Critic's Review
Review 8/23/12
The Riverside Market is one of those places that the old Florida people rant about; I remember the first time I heard about it; I thought it was this little cafe on a river where you could go to eat breakfast in tranquility. Of course it's nothing like that; it's an old building in the woods in a part of town that you'd never pass through unless you lived by or were running a food-related website.
This place made some big news last year when it was discovered that they'd been selling food for years without a license and without ever having the place inspected. The town finally came down on them, and they got a license in March.
Inside, the place is a big room with a lot of stuff, lots of beverage choices, beers and wines, couches and hanging Canoes. Sort of like TGI Fridays meets the 7-11. There are tables in the back for eating too.
My first visit here, 2 years ago, I got a tuna melt that was a pretty good portion but not very melty. Not a bad sandwich but nothing I'd go out of my way for either. It was time for a revisit, and their "I can't believe I'm not in NY" pastrami sandwich caught my eye. Overstuffed, drizzled with deli mustard. Sounded like my kind of sandwich.
So today the Andrews draw bridge seemed stuck open and I got tired of waiting, so I turned right and headed up into no-where land, where you can find the Riverside Market. I ordered the sandwich, pretending to look at the menu, and then I waited. And waited. It took a long to to make a sandwich. When she handed it to me, wrapped in wax paper, I thought it seemed kind of skinny for an overstuffed sandwich.
When I opened it up, it was clear that nobody at the Riverside Market has ever had a pastrami sandwich in New York. First of all, who toasts or presses a pastrami sandwich? And overstuffed? You make the call on that one. Ironically, the only other place that I've ever gotten a toasted pastrami sandwich is across the street at Bozo's. You toast a Reuben or a Rachel, but plain pastrami needs nice, hearty rye bread.
The pastrami was very lean, which can be a good thing, but the fat is what makes pastrami taste decadent. This was too dry; maybe they cooked the fat off, which is a mistake. The mustard that came on the sandwich wasn't very noticeable; I added a squeeze of my Boars Head Deli Mustard and it was better.
No pickle. No side. Not worth $8. Not at a place like this.
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Riverside Market has been operating a food service and serving beer without the appropriate licenses and it's been shut down pending the results of a hearing. The Market is not zoned commercially so it may not be able to obtain the required permits without re-zoning. The building has not been inspected since 1970.
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UPDATE 3/22/2012: Riverside Market has been issued a Permanent Food Service License and the building has been inspected.
Review 7/27/2010
I heard about this place accidentally, which is about the only way you could hear about it. If there was ever a place thats on the way to nowhere; this is it. Looking at a map, it looks like it might be a little cafe on the water in a park; but its not like that at all. Its an old building on a deserted street with woods between the structure and the water behind it.
Inside it looks like an eat-in deli. There are refrigeration units on the left, tables in the center, a counter on the right and a display case/counter in the back. Obviously the people who run this place are intelligent as Fox News is on a smallish TV.
Their menu is interesting and has something for everyone. They have much more than your egg sandwich for breakfast, signature sandwiches and fresh pizza made to order. The tables are suitable for eating in and they have wi-fi for your phone or laptop.
They have a nice selection of beverages including microbrews by the bottle. For lunch, their sandwiches come in large and small as they have 2 sizes of bread. Their small is pretty large, and their breads are multigrain so their pretty heavy. A large sandwich would be enough for 2. I opted for a tuna melt on Rye and found myself a citrus green tea in the beverage area.
The sandwich is a generous portion and the bread is certainly hearty. The tuna fish was fine, nothing earth shattering. The cheese wasnt melted so it was more like a sandwich on toast. All in all it was well worth $7, although a pickle or small side would have a been nice touch.
For the last year the Palm Ave Swing Bridge has been under construction which has totally isolated this neighborhood. When the bridge is open, this area is a short jaunt from downtown fort lauderdale. When the bridge is closed, it might as well be in Miami.
Whether that idea is appealing to you or not, that is my take, and that is why I go there. I certainly do not go there to eat. And if one goes to a pub to eat, then what you get is approximate to typical mediocre pub food, with a few exceptions. This is not fine dining nor it is a sub shop nor do they sell themselves that way.
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