The other day “we” did Best Regular Pizza in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Let’s see what you guys come up with for the best coal oven/woodfired/brick oven pizza in the same counties.

The other day “we” did the best fast food burgers in Dade, Browad and Palm Beach counties.

Today, we do the best burgers that are served by either a waiter or waitress.

The other day “we” did best fast-food burgers in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Let’s see what you guys come up with…looking for the best “regular” pizza (not coal oven) in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

A few months ago- Park Tavern an “American Style” indoor/outdoor patio seating joint opened in Delray Beach. You can check menu/prices at www.parktaverndelray.com. The site also has a couple of photos, so you’ll know what Park Tavern looks like.

I gave Park Tavern a “shot” the other night for dinner…tried the Maryland crab cake, chopped salad, bbq pork ribs, bacon cheeseburger. Everything sampled was OK, but that’s about it.

Now-I may be going out on a limb here, but my gut tells me that Park Tavern isn’t going to last for very long. Nothing for nothing, but in addition to the food just being “so-so”- I didn’t like the joint’s “vibe”— Can’t really explain it, but Park Tavern is missing that certain “je ne sais quoi.”

For Park Tavern’s owners’ sake, I hope I’m wrong.

Park Tavern is open Sunday-Wednesday 5pm-midnight, Thursday-Saturday 5pm-2am.

Sharpie’s calls them hoagies…

Depending on where you are “from”—feel free to apply your own terminolygy:
subs
heroes
grinders
blimpies
poor boys
po’ boys
rockets
spuckies
torpedoes
tunnels
wedges
zeppelins

In any event, Sharpie’s Hoagies located in Sunrise “makes”- 8″ & 12″ ———(fill in the blanks), kaiser roll sandwiches and salads.

Gave this joint a shot the other day “trying”… chicken salad, tuna salad, crab meat, ham/genoa salami/cappacola/provolone cheese subs—and I gotta tell you, the subs were absolutely dynamite. Sharpie’s uses a nice crusty bread and really loads its sandwiches up. The 4 sampled-subs were right up there with the best that I’ve had down here in South Florida. If I had to single out one for special mention—the chicken salad was my favorite.

In closing, you may call Sharpie’s “submarine sandwich” what you’d like…just don’t call it Ray or Ray-J.

Sharpie’s Hoagies is open Monday-Saturday 11am-7pm, closed on Sunday.

Recently received the following email…

Jeff,

Like you I love a good fast food burger. What are your 5 best picks in the Dade, Broward and Palm Beach areas?

Thanks,

MBG

——————–

Thought you guys might like to “send” in your favorites. Keep the picks to joints where you “order/pickup” at the counter. May-be another day, we’ll cook up a list for waiter/waitress burger joints.

Got a “fast food” breakfast-lunch joint for you…Bennett’s Fresh Roast in Fort Myers.

Let me flesh this out a bit for you…Bennett’s roasts its own coffee–and has a handful of breakfast and lunch items. Order/pickup at the counter. Sorry I can’t tell you “how” the joint’s tuna salad or chicken salad are…same for its scrambled egg pita round or its vegetable soup–the only items “sampled”–1/2 dozen freshly baked (honey glazed, almond coconut, cinnamon twist, boston cream, peanut butter chocolate, maple walnut) donuts that were right up there with the best that Jeff Eats has ever devoured.

Like I said a few seconds ago, I only did donuts (and most of them were “done” in the car), so I have absolutely no idea how the rest of Bennett’s food is. That said, when I was there on a recent Monday morning at 9:15am, every table was taken and there were 6 people ahead of me on line to order. Just a guess here, but based on the donuts–my money says that the breakfast and lunch items are also top-stuff.

Bennett’s Fresh Roast is open 7 days a week from 6am-3pm.

You can check menu/prices at www.bennettsfreshroast.com.

For our purposes a “small” sports-bar chain…there are currently 3-South Florida locations, Wellington, Lighthouse Point, Port Saint Lucie.

If you are over the age of 2, you know the drill…tons of tvs, Florida Keys’ decor, indoor and outdoor patio seating, full bar, menu jammed with reasonably priced half-way decent appetizers- burgers- salads-sandwiches-wraps- meat/chicken/seafood entrees, pleasant young servers. You can check www.bonefishmacs.com. for menu/prices/locations.

For the purposes of this discussion, I “tried” the Wellington joint…Gotta be frank here, the cheeseburger-french fries-chopped house salad-Greek shrimp salad were ok, but absolutely, positively nothing to write home about. The best way to describe the food, think TGIF or Applebees and you’ve got the picture. Would I eat there again? Sure, but based on the outing, I won’t be racing back.

Now for the “mystery” here…as I mentioned a few seconds ago, there are 3 locations…Wellington, Lighthouse Point and Port Saint Lucie. Anyway, friends of mine who live in Port Saint Lucie rave about that location’s food. Believe it or not, I also have friends who have eaten at the Lighthouse Point outpost and they found the food to be very good sports bar food. So which is it–Wellington is the odd man out, the Port Saint Lucie friends don’t know squat, the friends who ate at the Lighthouse Point store don’t know squat, or Jeff Eats doesn’t know squat?

If you have eaten at any of the Bonefish Mac’s joint, write to me and help solve the “mystery.”

Bonefish Mac’s Sports Grille is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

Got something that you “burger” folks might like to checkout…HiWay Burgers, 12 Southeast 5th Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33483, (561) 243-6460.

Two weeks ago, I and Mrs. Jeff Eats were “strolling” Atlantic Avenue…and low and behold- we spotted HiWay Burgers, a brand new “hole in the wall” fast food burger joint with a “Coming Soon” sign in its window. Looking in, there were a handful of 50′s style booths and a small counter to order at. Just so you know, this thing really is a “hole in the wall”—the menu board listed— BURGERS, FRIES, SODAS, SHAKES period. Now nothing for nothing, but based on color scheme/decor and menu– my money says that, Hiway’s owner is trying to “emulate” the hugely successful and cult favorite In-N-Out Burger chain. Now for our purposes that’s a good thing, because if my assumption is correct, then it’s a safe bet that the owner “knows” what a top-notch fast food burger joint-should be. Of course, knowing and executing are two whole different things…so, we’ll just have to see how this all plays out. I will tell you, that from my brief “peek” the joint looks really cool.

To rap this up, yesterday- I bumped into my old friend Glenn who owns several Atlantic Avenue buildings…and- he mentioned to me that HiWay Burgers had opened and that the cheesebuger, french fries and chocolate shake that he ordered were terrific. For the record, I think that Glenn knows his fast food burger “stuff” because he’s also a huge fan of Five Guys, BurgerFi and Shake Shack–but then again, he’s a Red Sox fan, so I can’t really swear for this guy!

Anyway…I’m gonna get up to HiWay Burgers in a few weeks and “taste” for myself. If you get there before I do, let me know what you think. By the way, the joint is so new that its website www.hiwayburger.com has yet to be fleshed out.

I know that some of you guys like to be kept in the “loop.” So, with that in mind…I just heard that “fast-food” hamburger chain–Jake’s Wayback Burgers which currently has 10 Connecticut–9 Delaware–13 Pennsylvania–1 Indiana–1 Massachusettes–2 Maryland–4 North Carolina–5 New York–1 Ohio is planning on opening 2 Florida joints in the next couple of months…4690 State Road 7, Coconut Creek and 8201 South Military Trail, Sarasota.

If you aren’t familar with this chain, trust me, you aren’t alone. Jeff Eats had never heard of Jake’s until last week when I gave its Long Beach, New York outlet a shot. If you want to go further, you can check www.waybackburgers.com for menu/prices/locations.

Now, you know and I know that “upscale” fast food burger joints are literally popping up on every American block. Absolutely no question in my mind, that the day of reckoning is quickly approaching–when the American public is going to tire of most of these joints and tons of franchisees are going to get wiped out. That said, until that reckoning-day arrives, there is no reason whatsoever- why I, Jeff Eats can’t eat myself into a 48 inch pair of pants and a 22″ inch shirt.

Jake’s menu has got it all…burgers, franks, fries, onion rings, salads, milkshakes.

For the record, I did a 2-patty cheeseburger, french fries, coffee and chocolate milkshakes…the burger/fries were as good as the “best” chain stuff I’ve had in South Florida–and that includes- Five Guys, Shake Shack, BurgerFi, Elevation Burger, CG. I will tell you, the milkshakes were outrageously delicious, but the thought of a 22″ inch neck shirt is starting to scare me a bit.

Anyway…you guys are now in the “loop.”