Foodies in Fort Lauderdale
- Aug 21, 2017
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 25, 2025
Ahhh sunny south Florida.. I prefer Fort Lauderdale over Miami because there's less traffic and the people are very friendly. I used to live in Florida and have been to Fort Lauderdale numerous times. On my most recent trip last week, I realized that I always go to the same places, and now I'll share them with you!
The Intercoastal
Shooters Waterfront- This is my favorite place in Fort Lauderdale for brunch on the weekend, and well, basically any time because of the atmosphere. I prefer Shooters for lunch or drinks/appetizers in the afternoon because they don't really have a super extensive food menu. They do have a killer cheese plate (it's like 2 cheese plates in one! Expect leftovers or invite more people), delicious flatbread, and a great brunch menu or buffet. I ALWAYS hit the brunch when I'm there. What makes Shooters so great is not really the food though, it's the atmosphere! Right on the intercoastal waterway, people pull up on their yachts and come in to eat, they have indoor and outdoor seating and what I call the "chillin'" area with little bungalow-like seating areas with couches, palm tree cover, and still have tables to eat. They will sometimes have live music out there, too. One time, we were there for brunch and it started to rain, they moved our table under a patio cover and the steel-drum player was right next to us. Between the rain coming down and the music, it was a really neat experience. Highly recommended.
Blue Moon- If you are looking for a good date night spot on the intercoastal, Blue Moon is the spot. Romantic, delicious, and great atmosphere. I don't think there's a bad thing on the menu and you'll enjoy getting dressed up to relax with a candlelight dinner and the moon on the water. The staff is great, too. (When we go here, we like to keep it "blue" and head to Blue Martini afterward for great dancing. They are a little ways away from each other but Blue Martini is definitely my favorite place to end the night shakin' a leg.)
Waterfront
There are endless waterfront places to eat and shop in this area so head over to Las Olas Boulevard (East) if you are feeling like doing a little partying down by the beach. These places have couches outside with music and endless options, although I'd say they're more for socializing than foodie activities. I go down here just to stroll around and hang out, have a drink from a bar or from a coconut.
Casablanca Cafe- Not one of my usually frequented spots but we decided to branch out for a different date night spot that he already knew. Candlelit tables, friendly staff, and the ESCARGOT. (Yes, I have a thing for foods a lot of people don't like but if you know, then you know.) This escargot was up there on my list of best escargots I've ever had, they cooked it just right and they were a nice size. The beef carpaccio had a little too much marble for our tastes but I'd still get it again just to be sure, lol. We were a bit on seafood overload when we went here so we decided to check out a classic and tried the chicken penne pasta, absolutely delicious. The portions are generous and we went home with leftovers. It gets a little crowded on the patio and the waterfront view is a bit obstructed but the sunset on the water can still be seen.
Inland
Las Olas Boulevard (West)- This is where it's all happening. If you want delicious, trendy restaurants, coffee shops, shopping, dancing, nightlife, etc. this is where you go. A whole post in itself could be dedicated to "Las Olas." For a group of friends, this is definitely the place to go and when I lived in Miami, my lady friends and I would go here on the weekends. It hosts a little bit of an older, more sophisticated crowd than South Beach (more like upper 20's/30's+ instead of barely-legals) and has dance spots but not necessarily multi-level, huge, overly-loud night clubs like farther south.
Ceviche By The Sea- If this restaurant was on the waterfront, it would probably be my favorite spot, but since it's not, so I still go here for the great Peruvian food. Having spent a significant amount of time in Peru, and because of a lack of Peruvian food in my native North Texas, when I'm in south Florida, I have to get my fix. They have great ceviche, chupe de camarones, and my very favorite, their pulpo a la parilla (grilled octopus.) It is so stinking good at CBTS that I order my own appetizer because I don't want to share. What makes theirs extra good is that they serve it with your own little tabletop grill so you can char it to your perfect preference right there at the table. The atmosphere is good and rather romantic so it makes for a nice date or pop in for lunch and the staff and owner are extremely nice.
Lauderdale By The Sea
Just a bit north, and mostly situated on Commercial Avenue, is Lauderdale By The Sea. This area is for everyone including families with ice cream places, nice restaurants, casual restaurants, organic cafes, tshirt shops, and more.
Basilic- I love pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) and Basilic is a rare gem that has both great atmosphere and pho so I always come here at least once when I'm in town. It's a small place so if you go at peak time, make a reservation or be prepared to wait a little while.
Beaches
All the beaches of Broward County are beautiful with light blue water and soft, light-colored sand. (White or egg-shell in color.) They are well-kept, clean and have showers to rinse off on your way out. There are docks here and there to walk out on or fish, too. The only problem you might have is finding somewhere to park so try to stay within walking distance if you can.
As always, I used Hotels.com to make my hotel reservations and this time we stayed at the Sonesta Beach Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. I enjoyed the atmosphere, in-room dining (they have a killer Caribbean Chicken dish), friendly staff, and every room has an ocean view. We were a little disappointed when they surprised us down on the beach with a $20 per use charge to use the umbrellas but failed to mention it in the lobby when they personally promoted using their beach to us, but we declined as we were just going down there to swim anyway. Other than that, I enjoyed the hotel and especially the location.
Have fun on your trip and leave me a comment if you try any of the places that I recommended or if you have a place to recommend!
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