No more slogging into Squiggy's for a flaccid slice (pun intended) after drinks at the Poor House -- come November, there will be another late-night dining option in downtown Fort Lauderdale. ROK:BRGR Burger Bar and Gastropub, the area's first gourmet burger joint, is scheduled to open at the end of next month next to Himmarshee Bar & Grill.
Almost two years in the making, ROK:BRGR will bring more than 20 burgers, a wide-ranging gourmet pub-grub menu, a full bar, and more than 40 craft beer selections to the high-octane Himmarshee Village district.
Managing Partner Marc Falsetto is the guy behind the beef. Falsetto
spent the early naughts running nightclubs and private parties in
Orlando before moving to Miami in 2006 to open Primo's Italian
Restaurant and Martini Bar in the Double Tree Grand Hotel. His new
joint will be decked out in a "Prohibition-era Chicago" theme, complete
with exposed brick and black leather banquettes.
"We wanted to bring the kind of concept that's popular in big cities
like New York and Los Angeles to Fort
Lauderdale," says Falsetto. "It's a great location with a lot of
energy. The fact that it's close the Arts Center and it has the
nightlife makes it perfect."
Falsetto has also tapped Chef Robyn Martinez to craft the restaurant's
from-scratch food daily, including its 100 percent certified Nebraskan Black
Angus beef burgers, hand-cut French fries, and gourmet pub food.
Martinez has been busy in the South Florida restaurant scene, doing
turns at China Grill, Shula's, and Falsetto's own Primo's Italian
Restaurant.
As far as those burgers go, expect a wide range of choices, including
create-your-own options with tons of toppings to choose from. Ranging
from $9 to $15, there will be ground lamb, tuna, turkey, and chicken
patties, plus intriguing toppings like grilled pineapple and roasted
beets. For those high rollers looking to kick it up, there will even be
-- you guessed it -- an American Kobe burger topped with foie gras and Gruyère. But the signature house burger sounds just as good, made with
certified Black Angus,
Vermont aged cheddar, smoked bacon, and -- the pièce de résistance -- a
house-made bacon-bourbon barbecue sauce.
Bacon bourbon? Fo' sho'. ROK:BRGR will have a full liquor bar with
hand-muddled cocktails, including its signature drink, the "Bacon
Bourbon Old Fashioned." That bad boy marries bacon-infused bourbon made
in-house with Canadian maple syrup and orange bitters to create a
wickedly indulgent take on the classic cocktail.
Aside from the burgers, expect gastropub fare such as lobster corn dogs
and good ol' truffle mac, plus health-conscious and low-carb options
for those watching their svelte waistlines. Which, if you know anything
about Himmarshee, there should be plenty of packing the place nightly.
Lunch will be served daily from 11:30 a.m., with the kitchen and bar
staying open nightly until 2 a.m.; that's 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday
nights too.
ROK:BRGR Burger Bar and Gastropub
208 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale
rokbrgr.com
