i have eaten here 2 times and both times had almost the same sandwitch, the regular ruben and the turkey rueben
service was good and fast and i enjoyed my experience.
I was a fan of this place back when it was called "Matty's on the Drive". Â On any given Friday or Saturday night, you could count on a lively crowd, attractive bartenders and staff and a simple "come as you are" bar with no particular theme or key demographic.
I'd heard that Matty's was shuttered months ago due to a legal issue, and that someone else had taken it over and opened it as "Rumors". Â The newly named place looks similar, except that all the flags that once adorned the left wall of the main bar are gone and they've taken out about 1/3 of the wall that once separated the main bar and the second, smaller bar in the adjacent storefront. Â Aside from those few things, the place looks much the same, but there was one key thing that was missing on the recent Saturday night when a few of us visited this place: People!
We arrived at around 10 p.m. when this place would've normally been full of patrons, with people pouring out into the lot in front when it was Matty's. Â When we arrived on this night, there were maybe 5 or 6 others at the bar, 1/2 dozen seated at tables out front and a few at the other side bars. Meanwhile, Alibi and Village Pub up the street were both packed.
Also gone from Rumors were the attractive staff that once served Matty's customers, as were all the signs that once advertised the great drink specials that they had posted when this place was Matty's ($1 beers and well drinks on certain nights, etc.). Â What we did notice was a pungent smell that was reminiscent of a deli counter that sells cheeses and cold cuts. Â It wasn't a pleasant odor and it hit us when we walked in, wasn't something we got accustomed to, and when I went to use the restroom, that odor hit me as soon as I walked back out into the bar area. Â That's one of the reasons (along with the fact that this place was dead and there were other bars offering more attractive drink specials on this night) that caused us to finish our drinks and leave within about 15 minutes of our arrival here.
Overall, I'm not sure what happened and why this place lost popularity. Â Change of ownership? Â People don't like the new name? Â Drink specials aren't as attractive as other places on Wilton Drive (Village Pub was offering 2 for 1 beers on this night, no such incentives here at Rumors)? Â Is it because there are a few newer places in this area and Matty's/Rumors is now old news? Â I don't know the answer, but I can tell you it was a bit sad to see how lifeless this place was compared to a few of the other bars on Wilton Drive on this night, and compared to what this place was like under its former owner(s). Â They need to get the magic back somehow, or Rumors may become a faded memory.
Ok I've given the place a second third and fourth shot. The place opened a few months ago  drink prices have risen steadily and prices are inconsistent between bartenders. Two weeks ago I joined friends for drinks and wings. An order of ten wings was $8.00 including several celery stalks and blue cheese dressing. This week we returned and now the 10 wings were now $8.99 and another up charge if .50 for blue cheese and another up charge of .50 for celery stalks. The bartender told us it was a recent change. Within 5 minutes the table next to us received their order of wings and we asked them if they were charged the additional .50 for celery and .50 for blue cheese. No up charge was charged to them The bartenders don't
Know how to make consistent tasting drinks. They just pour till the drink looks like it should but has no taste that resembles what is ordered. What a shame. Â Theses are basic things and they can't get it right
Easily one of the best places to have a cocktail and kiki in Wilton Manors if you're under 40. Actually, it's probably the best place because they play good music and everyone is around my age (if you've never been out in Ft. Lauderdale, you may not get why I felt I needed to mention the age thing - everyone here is old).
I'm not usually one to enjoy hanging out in a parking lot, but it's fine if there's a nice breeze and interesting people. Fortunately, that's usually how it goes here.
For the most part you can still tell this used to be Matty's. They put down a new floor and threw new black paint on the walls. I'm okay with that - you don't come here for the decor.
Since my prior review covered Rumors bar itself and rated it as being what it is, a rather decent gay bar, I'll confine this update to their food.
The good part is that Rumors now has a menu and is now serving food. The bad part is that what I've seen, the menu though complete isn't very descriptive and the food is of a lower quality as well as not being all that good. The basic chicken wings for example fail to note anything about a "Buffalo style," the fact that for an extra charge you can get them with traditional celery and blue cheese is unmentioned and when served you'll quickly discover the wings to be of a smaller lesser quality, somewhat akin in size to that of a fat pigeon wing but more like that of Sistrunk Street pigeon rather than the fatter Las Olas sized ones.
They also have a "French dip on salted wick roll," an obvious take off on the indigenous Beef on Kimmelwick served in the Buffalo, New York region but which, though rather tasty, completely fails to measure up in any way with what it is attempting to duplicate not only from its misspelling of commonly the abbreviated roll which is "weck," not "wick," down to the salt and preparation of beef used. Though it would be a laughable disgrace if served near Buffalo, reasonably acceptable here as a Lauderdale bar food.
What I do have to give them a degree of credit for is the completeness of their menu along with making a stab at some unique local novelty foods such as Gator Bites. All in all, their Philly styled cheese steak (chicken or beef) sandwiches, Turkey or Ham Clubs and Rubens are all OK, sort of Three Star as far as taste and quality, but nothing more, which I really can't condemn because for bar for its rather good, far better than served in most bars but then again certainly nothing to rave on about.
Blah! Â what a disappointment. Â everyone was going on and on about this place. Â thought we would check it out. Â nothing special. Â the layout is odd and the parking is next to impossible. Â it's location is the only thing going for it. Â i anticipate that rumors will eventually fade away like most of these types of bars. Â it's the new flavor of the month, but you have to make it worth coming back again and again.
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