Shooters Waterfront is a relatively new establishment occupying one of the most enviable…read moreIntracoastal waterfront locations in Fort Lauderdale. The ambiance and décor are great, the views and patio seating enabling one to see the waterfront boating activities that definitively spell out Fort Lauderdale, the "Venice of America," at its best.
The docking area, should you come in by boat is entirely new, expansive and properly arranged. It also offers the amenity of being a perfect water taxi stop, so if you don't come in by a boat of your own you can still come in by boat or just hop aboard one of the water taxis for an enjoyable after-dinner ride.
One of the best things about this Shooters as opposed to the previous Shooters that occupied the same premises is that this one doesn't have that tourist trap feeling about it. The old Shooters was nothing but a total crap of a tourist trap with subpar overpriced food, a bar area oriented only toward taking advantage of tourists or serving as an encampment for assorted low life bimbo refugees from what was once the nearby "Ladies Drink for Free" Christopher's. I'm so glad that the old Shooters finally failed, closed down and has been completely replaced by this, Shooters Waterfront, an operation completely different in every respect as well as a totally new structure.
Shooters Waterfront is now operated by the same people who previously operated The Grateful Palate as was located on 17th Street Causeway, which was one of my favorite dining establishments.
The menu isn't that large but all-encompassing in that it offers something for just about every taste. During my most recent visit I went for the Caesar salad, requesting the same prepared anchovy which they were more than happy provide, their New England clam chowder and their special of the day, a swordfish steak with a lemon-like butter sauce. The salad was great, had a true Caesar flavor, topped with plenty of grated cheese, contained a really fresh crispy romaine along with a good amount of mixed in anchovy per my special request. The New England clam chowder was served in a somewhat oblong bowl. The first thing I noted about it, a darn good amount of crumbled bacon on top. As far as the New England clam chowder, this was the real thing, a good portion of clam, the potato done just right, not too mushy, smooth creamy texture with great taste, especially with the smoky enhancement of the bacon.
A sword fish steak can be tricky to prepare. It's difficult to get any firm steak form of fish done right. Undercooking tends to leave the center near raw and any overcooking not only overcooks the outside of the fish steak but toughens it, robs it of moisture, dries it out and destroys the taste. Besides this swordfish having been perfectly prepared, the portion was exceptionally large; much larger than I've gotten anywhere else even when paying a higher price. It was moist and evenly cooked throughout with a decent grill charring on the outside. My guess is that in order to obtain such perfection the chef must have used a two-step baking and chargrilling procedure. Though the sauce seemed to lack somewhat in having a zesty or pronounced enhancing flavor, overall, I couldn't have been more please.
Another thing I should mention is the service. I usually never mention the name of my server, but in this case, her name was Moe, short for Maureen, who turned out to be one of the best, most accommodating, accomplished servers it has ever been my pleasure to have. Any restaurant would be proud to have such an exceptional employee.
This is very much a duplicate with the primary review being at
https://www.yelp.com/biz/shooters-waterfront-fort-lauderdale-2