Downtowner Saloon
- 408 S Andrews Ave.
- Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
- 954-463-9800
- http://www.downtownersaloon.com
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- $$, $10 - $20
- American, Seafood, Steak House
- Menu
Many bars in town have random objects on display but usually there’s some sort of theme that ties everything together. But not so at The Downtowner Saloon. Besides the Coke signs and TV’s tuned to sports, you’ll see a boar’s head with devilish blinking eyes, a tuba, life preservers, a snow sled, a Victrola, the head of a great white shark sucking on a plastic human leg, a gas station pump, an entire row boat and a jai-alai cesta. Fort Lauderdale folks love it for the relaxed riverside vibe, drink specials and better-than-average bar food. Live blues almost nightly.
When you arrive at the Historic Downtowner Saloon by the New River, you can't help but notice the impressive waterfront view -- and the imposing building on the next block, the one with the razor wire and thick concrete walls. It's a sobering sight, but hey, we're on the outside of the Broward County Jail, which does put life -- and our disappointment in not owning one of the yachts cruising by -- in perspective.
The Downtowner is bound to improve anybody's day, with its laid-back setting, live music and busy calendar. Linger over the riverfront view at an outside table, or head indoors, where there are two bars, a dining area and a small stage. Another bonus: free parking.
Each night, there's something going on (check the monthly calendar). Monday night is steak night (a 10-ounce prime rib or rib eye dinner is $8.95, a $4 discount); Wednesday and Friday nights are ''Trivia Night with Booney Tunes''; Stan Street plays Thursdays during Ladies Night; tonight is Crazy Hat Night -- second drink is free if you're wearing a crazy chapeau; The Ravens play each Saturday. Come July 21 for an old-fashioned clambake from 3 to 7 p.m. ($19.95 for 1 ¼-pound Maine lobster, steamed clams, baked chicken, Red Bliss potatoes, corn on the cob and New England clam chowder). The restaurant/saloon will celebrate its ninth anniversary with a party Aug. 7.
In a site that goes back to 1925 (hence the historic part), The Downtowner still shows off its brick arches and colonnades from past lives as an arcade, fish-packing house, photo shops, law offices and other restaurants. It's packed with vintage black-and-white pictures of old Fort Lauderdale, antiques and collectibles like the Dino Sinclair gas pump, lots of Coke bottles and caps of various sizes, oddities like the head of a shark with a leg sticking out, and much more stuff collected by owners John and Jamie Baker, who also own the antique-packed Main Street Café in Oakland Park.
The Downtowner, a Water Taxi stop, is open daily for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch; a more formal back room is for private parties. The menu features raw bar items and lots of grazing fare along with steaks, seafood and a few other entrees like Maxwell Chicken ($10.95) pine nut-encrusted fillets and barbecue ribs ($13.95).
The menu has its ups and downs, but it surpasses the usual bar fare. The steamed Old Bay shrimp ($9.95) is first steamed, then served in clarified butter with Old Bay seasonings -- the plump shrimp are flavorful but oily. The toasted garlic bread is also slathered with butter, but this is hardly a dieters' dish anyway. They also serve fresh oysters and clams (steamed or shucked, half-dozen $4.95, baker's dozen, $8.95), Key West shrimp (in white wine, butter and garlic sauce, $9.95) and chilled spiced shrimp ( ½ pound, $8.95, 1 pound $16.95).
The New England clam chowder ($5.95 if a la carte) is the Downtowner's signature soup and it's excellent, so thick you can stand a spoon upright. Dig into plenty of clams and chopped potatoes.
Dinners come with house salad, a fresh array of greens, tomatoes, onions and other veggies chilled and crisp -- we liked the house tomato basil vinaigrette. Other salads include the Stranahan ($9.95) with portobello mushrooms, mozzarella and roasted red peppers, plum tomatoes, red onions over mixed greens, tossed with the tomato basil vinaigrette.
Our entree of slow-roasted prime rib ($12.95 10-ounce queen cut, $15.95 12-ounce king) included a salad, bread ball (a round loaf, nice and fresh), salad, veggies and choice of potato -- baked, french fries or garlic smashed. Substitute Caesar salad or soup for $1 extra. The prime rib had some fat, but it was good and tender, cooked as requested, served au jus. The baked potato was fine; the medley of steamed veggies -- broccoli, carrots, cauliflower -- were bland. We didn't order a steak, but they're hand-cut, available in various preparations, including blackened or served in a bourbon sauce.
Among the seafood dishes, the pistachio-encrusted dolphin was a first-place winner at the Taste of Fort Lauderdale in '98, and while the fish was fresh, it would have been better without all the frills. The pistachios and vanilla rum sauce made it too sweet for our tastes. The garlic smashed potatoes are rich and creamy.
If you don't want a full dinner, get a sandwich or burger. The portobello sandwich ($7.95) is delicious, earthy grilled mushrooms piled into a whole wheat Kaiser, stuffed with roasted red peppers, tomatoes and melted Swiss cheese. They also boast a one-pound Black Angus burger ($8.95).
We finished our meal with homemade piña colada cheesecake ($3.95), loaded with pineapple but we didn't taste any coconut. Chocolate lovers ought to try mud pie ($4.95). For a more grown-up treat, sip an Irish ($4.95) or Downtowner coffee ($6.95), a potent brew mixed with Grand Marnier, Baileys and Frangelico outside by the water. If it's raining, no problem. The indoor bars have a riverfront view.
Hours
11 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday-SaturdayDetails
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Location
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Recent Reviews
See all reviews- Current 69.8 °F
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Posted by: AndyDiaz on Thu, 2008-01-24 16:22