Shula Burger - Delray Marketplace www.ShulaBurger.com

Everybody knows who Don Shula is. The former Coach and owner of renowned Shula Steakhouse of course. The winning est coach in the NFL. And I am sure you have heard of the upscale hamburger chain that now wears his moniker also.

It was a balmy mid May evening when Michelle and I were trying to think of a place to pickup a quick hamburger when we decided to go to the almost newly opened Shula Burger in the almost newly opened Delray Marketplace on West Atlantic Ave and Lyons Road in Delray Beach. Live music softly filled the air and a slight breeze made the night super comfortable. Comfortable enough that we decided to order a couple of burgers and drinks; and eat at one of several vacant tables which adorned the sidewalk in front of Shula's.

Since it was 9 pm, we didn't have to wait. Michelle grabbed a flavored water from the cooler on the counter and proceeded to order her "make your own" cheeseburger as she took a sip of her drink. I was still pondering my selection.

"My drink is warm" she stated to the young man taking our order, "could I have a cup with some ice, please?"
"I'm sorry," he replied, "we are out of ice."
"Then I don't want the drink," said Michelle
"But you already opened it!" Marcus replied.

We had a little argument and as I was ready to walk, when an older, wiser, and more business like, 18 year old jumped in and appeared with a cup of the "very last bit of ice" in the building. I ended up ordering the "French Onion" double burger and we selected a table outside where we waited for our burgers on this magnificent evening.



French Onion Double Burger

Our burgers were delivered in a short time and tasted just as good as they looked! Michelle said this was the best burger she ever had. I enjoyed mine just as much. We were both very happy with our selections and we will be sure to return. The prices were moderately high, a bit more than the average burger joint, but should be expected for the quality and taste of the burger.

Make Your Own Burger with Multi Grain Bun



Turn offs: When a place is out of something, like ice, they should bend over backwards to accommodate a customer request, rather than argue with them. Because it was within an hour of closing time the staff were scattering about doing their side work so they can hit the highway as soon as possible after closing time. The bathroom looked like it hadn't been attended to all day.



The Diner 1060 Gateway Blvd Boynton Beach, Fl 33426

I heard about the diner through another restaurant in the neighborhood but hadn't had a chance to drop in. Last Saturday I made my first visit to The Diner and I returned on Sunday for an encore brunch.

One of my out-of-town real estate clients suggested that we meet for brunch at this "fabulous diner" that he found on Gateway near I-95. I pulled in the parking lot exactly on time to be greeted by an almost full lot and my friend motioning to me.

There was a small, full, waiting area and we were advised that there would be a short wait and after about ten minutes we were seated. During that time, I learned that my friend had eaten there the day before and was amazed at the quality of the food, the size of the portions, and the reasonable prices.

I opted for the "Meat Lovers" frittata with cheese and  home fries. Free coffee (for seniors} and marble rye toast completed my order. My guest ordered a gyro pita with soup. Lentil. (He must have loved the soup, because he ordered another - to go!)
The frittata was delicious, evenly cooked, packed with flavor, and enormous! The prices were reasonable, the food well cooked, and the service was delightful, baby!


Grilled Chicken Platter

I packed half of my meal to take home and thought to myself, "I'll be baaack!"The next day was not soon enough. I returned with Michelle and tried the Omelette Ole' with home fries, marble rye, and coffee. Michelle had the grilled chicken platter and we both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and the left overs we took home. The service was great, thanks to our server JJ, and we had an opportunity to meet Mike, the "hands-on" owner.

 

Omelete Ole

This is another place that I highly recommend and I think you will have a wonderful dining experience here!

The Diner

1060 Gateway Blvd
Boynton Beach, FL 33426
Phone : 561-509-0163
www.dinerongateway.com



You Will Get Charmed at Charm City Burger Company in Deerfield Beach

You will get charmed at Charm City Burger Company in Deerfield Beach.
Charm City Burger Company's name has been popping up on almost every food blog in South Florida so I thought I really should check them out. I drove right by the place on Hillsboro Blvd in East Deerfield, hit the brakes and swung into the parking lot. I was lucky enough to find a spot around back and walked past the garbage dumpster through the advertised rear door and fell right into the "order here" line.

The place is small, maybe seats twenty or so, and has that "beachy" super laid back atmosphere that you would expect from a walk in place not too far from the surf.
I already knew that I was only interested in getting a hamburger and the same for Michelle. She ordered the "Good Ole" combo. Just a burger with American cheese, lettuce, and tomato; well done (their term is hammered), with fries and a drink for $8.25.

Cowboy Style with thick cut bacon, cheddar, sauteed mushrooms and grilled onions

Gilbert's 17th Street Grill

Gilbert's is a little hard to find. It's tucked away in the Harbor Shops of Ft. Lauderdale which is not on 17th street at all. The address is actually 1821 Cordova Road.

I've been there a few times for some family events and was pretty satisfied with the food. But my son sent me a picture of a burger that he enjoyed there and suggested that I stop by and sample one.

Michelle and I popped over the same night that the Miami Heat was playing and there were tons of people standing in line at Duffy's across the parking lot. Gilbert's was very busy also but we were still able to get in and order pretty quickly.

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J Marks Restaurant Ft. Lauderdale

I have driven by this location about fifty times and I finally had an opportunity to drop in. It was a rainy Saturday night about 8pm and I was lucky to find a parking space in their lot adjacent to the restaurant. We were greeted with a twenty minute wait which I thought was reasonable and took a lopsided seat on a padded bench which wrapped around a wall and walk way that went up to the bar on another level.

We were graciously seated and it appeared that we were going to have a wonderful time. Matt, our waiter, was friendly and seemed to know the menu. Michelle ordered an ice tea and I opted for plain old water. A basket holding a couple of delicious, freshly baked rolls and butter was presented, but the drinks did not appear for several more minutes. Since this was our first visit we asked Matt a few questions and finally made our choices. Matt stressed that the steaks were super and they made their own hamburger combo using beef, onions, bacon and worchestershire sauce which made the hamburger look well done no matter how it was cooked and that all the food is prepared fresh daily.

I ordered the Blue Peppercorn Burger and for a side I took the Cajun Fries. Michelle ordered Roasted Chicken with a baked potato.  The food was delivered promptly and looked great. I wanted a water refill along with some ketchup and mustard but Matt was busy trying to take orders from a table next to ours where ten or twelve men were seated, ordering multiple bar drinks and asking for individual checks.

After waiting several minutes for the condiments I just started eating. Michelle flagged down another server, and then a third in an effort to get the condiments. I had eaten half the hamburger before the tablespoonful of each arrived. I wasn't impressed with the hamburger and the fries were over-the-top salty. Michelle said her chicken had a funny taste, like some weird spice but she ate about half.

Matt refilled the glasses a couple of times and apologized for his lack of attention indicating that he was a bit overwhelmed with the large party next to us. I asked about Carrot Cake for dessert and mentioned that I really loved it at J. Alexanders, just down the street. He said his was even better! Well, it wasn't!

Once we left Michelle was complaining about having an upset stomach which continued for the next 36 hours. Maybe the funny tasting spice wasn't a spice at all; maybe the chicken wasn't as fresh as Matt said?

I think I could have had a better experience somewhere else for the same money. Michelle's funny tasting chicken was $14.99. My hamburger and cajun fries was $11.99. Add $6.99 for an overly generous slice of so-so carrot cake, soft drinks and tip totals out to $46.00.

I haven't crossed J.Marks off my list, yet. I would like to go back again and try something else.

Cadillac Ranch at Gulfstream Village

I've been wanting to check out Cadillac Ranch at Gulfstream for quite awhile and I finally had the opportunity to drop in on a recent Thursday evening. We walked around the outside of the building until we found the entrance which was completely opposite from the valet parking and we were promptly greeted by a hostess who scooped up a couple of menus and walked us through an almost empty restaurant area to an empty table surrounded by ten or twelve other empties. After seating I immediately excused myself and asked Michelle to order an iced tea and I headed for the restroom.

The bathroom was very impressive but messy with small puddles and used paper towels littered across the floor. Not a good sign for this "upscale eatery." I expected to return to our drinks but Michelle informed me that no one had been by to take the drink order. Finally our waiter arrived and we ordered drinks and at the same time he asked if we were ready to make our food order. I guess he was trying to hurry us along because we had been sitting so long.

Michelle chose the roasted chicken dinner and added a $5.95 cup of chicken and wild rice soup. I, of course, picked my all American favorite: the Cadillac Steak Burger. The soup arrived quickly and was just the right temperature. It was tasty but should have been called cream of chicken and wild rice to better describe the consistency. Michelle said that her chicken tasted just okay: cooked correctly on the outside but a little undercooked on the inside. My hamburger was good, cooked correctly and visually appealing. The accompanied french fries were about par for a cheap fast food joint.

During our meal a party of ten was seated right next to us even though the entire restaurant was empty. We felt like our privacy had been invaded. At about the same time another patron, who might have had a few two many drinks, tripped as he was going to the restroom and ended up face down with a very loud splat. A server close by turned and looked but did not offer any assistance or even ask the man if he was okay.

I observed some employees standing around making idle talk among themselves and blocking the way to the exit and we almost got run over by someone delivering a vat to the bar. The $55.00 check included an automatically added 18% tip and even though I usually tip in the 20% range it offends me to have the restaurant add it in automatically.

I had a fantasy that I would love this place before I arrived but that fantasy has been shattered and I will probably never return. Cadillac Ranch might be a cool place to go for a few drinks but the food is far from stellar. Had it not been for my $25 Restaurant.com coupon I would have called the night a total bust.

Miller's Ale House in Boca Raton

I met Dale, Sherri, Joey and Dylan for a late dinner at this place a few weeks ago. No special occasion. I got there a little early and I only had to wait a couple of minutes before they arrived. They have a few high top tables and a bunch of attached booths which this fat man found way too small.

It's your typical ale house type atmosphere with the addition of a few pool tables. There was a very friendly atmosphere and I chose to wait before ordering anything until the others got there. They have an extensive menu with all the typical sports bar finger type foods with the addition of several more substantial meals including a few steak/seafood/pasta selections so it's easy to bring the family for a nice dinner out.

Gamaroff's Bar and Grill

Somehow when you go to a newly opened restaurant you get a feeling of whether this place is going to make it or not. When you go to Gamaroff's for the first time you will see that this is not their first rodeo. They know how to do it and how to do it right!

Gamaroff's is located in the high traffic area of Aventura/Hallandale Beach area where they are exposed to an abundance of locals as well as tourists and they know that in order to keep the highly critical local patronage they must offer good food, uncompromising service, and excellent prices. They do all three and do it beyond expectations.

A recent Saturday night had me jonesing  for a new place to dine when Michelle suggested that we try Gamaroff's. She had heard several positive comments about it from patrons of her salon in Aventura. I have an aversion to waiting in lines to spend my money and the place was packed but we opted to wait the 20-30 minutes that we were told. Since we were only a party of two we were seated in about fifteen minutes in a "half-and-half." A booth on the wall and a chair on the other side of the table. Works for us!

Bru's Room Sports Grill

When someone asks me where the BEST chicken wings are in South Florida I point them to Bru's Room. They have several locations across Broward and Palm Beach Counties. What makes the wings at Bru's stand heads and shoulders above the rest? You can get them grilled! Even DOUBLE grilled!

Don't get me wrong. I like wings made at several different South Florida establishments but when I'm pushed to pick out the ones I like the most I only think of Bru's. I start out with a basket of "buffalo chips." These are the best tasting homemade potato chips I have ever had. Add a side of the spicy ranch dipping sauce and have them served as an appetizer, before they bring out the wings. Some nice munchin!

The Buffalo Chips are GREAT

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

If you haven't eaten at The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store you could be in for a treat! If you never heard of this chain you must be living under a rock and should try to get out more.

Cracker Barrel has taken over the highways with easy to access restaurants along side most major interstates throughout the country. Why do so many people stop there? Consistency! Each and every Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores are almost identical.

The food is identical and the service is identical. When you walk through the door you know exactly what you're gonna get for the money. And you're gonna get a lot!

Cracker Barrel Gift Card

Farradday's at the Isle Casino

It was my birthday weekend and Michelle and I decided to go to Farraday's at the Isle to celebrate. I had a coupon from the Isle for $50.00 towards food at any of their restaurants. Farraday's is a really beautiful restaurant and once inside you don't realize that your inside a casino.



It was late, so we had no difficulty in being shown to a very nice seat immediately. We chose a shell against the wall so we could sit next to each other and still do some good people watching. We ordered drinks and bread was served as we looked over the menu.

The Ark

It has been YEARS since I've eaten at the Ark on Stirling road in Davie. It;s really a great place to go for a buffet and at a pretty cheap price for the quantity and quality of the food being served. The best bet is The Captain's Prime Rib & Seafood Buffet. Soup, salad, sides and entrees presented for your pleasure. You choose what you want and put it on your plate and you can keep going back as many times as you want.

Kitchen 305 at the Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort

Kitchen 305 is an upscale eatery located inside the Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort, but don't think you have to be a tourist to patronize this beautiful restaurant because there are plenty of locals who find their way to fine food and drinks.

Barrier Jacks

When Michelle and I were in Cocoa Beach we wanted to check out a local place for brunch. Our taxi driver suggested Barrier Jack's and it turned out to be a great choice.

It's a small place with only a few tables inside and a few more outside. It was a sunny day when we were there and several people opted for the outdoor seating but we preferred the air conditioned inside.

Ellie's 50's Diner

We were driving south on Federal Highway from Woolbright when we passed Ellie's 50's Diner. It looked so out of place we just had to get a closer look. There were a few cars in the parking lot including a pink '57 Chevy. It looked like a very cute place.




Go inside and the retro feeling continues. Just thru the door you walk past

J. Alexanders

If you're ready for some great tasting food with great service, take a trip over to the J. Alexanders Restaurant near you. But, be prepared, it is more expensive than Longhorn Steakhouse.

I've been eating here since they opened on West Broward Boulevard in Plantation and have since enjoyed their food in Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton. The service is great and the food is a real value for the money.

Christine Lee's at Gulfstream Park

I was introduced to Christine Lee's at Gulfstream Park about two years ago and have been going there almost regularly ever since. If you haven't been there it is on the third floor of the Gulfstream Casino/Racetrack. Valet parking is available or you can choose a self-parking spot in the vast parking area. Michelle was able to secure tickets for a recent Beatlemania Now (see more below) show at Gulfstream and we followed the show with a late night dinner at Christine Lee's.

Panera Bread

I have always enjoyed a lunchtime trip to Panera's. They always have a good assortment of soups, salads, sandwiches and the bread is always super fresh and tasty. My favorite sandwich is the Italian Combo. I usually accompany it with a cup of soup, potato chips, and a pickle spear.

photo courtesy of http://www.biggestmenu.com/

Copper Canyon Grill

I started watching Groupon discount offers for several area restaurants. They had a deal to get $40.00 worth of food for $20.00 at Copper Canyon Grill in Boca Raton. I purchased three "Groupons" and I really appreciate being introduced to this fine restaurant. On my most recent visit we arrived between peak hours so we weren't bothered by long lines and extra chatter.

While I went to wash my hands Michelle ordered

Butterfields Southern Cafe

If you are ever in the mood for a special breakfast treat take a ride over to Butterfields Southern Cafe in West Palm Beach. They serve breakfast all day and it's the "loosen your belt" type. After our two day cruise on the Bahamas Celebration a little while ago we stopped in to Butterfields for breakfast. I had been there once before to sample their breakfast and was really looking forward to this opportunity to return.