Fort Lauderdale Restaurants

Fort Lauderdale is truly a gem of a destination for Latin American cuisine. From spicy Jamaican food to comforting home-style Cuban to the excitement of "nuevo latino", you will want to try it all.

A great starting point is Aruba Beach Cafe. This restaurant right on the beach is known for its moderate prices and great waterfront view. Aruba Beach Cafe serves West Indian favorites, along with burgers and salads along with live jazz entertainment. Start your meal with one of their tasty specialty drinks like the Mango Madness, a frozen concoction of coconut spiced rum and mango fruit punch. Bahama Breeze is more than just good food, its great fun too!

The restaurant feels like a Caribbean sugar plantation and offers live music every night. Recommended are the spicy jerk shrimp and the Bananas Supreme dessert. For a different twist on the Latin theme, try Brazilian Tropicana. This eatery features the traditional rodizio of grilled meats (Tuesday - Sunday) and a selection of fresh seafood, including their broiled snapper topped with shrimp.

Go to Anita's Grill Mexicano for a gourmet experience. This is creative, high caliber Mexican cuisine. Try their Chile relleno; for example, stuffed with salmon mousse and pasilla chilies. Anita's offers the rare opportunity to savor the "Mexican truffle," huitlacoche and their roasted duck with shitakes and chilies comes highly recommended. Cafe Seville offers traditional Spanish cuisine, from tapas to gazpacho to paella, in a beautifully appointed environment. There is also a good selection of meat, poultry, and seafood main dishes. The Cuban favorite Fantastic Restaurant's name says it all.

This place may not be posh, but Fantastic's renditions of Cuban classics, as caldo gallego, media noche and Cuban sandwiches, all served at reasonable prices have made it a local favorite. Samba Room serves up a Cuban/Caribbean menu in its Las Olas location. Start off with their "big seafood platter;" this combination of cooked and raw seafood is sure to please with sea bass ceviche, grilled mussels, tuna and avocado ceviche, shrimp ceviche in mango and grilled squid with black beans. Whether you are a long-time fan of Latin cuisine or a new convert, Fort Lauderdale's selection will definitely please your palate.