Food was a 5
Service was a 1 maybe a 2
Our waitress made this dining experience lower than it should've been. Â We put our names in for dinner 3 people on a Saturday night, we were told it would be about an hour and a half.
Walked over to Chill Wine Lounge [b/c Canyons bar was jam packed]. Had some drinks. Saw Jason Taylor walk by and joked that he would get his table before ours [bc/ they don't take reservations]. Sent our friend over to check on the table and it was ready...Jason Taylor was seated in the front window seat eating already.....
We sit, we start to order. Food comes and it's delicious. But as the orders start coming we noticed our waitress getting progressively snootier with us. Â Towards the end she was slamming the plates/bowls down w/ a clatter...it was extremely uncomfortable and I didn't even know what to say at this point.
Now we are all really good tippers, 3 of us for dinner, we were there about an hour, bill was $193 so it ain't like were not spending money here. Â We barely tipped her 10%.
So I'm torn on this one. I live within walking distance, the food was great! Â I hate the fact they don't take reservations and I really don't want to see that waitress again. Â Not happy either that a celebrity gets treated better here than us 'common folk'.
Just to clarify the other reviews about Canyon policies, they open at 5:30pm daily, no reservations, and we were there last night (Sunday) at 8 and had about a 20 minute wait at the bar to enjoy 2 rounds of the much-mentioned prickly pear margaritas that, as everyone has already said, you really shouldn't miss, before being seated. They only add automatic 20% gratuity for parties of 5 or more, in case other reviews are unclear.
Host was friendly and efficient. Bartender was sweet. Not sure what else people are looking for, as we read a couple of scathing reviews of service. Most of the time, you get what you give--so be polite, and tip well, it's amazing how nice people are in return.
Atmosphere was buzzing, a little loud even, and we got a booth that we liked for its privacy and comfort.
Service was helpful and on top of water refills every time we were down to half glasses. We asked for recommendations and were provided a few specifics as well as  a general one to follow the ingredients we liked and we won't be disappointed. We were not.
Started with special app which was short rib and pea arancini (balls of deep fried risotto) with the most delectable Cabernet reduction sauce. We were using bread to eat the leftover sauce and asking waitress about it. Highly recommend these if they offer them when you're there.
Also we did the often recommended poblano with goat cheese and herbs on black beans that we read good things about. It was perfect.
My son ordered filet mignon medium rare and loved every bite. I was unsure about ordering filet at Southwest restaurant, but they nailed it. And it was served with cilantro potatoes and they were excellent.
Husband had tuna tartare, which was good, but he said he wishes he had gone more adventurous. It came with yucca chips, which I liked and he didn't really care one way or the other.
I had chicken tostada app as entree because it seemed to fit the restaurant theme, and after 2 apps, I didn't need a big meal. The combination of goat cheese, arugula, caramelized  onions, and truffle cream on the crisp tostada was amazing. Highly recommend this dish. It's simple on one hand but executed well.
Yes, we, too, got the hyped white chocolate bread pudding with mixed berry compote in Chambord just to see what the fuss was about. Husband loves any bread pudding, son loves anything with mixed berries, and I don't care for most bread puddings or mixed berry compotes. All three of us strongly dislike white chocolate. So we plowed in with those prejudices intact. And we all three loved it. Presented beautifully, tasted heavenly soft and moist, and white chocolate was easily absorbed and non-distracting. Save room and get it for sure.
Bottom line, yes, it's pricey, but if you order well and focus on appetizers, you're in for a treat. And a few delicious margaritas.
We came for a late Sunday dinner and there was no wait for 3. Â A friend had talked this place up and it definitely lived up to her expectations!
I started with the lobster avocado salad, which was tender and delicious. Â The pork risotto was creamy delicious goodness.
We rounded out dinner with the pecan pie, which was amazing with the cinnamon ice cream!
Was back again but now something in the kitchen has changed (they claimed cook was same)
The scallop risotto lacked any bacon taste, the scallops had been cooked separately and just added on top and it had huge tasteless lumps of pork. Dissapointed!
The fried oyster batter has been thickened.
The buratta was accompanied by a tasteless tomato puree and no truffle flavor in the caviar
The chicken tostados were also poor and not worthy of being served in such a restaurant.
Warm bread and white chocolate pudding with chambord was good.
The place was kept so cold we were freezing most of the time. When we spoke to the service they told us it had been auomatically set and couldn't change (really?)
I hope someone from Canyon reads this and takes a serious look at the cooking.
It will be a shame to trend downhill.
Overrated. Â I have been wanting to try
This restaurant for quite some time. Â The Prickly Pear Margarita lived up the hype but the food did not. Â Service was good. Â Why people wait hours to eat here I'll never know. Â My recommendation would be to stop here have a drink and then go to Eduardo de San Angel on Commercial.
Pretty cool place. You can sit at a booth and have a private window viewing... Sunrise blvd traffic... Pretty nice cocktails and beers - had the perkily pear and Magic Hat beer - was nice. Appetizers were beets and goat cheese + this authentic pepper with goat cheese which was excellent. Entrees - pasta and chicken eh so so. Check for $103 (without tip) RIPOFF!!
Review Source:My wife and I use to frequent and love this place but stopped going because we got tired of the same old limited menu time and time again. We decided to go back last night (Saturday) because we heard that they had changed some dishes.
Some things worked, the great bar remains, great margaritas (prickley pear and regular), decent appetizers and very good service from our server. But the main courses were horrible to mediocre.
We started by sharing three appetizers, mac and cheese (very good to excellent), their old staple chicken quesadillas (good), and a burrata dish which was good.
But then....our wives each ordered a chicken dish with smoked chili sauce. Each of them took 2 or 3 bites and complained about an overpowering hickory/smoked hot dog flavor. Men being men we laughed since there were no signs of hot dogs in their dish but before they pushed their dish aside they each took a piece of mystery meat (I mean chewy gross chicken) and pushed it into our mouths and they were right, Boy was that Awful! As Robert Irvine says to chefs he works with "Have you ever tasted your dish?" "Do you really think this is good?" On a positive note, kudos to the server who graciously took the dishes back and offered to replace them.
I ordered a rigatoni with short ribs, a dish that I love. As I patiently sat waiting for my meal while my wife and friends had theirs, this very large oval dish comes out and gets served. I look at the oversized plate and peer in. Where's the rigatoni I ask myself? Where's the short rib? Literally there are buried deep in the bowels of the plate 10 rigatonis (oops I exaggerated - there were maybe 12) and 3 baby bite size pieces of short ribs. The flavor of the dish/sauce was strong beefy.
The 4th dish tuna, was proportedly good.
The restaurant use to be packed in the bar area and there were always many diners waiting. On a Saturday night with nothing going on there were even seats available at the bar and not many diners waiting. Is this a sign that the people have spoken?
We won't be back. The food was so mediocre that our friends have advised us that they will now select restaurants for all of us to try in the future.
The time has come to replace what was years back a Fort Lauderdale stalwart.
I was blown away. Interior is so warm and cozy; I felt as if I was in a tiny village in Europe having dinner not Ft. Lauderdale. Service is immensely important to me , so I want to give a big applause to Jeff. The restaurant was closing while we were still finishing our dessert..never did we feel rushed to leave. The tuna tartar appetizer ( I have tried a lot within the U.S) was phenomenal...the marinade was just right..did the over power the freshness and full flavor of the tuna. And please try the white chocolate bread pudding..I never liked bread pudding until I had it here. Its a very different take on the typical bread pudding..I ate it slowly letting each bit it sit in my mouth..the contrast of flavors, the presentation of this dessert deserves 5 stars.
Review Source:I love this place! It is small and a bit hard to find, but totally worth it. If they are busy they give you pear margaritas to try which I didn't but heard good things about them. We were sat fairly quickly and in a very romantic booth in the back.
For appetizers: I had lobster bisque, my boyfriend had the venison, and my mom had an avacado salad. Everything was absolutely delicious. The venison was juicy and tender and not chewy which is hard to accomplish with deer.
For dinner: I had the burrito, and my boyfriend and mother got a mushroom pasta thing. My burrito was huge and very juicy, seemed a little peculiar for that place which is why I had to try and it and I was very pleased with it, although I got very full very fast. The mushroom pasta was fantastic and I got a little jealous that I didn't get it, but it made great leftovers the next day.
For dessert: Best part of the night! Everyone raved about the white chocolate raspberry bread pudding, and I'm not a big fan of it but I decided to try it anyway upon the waiter insisting, and got the creme brulees as well. The creme brulee was a combo of one vanilla bean and one salted caramel...the caramel was sublime! But the big hit of the night was by far the bread pudding. It's so warm and nothing like other places you would get bread pudding which is almost always like a pound cake, this was not at all like that. I can't even describe the velvety rich flavor of it, I know I will never have a bread pudding as good as that unless I come back here.
This place is great started out with the ceviche $20 with the popcorn kind of pricey for the size. the quality was good but I have NEVER seen ceviche anywhere for $20. Also a must the goat cheese stuffed poblano pepper. For my entree I got the tuna seared with wasabi mashed potato $28. I nice size portion of fish. I did try the bread pudding was a little to sweet for my liking. They do not take reservation so be prepared to wait. We went on a Tuesday night and the place was crowded.
Review Source:We got out of The Old Gateway Theatre and decided to visit Canyon on a whim. When we arrived it was loud and bustling. The hostess estimated 15 minutes and we took a seat at the bar. We ordered cocktails to pass the time but we ended up being sat in less than 10 minutes! This is doubly impressive after later learning that they don't take reservations.
Our appetizer was the macaroni and cheese which was good, but not too amazing. My main, a pork risotto with grilled scallops, was absolutely fantastic.
I wish I was hungry enough to try another app or side, but their portions are definitely large enough. Our server was attentive and very knowledgeable about every item we asked about.
I can't wait to return and take another stab at their menu.
Awesome place! Went here spur the moment after hearing about it from a waiter at Tanzy. Great food, we had the garlic clams, and the beet soup for starters, for entrees I had the pork risotto, and my gf had the swordfish, and for dessert we had the white chocolate bread pudding, the best dessert I've ever had. Like im telling you that dessert is what i would order as my last meal if i was going to the electric chair. Only thing that made it lose one star is the plating. Lol Just didn't fit in, order the beet soup and you'll understand. But other than that this place is awesome.
Review Source:My wife and I had dinner at Canyon over labor day weekend and I truly can not stop talking about it. Even though it was a holiday weekend they still closed on Sunday at 10pm. They do not take reservations but we arrived just after 9 and were told it would be about 15 minutes. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple of their signature prickly pear margaritas. The ritas were pretty good (I wouldn't say the best I've ever had.... but definitely better than most). I had an issue with the fact that they make them in large batches and pour them right from a pitcher into your martini glass. I get it... i used to be bartender so I understand the convenience of having them pre-made to save on time. But at such a nice restaurant it looks very cheesy. But the food and service made up for this minor detail.
As soon as we received our drinks, are table was ready. I don't think we waited more than 10 minutes. The place is fairly small, with about 6-7 booths and maybe about the same number of regular tables. We were happy to get a booth. I loved the feel of restaurant... Very dark and romantic. Exactly what we wanted as we were enjoying a staycation in Ft. Lauderdale for the weekend.
Our server's name was Jeff and he was absolutely phenomenal. Very attentive but not pushy. He went over the menu in detail recommending dishes and even made excellent suggestions of what paired well together. We started with two apps. We had the tuna tartare which is served with yucca chips, wasabi cream, and a thai chili sauce. We also had the cornmeal crusted herb goat cheese poblano... my favorite!!! The two went perfectly together just as Jeffrey said they would.
For dinner we decided to share an entree since we had two appetizers. We almost ordered the seared tuna but Jeffrey once again made a suggestion to get the grouper instead. We indulged and got the mac n machego cheese as a side. OMG... that mac n cheese should be illegal.
After reading a bunch of reviews on yelp and trip advisor, it was clear that we needed to order the white chocolate break pudding for dessert. It is served warm on top of a fresh blackberry puree. I am not a big on sweets but the wife is and I can say that we both devoured that heavenly deliciousness.
We eat out a lot and I can honestly say that Canyon is probably my new favorite restaurant. Even though we live in Miami we will absolutely be back very soon.
So not worth it.
Cramped, loud, dark, over-decorated. OK service. OK food. Way over priced. Inconvenient. A prickly pear margarita is a gimmick, not a revolution....ant to top it all off, they add a service charge to your bill. When I discreetly asked the manager about it as we were leaving, she told me that it's stated in the menu that an 18% surcharge would be added to all checks. Ours was 20% and I didn't bother to tell her because I just wanted to get out as quickly as possible. I know I'm alone on this one; but for the life of me I can't find the appeal of this place.
I was skeptical upon driving up to the restaurant due to an odd location, surrounding business and the outside color. Â I'm soo glad I stopped in for dinner. Â This was the best meal we had in Fort Lauderdale which includes the high end places we ate at in South Beach.
They do not take reservations, but we had no problems getting a table. Â A full bar is available and a nice selection of approximately 100 wines.
The service is top notch. Â It is a smaller restaurant were everyone really works together to make sure the customer is taken care of. Â Â
The steak burrito is the best burrito I have ever had, my companion ordered the bone in ribeye which was fantastic as well. Â We ordered a side of mac and cheese and it is near the top of my list for best mac and cheese.
We had a white chocolate bread pudding with fresh fruit on top and it was fantastic.
We tried Canyon waaaay back when they first opened, I was young and I don't remember much except that the dessert we ordered was basil sorbet with prickly pear fruit - oddly delicious and talked about for years.
Flash forward to 2012 and my father and I kept saying we meant to go back and try again - and we weren't disappointed.
The atmosphere is part intimate, part trendy - it's dark and cozy but very loud between patrons and ambient music. Once you get in though it's not too bad. Full bar with a good beer/wine selection and the menu is such that you can dine two ways: tapas-style or full meals. We opted for the former because there was too much we wanted to try.
We selected 4 appetizers to split, but after the waitress explained the 3 appetizer specials featured that night, we switched out all but one. I can't really say there's a "theme" to the menu - you'd think southwestern/texmex by the name and exterior, but the menu is a good balance between surf and turf offerings and uses more upscale ingredients with a bit of culinary science (balsamic "caviar" pearls, olive-oil poprocks)
The high point was the PEI mussels in an herb-mustard broth with serrano ham and green chilies. Mussels were cooked perfectly, soft and tender, and were perfectly paired with the salty thin ham strips.
The low point was the lobster bisque. Wonderful texture and whole chunks of lobster, but extremely salty. When the waitress noticed we only ate 2-3 spoonfuls between us she promptly informed the kitchen and swapped it out for one of our previous on-menu choices, no charge for the bisque.
That brings me to service - outstanding. Water glasses were rarely low, it seemed that the entire staff checked up on us to make sure things were good. Our actual waitress was very nice and had an excellent knowledge of the menu. We inquired about the basil sorbet dessert and she told us that yes, they had it at the start, but only rarely did it after the opening, and now it had been a few years since she last heard it offered. Bummer, but the espresso flan and white chocolate bread pudding were heavenly, so that satisfied my sweet tooth. To top things off, the manager heard our request for the basil sorbet and also comped our flan - we didn't even complain, we were just curious! That's real customer appreciation!
We will definitely be back to try all the appetizers we switched out, and those we wanted to try in the future. I think this would be great for a group of 4 or so to share a bunch of dishes - and we plan to do so!
My wife and I have been twice in the past few weeks after a long (undeserved) hiatus. All I can say is this place is STILL one of my top 3 in Fort Lauderdale. Most places come and go as the years roll by, but not Canyon. It's been elite for years and showing no signs of changing that anytime soon.
The short rib meatball was one of the best dishes I've ever had. Honestly, my wife and I both took a bite and looked up at the same time as if to say "are you kidding me?"
Tuna Tartar and Ceviche were also top shelf as advertised. Waitress was bright, bubbly, and responsive. Waited almost an hour (as estimated) and had a few drinks at the bar beforehand. Obviously the Prickly Pear Margerita is a South Florida institution. But if that's too sugary for you, dive into the ample (but fairly priced) wine list. Dinner was washed down with a tasty 09' Stags Leap Merlot. All in all, this place is at the top of my list if you want to do it right. Love the variety in the menu between seafood, beef, pasta, etc...
Cannot go wrong at Canyon. Be patient though. It's not a big place and there is frequently a wait. My advice would be to deal with it. It's worth it.
LOVE this place. Such a cool atmosphere- food is great. Have been here 4 or 5 times and each time it's been awesome. Service is always great. Rolls are always warm and fresh- delish. Prickly Pear Margarita is good/different. I've had better drinks but I always get one when I come here (when in Rome...) Stuffed Poblano Pepper makes your tastebuds dance. Salad (think they only offer one on their menu) with goat cheese is delish.
But nothing beats their bread pudding dessert with white chocolate on top a bowful of warm berries in their own syrup. Oh my...I'd like to go there 7 days a week just to have this. Just wish they took reservations cause the wait on a Saturday is usually 1 hour min (if ur lucky).
Fist of all, I would give this place 3.5 stars, it's one of the better places I have been in South Florida. Only been here once, I would consider coming back as the service was great and it had an enjoyable 'date night dinner' atmosphere.
The quality of the food is quite good for South Florida, but I think it lacks a bit on execution and making each bite enjoyable from begining to end. Half way through my starter and entree, the flavours are a bit lost. Though they served some beautiful super large fresh scallops, sadly the gigantic scallops were over cooked.
My husband was not feeling well after the meal, he had heartburn and was running to the bathroom in the middle of the night. He doesn't get that combo often, so it's not like he has a weak stomach.
Our bill was about 150 dollars for 2 apps, 2 entrees, 2 glasses of wine and 1 beer. Would recommend to go here for the the cute ambiance and enjoy good food made with great ingredients, or you can go to Hustons and get some good food and spend less.
We came here for dinner and neither of us were impressed in the slightest bit by the food. We had oysters for an appetizer and they were extremely bland with far too much breading. The calamari was decent but nothing special. We had swordfish for our entree and just like everything else it was mediocre at best. By this point we decided not to waste our time with dessert. We won't be eating here ever again. Fort Lauderdale has tons of great restaurants so I'd suggest going elsewhere. Total disappointment.
Review Source:Let me first start by saying that I am a foodie! I love the experience of eating. I am particular on details and how a restaurant is run and I do not usually write reviews, but since I read all the reviews about Canyon, I decided to write a review. That being said, I wasn't impressed with Canyon in the least. There are much better restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale. Much, much better!
My boyfriend and I arrived at 9:45pm on a Saturday night. We went this late because they do not take reservations and we did not want to wait longer than an hour for dinner. Â Right when we walked in there were groups of people making it hard to get to the hostess. After making our way to the hostess we were informed that it would be 45 minutes. Â We had no issues with that, so we went to the bar. A couple was being seated, so we found seats at the bar. I ordered their signature drink, the prickly pear margarita...this drink is one of the reasons I gave three stars. It was delicious! After five minutes the hostess came up to us and said our table was ready. Â Pleasant surprise!
We were seated and it took 10 minutes for our server to come over to us. 10 minutes is 10 minutes too long! Servers were walking back and forth and not one of them said someone will be right with you. Â I understand that we had our drinks, but that is no excuse. Â When our server did make his way over to us, we ordered our appetizers....ceviche and the poblano stuffed with goat cheese. Â (Just a side note, our candle at our table was out and our server did give us a new one. A point for him, even though it took him 10 minutes to get to us.) Â Back to the food...ceviche was alright, and the pepper was good. Â The flavor of the ceviche was a little on the blah side. Not great, but not bad. Â The flavors of the poblano were good...the combination of the melted goat cheese, cornmeal and sauce tasted good together.
For our entrees, I ordered the Black Florida Grouper and my boyfriend ordered the filet. The only thing I liked about the grouper was the sauce. Â My boyfriend thought the filet was delicious. He ordered it medium-rare and it was cooked perfectly! He really enjoyed it.
Even though we were full we had to order dessert. Â When going out I believe you should try a few different items on the menu to get a good gauge on if the restaurant is good or not. Â We ordered the bread pudding. Â It was really good! I also ordered french press coffee, along with the bread pudding. The coffee never came. Â When we ordered dessert our server informed us that he was leaving for the night, and someone else would be taking care of us. Â Half way through our dessert the other server placed the check on our table. Â Instead of asking if we needed anything else, he just gave us our check. Â Normally I would of let this pass because it was kind of late but they were still seating tables. Â So, it wasn't like we were shutting down the restaurant. I come from a place where even if you are the last table in the joint, the staff never makes you feel unwanted or rushed.
I will not go back and I would not recommend it. The food was just alright and the service was not so good. If you go get the and the margarita, poblano and bread pudding. Â The only reasons I gave it 3 stars!
Canyon has become one of my favorite restaurants in all of Florida. Before I gush over everything let me say the only downfall is the fact you cannot make reservations and more than likely will have to wait anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hour for a table. It's not a big place at all, in fact, it's rather cramped but once you're in, you'll realize its worth the wait.
They're known for their prickly pear drinks, though I rarely order it when I'm there because I prefer to drink wine with my meal. The calamari and cornmeal crusted herb goat cheese poblano are heavenly. They usually have great specials, but you can't ever go wrong with their filet with poblano pesto goat cheese, zinfandel natural sauce and cilantro potato mash. The bread pudding is an absolute winner and one of my favorite desserts. Really from start to finish you'll be set. Canyon is my pick for the best in Ft. Lauderdale. The name "Southwest Cafe" may confuse a few, but it's not even close to that. It's truly fusion food at its best and a must try for any food lover.
Party of 4, seated immediately. Prickly Pear Maggie's were a hit. Â Poblano w/goat cheese and Ginger wasabi beef w/ sobe noodles are a must try. Â
Swordfish, Filet, pork Risotto, braised beef shrt ribs, all excellent, prepped to perfection. Â Portions are filling. Â
White choc bread pudding is tasty. Good meals, nice evening. Â Â Try it!
I had the opportunity to stop by Canyon again last night and I'm pleased to report that dinning was again a real pleasure. Their Prickly Pear Margaritas are just as good as ever; so good that two of them seem to have somehow slithered down my throat since I can't remember even having to go extend the effort of swallowing. It's no wonder they've won for having the best margarita in town, though at $11 a crack it ought to be good.
I started off with their Blue Corn Fried Oysters, which qualified itself as a five star exquisite appetizer.
I then had their special, being a lobster hash over a New York strip. Lobster hash? That was a new one on me but made for a surprisingly perfect, unique match up.
The service couldn't have been better and I was fortunate enough this time, to get the finest window seat in the place. On that point, I would suggest that anyone desiring to eat at Canyon get their real early, as this was on a Monday night and, soon after I arrived, the Yuppie set packed the place for cocktails, socializing and dinner. Since Canyon is one of those rare places that do not take reservations, one always runs the risk of excruciatingly long waits which is the main reason I don't go more frequently than I do.
Food wise, because of the uniqueness and quality of its offerings, it's a Five Star, but because of the no reservation policy and risk that you may well never be seated or end up leaving more hungry than when you arrived, I can only go Four Stars.
I've been to Canyon 3 times now over the course of my time living in Ft. Lauderdale, and each time the food gets better (and the wait gets longer and longer).
Don't like waiting? avoid going on a Friday or Saturday night.
Now on to the food. amazing.
For starters, the meatballs (kobe beef and short rib) are phenomenal. It comes as one giant ball, but should be enough to share for 3 people (there were two of us).
We also ordered the Ceviche. I'm not the biggest fan of ceviche (if you follow my reviews that's no surprise), but this was extremely fresh and light with a surprise of salty popcorn, which was actually my favorite part.
For the entrees, we ordered grouper and swordfish. Both were amazing. If i absolutely HAD to choose one over the other, I would go for swordfish.
Everyone always says how great Canyon's Prickly Pear Margaritas are, my friends, this is just a cover-up. Canyon's real specialty is their Bread Pudding.
This is by far, one of the best desserts I have ever had, especially in South Florida. My friend actually has a website that pretty much worships the bread pudding. And he knows his desserts (whatup Parker!).
My husband and I were visiting Ft. Lauderdale this week and went to Canyon to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. We started with the prickly pear margarita (me), a must have, and a Ketel One cosmo (him). We weren't sure how much to order for the two of us, so we went for two apps and a main to share. This was MORE than enough food--I was absolutely stuffed at the end, and then of course there was still dessert to order!
We had:
Tuna tartare with wasabi cream and tortilla chips
Manchego mac and cheese
Filet mignon with cilantro mashed potatoes and mini zucchinis
Dual creme brulees (chocolate and orange)
Everything was amazing, the ingredients were super fresh, the service was awesome, and I would come back here without a second thought if ever I were passing through Ft. Lauderdale again.
Reading thru the reviews before going I learned 3 things. Â The place is busy, the food is on the expensive side and the Prickly Pear margarita is a hit. Â So we went for a late dinner on an off night and were immediately seated. Â We started off with the calamari which was very good. Â I had the Grouper which was one of the best seafood dishes I've had since living in Fort Lauderdale. Â The prickly pear margarita was good but one was enough for me, I'll stick to the old standard non flavored variety. Â The waitstaff here are top notch.
Yes, the bill was close to 200.00 after tip for two of us but I'm not going to knock off points unlike a few fellow yelpers. Â The price of food is printed on the menu so you have to choice to order or get up and walk out. Â Would I recommend it to others and go again, Yes. Â Am I going to treat it like a local diner and eat here 3 or 4 times a week, No.
3 1/2 stars. This is a very difficult restaurant to review. We went with another couple and shared two appetizers and two entrees. We had a total of four glasses of wine and one free prickly pear margharita. The bill came to a whooping $180 with the tip! Here is the recap:
Love the ambiance. We were in a booth next to a window. No problem with conversation.
Service was above average. No need to flag down our server for water refills. He knew the menu and had no problem describing the items.
Wine by the glass can be very expensive. Our friends ordered pinot noir and it was $14 by the glass. Â Very nice but $14? My vigionier was a bit more reasonable at $11.
No complaints from my wife about the margharita but not as good as the hype.
The poblano stuffed with goat cheese was delicious but over priced.
The mussels were delicious and the broth worthy of a bread mop up
The special of the night that my wife and I shared was a pan seared mahi mahi. It was seared and served in a large bowl over beans.It was average and the beans just didnt seem to match thie fish. At $30 it was overpriced.
The star of the evening was the filet mignon that our friends split. I was drooling just looking at it. Got to taste it and it was spectacular. It was well worth the $38. Right up theer with anything you would get at Morton's or Capital Grille. Only thing to detract from this steak was the very salty sauce that was thankfully served on the side. Reminded me of the kind of brown gravy mix that you get in a packet. Yuck!
Did not try desert.
One of my favorite restaurants in Fort Lauderale. Â It's tiny, and there is usually a wait, but I think it's totally worth it, particularly if I can manage to snag a spot at the bar and get a prickly pear margarita or 7.
On our latest visit, we started with the following appetizers:
Wasabi Beef Ginger Noodles- AMAZING
Tuna tartare- Very, very fresh tuna, basically what you'd expect from a good tuna tartare, served with super thin tortilla chips which break easily, I would have liked something a little bit sturdier to eat the tuna on.
Chili Relleno stuffed with goat cheese- YUM
Lobster Avocado and bacon salad- Meh. Â My least favorite appetizer, only because the others were so wonderful. Â There was nothing wrong with this dish, it just didn't stand out as much as the others.
Entrees:
Grouper- HEAVEN on a plate.
Tuna- DELICIOUS!!
NY Strip Specials- Very good (I just wasn't in the mood for steak, but this was delicious. Â The boys loved them)
For dessert we had some bread pudding and espressos. Â The bread pudding is awesome.
To recap, everything we ordered was amazing. Â You really can't go wrong here, the fish entrees are always a win, but I could easily make a meal of several of the appetizers. Â The worst thing that can happen to you at Canyon is that you order too much and can't finish everything. Â That makes me sad to waste food this delicious....
After hearing so many great things about this restaurant, my husband and I decided to try Canyon for our anniversary dinner.
So of course, we checked out the menu on their website first. Everything sounds ("sounds" being the key word) amazing on the menu. We knew we'd have a hard time deciding what to get.
Should we make reservations? Definitely not--don't even try, as their website states numerous times that it doesn't matter who you are or what the occasion is, they don't accept reservations. Their website also says "NO RECIPES!" Really?? Who goes to a restaurant and asks for a recipe?
Anyway, the service in the restaurant was a lot nicer than the attitude on their website.
The lobster bisque was very good. I had the tuna tartare, but I was really not that impressed with it. I've had better tuna tartare at Jimbo's Place in Miami, made buy a guy who sells it out of a white van. No lie.
The decor is nice, we got there early so we were sat right away and got one of those booths with the pretty curtains. However, after about an hour, once the place started filling up, it was very loud inside. Romantic anniversary dinner spot -- not so much.
I ordered the burrito for my meal, my husband had the filet. The filet and the sides were very good. My burrito, on the other hand, sounded like a glorified burrito on the menu. I thought it would be out of this world, but it was very plain. The best thing about it was the tortilla. The dipping sauce tasted like Old Paso taco sauce that you get from Publix. I didn't even put it on the burrito. The burrito was a bad choice on my part.
I will say that there are other items on the menu that sound promising, and I will probably go there for drinks (still want to try the prickly pear margarita) and just appetizers, but that's probably about it. Oh, and get there early. We went at 6:30 on a Monday night, and by 8 pm, there was a crowd of people waiting in the doorway...and it's a small doorway.
Canyon is the best restaurant I've tried in Fort Lauderdale. I've never tried something there that I haven't liked. The food is consistently delicious and it's a cozy, fun atmosphere. It's a little on the expensive time, but worth the money for an amazing dinner.
First thing you should get is a prickly pear margarita. Don't forget the salt... it totally makes it. They're SO delicious. They have a full bar and a great selection of beers and wines as well. Also, Kate is the best bartender in town!
All the appetizers I've tried are great, but the wasabi beef with soba noodles is amazing. The chicken quesadillas are really good too. For an entree, I really like the filet with pesto goat cheese. My boyfriend likes the grouper.
Lastly, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT leave without having the bread pudding. Desserts aren't my thing and the sound of bread pudding freaked me out, but once I tasted it, I was hooked. It's white chocolate with a berry compote and it's insane. Trust me, just do it. The pecan pie is also amazing, as is the chocolate mousse.
Friday and Saturday nights are very crowded so be prepared to wait if you go on a weekend, but it's totally worth it.
As a serious foody, this place is AMAZING! Went here for my anniversary dinner and everything my friends told me about this place was on point.
Service was impeccable. Decor romantic and cool at the same time.
Now the food... OMG!!! some of the best food I have had since NYC or New Orleans.... and I LOVE eating in New Orleans.
First our salad: Lobster, Avocado with warm slab cut bacon vinaigrette... Huge chucks of lobster, avocado and bacon. One of the best salads I have ever had. We wound up ordering a second one because it was just too good to be true LOL
Blue corn crusted oysters... they literally melted in your mouth. The best oysters I have ever had, perfect for me because I don't like them raw.
Shrimp Tostadas & Chicken Tostadas were both prepared completely different, with the perfect flavors to accompany each main ingredient.
Now, the prickly pear margaritas... first let me say there is only two liquors I really drink or enjoy, one is champagne and the other is tequila. I love tequila on the rocks, and the occasional well made fresh margarita. So my friends were telling me I must try their signature drink. I had 3 of these amazing drinks just to make sure I liked them. (wink wink) I know I'm repeating myself a lot but THE BEST MARGARITA I HAVE EVER HAD.
This place does not take reservations. During the week they have 1/2 off apps at the bar and $5 Prickly Pear Margaritas for the ladies til 7p. The place opens at 5:30p or so it said on their website. We walked in the door at exactly 5:40p and the bar was full and half the tables were already taken. So not sure how the place was so crowded all of a sudden but I would suggest you get there when the door opens. We will be doing this in the future because the Canyon will be our new favorite spot for sure!!!
I've been dining at Canyon for years as a fan of the Southwest cuisine, so thought I would give an update for locals here this summer.
Although there is no "happy hour", from 5:30 at open 'til 7pm, there are specials of note. All appetizers are half price, which is appetizing indeed, considering many are near $20. And ladies bellied up to the bar get their famous prickly pear margarita for $5. It is pink, frothy, sweet and tart, yet chilled to refresh served in a martini glass, with a salty rim. None of the wines by the glass were on special, it is limited but there a few favorites priced around $12. per glass. Â Our female bar server was very helpful and informative. The dimly lit ambience is friendly and sexy, and fellow guests were happily chatting.
We shared a few choices. The first is a Boston butter leaf salad with an avocado buttermilk dressing, tossed with maytag blue, onions and heirloom tomatoes. It is a modern SW green goddess with a twist and a bite. It comes with chunks of fried smokey bacon, which I had asked for on the side, for my pork lovin' friend. They forgot, and it had to go back for a redo, but the server whisked it away immediately. It was cold and fresh, crispy as could be. The second item we devoured was the smoked salmon tostada. It was very smokey thick slabs of fish, covered with some chopped chives, capers and fresh goat cheese, on top of a fried tortilla. It was a very good combination of flavor and texture, although salty, it was topped with a scotch bonnet pepper sauce that could have had more zip to balance the heavy smoke and salt. It made me order another prickly pear to wash it down.
For dessert, I ordered the bread pudding which I remembered to be sublime. Not so anymore. It was with white chocolate, which made it very sweet, but it was dry, rather over cooked, lacking any sort of sauce, as a creme anglaise was needed. On the side were a smattering of cooked dark berries, a nice touch to cut the sweetness of the white chocolate. It was displayed in a huge overblown bowl reminiscent of a plastic Chinese soup spoon. Clever, but the dessert looked overwhelmed by the scary size of the bowl. My taste buds were under-whelmed by this. When the bill arrived, and I viewed the price of the bread pudding, I thought it was a mistake at $13. I inquired and was told the price just went up! That should have been for two.
Pricey, salty, yet pleasant.
It was our first night of vacation and we were looking for a delicious dinner. Was weary about the no reservations policy and having to wait a long time but to our surprise we were seated right away on a Friday night.
I dipped my tongue in the prickly pear margarita just to taste since I'm pregnant, it seemed good. We ordered two apps: the lobster bisque with lobster grilled cheese and the bison medallions. Great start to the meal! The soup was so flavorful, but perhaps a bit too salty and the bison was really good, not gamey tasting at all and perfectly complemented by the corn salsa.
For the main course, I had the salmon and husband had the shrimp. My salmon was good but I didn't much like the tamale that it came on. It didn't taste cheesy at all and the texture was weird to me. There were four shrimp on my husband's plate and he said two were overcooked and too chewy, two were good. He was kind of disappointed but he finished his dish.
It got pretty crowded as we were eating. Lots of trendy people, beautiful people and the rich people who woo them.
Our waitress had this annoying baby voice but she was very efficient and provided good service. Appetizers were excellent and the entrees were just okay. But overall, our experience was good.
I heard tales of their prickly pear margarita. I was intrigued, and Canyon totally delivered.
We were sat right away on a Friday night (surprising for a smaller restaurant with a big bar scene) in a cute booth made more intimate with curtains between us and the rest of the dining room. The meal started with a goat cheese stuffed poblano pepper. It could have had a bit more heat for me, but it was a great way to start our dinner.
The lobster bisque with lobster grilled cheese was the star of the meal. I don't know why I haven't been eating my grilled cheese with lobster all along!! The soup put a southwest twist on a New England classic. It was silky smooth with just a hint of heat and I'm getting a little sad sitting here without one.
We also shared the seared grouper (a requirement for any trip to Florida) with lump crab and avocado. Also highly recommended. Next time I vow to plan ahead so I can check out dessert!
After all of the hype, I was really looking forward to trying this place. Â What a disappointment! Â To begin, I was warned about the wait for a table, but I was told that this is due to high demand. Â That is simply not true. Â The place is extremely small and cramped, but more importantly, the service is ridiculously slow. Â When you combine too few tables with extremely slow service, it does not take many customers to cause a very long wait.
Anyway, we tried to make the best of it and have a few drinks at the bar. Â I asked the bartender for a drink menu and was informed that they do not have one, but the house specialty is the prickly pear margarita. Â OK, nothing like having no options, but if they are pushing the prickly pear margarita so hard, then it must be pretty good, right? Â Wrong. Â Real foodies will be able to tell that their prickly pear margarita is merely a very poor imitation of the cactus pear margaritas that have been served at places like Mesa Grill for many, many years.
Anyway, after waiting for about an hour with very little table turnover, a couple of people finally left, and we were able to start our meal...or so we thought. Â After giving us our menus, the waitress literally forgot about us. Â Finally, after about 25 minutes, we were able to get her attention and place our food orders. Â On the plus side, I have to admit that the menu is interesting and the food we ordered was well-executed. Â The food is not amazing or extraordinary, but definitely above-average. Â However, the four-star food (not counting the below-average margaritas) did not make up for the horrendous service. Â The overall experience was so unpleasant that I cannot award more than two stars.
Prickly Pear Margarita. Prickly. Pear. Margarita. Â
Ok- that felt good.
This concoction is the little hook that draws you in. "You have to have the Prickly Pear..." Ok- I did that. And happily, the food is good, too.
This little neighborhood gem - right down the road from the Hustler -- that little grown-up toy emporium that's so well-stocked (so I hear) is a great little place to have a quiet dinner with a good friend, a new friend, a handsome friend, a cute friend. It's small and dark and the food is consistently fab. Â It can be romantic if you want it to be - or you can just have nice dinner with a pal(s), chat away, and audibly, "mmm-mmm good" your food.
I love the bright orange adobe-look of the place on the outside. Inside, the sophisticated  decor continues and it is simply a place you feel good about. Comfy, cozy and inviting - if you like the small and sophisticated joints. Rare in S. Florida- am I right?
The food I've had here has always hit the spot. If you're a quesadilla fan - have one here. I like to dive in to one of the specials whenever I come. Â They seem to put extra effort into them. I had a fab bowl of muscles the last time I was there. The broth was enough for me. Give me a loaf of bread and a bowl of that stuff - a bottle of something crunchy and red = happy place!
Tuna tartare - Â another staple menu item. Very lovely, indeed. Get that, too.
Getting a table here on a weekend eve - or not a Tuesday- can be tough. Reservations - not really. Â So, pop in mid-week - on the early side. No problemo.
If I lived in this neighborhood, I would be Norm - (as in Cheers.) They would know my name, for sure -- like they do at the Hustler -- kidding - kidding!!-- :)
No brainer. In Ft. Lauderdale - this is a must visit.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
