Critic's Review
First Impressions
I went into Eddie V's at 9:50 on a Friday Night, and there were no seats at the bar. My first impression is that I'm somewhat disappointed; I was hoping they would have a bar are more like Morton's or Big City Tavern. But the bar here is small, unnecessarily round, and it feels like it's in the middle of the restaurant.
This area behind the bar is likely the "lounge", but it feels like a dining room.
There's not a lot of standing room, so this will never be a hot spot. Seeing people eat $70 steaks at the bar is almost sad. This is not a bar where you can hang out for an entire evening like the Royal Pig; and maybe they've designed it that way.
Of course at $15 for a glass of Chianti it's not a place where you'd hang out for long anyway.
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What we know so far:
Will Not be open for Lunch
The menu is very small and virtually exclusively Steak and Seafood
It's Very Expensive
No Happy Hour
The sides prices are utterly ridiculous; As expensive as they are, they're in-line with Lobster Bar Sea Grill and a better choice then Morton's, who charges the same for non-USDA Prime steak. They're going to siphon off a good bit of LBSG's business.
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Darden restaurants will open an Eddie V's Prime Seafood Restaurant in 100 Las Olas, the new tower under construction next to the Riverhouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale. This place is sort of like the Capital Grille for seafood. Featuring super expensive South African Lobster tails (cold water spiny lobsters with no Claws), Oysters and Caviar.
This is the location that Morton's was supposed to get; the tower was delayed and they couldn't wait, so they took the terrible location they're at now.
As if Las Olas needed another overpriced restaurant, this place will DESTROY the Lobster Bar Sea Grill; they have a better menu and the LBSG Sucks Rocks. I'm sure it will be a more comfortable restaurant with a bar area much nicer than LBSG.
The wines they offer are about $10/bottle, so they're not even giving you a deal; they're just giving you wine that should be $6/glass for $8.