Five Best Restaurants on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale

For many locals, Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale tends to be viewed as a bit of a tourist trap. Yeah, there are plenty of places to go out for a drink, but often the food can be a bit, um, lacking. That being said, we decided to compile a list of the five best restaurants on Las Olas. Click on for details.

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5. Sushi Rock

This little gem of a local sushi place may not have the big bar scene or the glammed-up crowds like the rest of the boulevard, but what it lacks in aesthetics it makes up for in substance. We dare you to try to get a table at prime time in less than an hour on any Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night. The place is booming. Local sushi lovers pack themselves in like sardines to get some of this little spot's rock-inspired roll combinations, like the $9 Yellow Submarine, a combination of Pacific yellowtail, scallions, asparagus, and roe, or the Madonna: eel, avocado, asparagus, and roe drizzled with blond crepe and eel sauces. Fresh fish, crazy roll combinations, and a hard-core local following keep this place packed. And when it comes to sushi, that's exactly what you should be looking for: no day-old fish sitting around this spot.

4. American Social

Since opening last summer, this All American spot has been garnering some serious crowds. Yes, they love the pour-your-own beer. And yeah, they love the specialty cocktails. But the place has some damned good food to boot. Light bites like marinated pork and arugula flatbread ($12), P.E.I. mussels steamed in marinara or white wine sauce ($16), and the taco platter with choice of pork ($12), shrimp ($13.50), or ahi tuna ($14.50) are enough to whet your appetite for some more booze. Burgers are delicious, and they go for just five bucks on a Monday night. And if you're looking for something on the lighter side, they have a wide array of tasty salads and fresh fish entrées.

3. YOLO

Long before Drake attempted to claim the YOLO acronym as his own, this Las Olas spot was serving tasty fare with style to eager Fort Lauderdale crowds. It's beautifully designed: It was the first place on the block to feature a fire pit and outside bar. It has great music. An impressive cocktail list. And fare paired to match it all. Dishes like Forever Braised Short Ribs ($28) with farro, spiced pumpkin, baby spinach, and crispy shallots and coriander-seaweed crusted tuna ($26) with shittake-miso broth, baby bok-choy, kimchi, and noodles have been attracting the bold and beautiful crowd back for more. The spot also has a nice selection of sweet treats for dessert. The bread pudding ($8) is some of the best in town, and the Thursday winter s'mores bar ($8) is the only one around.

2. Timpano Chophouse & Martini Bar

Over the years, restaurants have come and gone from the Las Olas Boulevard dining scene. Not Timpano: it has stood in the same location for the past 17 years. In such a transient town, that's saying something. The street has changed, but Timpano hasn't: The spot is still serving well-done takes on Italian classics. Whether you choose to sit inside the dark steak-house interior or al fresco to watch the Las Olas crowds, you can still taste some of the best food on the boulevard. The minichain offers decent-sized apps like the $12 black skillet-roasted mussels tossed in olive oil and flecks of sea salt or the $9 fire-roasted meatballs with house-made marinara, basil, and garlic crostini. But what the place is best-known for is the meat. Aged hand-cut beef ($30 to $35), grain-fed veal ($33), and prime pork ($24) are offered with a huge array of toppings: crab oscar ($10), pan-seared diver scallops ($15), Gorgonzola ($3).

1. Johnny V

There is only one celebrity chef on Las Olas Boulevard: Johnny Vinczencz. Known for his Florida-inspired New American cuisine, his Las Olas namesake has been a favorite for years. The restaurant, which serves lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch, features a wide range of dishes with a regional flare like the $14 tuna poke with wakami, yuzu vinaigrette, soy grilled pineapple, wasabi caviar, and boniato chips, or the $34 jerk seared local black grouper with Key West-style conch chowder, sautéed wild callaloo, yucca fritta, and crab fritters. Add an impressive selection of cheese (an assortment of 39 from all over the world), amazing desserts (i.e., the $11 warm chocolate chip cookie sundae or the $11 three berry crème brûlée pot pie), and inventive brunch plates (such as the $13 Captain Crunch crusted fried chicken and waffles) and you have yourself a winner.