Super 7: The Best Restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale
Everything's Better in Broward
Anthony’s Runway 84
Anthony’s Runway 84 trades in intangibles more than any restaurant in South Florida, the kind of place people return to for a feeling more than the food. Not that the menu isn’t packed with red sauce-laden classics like chicken vodka parm, veal chop Danielle, and rigatoni pomodoro. But the old-school Italian ambience has kept people coming back for generations, where every table looks like it could be ripped from the set of “Goodfellas” and a lounge singer croons Sinatra nightly. The bar is perpetually packed with regulars, and even if you’re new, the sharp-dressed maitre’D makes you feel like family as soon as you walk in.
Pro tip: Head in for Friday lunch, the only day of the week Runway serves it. It’s A+ Old Florida people watching.
@runway84 // 330 W SR 84, Ft. Lauderdale
Daniel’s, A Florida Steakhouse
The menu at Daniel’s has so many Florida shout-outs it could easily double as a Trick Daddy song. Where you at, Suwanee River Wagyu Brisket? Keys Red Snapper in the house! Loxahatchee baby romaine, raise up! Dining at Daniel’s is a delicious Sunshine State geography lesson, as you eat your way through the state’s bounty of ingredients. Chef Danny Ganem takes time to travel the Turnpike and beyond meeting with farmers, and the result is a fine-dining steakhouse that’s as close to farm-to-table as you’re getting in a big city.
Pro tip: For a more casual setting, post up at D’s Sports Bar next door. It’s much of the same Florida-fabulous menu with big screens and no dress code.
@danielssteakhouse // 620 S. Federal Highway, Ft. Lauderdale
Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill
Few are the hamburgers that make for destination dining. And in an era where restaurants compete to see who can cover a patty in crazier stuff, Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill gets it done the old-fashioned way. The family-owned spot takes half-pound Certified Angus Beef patties, flame broils them like god intended, and covers them in stuff you’re familiar with. The result? The best burger not only in Ft. Lauderdale, but in all of Florida, and maybe even the world. Top it off with one of Gilbert’s over-the-top desserts, and you’ve found the best way to negate your workout at the Orangetheory next door.
Pro tip: The Portobello Mushroom sandwich is just as good as the burgers, topped with fresh grilled veggies. It also means you can still go here if your +1 is a vegetarian.
@eatatgilberts // 1801 Cordova Road, Ft. Lauderdale
The Katherine
In the most left-handed compliment I’ve ever heard, Timon Balloo once told me guests constantly rave that The Katherine doesn’t feel like a Ft. Lauderdale restaurant. Step inside the cozy, neighborhood restaurant environs and you’ll understand what he means, as the atmosphere feels completely removed from tropical vacationland. Balloo takes his experience working in kitchens across the world and applies it to Caribbean dishes, creating the most original menu in Ft. Lauderdale. Seafood is the best play, sampling stuff like zatar and yogurt rubbed swordfish kabobs and Thai red curry branzino. Though you’ll never go wrong with mom’s trini oxtail.
Pro tip: Though the big plates look inviting, the best way to experience Balloo’s creativity is ordering a bunch of appetizers.
@thekatherinerestaurant // 723 E. Broward Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale
Del Mar
Del Mar sits inside the Auberge Beach Residences and gives Fort Lauderdale a beachside restaurant worth the trip. The space seats nearly 500, but greenery and soft lighting keep it from feeling like a convention hall. It is “beach club chic” sans velvet ropes, complete with fire pits on the patio and a retractable roof for when the Florida weather decides to act up. Most importantly, it sits on the correct side of A1A, meaning you get actual ocean views instead of watching traffic crawl toward Las Olas.
Pro tip: Order the open-fire roasted shellfish platter. It’s a mountain of lobster, scallops, and prawns dripping in butter that’s a signature for a reason.
@delmarfortlauderdale // 2200 N. Ocean Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale
Foxy Brown
Foxy Brown has the feel of a place that’s been around forever, which makes it easy to forget it’s still relatively new. For those who remember the old location, the move to a larger spot fixed the one real problem: parking is no longer a production. Brunch runs Saturday and Sunday, most of the day, with a bar that stays manageable even when the room is packed. The food skews hearty in the best way, the kind of spread that makes a late Saturday morning feel like a good decision. Start with the donut holes, get the short rib benedict or the breakfast sandwich, and close with the banana grilled cheese, filled with Nutella and ricotta. Mimosas are $10, which is basically a steal right now.
Pro tip: The bar is easy to grab a seat at even during peak hours. If you’re going with one other person and don’t want to wait for a table, that’s your move. Dog-friendly, too.
@the_foxy_brown // 476 N Federal Hwy, Ft. Lauderdale
Florida Room
In the most Florida move ever, there’s now a restaurant inside a pickleball complex. Florida Room, the latest from chefs Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth, sits inside The Fort at Snyder Park. It’s part of a massive complex with water views, courts, and people still wearing their paddles like accessories. You could play a round, grab a drink, and end up on a perfectly nice date night without changing shoes. The kitchen is entirely seed-oil-free, using beef tallow and avocado oil to fry up some of the best chicken in the city.
Pro tip: The calamari Caesar is a sleeper hit, featuring crisp squid fried in beef tallow that gives the classic salad a much-needed personality transplant.
@floridaroomftl // 891 SW 34th St., Ft. Lauderdale