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Last Update: Sep 21st, 2013
Bestinftl

Best in Fort Lauderdale

Unlike the static lists cranked out year after year by other publications, our "Best" list is a living document which represents our latest impressions. Restaurants and clubs can get better or worse over time, so why would you want to refer to a stale document? This list will be growing and changing continuously, so bookmark it and check back frequently. I'll add items as I feel some conviction, and eventually this will become the ultimate resource for finding great stuff in Fort Lauderdale.

When I started this page, I fully expected to update it regularly with my stellar finds. But alas, after visiting over 900 places, it seems that great encounters are few and far between. After 6 years I still can't tell you where you can get a great pizza every time. There are few sure things in this town.

Let's start off by being negative.

Most Overrated

LaSpada's Hoagies Fort Lauderdale

By far, the most overrated place in this area is La Spadas Hoagies. Maybe 30 years ago when the other choices where Denny's or the Dixie Pig; but at this point they're not in the conversation when I'm thinking about a sub. Their arrogance is part of it; but they don't use great cold cuts, they put in too much filler and they don't have banana peppers. Their top Zagat ratings in years past is prima facie evidence of ballot stuffing.

Most Overrated Chef

The Winner: Mike Saperstein

Burger and Taco "genius" Mike Saperstein is clearly and without question the winner of this category. Continuously pumped up the the Kiddie Bloggers masquerading as food critics, you can't really give any creds to a guy who makes burgers and tacos. Jalapeos and hot sauce on grilled chicken is a recipe? I'd be scared to go to the place they opened in Boca. The place looks ridiculous.

Best Conch Chowder

Tony Sindaco's Conch Chowder (Sea)

Before I moved to Florida, I'd never had Conch Chowder. Heck, I was living here 5 years before I ever ordered it. What the hell is a Conch anyway? A big snail? Who makes snail chowder? Over the past few months, I've tried the Conch Chowder at all of the places that you'd think might have a good one. In the end, this is the easiest choice I'll ever have to make. Tony Sindaco's Bahamian Conch Chowder (Sea) is so superior to anything else I've had that I don't even have to think about it. Comparing the other Conch Chowders in Fort Lauderdale to Tony's is like comparing your girlfriend to Adriana Lima; it's not really fair. I was surprised at how bad most versions were; Clam Chowders are usually pretty good no matter how it's made, with some better than others. But I can't say that there was one other bowl of Conch Chowder that I'd order again, with the possible exception of Aruba Beach Cafe. It's not on the menu every day at Sea, so you'll have to check their daily menu to see if he's serving it.

Best Deli in Fort Lauderdale

Pomperdale new

Looking for a good Deli? Good luck. This isn't Long Island, where every strip mall has a deli and there's 2 or 3 really good ones every mile or so. There used to be a definitive answer; at one time it was worthwhile to drive cross-town for a sandwich at Pomperdale. One of the owners passed away last year and the new owners have kept the concept going. It's still not bad, but not nearly as good as before. Closer to Downtown, Bob and Wilson's is a nice little sandwich shop and just about the only place you can get decent pastrami. But they're only open until 3pm and they're not open on weekends.

Best Place for Breakfast

Cosmos Diner Eggs

There are a lot of decent places for breakfast; but not one great one. I've had breakfast at more than 20 different places in town, and I can't tell you that there's one that I'd go to if I was craving something special. But I have written an entire article on the subject, so you can make your own choice.

Best Sports Grill

Duffysftl

There was a time when there was no answer to this, but now Duffy's has established itself as the go-to place to watch big sporting events. There are some good places in Davie, but in Fort Lauderdale, Duffy's is the only real sports bar. Add their 2 for 1 after 4pm happy hour and other daily specials and you've got an affordable place to drink, eat and watch all of the games. It's not as good as when it opened; the food has gotten progressively worse, but it's the only game in town.

Best Chinese Takeout

Southsea

This category is a tricky one, because chinese take out restaurants are so inconsistent. Making good chinese food isn't very difficult; what makes one place better or worse is generally determined by what ingredients they give you. Dumplings are a big thing for me; dumplings that have a tasteless ball of ground pork with a doughy wonton wrapper are just insulting. Unfortunately it's the norm in South Florida. The best Chinese Takeout I've had is from South Sea Chinese Restaurant, although I've only been there once. Their mongolian beef was excellent as were their dumplings. This place is a real hidden gem, as much as I dislike that term.

Best Shake

Baskin Robbin's Cappuccino Blast

With CG burgers downscaling their menu and no longer offering the Gelato Shakes they had when they first opened, they had to come down as the top shake. I admit to taking some liberty here; I've changed the category from Best Milk Shake to Best Shake; the reason is that my favorite shake, the Baskin Robbins Cappuccino Blast, isn't a milk shake. Well, it sort of is. It has ice cream and milk and some sort of special "concentrate". foodfacts.com gave it an F for healthiness, but you don't really drink a shake for its health effects.

The mocha blast isn't nearly as good; get the original. It's better than Starbucks or any other coffee flavored shake I've had. One thing that's good about it is that a 24oz "medium" is under 500 calories. What's bad about it is that it's sort of icy and when you get to the bottom you'll have to wait for it to melt to finish it. But there's nothing better on a 95 degree day.

Best Jerk Wings

Calypso Jerk Wings 2010

When I think about Jerk Wings, I think about Calypso. Jerk wings can be pretty ugly; the wings at Calypso are so good and so spicy its almost embarrassing to compare any other Jerk Wings to them. The spiciness is cooked in so they're not wet and you're not biting into a thyme sprig like you might with some renditions. What I like most about these are that they're great cold. I'll keep them in the fridge and then grab a couple for a snack or when I just feel like some spice. You really don't need any sauce with these at all. They're just that good.

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