatery + Spirits features small plates of New American fare, craft cocktails and wines.

Waves Pool Bar and Grill

321 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-467-1111

New American, Best Of, Menu

1 article

YOLO Restaurant and O Lounge

333 E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-523-1000

American, Contemporary, New American, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Menu, Slideshow

YOLO stands for You Only Live Once, which is probably the owners' way of saying, "Spend money and have another cocktail." Kidding aside, YOLO is run by a group of Broward County power peeps who know how to run a solid business -- the same guys who brought you Tarpon Bend, Himmarshee Bar & Grill, and Vibe nightclub. This trendy eatery mixes up the high-end and low-end eats with standards like prime rib and seared tuna salad balanced out by truffled potato chips and deluxe grilled cheese. One of the few places to see and be seen on Las Olas, YOLO has a distinct South Beach vibe -- trendy and sophisticated. There's even an outdoor fire pit. Brunch is served on weekends, and drinks include mimosas, a bloody mary bar, and fresh-fruit cocktails. Adjacent O Lounge is popular with local professionals needing an after-work refreshment.

34 articles

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