- Home
- The Savvy Turtle
- The best steakhouses in Fort Lauderdale
The best steakhouses in Fort Lauderdale
Photo: Grilled steak served with orange slices and sauce on wooden board - Flickr - nenadstojkovicart by Nenad Stojkovic, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
If a good steak is on the agenda, Fort Lauderdale has range — and all four of these are a short drive from the nest. The difference between them is really the room and the occasion: an oceanfront table, a waterfront celebration, a lively night out, or an Old-Florida classic. Here’s how they differ, so you can pick the one that fits the night, plus a few practical notes on booking.
Jay’s Steak House — the lively newcomer
Jay’s pairs prime cuts with live music and a social, high-energy room — a good call for a group that wants dinner and a bit of a scene rather than a quiet table. It’s about ten to twelve minutes from the house. This is the one to book when the point of the night is being out together, not turning in early.
Steak 954 — oceanfront
Steak 954 is the upscale, oceanfront choice, set right across from the sand on A1A. It’s the one for a special dinner with a view, and it’s only eight to ten minutes from the house. Ask for a table near the windows when you reserve, and you can pair it with a walk on the beach promenade before or after — the sand is right there.
Mastro’s Ocean Club — on the Intracoastal
Mastro’s is a polished waterfront room on the Intracoastal — steaks and seafood with boats drifting past, and a natural fit for a celebration or an anniversary. Roughly twelve to fifteen minutes away. It runs formal by Fort Lauderdale standards, so it’s worth reserving ahead and dressing the part.
Tropical Acres — the Old-Florida classic
Tropical Acres has been serving steaks for decades: dark wood, stiff martinis and consistent cuts, with no pretense. It’s the nostalgic, traditional pick, about fifteen minutes out, and a good change of pace from the newer waterfront rooms. If you like a place that hasn’t chased trends, this is it.
Booking and a couple of alternatives
Fort Lauderdale eats late on weekends, so reserve a day or two ahead for a Friday or Saturday table, especially in the winter high season. If steak isn’t the whole group’s thing, the same neighborhoods have plenty of range: the waterfront restaurants guide covers seafood and Intracoastal tables, and Las Olas Boulevard has a run of Italian, sushi and small plates within a short walk of each other. For a slower celebration dinner for two, the couples guide points to the quieter rooms.
Whichever you choose, it’s a quick ride back to the pool afterward — which is a fair argument for staying close to home base for the big dinner and letting the night wind down in the backyard.