Critic's Review
Much of the lore of old Fort Lauderdale is just that, and frankly I don't find much of it to be appealing. The Cypress Nook as been serving breakfast and lunch since 1948; a time when there were more alligators than people in the area. The restaurant does live up to its name, sort of, as it surely is a nook. Its not, however, on Cypress Road as you might suspect, so it can be a bit hard to find. Its on McNab, just east of Cypress Road. Drive slowly or you might miss it.
There are a few tables outside but there was no evidence that you were allowed to sit there or that there was any service outside. Inside the little house sports 2 rooms; a small dining room and a kitchen, where you can see a refrigerator not unlike the one you might have in a modest home. There's no hostess; you just sit down and they can't help but notice you.
I haven't been here in 2 years, and the service was much better this time. Their menu is better now also; previously you had to know how to order things like brats with your eggs, and now they have a more organized menu. The place is mostly regulars; the servers seemed to know most of the people in the place to the point of sitting down with them and having personal discussions.
They still only take cash at breakfast and lunch, and they still have no splenda. I don't get why they'll give you 5 pats of extra butter but they won't offer splenda. Good thing I wasn't having Iced Tea. I ordered the German Combo; 2 eggs with Bratwurst and Kielbasa, with home fries and rye toast. There's light music in the background but I couldn't make much out except for "I will survive". No Oom-Pah music here. The food came out quickly.
They certainly give plenty of food. The brats were overdone, particularly the Kielbasa, which was burned through in one place. Well done sausages are healthier but not as good. The eggs and potatoes were fine, but it was funny rye bread. It had rye seeds, but it had the consistency of wheat bread. Coffee was filled when needed.
Not a bad breakfast, but frankly I think that good pork sausages are better with eggs than brats and kielbasa. At least it was something different.
They serve breakfast until 2pm and I was there just before noon, so most other people were eating lunch. They give big portions for lunch, and big mugs of iced tea.
Review 7/1/10
Much of the lore of old Fort Lauderdale is just that, and sometimes you just have to wonder what people are thinking. The Cypress Nook as been serving breakfast and lunch since 1948; a time when there were more alligators than people in the area. The restaurant does live up to its name, sort of, as it surely is a nook. Its not, however, on Cypress Road as you might suspect, so it can be a bit hard to find. Its on McNab, just east of Cypress Road. Drive slowly or you might miss it.
There are a few tables outside but there was no evidence that you were allowed to sit there or that there was any service outside. Inside the little house sports 2 rooms; a small dining room and a kitchen, where you can see a refrigerator not unlike the one you might have in a modest home.
Service was minimally acceptable. Its assumed you know how everything works here. There are a lot of regulars; I would say that most people who eat here are regulars, and the waitresses spend a lot of time chatting. My coffee cup was empty and my server passed by at least 4 times before refilling it. They seem to come out every now and then with the pot and refill everyone, so if you drink faster than anyone else; too bad for you. There was no splenda. Only low-fat milk was available. Maybe it was whole milk. I havent had whole milk in so long Im not sure. But it certainly wasnt cream or half and half.
They tout their bratwurst for breakfast, however Bratwurst dont appear anywhere on the menu as an option. I ASSumed that if I ordered sausages Id be getting German Sausages, but thats not the case. Apparently you just get breakfast sausages? Maybe you have to be a regular to get Bratwurst? I couldnt read the whiteboard from where I was sitting and forgot to check when I left. So its still a mystery to me.
What I ordered was 2 eggs with sausage, over medium, with rye toast and home fries.
As you can see, it looks pretty much like what you might get at any diner. Everything was pretty good. The experience wasnt much different than eating at a diner.
One thing I can say about the Cypress Nook is that its cheap. The whole shebang cost $9 with tip, with free parking to boot.
My overall impression is that its a pretty nice place for breakfast, but given its remote location I cant see going out of my way to come here. If you live in the neighborhood its a no-brainer, as there isnt much else around and its dirt cheap. Add on the gas cost and inconvenience, and the fact that they dont take credit cards or have cream or splenda for coffee, and Id have to pass on another visit.
But it was explained to me that a lot of these "cash only" joints severely under report their sales to avoid taxes, and they don't take credit cards because those figures wouldn't jive with the bogus low numbers they report. Any truth to that explanation??
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