50 Best American Restaurants in Fort Lauderdale

“Had lunch there today. We are out of town for a cruise and like to patronize the local businesses when able. Great food, friendly, and well priced. Would stop again when in the area!“

“Jenna the bartender is amazing ? love the curry dish, service is also ?? good. Little pricey but worth it.“

“We’re foodies based in NYC and seasonal Floridians and this one of our favorites ! Last night our server Orin and Chef Ivan outdid themselves!! Everything was fabulous!! Great food and service!“

“Everything was amazing. Our server Kylie was awesome. She went above and beyond to make our dinner exceptional. She was very attentive and friendly. The owner introduced himself and was extremely nice and friendly. It seemed like all the staff were helping each other out and were attentive. Great experience, will be coming back!“

“My 17 yea old had the whole Pampano and loved it!“

“Manager Travis at the Cherry ST in Tulsa Oklahoma- was so knowledgeable- answered all our allergy questions and was patient and also was able to explain what was on each taco Food was fresh and very good and tasty! Velvet“

“On June 16, we went to Kaluz Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale to celebrate my mother’s 85th birthday. We are regulars at Kaluz to the point where we have the cell phone numbers of several employees. In a nutshell, Anthony, the manager, should not hold that position in a restaurant like Kaluz. My husband and Anthony exchanged words and Anthony’s solution to the issue was telling us, “You should not come back here. The owners do not want parties larger than five people.” My jaw dropped. I could not believe that a manager’s solution to an issue about seating us sooner, while we waited for two other people in our party, especially since my 85-year-old mother could not stand for long, was to tell us, on two separate occasions, that we should not come back. Anthony also put the entire blame on the owners of the restaurant. We go to Kaluz almost on a weekly basis, tip extremely well and have taken countless people there that have also ended up being regulars at Kaluz. No restaurant manager should EVER tell a customer, regular or not, to not come back regardless of the issue. Needless to say, we will not be going back to Kaluz as long as Anthony continues working“

“Had lunch at the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar and it was fantastic. Everything we ordered was delicious, and the service was attentive and friendly. The whole place has such a great, relaxed vibe—perfect for an easy, enjoyable meal. Definitely a spot I’ll be coming back to!“

“Breakfast is delicious. Cold glasses for the beer. Beautiful beach view and perfect location.“

“Quality affordable food for the whole family!“

“servers are very attentive no matter how busy the restaurant gets and food are made perfect so far in my 6 visits. I love to bring friends there considering it is convenient to my location.“

“We are from PA and stopped in for a fast snack! Ryan, our server was so much fun that we each had 2 drinks apiece, a starter, Chicken tenders, Mahi Sammie and desert! Truly a great experience! Thanks Ryan!!!!“

“Here from Ohio on vacation. Best food ever. Owner treated me like royalty within seconds of walking in. There’s a reason this place holds its reputation. If you’re ever in Fort Lauderdale, stop right on in here. You’ll thank me later.“

“Been ordering lunch for 16 years now Commercial point cafe has the best food as it is always prepared fresh always hot and delivered fast and has a scrumptious variety on their menu of home favorites to gourmet creations. Try the cajun fries you'll get hooked try everything and you'll be hooked. you wont be sorry.“

“The Chicken Madeira was cooked perfectly. Tender, flavorful, and served with a delicious sauce. The service from our server, Lucas, was outstanding. He was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. Great food and excellent service. Highly recommend!“

“Had dinner here with my girlfriend. We sat at the bar, Henry and Daniel were amazing. Holly the manager even stopped by to make sure everything was on point. If you’re looking for a good place to have good food and drinks, this is the place.“

“Great food, fun, and atmosphere. Excellent service don't miss a beat! 🩷“

“The food and restaurant was great, the service was meh, we were there for about an hour, and 20 mins was waiting for the server to come back at the end. After we finished eating, around 10 mins of waiting a manager who walked by took our empty plates and said he would send the server. 10 mins later the server finally came and we were able to get our check. Wasted 20 mins just to pay and leave.“

“Great food and atmosphere. Excellent service. Highly recommend!🩷“

“Amazing REAL SIZE BAGLES THAT ARE BEST TASTING SINCE MOVING HERE FROM NEW YORK. THE PRICES ARE FAIR AND THE SERVINGS ARE FILLING 👍❤️💋☃️✈️“

“We made lunch reservations and had a great experience. There was no wait time to be seated.
Our server Shanquan was exceptional. She gave a fun experience with laughter throughout the meal. She was very attentive from beginning with waters, then to going over the drink menu and daily specials. We ordered artichoke for our appetizer, and it was scrumptious. The main course we selected was the New York strip with Mac and cheese, which was exceptionally cooked to our liking and a great choice to share between two people. We finished off with their home made carrot cake which was served fresh and hot, which was a nice round out to the meal.
Come dine with Shanquan for a terrific experience at J Alexander!“

“Our waitress Brenna made our already good dining experience 100 times better. She was so genuine, sweet, funny and down to earth. She went above and beyond standard customer service. She was so easy to talk to among other things like recommending dishes and making sure we were pleased from beginning to end. Her beautiful spirit was so easy for our family to connect with. The food was hot and fresh and it didn't take long to come to the table. The atmosphere was peaceful and welcoming as we were there to celebrate my son's birthday. Thank you, we will most definitely return.“

“amazing all the time! definitely a must“

“Food and drinks were great! We had the lobster ravioli,the calamari which was DUMB GOOD, spinach dip, several fruit bomb shots and I had a carribean mama...delish! I do wish they had the spinach and mushroom ravioli from before when it was called Lips. Entertainment was even better. The show was full of sass and spice! Everyone was nice and helpful. My friend and I had the best time. Her first time, my second after many years. Definitely will go back.“

“As usual we enjoyed our time at Sea Watch. There is no better view and the food is consistently delicious. This particular visit the service was slow however we had a very pleasant experience with all servers. We plan to visit in the future and on every visit to this area.“

“Amazing burger, cooked perfectly. I asked for medium and it was perfect. Tater tots were crispy and not greasy. The waitress was pleasant. Cool artwork throughout.
Cons: I wasn’t a fan of the group seating, I wanna have a private table not sit next to strangers.“

“great, kind service.....clean....and as usual, a great tuna melt.“

“We had an amazing time shopping at Wave! The prices were great, and the quality of the beachwear was top-notch. The staff was super friendly and helpful, making our shopping experience a breeze. Finding such great beachwear really improved our vacation in Fort Lauderdale—we felt stylish and comfortable all day. We’ll definitely be back and recommend Wave to all our friends and family! Five stars for them !!!!“

“Last night, we dined at Maass and had the privilege of sitting at the chef’s counter. The experience was nothing short of amazing! They graciously accommodated my veganism, although I must admit, I indulged and opted for vegetarian dishes last night. Meanwhile, LD fully immersed himself in the tasting menu. Chef Ryan Ratino, along with his Michelin-accoladed team at Maass in Fort Lauderdale, curated a truly spectacular experience.“

“This restaurant is exceptional! we went with our family after our civil ceremony and their service was beyond expectations. they made every effort to accommodate us as we found them very last minute and the weather turned rainy and windy suddenly. we wanted to sit outside, and they reserved the table without hesitation and then afterwards accommodated us inside when the rain started. They were so attentive, courteous, and made sure we were all taken care of. they had live music with an excellent singer who was talented and played with our kids and sang with them. the hostess Sally, was kind and sweet and very attentive!. Michael was a great server as well. ! all of them were great! the food was superb! great tasting with many options and excellent quality. thank you so much for making our night special. I will highly recommend this restaurant.“

“Food was excellent, tasty, and a big portion, serves a very nice as well. Our food arrived at the table via robot., super cool! Such a great dining experience.“

“the food is delicious and waitress staff is on point. Have never been disappointed. One of my go to places.“

“It seems like everytime i go there now the food is getting worse I came a couple days ago I ordered smoke chicken with brisket the smoked chicken was barely smoked. The brisket was good. Today I came here I only ordered brisket. Half of the brisket was un eatable. Plus the flies is making it worse.“

“Good food and good customer service. The fries and Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich were great. Kenny is sweet, smart, professional. She's cool.“

“Jason was absolutely the best ever ty for an amazing first experience at this establishment“

“Checked out this great restaurant last night. The food was magnificent. Wow!! Everything was so tasty and the flavors melded well. Please check it out. We had the Jerk Plaintain, Thai style Charred cabbage salad, which had some great tasting pork, sweet and tangy wings and the Thai style crab fried rice. Can’t wait to go back and try the snapper.“

“Was on my way out for Tequila and Tacos, got stood up and decided Breakfast is always a great choice!

I toggled with the menu as there were great options, I considered the Salmon Sweet Potato Bowl, their version Avocado toast , and the Shakshuka!

Where did I land?

Steak & Eggs cause I’m that girlie!

Here’s everything I got and how I’d rate it!

Steak - Cooked Medium (wasn’t as HOT as I would have preferred although it was cooked to perfection! My first time having hollandaise sauce and the way that they pair it with their chimichurri on that steak is phenomenal. 4/5

Cheddar Grits - Hot and Good! 5/5

Cheddar Biscuit - Great but hard and cold
(it’s 2:30 in the afternoon and they close at 3) I get it! If I had it devoured it, I would’ve definitely brought it home, wrapped it in a wet towel and put it in the microwave for five seconds. 4/5

Cold Pressed Juice (The Orange One) ehh not my flavor but super fresh! I’d love to try the other two flavors! 3/5

Atmosphere is absolutely beautiful I may be biased because Green is my favorite color and they have a most beautiful green backsplash with a lot of plants old pictures and I just love how the kitchen is right upfront with a small bar that you can sit and watch the amazing chefs and sous chefs prep they’re catering and to go orders. 10/10

All in all, I will definitely be back!

Can’t believe I forgot to recognize my amazing server.

Her name was Dash and true to her name!

Greeted me immediately, noticed as I placed my menu down to collect my order, we chatted quickly about my potential options but she was spot on when we both agreed Steak and Eggs is the way to go!

Even at there tail end of there shift I had to ask what time the place closed because I realized I was in a diner.

The entire staff seems happy, complaint and eager to share the success of the happiness of their guests!

Thank you to the team for a great first meal of my day!“

“Very good service, clean presentation and good food… I recommend.“

“Exceptional service ! Beautiful atmosphere !!“

“One of the best moment I had before going to my cruise was the Kiki’s restaurant . This was the best place to eat we’ve found and with great people at atmosphere. The buffet breakfast was amazing and waiters were so kind. I will come here again“

“Brooke was fantastic, fun environment. hugh portions. great night“

“Been wanting to try a chef’s counter experience for a while now, and finally took the plunge with this weekend’s Mario themed menu.

The meal was exceptional with curation but approachability. Layered high quality details committed to flavor throughout.

My highlights were the mushroom truffle arancini (the onion dusted polenta underneath was insane!), the ricotta ramp stuffed zucchini flowers, and the bbq rib with a bright san marzano sauce on top. But every dish was great.

As more restaurants open down here, it can be hard to find the ones that present real quality rather than expensive dinner theater that pantomimes an elevated experience. This spot was so refreshing for me because it was a genuinely unique, high quality, and elevated meal that felt worth the price.

I really loved how thoughtful the dishes and drink pairings were, it’s clear the minds behind the menu care about curating something truly special. It’s great to have a spot with rotating menus that are actually good and engaging chef preparations/presentations of the dishes.

I honestly can’t speak highly enough about my visit. Looking forward to visiting again in the future!“

“Great food!!!!! Will come again.“

“Staying at a close hotel and looking for something good and that delivered. Found Li'l Reds. Super glad we did. Food was great and portions just right. Had the ribs/chicken combo with beans and rice and fries. It is not often that I dont put sauce on my ribs, I didn't tonight!! Ribs were top notch, wish I had more!! Food was ready super fast and delivered without issue. Thanks Li'l Reds for a great meal!!“

“The food was amazing the servers are so nice best breakfast place I’ve been to in a while“

“We have been coming for years from TX and we eat here daily. They have a great menu and amazing food. Especially the crab cake Benedict!“

“Great atmosphere. Food was awesome. Everyone was so friendly…employees and customers…perfect place to watch the big game. Can’t wait until my next visit.“

“Amazing REAL SIZE BAGLES THAT ARE BEST TASTING SINCE MOVING HERE FROM NEW YORK. THE PRICES ARE FAIR AND THE SERVINGS ARE FILLING 👍❤️💋☃️✈️“

“Always fun vibe hanging at bar.“

“I'll be brutally honest about our experience here. Relax, there's a happy ending here. Relax again, not that kind of happy ending lol. Anyway, here we go: We went in today on a Tuesday evening and there was one woman working the entire place. One person lol. Well it must have been her and a cook, that was it. I guess they were short-staffed today, but I'm assuming this wouldn't happen like on a Friday or Saturday. The table we sat at had office chairs for seating. It felt like being at a meeting at a conference room table 😂 Since one person was doing everything, it took a while (completely understandable) to get a high chair for our baby and even longer to get our food. While we were waiting, I thought to myself, "man, I really hope this food slaps" if we're gonna be waiting that long. Fortunately, it DID. My burger was fantastic, well worth the wait. My wife didn't like her food, but maybe she should have ordered something else. The woman that served us literally served every single table. This includes the people who saw she was working all by herself and had the audacity of sitting outside in the heat, making the woman go all the way outside to serve those tables out there. Anyway, she was amazing! She didn't let the short-staffing circumstances ruin her mood or turn her into a crabby crab. She was even kind enough to look for a band-aid when one of our people needed one, despite being super busy. She did everything she could to hold down the fort, and she did it well. If you have an appetite and a little extra time, come here to eat. Good food, fun ambiance, comfy inside, and it'll get the job done.“