The Fort Lauderdale region, along Florida’s southeast coast, is known for a sizzling food scene! One can find an endless number of fine dining and casual fare restaurants to keep full for a lifetime. There are also dozens, if not hundreds of places that serve up seafood. We’ve narrowed down the list to our Top 10 suggested seafood restaurants in Fort Lauderdale.
Full disclosure: we did not sample food from all Top 10 recommendations. To provide a top-quality list, we still did our due diligence. We read reviews, analyzed menus, and asked for recommendations by local seafood experts. We also made sure that none of the restaurants on our list received less than 4 out of 5 stars on Yelp. Most came in around 4.5. Our final suggestions came down to three key factors: 1) freshness 2) flavor and 3) creativity.
Bubbles & Pearls $$
2037 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors, FL 33305
* Dine-in *Takeout *Delivery
The first on our list is a personal favorite. Not only do we love the outreach work that owner Chef Josie Smith-Malave does for her local Wilton Manors community, but she was also a former Top Chef on Bravo.
Chef Josie has worked with greats like chefs Wylie Dufresne, Jean-Georges Vongrichten, Caroline Fidanza, and Walter Hinds. Her prior New York City and San Francisco experience set her up for success in her Fort Lauderdale area restaurant.
Chef Josie’s Bubbles & Pearls gets top marks on the local food scene. This small kitchen packs big flavor. While the menu caters to every palate and isn’t particularly known for seafood, Chef Josie’s raw bar is worth the visit. They encourage shucking and sucking on the daily.
Cafe Seville $$$
2768 E Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306
* Dine-in *Takeout *Delivery
Ready for fresh Florida seafood with Spanish flavors? Welcome to Cafe Seville! From Grouper Santa Fe to Filet of Red Snapper Ole to Yellowtail Snapper Costa Brava, the seafood options as this family-inspired restaurant are endless. And what Spanish restaurant would be complete without Paella? No worries – they’ve got you covered. They even offer two options – traditional and one with only seafood.
Cafe Seville also has an excellent wine list. So come sober, go home happy, and use Uber. Cheers!
JWB Prime Steak And Seafood – At Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort $$$
1111 N Ocean Dr Hollywood, FL 33019
* Dine-in *Takeout *Delivery
Allow us to prime your taste buds. The JWB Prime Steak and Seafood restaurant at the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort gets high marks for it’s fried oysters, raw bar and sushi. We also saw several reviews raving about the paella, which seems to be a special from time to time, based on the current menu.
Other seafood dishes include Rhode Island Calamari, Paradise Ceviche, lobster bisque, a fresh catch of the day, and salmon. But the main reason that this high end restaurant made our list is that it offers an upgrade option for spear caught fish.
Finsider Tip: They also have discounted wine nights every Thursday and Sunday!
JB’s on the Beach $$
300 NE 21st Ave, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441
* Dine-in *Takeout
What could be better than gorgeous views and a lively atmosphere? Seafood of course! JB’s on the Beach features several seaworthy dishes on their menu, and based on reviews, they are FINtastic!
Top on our recommended starters are the dynamite scallops baked with a signature asian style crab crust, the “Japanese Bagel” Fish Dip sure to make any New York Jew all farklemt, and Bistro Clams that does justice to the Florida littlenecks.
For dinner try the Volcano Crab cake sure to cause an eruption in flavor or the Seafood Paella featuring shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, calamari and chorizo.
Lobster Bar Sea Grille $$$
450 E Las Olas Blvd Suite 190, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
* Dine-in *Takeout *Delivery
If elegance, simplicity and flavor is what you’re craving, then book a reservation at the Lobster Bar Sea Grille. Any seasoned chef will tell you that if you have to smother seafood with sauces and seasonings, then the seafood ain’t worth eating. The only exception – butter!
Filled with modern-contemporary nautical touches, the ambiance and food will leave you feeling like you have just dined on a luxury yacht. The Lobster Bar offers an extensive selection of seafood from on ice and live displays. They also serve a few signature dishes like Key West stone crab claws, Nova Scotia “Jumbo Lobster Tail,” caviar, and a wood fire grilled whole fish. Choose from Arctic char, branzino, or sole. Now that’s a whole lotta fish!
Papa’s Raw Bar $$
4610 N Federal Hwy, Lighthouse Point, FL 33064
* Dine-in *Curbside https://papasrawbar.com
Loved by locals and visitors alike, Papa’s Raw Bar is the full monty! Sushi is a popular item on the menu, as are the oysters. And from what we hear, the seafood is very fresh. The restaurant offers “Big Juicy Po’ Boys,” several fresh catch options in whatever cooking style tickles your fancy, along with crab and lobster.
You can also purchase fresh fish on site in the Marketplace along with a list of other groceries to make your meal complete. The restaurant even offers next day shipping of stone crab claws.
The Barrel Room is open Friday and Saturday from 6pm to 11ish for libations, sushi, seafood towers and fancy bar food.
Rustic Inn Crab House $$
4331 Anglers Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
* Dine-in *Curbside *Delivery
Those craving old Florida can find it at the Rustic Inn Crab House. This 60-year-old hole-in-the-wall restaurant is extremely popular on Yelp with 4.5 stars and nearly 8,000 reviews!
What once was a roadhouse saloon in Fort Lauderdale is now a seafood-lovers paradise known for…you guessed it right… crab (king crab legs, steam crab, garlic crab, Dungeness crabs, crab sampler, stone crab, crab salad with onion rings, crab wedge salad, and their World Famous Garlic Crabs). Wow – we’re exhausted just reciting that list!
One can also find Key West shrimp, chowder, oysters, and World Famous Garlic Crabs. The Rustic Inn has mastered their menu as they drawn people in from all over the world, including a few celebrities.
Steak 954 at the W Hotel $$$
401 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
* Dine-in *Curbside *No-Contact Delivery https://steak954.com
Now this is one of the places we’ve sampled ourselves. Not only is the W Hotel Fort Lauderdale stunning, the hotel’s top restaurant, Steak 954 is a Fishmonger favorite! Every dish here is fresh, clean and tasty. Simplicity matters at this restaurant and sometimes that truly is the way to go.
I’m not a miso-flavored Chilean sea bass fan typically, as the term is a fancy coverup used to overprice the super ugly Patagonian Toothfish. But at Steak 954, the fish is well prepared and flavorful. Another favorite is the Bronzino. And make sure to sink your teeth into the seared sea scallops with celery root puree, fennel and almonds. Yum!
Just bring your wallet, because the prices run slightly higher here than other establishments. But the relaxing ambiance is worth the added investment. We loved the jelly fish aquarium. It’s mesmerizing.
The Whale’s Rib
2031 NE 2nd St, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441
* Dine-in *Curbside https://www.whalesrib.com
Beach food, sandy footprints, and sunburnt faces can be found at the Whale’s Rib. For over 30 years, this ocean-side restaurant has been a favorite and received lots of national attention. Guy Fieri even stopped by for a bite on Food Networks’ Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
If you’re looking for a relaxing place to grab a seafood sandwich after an afternoon on the beach, this would be the place to go. The restaurant offers oysters, clams, and other shellfish straight from our raw bar. We were also delighted to find Wahoo – a personal favorite. And don’t forget to order the Whale Fries! They are flippin’ fabulous according to reviews.
YOT Bar & Kitchen $$$
2015 SW 20th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
* Dine-in *Curbside *Delivery https://www.yotlmc.com
Now back to fancy fish. YOT is mixes a casual feel with an upscale palate and price range. This waterside restaurant has come of the most breathtaking views imaginable and is located within the Lauderdale Marine Center. A brainchild of Proprietor Mike Linder, YOT has won several awards and, based on the menu, we can understand why.
We love that there are several local seafood options listed, including the Tile Fish with chorizo hash (my personal favorite fish in the world), triple tail artichokes and little neck clams in a butter wine sauce, and seared tuna served with an Asian flare.
The YOT also offers yacht provisioning and event production to the already remarkable dining experience.
Book a Future Reservation at a Fort Lauderdale Seafood Restaurant
We’ve only skimmed the surface on Fort Lauderdale seafood restaurants. For a more in-depth list of options, Visit Lauderdale has you covered. Click here to see their full list of local restaurants serving Florida seafood.
