Critic's Review
Duffy's is a place I don't think about too often anymore; the Ford Lauderdale location stinks and I'd rather watch the games somewhere else. I do, however, have reward and my free birthday appetizer was about to expire, so I had to make a special trip. No games on today, so it would be a restaurant visit.
They've completely ruined their website; good grief can we get an intervention for this place? They no longer have a full downloadable menu (not that I could find, anyway), and the entire website has been dedicated to online ordering. So if you click on Sandwiches, it makes you choose Delivery or Take Out. Then it makes you select from one of their 8000 locations, that aren't even in alphabetical order. Once you select a location it will show you the prices; eery time you click on something it asks to use your location data. I've already selected the location I want, why does it keep asking for my GPS? It also doesn't hold your info, so each time you go back you have to go through the store selection process as if you'd never been on the site before. It's just a disaster.
Making your online menu difficult is the biggest mistake a restaurant can make.
I didn't know what I was allowed to order for the Free App anyway, so I'd just have to go and pick something.
Not too many cars at 2:45. I can't use the discounted lunch when I'm using a reward so no need to get here early to dine with the discount lunch crowd.
No hostess at this hour I guess; I was greeted by a server who corralled me to one of her tables. The hard sell on the booze started the conversation; I asked for an iced tea with extra lemon.
I didn't really want to sit at the bar, so she gave me a booth by the bar. I didn't feel like arguing today.
The tea arrives with 1 piece of lemon. "Can I get some extra lemon please". I ask her which Appetizers I can get with the reward, and she says any "starter" I want. Cool beans. "I'll try the Korean Ribs, please". She tells me that they're spicy, but that would be expected.
A runner brought out the ribs in 7 minutes. These babies are pre made.
I took a bite expecting a kick, but they weren't spicy at all. They were a very strange texture; not like any ribs I've had that I could remember. It was like they were freeze dried or something; they pulled off the bone cleanly and were kind of crunchy. Like they were cooked long ago and just reheated and covered with a cloying sauce.
Not a lot of meat either; the menu said this was 900 calories but I think thats only if you lick up all of the sauce and suck the marrow out of the bones.
I wanted to get home before 4p and I really wasn't enjoying the ribs, so when my server passed by I told her she could bring my check anytime.
The Korean BBQ ribs are a loser.
Conclusion
Duffy's has lost their identity as they fiddle with discounts and reward programs to fill seats in their oversized sports bars. When sports bars pretend to be restaurants first, then they lose the focus of their audience. In 2008 there was 1 sports bar in Fort Lauderdale, now there are many places to go.
I only go to Duffy's for cheap food now; I go somewhere else to watch sports.
Review 8/20/13
This is the first Duffy's I ever went to, back before they opened Fort Lauderdale and they were still making their mark. The wings were great, they gave me lots of blue cheese (see previous review here). I've never gotten the same quality at any other location; I don't have a handle on whether the cutback in quality is system wide or per-location. I was on my way to somewhere else in Davie when I remembered that the Yankees had a makeup game this afternoon, so I modified my route slightly for a re-visit to Duffy's Plantation, which is just north of route 595.
They have 40% off your bill from 2pm to 4pm all week, so I decided to have an early dinner. At 2:30, the bar was packed; only 2 seats at the large, horseshoe shaped bar.
This location is better than Fort Lauderdale if you're just watching 1 game as you can sit 5 feet from a big screen TV rather than dealing with a projection TV high on the wall. The tables have TVs closer also. They have TVs all over the place.
To my horror, but not totally unexpected, was that there was 1 girl handing the bar and also the service bar for the entire restaurant. It's patently ridiculous; in fact I considered leaving as I sat there waiting for her to get to me. She did get to me before I made the move, and she delivered an iced tea with no sweeteners; I did get extra lemon which is required with Duffy's ultra thin lemon slivers. Rather than wait for the bartender to come by, I just swiped a Duffy's Yellow from the table behind me.
I ordered the 10oz CAB NY Strip Steak and sub'd out the 2 sides for a Wedge Salad. It took about 10 minutes to come out.
Duffy's sides are pedestrian; the wedge salad is pretty good and it goes with steak. The Salad wasn't as good as the one I had in Fort Lauderdale, but it was still better than their cole slaw or broccoli. The one I got in Fort Lauderdale had more dressing (I had to ask for extra here), and more bacon, and the bacon was crispier. The steak was cooked properly; nothing crazy good about it but a good strip steak.
I had to wait a bit for my bill. Now Brandi is probably the best bartender I've encountered in the Duffy's system; she was motoring around and getting it done despite the monumental task, but there is simply no way that one person could provide the proper service for as many people as she had to serve.
The best thing about Duffy's in the afternoon is the check.
A steak dinner for under $15. while watching the game. Not too shabby.
Review 5/15/2010
First things first, this place is located in a very annoying and complicated parking lot that meanders about around a shopping center and several free standing buildings. Its highly annoying to get to.
They get pretty good crowds here regardless of whether there are any notable sporting events at the time. They have TVs everywhere; a big bar on the left and a large, open dining room.
The girls here are a bit more earthy than at Bokampers; and they all seem pretty nice.
The most important thing at a sports bar in terms of food are the chicken wings, and Duffy's wings are top notch. They're really big, so 10 of them are enough as an appetizer for 2 or a meal for 1 person. And they give you plenty of blue cheese.
Most of the food I've had is good here. And you know someone is big when they have their own ketchup. Unfortunately, its not as good as Heinz.
All in all, Duffy's in Plantation is a pretty good place to watch a game. They're pretty good at accomodating you if you want to watch a particular game as well.
*** Note that the food rating is for the wings only ***
