Three Mondays ago on a sunny day in Florida, my husband and I went to lunch at Boatyard at 1:30pm.
I was instantly impressed by the courteous staff, who were well uniformed from head to toe. They looked comfortable but professional in their loafers and quite preppy in khaki pants and shorts, topped off by baby blue Polos to complete the look.
The restaurant had a spacious layout with tasteful décor. My husband, Randy was in disbelief that I chose to dine outside since it was a sunny day out, but I could not pass up dining dockside with a scenic view. He was pleasantly surprised by how cool it was out there and umbrellas provided shade by the table as well.
What is Boatyard Known for?
Boatyard is known to serve fresh catches from local fishermen and premium cuts of meat. They also boast about having the highest quality raw bar, which usually includes oysters, shrimp and ceviche.
Boatyard offers Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Cocktails and Wine. They are also called Bimini. Their Brunch, familiarly known as ‘Brunch at Bimini’ is quite popular.
You can enjoy unlimited Bloody Mary, Bellini and Mimosas for $25. In addition to that, you can hit the Omelet Station for $14USD or the Benedict Bar for $16USD. If you would like other options, you can order from the main menu that offers Bimini favourites such as Steamed Eggs, Buttermilk Waffles, Shrimp and Grits, Smoked Salmon, Bagel platters and more. So even though I love Tap 42, Suga will switch things up for Brunch at Bimini next time.
What Suga Wanted but Could not Have
I missed out on the Florida Paella that I was looking forward to. The original plan was to have dinner at Boatyard, but we had dinner at our family’s house instead. Realising that the Paella was not on the lunch menu, I expressed my disappointment to our lovely server, G.G. She did her best to check if they could still serve it, but it wasn’t possible because they didn’t prep for it yet. You can imagine the prep that goes into it too, because Paellas are usually stacked with Seafood. Their Paella has Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Calamari, local Fish, Saffron rice and housemade Chorizo. I definitely will return for it!
G.G. came back to us with other options and really sold us on their Healthy Bowl for the day, which was a Salmon dish. Boatyard is another restaurant in Florida that keeps it fresh. They change items on their menu often, but usually keep the favourites.
Appetizer (Shareable)
We started off with the shareable Charred Octopus ($17USD). I loved that they managed to keep the meat tender and saturated with flavour. It was also value for money with the serving size given.
Entrees
I decided to have the Grilled Swordfish ($26USD) complemented by a tasty lemon flavoured sauce, along with fresh market greens. It was delish! It had a moist and very meaty texture as it should.
Randy’s Healthy Bowl ($22USD) was quite delightful. Thanks for the recommendation G.G.! It consisted of Grilled Salmon topped off with a Cilantro lime sour cream drizzle, accompanied by Avocado, Mango and Black Bean Salsa, Sweet Corn Salsa and a Petit salad.
Suga’s Endorsement
Courteous staff, spacious Layout and tasteful Décor, impressive Menu Options, Quick Service and most importantly, Delicious, Flavourful Food a.k.a Value for Money. Boatyard is Suga Endorsed and I will return.
Boatyard
Location: 1555 SE 17th Street. Fort Lauderdale. FL 33316. USA
Ph: 954-525-7400
Website (Menu): www.boatyard.restaurant
Opening Hours: Mon. to Thurs.: 11:30am-11pm; Fri. & Sat. 11:30am-12am; Sun. 10am-10pm
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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