Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine - Broward/Palm Beach

Taste: ****

Cost: $

We had our wedding rehearsal here and I'm glad we did. The food was very good. Kim actually thought the lechon was better than at Don Ramones, but I think the Vaca Frita is definitely not as good as the Don (though still good). I had the churrasco and it was very good. Everyone seemed to love all their dishes and the service and price were excellent. Will have to try some more things on the menu!

There are various locations but we went to the Delray Beach one.

1715 South Federal Highway, Delray Beach, FL‎ - (561) 278-2133‎

Taverna Kyma

Taste: ****

Cost: $$

Went here for lunch, nice place, great outdoor seating. The serving size was massive for lunch. I had the Gyro and it was very good. My buddy had the chicken Pita and though he couldn't answer my question on how it tasted bc his mouth was full, I'm sure he loved it. Will have to come back and further explore the menu.

6298 N Federal Highway

Boca Raton, FL 33487

(561) 994-2828

Charm City Burger Company - Broward/Palm Beach

Taste: ****

Cost: $$

One of the best burgers I've had in a long time. Good blend, ordered Med, should of gone medium rare as the beef was very flavorful. Everything here is just the extra mile. They could of used canned mushrooms, they were fresh and sauteed. The could of used microwave bacon, it was thick cut, perfectly fried. I had the cowboy burger with the added fried egg (genius) as I didn't want to wreck my diet too much with a big sloppy. Should of went with sweet potato fries, but went with o-rings. A bit too greasy and the batter was a tad cakey as I prefer mine more lightly fried. with a thinner coat, but to their compliment they use some great sweet vadalias. Will definitely have to go back after the wedding when I'm not on a diet and explore the menu more thoroughly.

1136 E. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

954-531-0300

Matsuri (Miami)

Taste: ****

Cost: $$

Went here for lunch and instead of splurging, I just decided to order a lunch box. I'll voice my dissappointments first. They do not have an all sushi lunch special. I was forced to split my lunch between sashimi and some sauteed beef, teryaki, or tempura. Ok, thats out of the way. The fish here is insanely fresh. The sashimi lunch box had cuts of buttery salmon, tasty tuna, and hamachi that tasted like it just came off my fishing pole. Even the california rolls tasted good (must of been the real crab meat and fresh avocado). The quality here is really top notch. Though their roll selection is a bit limited (even more limited since there some of them contain cooked rolls... eww), it is very modestly priced. Before I can declare this the best sushi joint in miami, it definitely needs a dinner time review.

5759 Bird Rd

Miami, FL

305-663-1615

Sports Grill (Miami)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

The place to go for wings and a beer in Miami. Hooligans, Keg South, the Pub only wished they had wings as good as Sports Grill. Me and my friend Eddie actually refer to this place as the Holy Grill. No seriously, they actually use old church pews as benches. The wings are great, even when its almost midnight and the kitchen is about to close. Nicely grilled, no batter, clean sauce. I wish the medium heat wings had a bit more kick to them. The next notch up (the Miami Heat) uses a blazing scotch bonnet pepper which is a bit too much for me to handle. Aside from wings, everything else here is pretty good too. The burgers are solid, albeit a tad forgettable. Fries are actually crisp, not soggy like most bar type places. If you're thinking about picking up some wings to go, skip the wing specialist places and go here. Have a beer while you wait, it'll be worth it.

14617 sw 104th St
Miami, Fl

Ruth's Chris (Miami, West Palm)

Taste: ****
Cost: $$$

As far as consistency goes, this place always produces. They have their broiler times down to a science and you can expect the same quality of steak every time. Some might consider their steaks a tad on the salty side, but thats how I like mine. Get the filet, bone in rib-eye, or porterhouse without any fancy sauces like au poivre. The "famous" potatoes au gratin aren't so famous in my opinion; go with the lyonnaise potatoes for an excellent side. Nothing really jumped out at me when it came to appetizers, so don't fret, you're already spending 30+ bucks for an entre' already, WITHOUT a side.

Various locations

Rincon Argentino (Miami)

Taste: ****
cost: $$$

I base my own churrasco recipe from this place. It is a bit pricey and thats why I never come here for dinner. However, at lunch time they offer their same flap steak that sells for $26 for 7 bucks. Thats a great deal and a tasty piece of meat. The chinichurri is not so chunky, but they've allowed the olive oil base to emulsify adequately which results in a great smooth consistency.

7744 N. Kendall Drive
Miami, FL 33156

The Big Tomato (Miami)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

This has to be one of my favorite pizza joints. It takes the whole California weird pizza toppings to a new level. The pizza isn't quite a deep dish, but the crust is thick with the cheese burnt at the edges. Sometimes it can get a tad greasy, but usually they do it right. My favorite is the tangy thai pie, they use the thai peanut sauce as pizza sauce, layered with gouda, carrots, chicken, jalapenos onions, and other veggies. Its literally like having a slice of a great thai dish. The fabulous philly, baja bbq, and sinful spinach also deserve honorable mention here. I've had every pizza they offer... about twice now. I'd skip the whole wheat crust option though, tends to make the crust taste like airy wheaty bread for some reason. Their salads are great too, served in hollowed out boule bread. The lentil, schezuan, and mexican are all equally great. Supposedly its supposed to be more healthy for you than normal pizza but I don't know how it can be when it tastes this good?

12447 S Dixie Hwy
Miami, FL 33156

Kebob Mediterrainean Grill (Delray)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

An amazing find. The gyro, adana, baby lamb, kefka and chicken are amazing. Huge portions, opt for the bulgur as a side and you have a great meal on your hands. Really well seasoned meats. I suggest you opt for the family sample platter and find which one of their meats REALLY does it for you. The tzatziki sauce is like liquid crack. Awesome. Their prices cannot be beat.

1676 S. Federal Highway
Delray Beach, FL 33483

Beanies (Boca Raton)

Taste: ****
Cost: $$

Lemon artichoke sandwich. Beanies has managed to take 2 food items I don't particularly care for and crafted one of the most amazing sandwiches I've ever had. Their aeoli and chicken are just perfect when paired. I honestly love the sandwich so much I have not tried another on the menu. Their twice baked potato though is a massive meal in itself. They scoop out the potato, mix some buttermilk and butter, stuff it in with the toppings of your choice and rebake. Excellent! Like all things in Boca, its a bit pricier but well worth it.

Located on the outskirts of Mizner Park by the Post Office

Memphis BBQ and Blues formerly Tom's Place BBQ (Palm Beach)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

Revised:
They can change the name but not the ribs. This place is still Tom's but with a little something missing. Maybe I'm being nostalgic, but the ribs were a bit smaller in portion. Maybe I'm a bit slighted, bc I had finally filled up the buy 6 get 1 free card and the new management wouldn't honor it. The food is still pretty good, but I miss Tom's. I miss the Anquan Boldin autographed jersey, and the history.

-----------------

From what I hear, Tom's used to be even better than the incarnation I dined at in West Palm. The original location in Boca before they moved up to West Palm I heard was unbelievably amazing. I'm sorry but Tom's BBQ hands down has some of the best BBQ I've ever had. The ribs are tender and their sliced beef is lip smacking. That sauce of theirs, even makes BBQ chicken (which I vehemently hate) taste great. The sides are nothing to write home about and are actually quite bland with exception to their cornbread muffins. Everything is served on a hot plate and I guarantee you will leave there fat and happy. I'm getting hungry, going to head there this weekend in fact... The location is on the border of a sketchy neighborhood, but I just don't go there when the sun is down so theres no problem!

1225 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd
West Palm Beach, FL

Yu Mi (Palm Beach)

Taste: ****
Cost: $$

Update 5/25/09

Went here recently for dinner. The prices have come down and the quality has gone up. All the fish was incredibly fresh and well prepared and our favorite rolls were spot on perfect. Tokyo Love Story roll was especially delicious. The Escola (white tuna) was like butter.

*************************************

4 Years ago I would of given this 4 stars, but in recent years the fish quality hasn't really dropped, but the tightness of the rolls has. Sometimes they fall apart a bit and thats a major no-no for me. The roles are still tasty, but compared to my Akashi back home, this place is over charging. Still a nice place, and so long as the fish is fresh I can't really complain. Their dynamite roll here is good though, in fact its probably my favorite here, that and the crunch roll. I know its blasphemous to enjoy the cooked rolls more, but the raw rolls just aren't constructed well and the crunch roll while fried is still raw anyways.

2800 N Military Trl
West Palm Beach, FL 33409

Akashi (Miami)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

Hands down, the default place I goto for raw fish in Miami. Its crowded, small, but the price and quality of fish is remarkable. I think by now I've had every roll on the menu... at least 4 times? The fish is fresh and when they have it, make sure to grab some hamachi rolls. The standard rolls (spider, rainbow, volcano, etc...) really shine here. Everything is spot on, in fact I haven't had a single roll I've been disappointed with. Their dynamite roll with the scallops is a great fresh twist to the recipe, and their sashimi platter is always fresh. In fact the surprises you'll get is when its spectacularly excellent and the tuna literally melts in your mouth. They're open late, but expect to wait... its small, and extremely crowded and chaotic, but I probably wouldn't have it any other way.

5830 S Dixie Hwy
Miami, FL 33143

Don Ramon's (Palm Beach)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

Another one of the staples for me when I get homesick for Miami (hah, yeah right...). Don Ramons offers up a great menu at a low price. Their portions on some dishes are excellent, while others leave you wanting more. The Lechon Asado is a must have. Do not goto the Wellington location as they prepare this dish differently. The skin is crispy, the pork is succulent before they shred it up with the mini onions that just burst with the lovely mojo flavor. If I get bored with the Lechon (not likely) the Vaca Frita is another show stopper. The meat is boiled with lots of flavor, then fried to a perfect crisp. They really know how to take a crappy piece of meat and make it wonderful. The rice and beans are good, really second to only my dads, and the plantains are great. I haven't really ventured off the menu too much here, but I'd imagine it to taste just as good.

502 S Military Trl
West Palm Beach, FL 33415

A1 Thai (Palm Beach)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

This place has become a staple for me and Kim. The food is delicious, unpretentious and tasty. Their chicken wings are an excellent starter and a must have, and their mee krob is how I like em; nice and sweet. As far as entres are concerned the Beef Garlic, Pad Thai, Soy Sauce Noodles, Sweet and Sour Fish, Beef and Oyester Sauce I can vouch for as delicious. The menu is not as extensive as some other places, but they pick a few things and do them extremely well. A note about the service... especially in the Royal Palm location... Tommy and the guys there are... interesting? They will tease you, lock you out, make semi-rude comments, the whole act. I think its hilarious and we've built a great reproir with them over the last 7 years. I've seen people get offended and well, its their loss anyways. Dirt cheap and always consistent, thats what keeps us coming back.

1232 Royal Palm Beach Blvd
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411

Ernesto's Taco Shop (Miami, Delray, Various Locations)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

This place originally started as Roberto's Taco Stand, and I stumbled upon it late at night (open 24) on my moped. When it was Roberto's the food was great! Coming back after 4 years, its not under new ownership but its almost the same. The big star here is the Chimichanga. Its still absolutely delicious. A burrito, extra cheese, refried beans, carne asada, guacamole, and some veggies then deep fried... The Chimichanga is a 3 star, but everything else is just ok. I think back when it was Roberto's everything was just a tad more tastier but maybe my palate has evolved. If you're around town and looking for a late night snack, definitely worth a try!

8845 SW 107th Ave
Miami, FL 33176

Fuddruckers (Miami, Palm Beach, Various Locations)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

I love a good burger as much as anyone else, but if it has a drive through, odds are I'm not stopping in. Call me a food snob but if I'm going to wreck my diet, I'd like to make it worth it. Fuddruckers delivers alot of bang for your buck when it comes to burgers and fries.

I actually make a habit of coming here religiously about once a week. I've probably had better burgers, and better fries, but one thing keeps me coming back... the endless cheese fountain. Yes, theres a unlimited cheese dispenser so that you can completely saturate your fries, onion rings, and even your milkshake in cheese. In fact you can save a buck by ordering a burger with no cheese and stick it under the cheese machine. The burgers are good, seasoned, but not so much to drown out the beefy quality of the choice meat they use. The buns are great too, soft, baked in house and does a good job of soaking up all the juices from the burger. For wedge cut fries, they maintain their crispiness well and do a great job of scooping out lots of cheese. Your best bet here to save a few bucks is to have 2 people split the 1 lb burger. Amazing it is completely cooked evenly so don't worry about a raw center (I like my burgers medium). Theres an ample toppings bar thats extremely well kept and hygienic stocked with the staples like onions, lettuce, etc... as well as some goodies like pico de gallo! The milkshakes have a slight metallic taste for me, but they're ok. Theres beer available if you want it as well as a bunch of other stuff, but I come here bc you're guaranteed good burgers, good fries, and unlimited cheese!