Fort Lauderdale

What you want are the famous meatball salad... always-al dente pastas like garlicky linguine with fresh-shucked clams; anything including the fresh homemade mozzarella. — Gayot

Replacing founding chef Dean James Max, farm-to-table toque Paula DaSilva, a former Max protégée, brings excitement to this seafood-centric restaurant. — Gayot

Hands down, this is one of the coolest, most unpretentious, quintessential pre-swanky South Florida restaurants, if not one of the coolest restaurants, period. — Frommer's

Casa D'Angelo is always packed. — Fodor's

"Family and friends" get "down and dirty" at this huge, circa-1955 "landmark" crab shack near the airport, donning bibs and "banging" away with mallets. — Zagat

The crew at this seaside hole-in-the-wall puts on quite a show of ingredient-tossing flair while assembling takeout hoagies, subs, and deli sandwiches. — Fodor's

While the menu may be steakhouse simple, with steaks, chops, seafood, sandwiches, raw bar, and sides, this is Fort Lauderdale's newest "it" girl, a virtual meat market of seeing and being seen. — Frommer's

At the Floridian Restaurant on Las Olas Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale (Florida), the chocolate chip pancakes are a delicious treat at any hour of the day. — Afar Magazine

Overall, the customer service, varied cuisine options, and inviting atmosphere are outstanding. — Afar Magazine

Part ice-cream palor, part ode to American childhood, Jaxon’s has a 50-year-long-established reputation as a specialist in kids’ dessert wish-fulfillment. — Time Out

If you order the guacamole and chips, they bring out avocados and make the guacamole to your liking (do you want mayo? how about more lemon?) at your table. — Afar Magazine

With a broad, open-fronted deck offering a front row view of yachts and motor boats, this place is hard to beat for waterfront dining. — Lonely Planet

Lester's on State Road 84 has stood as a 24-hour haven for the hungry and the late-night crowd since 1967. — Fodor's

It's "dockside dining at its best" say fans of this "easy, breezy" Fort Lauderdale sea-and-comfort-food restaurant boasting a "beautiful location" overlooking the Intracoastal. — Zagat

Despite its bleak location in an unassuming storefront, Darrel & Oliver's Cafe Maxx is one of the best restaurants in Broward County. — Frommer's

This Fort Lauderdale BBQ spot started out simply as a sauce. — Gayot

A local favorite on the cheap, Zona Fresca serves healthful, Mexican fast food with the best chips, salsas, burritos, and quesadillas in town. — Fodor's

It's a Greek throwdown every night at this Hollywood institution, chock-full of loud music, belly dancers, napkin throwing, and most importantly, delectable Greek food. — Fodor's

Combine the likes of a high-end steak house with a typical Italian-American trattoria, and you've got yourself a successful recipe for an Italian chophouse. — Fodor's