12 Best Restaurants in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, Florida

3030 Ocean's unpredictable menus are guided by award-winning chef Adrienne Grenier's perfectionist flair. Her interpretation of modern American seafood focuses on balancing complex flavors to enhance her fresh ingredients—without subtracting from their integrity. Although that may sound standard these days, she executes without fail. 3030 makes a colossal effort to source everything from Florida, and even South Florida, while it's in season. The menu is never static, but you can expect outstanding dishes like charred octopus, grilled black grouper, and sautéed Florida flounder in a stylish setting.

At this 12,000-square-foot oceanfront restaurant, second-floor stadium seating ensures all diners have ocean views while feasting on dishes from the scratch-made kitchen and wood-fired grill. You can't go wrong with the shucked-to-order oysters, the chef's choice fresh catch, or the cilantro Key-lime chicken. Much of the second story seating is lounge style, allowing for an extra relaxed setting to enjoy the ocean breeze.

This Italian-American restaurant, serving hearty portions of the classics, is hard to miss thanks to the flashy cars that valet from its unassuming strip mall location. Loved by locals and sometimes even celebrities, it could be confused for a lounge after 10 pm on weekends, when owner Steve Martorano often DJs from the open kitchen's counter. Don't miss the made-to-order mozzarella and always ask about the specials of the day.

This fun-and-funky grease pit in Deerfield Beach is one of Broward County's favorite dives on the supercheap. Serving up massive beef burgers, chicken burgers, and veggie burgers piled high with unapologetically fattening toppings like candied bacon strips, haystack onion straws, hash browns, and blue cheese spread, this is the true diet nemesis. Grab a side of hand-cut sweet potato fries with your burger, wash it all down with a thick Key lime milk shake, and then seal the food coma deal with a dessert of fried Oreos fritters or The Carnie, fried Twinkies with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and powdered sugar.

Rooted in the area's history and named after the nearby Bonnet House's owner, the late Evelyn Bartlett, this trendy new restaurant serves coastal Florida cuisine with Middle Eastern influences. Begin the meal with grand meze (smoked eggplant, hummus, charred red pepper spread, and pickled veggies) served with fresh-made pita before moving on to larger plates like wood-smoked octopus and pomegranate-glazed salmon. Wash it down with some of Fort Lauderdale's best cocktails, a menu also inspired by the life of Evelyn.

One step into the door and you've entered doughnut heaven. With dozens of flavors per day, your first task is narrowing it down between doughnut holes, raised doughnuts, cake doughnuts, or filled doughnuts. While there's no wrong choice, those with a major sweet tooth love the filled dulce de leche and the locally inspired mango or Key lime doughnuts. Grab a party pack of doughnut holes for the road.

This mid-century landmark whips up malts, shakes, and jumbo sundaes from ice cream that is made on-site daily. Founder Monroe Udell, who passed away in 2014, is memorialized by his trademarked Kitchen Sink—a small sink full of ice cream, topped by sparklers—which is a real hoot for parties. His daughter Linda is now the owner and operator. Don't have a sweet tooth? Jaxson's also serves salads, hot dogs, and hot sandwiches.

Beloved South Florida chef Timon Balloo named this restaurant after his wife, who can be seen chatting with guests while refilling their drinks. The constantly evolving menu is inspired by the chef's Chinese-Indian-Trinidadian heritage but always features a fresh pasta, a daily ceviche, and some kind of jerk meat paired with fresh veggies. The dark emerald interior creates a warm and cozy vibe while a funky playlist sets the tone.

The crew at this seaside hole-in-the-wall puts on quite a show while assembling their sandwiches—locals rave that this indie chain has the best around. Fill up on the foot-long Monster (ham, turkey, roast beef, and cheese), Mama (turkey and Genoa salami), or hot meatballs marinara.

One of the best little pizza joints in South Florida, Luigi's Coal Oven Pizza runs the full gamut of pizzas, phenomenal salads with fresh dressings, classics like eggplant parmigiana, and oven-baked chicken wings. For the Margherita Napoletana, the quality and flavors of the crust, cheese, and sauce are the result of Luigi's century-old recipe from Naples. The petite eatery only has about a dozen tables, contributing to a cozy and familial vibe.

Fresh, coastal-inspired dishes are enjoyed alfresco at this dockside restaurant, where each of the three bar areas and massive lounge get gorgeous Intracoastal views. Munch on the expected seaside starters like coconut shrimp, crispy calamari, and smoked fish dip before moving onto flatbreads, sushi, or one of the many entrées served at both lunch and dinner. The daily happy hour features half-price drinks and bites under $13. Arrive by boat or take advantage of the complimentary valet.

Village Tavern is truly a neighborhood hub for those who love good food, good wine and cocktails, and great company. The bar scene is always fun, especially on Wine Wednesday, when all the wines (even the premium labels) are half price by the glass. As the bar fills up, the patio is a great option for drinking and dining; however, it's really hard to find a seat outside in the summer. Dogs are more than welcome to join on the terrace, and the servers are extra hospitable. The eclectic and well-rounded menu is rooted in fresh ingredients, and everything is made from scratch.