The concierge at our hotel recommended the Chart House to us. Â It turned out to be a very nice evening. Â The service was impeccable. Â Our waiter Terry was very attentive as well as the manager, Chris. Â I was not completely satisfied with the meal I ordered. Â I ordered their sea bass special, which to my dismay had a sauce on it which really took away from the yummy sea bass flavor I love....Terry immediately ordered me a sea bass that was prepared without the topping and it was delicious. Â Although my original meal that I ordered wasn't up to my expectations, the service and other food we ordered exceeded my and our expectations. Â We definitely will return to the Chart House. Â Â Thank you
Review Source:Attended dinner with client; as there were 11 of us, we had 2 tables - one of 6 and one of 5.
Service was lacking to say the least; it took forever to put our order in, then it took forever to get our food - all in all over an hour of time to get the food. Â This is surprising to me as the menu we ordered from was prix fixe.
In the end they forgot to offer us desert, which was included in our prix fixe and scrambled after additional 20 minutes to bring us desert, which was ordered at the same time as entrees.
Not sure who is running this place - I will not be back.
The food took over an hour to come out and wasn't that good. Â There were two of us and each had a hot tea and entree and the bill came out to $70! Â All the tables around us were frustrated by the long wait as well. Â And even though it's on the canal water it's windy, so not worth the view. Â Definitely wouldn't recommend.
Review Source:Food was good but service not so much. 20 minutes to get cocktail sauce when the shrimp should have come with it to begin with? Unacceptable. Cockroach in ladies room. Requested manager and it took him at least 20 minutes to come by claiming he was busy when what he was doing was assisting serving drinks at the bar. He came by and apologized but made no effort to take care of us. When someone at the table told him he should at least take care of the shrimp since it was cold by the time the cocktail sauce came he did that. When I reminded him of the cockroach his face seemed to say it was acceptable. Ultimately he took $18 more off the meal and the check specifically said "roach in B Room" as the reason. Although the manager still seemed confused as to what our issue was. Appalled.
Review Source:It's a Four Star food in what is definitely a stunningly fantastic Five Star location on the Intracoastal.
I've been coming to this location when it was formerly Charlies Crab, which food I rated as Five Star. Since the Chart House has taken over, I think the food has slipped, but the décor has somewhat improved and little harm could be done to its waterfront perfect location. One of the primary reasons I frequent the Chart House and also why I frequented Charlies Crab was that it is so convenient to arrive by boat, docking right next to your dinning area.
I probably shouldn't draw comparisons but I've also noted that the wait staff, though pleasant and accommodating seem to fall far short of the professional staff they had during the days of Charlies Crab. Basically, the staff now seems to mostly consist of marginally trained and probably underpaid college kids who as one Yelper so aptly put it, would probably be better suited to parking cars than waiting table.
As for food, they always have a great fish of the day, some of the best gazpacho soup in town, a good Oyster Rockefeller as well as a pan seared scallop. I've also found their "Snapper Hemingway," being cheese encrusted, topped off with a lump crab, and their "Dynamite Grouper," being crab encrusted with a basil drizzle to both be rather unique as well as tasty.
As for their meats, the Chart House really isn't a steak house so ordering a steak or any meat dish here seems to be pushing things a little beyond their kitchen's abilities. For steak, go to a steak house.
As for the patrons who frequent the Chart House, basically of the older, retired, rather well heeled group as it tends be on the pricey side.
Overall, the Chart House has one of the best views, most comfortable settings in town.
Went on a Friday around noon for our annual Christmas office lunch. Â Our first and last time here. Â The place was empty except for 3 or 4 other patrons. Â The lack of patrons should have been my first clue. Â Service was VERY SLOW. Â Took 10 minutes to get someone to our table to take drink orders and then another 15 to take orders. Â We all decided on dishes that contained chicken only to be told that they "ran out of chicken." Â Needless to say we were all very disappointed and voiced so. Â Our server returned a few minutes later and advised "Chef found a piece of chicken". Â ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Â Lunch was mediocre and the atmosphere was that of a nursing home during lunch. Â Meals and drinks were overpriced ($200+ for four lunches, drinks, and one shared dessert). Â Won't be returning.
Review Source:My mother decided not to cook on Thanksgiving this year and made reservations at Chart House for Thanksgiving dinner. From last years' experience [not here], I was a bit hesitant when she decided not to cook Thanksgiving again. Eventually, I got over it and was OK with going to another restaurant for Thanksgiving. I had never been to Chart House before. I saw many pictures online, read a lot of reviews, and saw aerial photos via Google Earth. It seemed like a nice place from the photos and had some positive reviews. The only real negative reviews mentioned the food wait time. However, it was Thanksgiving and I would not be in a rush. Well, after a long drive from Miami and many twist and turns to find the location, we drove up and were greeted by friendly staff at the front of the restaurant. There is complementary valet parking (a big plus) since there is limited parking in the area. Since we had reservations, we were seated almost immediately upon check in at the counter. They asked if we'd like inside or outside seating. From the first look inside, there was a huge bar right when you walk in and further in was the dining area. It was pretty big, but not huge either. To me, everything was state of the art with a classic touch (meaning furniture and style), including the bathrooms. However, this place is overlooking a marina on Biscayne Bay. If it is extremely cold or there is bad weather, then you would want to sit inside. If not, sit outside which is where we chose and sat even though it was bit chilly. First look outside is the gorgeous bay and marina. We were seated two feet away from the water. I actually thought many times that someone would fall in, but no one did, LOL! They had heaters all around with a few TV's displaying the Thanksgiving NFL games going on. The view/scene was awesome, the seats were nice, and the service was stupendous! Our server, Mike, was just incredible. He always knew the perfect time to come. I would highly recommend him! The food was delicious and they served a lot of it. It only took about 30 minutes to be served. Everything was great except for the music that was sometimes loud (depending on the song) and there were low lighting levels (though they seemed to increase as the evening progressed). Inside, the lighting levels were normal and there was no music being played (or at least not that I could hear). The place was expensive, no doubt. However, it was all well worth it! I highly recommend Chart House and hope to return sometime soon before Thanksgiving 2013, LOL! From a scale of 1-10 where 10 is best, I score this place a 9.
Review Source:Took a business group for our  last evenings conference  dinner. Our party of 10 were seated promptly. For the rest our our meal the service was splendid!
All portions served were superb, the starters, soups and salads, main courses and a complimentary desert for all of us at no charge.
I have nothing but glowing reports for the staff and the meals.
Interesting decor, retro throw back to the mid century.
All in all a great night.
Let me preface my review by saying that my family and I are avid Chart House fans. Â It's a yearly ritual for us to go to one and have our prime rib. Â We typically book through our resort and are typically given VIP treatment and seating at a VIP table. Â We were greeted by a friendly hostess and had a table with an excellent view of the intracoastal. Â Most of our table ordered prime rib. Â We, then, started off with delectable lobster tempura lollipops and oysters Rockefeller. Â This is where it went downhill.
Timing is crucial. Â After a half hour passed by, our waitress said that the chef said that he wasn't pleased with serving us prime rib, but that we were to choose something else on the menu. Â The waitress didn't do much apologizing after we explained that we were upset about us coming here specifically for this. Â Giving her the benefit of the doubt, knowing that it wasn't her fault, we then proceeded to order and wait even more. Â The manager came out and apologized and said that he would give us coffee and dessert and didn't specify further. Â After we finished our entrees that we didn't initially ask for, we then were asked what we want for dessert. Â We were then told that if we wanted to order the dessert we wanted, that it would take another half hour. Â We were only offered one free dessert and coffee. Â We asked why they didn't take our dessert order at the time the manager came out and then made an excuse saying that "there are other desserts." Â Again, we had to settle for something else. Â At this point in the game because of our delay, we are now 1 hr 45 min in. Â She boxed our leftovers. Â This took two trips. Â She then brought us dessert, which one hot dish was not hot. Â Then took one trip to bring sugar and cream....and then another trip to bring my coffee while waiting for others to eat dessert.
Our whole experience was a waiting game for something that we did not want and seeing people come in after us and leave well before us. Â These are people who ordered three courses just like us. Â I guess this is what they call VIP treatment. Â In short, the food was excellent and service was terrible. Â If things take a long time, communication is key. Â If you're in a rush, make sure you leave a block of 3 hours.
we had an excellent experience at Chart House. Â We came early on a Thursday night with our kids and sat outside - so pleasant! Â The kids loved watching the boats come by. Â Our waiter was a tall guy from Brazil and was soooo nice. Â The fish was excellent, the drinks were good and strong, and they made sure our kids liked what they got, even suggesting some kid-friendly items off-menu. Â I was very impressed and like the new decor. Â I've been to other Chart Houses and I think this one was way better. Â Good job!
Review Source:This restaurant is in a great location and the outdoor seating is very pleasant with a great view of the intracoastal. We all agreed that the service was exceptional throughout the evening.
We've known that this chain usually places their restaurants in touristy areas and there is a reason for that. The food quality, with some exceptions doesn't merit the price they charge and if the depended on locals, they wouldn't make it.
The exception: The lobster bisque here is excellent, among the best we've had. The prime rib is also outstanding.
However, the chop salad has no taste. I had the "Best of Shrimp", which features three different shrimp preparations; coconut, crab-stuffed, and scampi. The coconut shrimp was good but the same as what you can get at the Outback for a lot less, the scampi was below average, and the crab-stuffed shrimp was not crab-stuffed but rather crab-cake stuffed. It had a really bad stuffing, Â so the menu is misleading. The stuffing was very fishy.
My wife tried the filet medallions. She ordered it medium and it came out well done. The GM offered to redo her dish but we would have been finished by the time it came. We should have sent it back and had it removed from the bill but she ate it anyway. The GM failed to offer us anything, even charged three dollars for a cup of coffee.
If your okay with mediocre food that costs a lot, the view, atmosphere and lobster bisqu make this a worthwhile try but next time, we'll go elsewhere.
The food was definitely very good -- we shared the East West tuna appetizer which we loved, for dinner I had the salmon (w/o being bacon wrapped) and my girlfriend had the scallops. We loved our dinners. Cooked perfectly. However, the service was very poor. We waited about 20 minutes to be served at the bar, and then the bar tender was kinda awkward...When the hostess came to sit us, I asked to transfer our drinks to our table and she flat out said "Absolutely not." What! Absolutely not? I found that to be incredibly rude. And the waitress was nice, just wasn't very good. It took about 20 minutes to get a second set of silverware for my girlfriend which I found unacceptable. If we were talking, she would keep waking past us and not even take our orders. That happened several times.
Review Source:Very nice and elegant place. So clean and inviting you can eat in the restroom if you wanted to. The food was great, the atmosphere was great(I recommend sitting outside) the scenery was fantastic. You can customize the menu to add a love ones name on it as a surprise before you guys get there. And valet parking is free.
Review Source:We had reservations for 7:45, were seated, ordered our food and then were forgotten about. We had a party of 10 that was seated when the restaurant was fairly full and still did not have our food when the restaurant was empty. Finally got our main courses two hours later and couldn't escape this place until 10:45. They charged us full price for everything, including the 18% gratuity that was added on. Needless to say, we won't be back.
Review Source:On a business trip, the hotel recommended the Chart House. Being semi-reluctant to believe that the hotel would recommend a GOOD place, we drove by to scout it out. The parking lot was full on a Monday night which is a good sign.
We sat outside which was a good decision because there were boats going up and down the intercostal all evening.
Although pricy, the drinks were great and the Swordfish was to die for. My friend ordered the Crab encrusted Grouper and said it was perfect.
I would go back again however, how I get this through on an expense report??...hmmmmm
Great dinner. Â On a Sunday night, there were hardly any other tables in the restaurant. Â We started with cocktails and they have a great martini list. Â My husband and I shared the East meets West tuna appetizer and it was FABULOUS! Â So good. Â We also shared the spinach salad prepared tableside, and it was very good with it's bacon dressing.
I had snapper and my husband had grouper, the entrees were good, but the standout of the meal was the tuna appetizer.
We would definitely visit again. Â It was raining when we were there so we couldn't sit outside, otherwise, that is the place to be.
I went today (Sat. 9/16/2011) for lunch and ordered Tilapia. Â I was not expecting much since I have been in many good seafood restaurants.
Not bad at all. Â The fish was fresh, tasted really good, good bread and the service was good. It could be expensive if you order Grouper. Â I paid $22 for the Tilapia and the Grouper was $32-$38 depending which entree.
Good place to take a date for lunch. Â
Keep it up Chart house!
David,
Miami, FL.
Yummy! I had the crab cakes and goat cheese salad everything was great! The waitress was super nice and it was funny someone had a lab on their boat that night and the poor thing looked soo hungry- so I didn't finish the 2nd crab cake so I asked the waitress if she could give it to the dog she was surprised at first but then put it on a little dish and fed it to the dog- lol he loved it!! But I do have to say goto the bar and grab a drink from Craig he's from Detroit like I am and snaps to him- he makes damn good cocktails!!
Review Source:This place was amazing. Â First if you are referred from your hotel, they may comp you one of their delicious lava cake desserts with hazelnuts and topped with a scoop of hazelnut dusted vanilla ice cream. Â DROOL.
They did that for us from Embassy Suites.
Before dining, they bring biscuits to the table are warm and cheesy and peppery.  Had the lobster bisque...not the best i've ever had but def in the top tier.  Parmigiana encrusted sea bass...delish. The grouper with basil drizzle was amazing also...had a taste of my friend's.  Top it off by a gorgeous water view and voilà ! You got yourself a pretty durn good Florida dinner. If you wanna be cheesy you can wave to people passing by in chartered party boats.  (Or  make obscene gestures to them and watch their reactions.) :P
Went there last night for a wedding. Located on the intracoastal, it made for a lovely, albeit hot, late afternoon ceremony setting over the water. Food was lovely, we made our choices at the table, which is nice for me since I always forget what I ordered months earlier. The servers were friendly and attentive as could be given our large group. I would go back for a regular meal.
Warning: It's a little difficult to find when you get off of the main street. I had GPS and still got turned around.
From 5 Stars (Charlies) to 1 Star (Chart) ...
I deleted my 5 Star Charlies Crab review. Why do they use Charlies Crab reviews? It is a completely different place now. The name 'Charlies Crab' has been removed from everything, including the front of the building. The new Decor looks like really cheap South Beach lime green and polished steel everywhere. All that's is missing is a dance floor. Prices WAY too high. Staff are all kids now. Look like they should be parking cars instead of running the place... I guess they are still trying to charge Charlies prices. Don't go here if you are expecting the old classy place. It's gone forever. Even the dinner menu looks cheap. I tried my best to give this place a chance, but I just did not enjoy it. I did not even finish the Lobster Bisque or the Crab Cakes... I won't be back. Goodbye Charlies... we will miss you.
This is a very nice establishment located on the Ft. Lauderdale intracoastal waterway. Dinner is pricey, but I recommend this place for Happy Hour, which is Monday through Saturday from 4 to 8p.m.
  I personally love the mango mojito cocktail. It is served in a nice tall glass and is only $5! As for appetizers I enjoy the fried calamari and bruschetta sliders, at $5 and $6 respectively. They also offer apps like shrimp, hummus, and fish tacos.
  Note: Happy hour is available in the lounge and outdoor seating area, not the main dining area, but weather is usually always warm and breezy so it is very enjoyable to relax outside and enjoy the view of the boats and waterway.
As has been noted, Charley's Crab is no more but they merged with this Chart House and this location has items from both menus.
The good: I've been here several times in late winter, early spring 2011. As of this writing the food has always been excellent, with new specials every night or so. I've had many of the seafood specials as well as items from the menu and each time I've been pleased with my meal. Choose a seat next to the dock for a great view of the intracoastal waterway and watch all manner of boats slowly chug by, including occasional grandiose yachts. Service is normally fast and overall excellent (see note below).
The bad: Note that I'm still rating Chart House with five stars but I have experienced what I hope is an anomaly. During my most recent visit, it took well over an hour to receive our food, despite frequent encouragement and later complaints to our wearied waitress. The appetizers kept us going and it's hard to complain too much with that view and good conversation but after the first hour, I began to feel embarrassed at subjecting my guests to such a wait after recommending this restaurant. At the end of our meal and at my request, the manager visited and profusely apologized. Although no explanation was offered, he offered a free dessert. Hopefully this was an anomaly. I'll try one more time and will report back.
In summary, I will return and will happily continue to give Chart House my business as long as this last poor service experience isn't the new norm.
Reservations are probably not required though even if you show up to an empty restaurant with none, you'll be looked at funny. Laugh it off and enjoy your meal.
we ate here 3 years ago last time we were in the area escaping the cold New England winter. It was Charley's Crab back then. We asked for a table on the dock again, overlooking the inter coastal and got one. Service was great. Jalapeno cornbread and fresh bread, was delicious. I started with the chopped salad which was really tasty. Chris had the clam chowder, he had his doubts, but it did not disappoint. I had the proscuitto wrapped salmon, which was amazing. Â the sauce was delicious. the portion was huge, two pieces of wrapped salmon, I had to take one home. Chris had the trio of shrimp - scampi, coconut and stuffed, which also did not disappoint. I've been here twice now and never sat inside, and wouldn't, the outside is so nice, it's part of the reason you should eat here.
Review Source:My family and I went to Chart House for Christmas dinner expecting a memorable meal. Â It certainly was one; however, not the kind that we were anticipating.
We made reservations back in November because we were told to book ahead of time. Our reservation was for 7:30p and was confirmed to us by the restaurant in the afternoon. Upon our arrival at 7:30p, the hostess (1 of 4 scampering at the front of the house) informed us that it would be an approximate 10 minute wait before we were seated. Â After numerous inquiries as to why other guests with same reservation time and party number were accommodated prior to us, we were given no other explanation other than the fact that it was a busy night.
We were finally seated at approximately 8:15p. Â Prior to ordering our dinner around 8:35p, we were advised that the kitchen was out of a number of items including asparagus, french beans and grouper.
At approximately 9:25p, our main course had not yet arrived. We asked one of our three servers, who was was not very knowledgeable, service oriented and seemed to be serving on his first day, when our main would be coming. Â He apologized and said "its being a hectic night and should be soon". He then offered to have the manager come over to talk to us. The manager, Brandon, came to ask us what our concern was. We explained to him what had transpired so far throughout our evening to which he said that he would look into it. He updated us 3 times after the fact saying that i) "Its on its way. Very busy night." Â ii) "Will get it in 2 minutes." iii) "Its just coming off the grill." etc. Finally, our meals arrived at approximately 9:55 p. My father had canceled his order because he lost his appetite by the time Brandon came around with his third excuse.
Upon my family and I cutting and tasting the the steaks, it was noticeable that they were not only not cooked to what was ordered, but moreover, were cold and dry. Â We asked another waiter to bring the manager over yet again. We asked him his opinion on the preparation of our steak to which he replied that they seemed fine to him and said that he had seen that the food taken off the grill. When we pointed out that all three steaks were cold, dry and nowhere near to rare to medium range requested, he recommended that he could re-heat them for us while reiterating the fact that it was "a busy night after all". He had also mentioned that some other guests also complained for similar reasons. Â We mentioned that this was our family's Christmas dinner and it was spoiled. He offered to give us more wine and re-order our dinner at 10:05p. I made him aware that we were no longer hungry and we don't eat dinner at 10p, which is why we asked for an early reservation. He apologized and said there was nothing he could do under the circumstances, sounding condescending and insincere in the meantime, clearly not exceptional qualities from a General Manager. He did say that there was nothing that he could offer us, except that he would not charge us for our meal. We then stood up, at 10:15a, and walked out as a family, not feeling very comfortable, satisfied or pleased with the whole situation. Â As we were exiting, Brandon saw us and disappeared somewhere in the closed off section of the restaurant. Â
My family and I do not recommend this particular location at all! I am embarrassed to say that this is the first and only time I ever plan to walk out of a restaurant. This is an abnormal experience for my family and I to be so overwhelmingly displeased with a restaurant. Please keep in mind that I have worked in the service industry for a number of years and have visited a number of respectable restaurants, so I have a have a good, hands on idea as to how a meal should be served and concerns be addressed. Â This makes me especially appalled that a restaurant would allow their patrons to be privy to an experience such as this.
Thank you for your time and I hope that you will keep this in mind when considering Chart House.
First and foremost it should be noted that Charley's Crab has changed it's name to Chart House. My husband and I drove around for a good 10 minutes looking for Charley's Crab before we finally located info on our phone that it was Chart House.
My experience with Chart House was overall positive, with a few negatives. First, we were seated at a pretty crappy table. It was really early, like around 5pm, barely anyone was at the restaurant. I don't understand why they wouldn't take everyone immediately to the best seats at that point. We asked to change our table so we could sit directly next to the water, and they did agree. This is definitely the best place to sit, the view is very nice. You get to watch the water taxi drive by and, depending on the weather, a lovely sunset.
We ordered the bruschetta for an appetizer. Very yummy.
I ordered the scallops for my main dish. The scallops were perfectly cooked. I have never had better scallops. They were like butter... amazing. The sauce was a little overpowering, though. And the risotto seemed a little overcooked.
My husband ordered the salmon. It was really good. It didn't have the typical salmon taste, probably because it was slightly breaded and covered with a sauce.
Service was great; the waiter seemed very excited about the food. It's always nice to have a waiter that seems to enjoy working there.
This is going to be the first of my tough reviews. I read the previous reviews before I went. I've heard about Charley's before with great reviews. The review that stuck in my head was a red lobsterish experience.
We arrived with complimentary valet ( 1 guy and a parking lot) and went to the bar/lounge area to have a drink. Mojito was good and they had a happy hour special that is 4-7( seems like everyone is running this 4,5,6 dollar happy hour menu) We ordered at 6:57pm and the waiter couldn't guarantee we would get the special( didn't make sense to us either) We had the great mojitos and some wine before we were seated. View is pretty good and  Ft. Lauderdale inter coastal properties are always nice.
Waiter was very fluent in the menu items and gave great suggestions. The only thing was he was obviously handling too big of of section. Wait time was high between the courses of the meal. Â I was yawning by desert. I could also tell the restaurant was running on some type of Red Lobsterish system. By that I mean everything was either warm or cold. My girlfriend ordere
A friend of ours recommended this restaurant to us when we were down in Fort Lauderdale for a wedding. Since we were unfamiliar with the area, we decided to check this place out by taking the Water Taxi from our hotel to this waterside restaurant.
The food was indeed excellent. We started with an appetizer recommended by our waiter, Jason. He did not steer us wrong and the service was on point. The appetizer was a mango avocado crab "stack." I wasn't sure about this one but when it came out, the presentation was beautiful. A large circle of three different sections - one containing freshly chopped avocado, a second containing a mango & red onion "salsa", and the third containing fresh lump crab tossed in a remoulade. Drizzled on the side, a basil olive oil. All of these things are generally appealing to me on an individual basis, but the combination of the flavors really won me over. I could eat three more of these things, they were that good.
For my main course I didn't have very many options. Most of the things either had some sort of batter, sauce, or ingredient containing gluten. Jason was excellent in letting me know everything I could and couldn't have. I appreciated his attention to this and his willingness to double check everything through the chef himself.
I ended up choosing the filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes. The filet was perfectly seasoned and cooked and while the garlic mashed potatoes were nothing out of this world, they were tasty.
We finished things off with a complimentary creme brulee. When you ride the Water Taxi, they give you a coupon for a free appetizer or desert here. Charley's gives you calimari for an app or a chocolate cake for desert. Knowing my gluten allergies, Jason checked and got the ok to substitute creme brulee instead. The desert was heavenly, you could see flecks from the real vanilla bean they used. It's not my favorite creme brulee I've ever had, but it was definitely in the top ten.
As for the restaurant itself, it's right by the Intercoastal Waterway where we saw a manatee! You can sit outside on the deck (which I would highly recommend) or inside where it's a more white linen table cloth experience. I would definitely go back here if I return to the Fort Lauderdale area.
Wow. Â Are you kidding me with this place? Â
Asked the hotel concierge to recommend a legit seafood place while on vacation in FLL. Â Man this place was horrible. Â They must have a little bonus program for all of the concierge's to send the "out of towners".
Service was awful. Â Sat outside next to the water where we watched all of the trash float by. Â Nasty.
Asked the waiter to recommend the "best" item on the menu. Â "The Snapper Hemingway" he replied. Â So I ordered it. Â 10 minutes later and here comes my plate which consisted of a deep fried snapper fillet which had cooled to room temp. Â They through some nasty crab meat on top and ladled on the butter. Â Seriously, this truly is Red Lobster at three times the price.
The next day my friend who lives in Weston asked where we had dinner the night before. Â I told him Charley's Crab. He just said "Sorry".
Charley's Crab can be summarized in 3 words: nom nom nom.
Charley knows what he is doing, and he does not have crabs despite what the name might lead you to believe.
I visited this establishment while vacationing in Fort Lauderdale with my roomies and we had an awesome time!! Our waitress was cool and knowledgeable and we were seated at a big round corner table right on the water. Magical! I think we even saw a shark or 2!
We ordered the crab and brie rangoons as an appetizer which I believe were a special at the time. Good call on our part. We also ordered some sissy martinis which had a high alcohol to other stuff ratio (good value).
Unfortunately I do not remember what I ordered for my main course (give me a break, it was 7 months ago) but I can tell you that I housed it and it was amazing. No leftovers for Mr. Giraffe. For dessert the 3 of us each ordered some wonderful chocolatey goodness cake explosion. I dominated mine and the remainder of my roommates'. Our waitress was both horrified and impressed. I spent the rest of the night doubled over in pain from the over abundance of food in my tummy. Â Looking back I'd say it was a poor decision but worth it nonetheless. But I digress...
Great food, great ambiance, not too expensive. High Five.
This place brings back so many beautiful memories for me and my family. Â When I lived in Florida (a few years out of my life). My family and I use to dine here frequently. We had one of the best waiters there, who loved us, and it made the dining experience so much better. The restaurant itself is beautiful. You can look out on the water and just take it all in on a beautiful day. Â I was just a kid when we use to go here, but I learned a lot about fish at this restaurant, which is probably why I love it so much today. Â This is the first place I had dolphin, and NO we are not talking about Flipper!! Â Dolphin is also a kind of small fish, and I have to tell you it's amazing. Â If you're going to Fort Lauderdale for a vacation or if you live there and haven't tried this place you have to go. Â I can only hope it's as good as it was when we use to go which was years ago.
Review Source:If you are looking for a place for a special occassion in Fort Lauderdale and you want a restaurant on the Intercoastal, this could be the place. Especially, if you want to bring mom or dad or your grandparents. We had a party of nine and there was something on the menu for everyone.
It's Charley's Crab, so almost everything on the menu has crab or lobster. They have a good selection of fresh fish such as a parmesean crusted snapper, mahi mahi, swordfish that you can add a crab topping/side dish sauce. They even serve fresh Dugeness crab from Alaska/the Pacific Ocean. They serve it right on the plate so you can break it up or in broth. If you haven't tried Dugneness crab and you aren't planning a trip to San Francisco or Seattle, then this would be the place for it.
This place is right on the intercoastal, but a warning, the most popular  Fort Lauderdale outdoor bars are right next door so be careful of the intoxicated day partiers in the parking lot or as you are valeting your car. There is a large City of Fort Lauderdale public parking garage across the street from these restaurants, make sure you have some dollar bills to feed the parking machine.
The best dunguneese crab I have ever had! Â They have the 'regular' and the Asian style. Â If you are adventurous, go for the Asian. Â It was out of this world. Â
It's a good thing the size of the portions are huge. Â Everyone decided to 'taste' mine, instead of eating their own!
They also have all other manner of fresh seafood, including a perfectly delicious grilled salmon fillet. Â But, if I were you, I would order the crab, and for starters, the oysters. Â Fresh, briny, delicious.
Ask which variety is on the menu that day, and the wait staff will recommend the best one.
Nice views, right on the water, bay breezes, white table clothes and an excellent wine list make this restaurant simple, smart, yet elegant. Â Â The service is unpretentious, yet very attentive, too. Â Valet parking.
If you are in the area, definitely check this restaurant out....but make sure you get good directions, as a one way street leading up to it can have you circling around for hours before you nail the correct turn.