This restaurant is located inside the Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale church campus. It's not just for church-goers. Anyone can dine here so give it a shot! I usually end up here after attending service on Sundays, often out of convenience, but also because it's just great. 3 things I pay attention to when I go to a restaurant: ambiance, food, service.
The ambiance is homely and comfortable. It is the opposite of pretentious, and a great place for group dining, as it's not deafeningly loud; you can actually hear the people you are eating with and not have to scream at one another across the table. It's not super chic, by any means, but definitely clean and kept well, no complaints.
Next, the most important thing: food is always GREAT-- nothing I've ever ordered here has been bad. It's also CLEAN. If something isn't right, they will make it right, though I haven't experienced anything terrible to date so I can't comment on a previous experience they got wrong. I've tried numerous items, including the buffalo cauliflower bites (yum and crunchy!), the skirt steak salad (sweet/savory dressing), the bang bang shrimp (deliciously crunchy with a yummy complementary slaw), brisket tostada (brunch item), the steakhouse burger (solid tasty burger), and the pasta (I forgot what was in it, but I remember I ate the whole thing so it was good, I'm sure). I was there for lunch earlier today and ordered the Chimichurri Chicken, which was VERY tasty, but the coloring inside was a bit pink and I am pregnant and hyper-paranoid so I asked them to cook it further, and they obliged with a smile on their face. My server didn't make me feel crazy or demanding and I happily enjoyed my extra cooked chicken (it wasn't dry and tasted great even after they cooked it further!).
Which takes me to the 3rd facet: service. The service is EXCELLENT. The moment you walk in, you are promptly greeted by SMILING, HAPPY faces that are genuinely glad to be there. One of the host(esse)s walk you to your table, making polite conversation, and just like that, your meal is already off to a great start. Then your server comes, and the excellent service continues for the rest of your meal, down to the very end. The last 3 times I've dined at the grill, Avonlea has been our server and she is always great. Friendly, smiling, polite, and honest when asked her opinion, she provides non-invasive but attentive service and is always a delight.
Obviously from all that I've said above, you can see that I highly recommend and often frequent this establishment. Give it a shot! read more