After R.J. Gator's filed for bankruptcy last year, franchisee Doug Wallace converted his Fort Lauderdale outlet into Grumpy Gator's Sea Grill & Bar. He kept the Everglades swamp-safari theme but gave the menu a makeover with a mix of salads, sandwiches, burgers, seafood and other entrees, many with Caribbean or Latin flair.

The cavernous space has a giant projection screen television and numerous flat screens. It can be difficult to hear the game, though, and many of the TVs are placed too high on the wall for easy viewing.

The atmosphere is light, bright and family-friendly. There's a $2.99 kid's menu, a Sunday breakfast special (free mimosa or bloody Mary) and pick-two lunch combos.

The bar area with a pool table is perfect for a small group that wants to socialize and watch the game, while the outdoor patio with live weekend music caters to a crowd more interested in the party. Drinks are two-for-one all day, every day and three-for-one from 5 to 7 p.m. During games, there are also 25-cent wings and other specials.

We were pleasantly surprised to find the shrimp and crab dip wasn't overloaded with fillers, though the small bowl isn't enough to share with a big table. The blackened scallop salad was good once they remade it with romaine lettuce at our request to eliminate the hard core from a head of iceberg.