***** BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, 12100 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33026, (954) 430-3545.

BJ’ Restaurant & Brewhouse “American Style” chain…for right now, BJ’s has 125 restaurants in 14 states…61 of the joints are in California, 27 in Texas—for our purposes there are 9 Florida locations- 1 in Pembroke Pines, 1 in Citrus Park, 1 in Clearwater, 1 in Daytona Beach, 1 in Gainesville, 1 in Jacksonville, 1 in Kissimmee, 1 in Orlando, 1 in Pinellas Park.

Best way to describe BJ’s decor..looks like J. Alexander’s, looks like Houston’s, looks like (you insert the name) your favorite dark wood sports bar.

You can check BJ’s menu/prices/locations at www.bjsbrewhouse.com. The joint’s menu is loaded with appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, meat/seafood/chicken entrees, beers/full bar.

Jeff Eats recently had dinner at BJ’s in Pembroke Pines…babyback ribs, bacon cheeseburger, grilled pork chops, bbq pulled pork sandwich, chicken fried steak…

Let me make this one short and simple, the food was okay, but not one item really stood out. Really-nice looking joint. Pleasant enough service. Fair enough prices.

BJ’s is OK…but that’s about it.

The joint looks better than its food tastes, so you are setup for a huge disappointment when the food arrives.

BJ’s is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-midnight and Friday-Saturday 11am-1am.

***** Shakers American Cafe, 1308 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, Florida 32804, (407) 422-3534.

Shakers American Cafe…”mom & pop” breakfast and lunch diner in Orlando. You can check menu/prices at www.shakerscafe.com.

Just so you know, the joint’s Americana decor features something like 12,000,000 types of salt & pepper shakers—thus the name Shakers. An 8 year-old with a bat would have a field day in this joint.

Shakers’ menu is loaded with breakfast stuff, salads and sandwiches.

Jeff Eats recently did breakfast there…western omelete with hashbrowns ($6.59), Greek omelete with potato pancake ($6.59), french toast with blueberries ($5.49)—everything was delicious. A special shout-out to the potato pancake. Real reasonable prices, very pleasant service.

Just so you know, Shakers is open Monday-Friday 6am-2:30pm, Saturday 6am-2pm, Sunday 7am-1:30pm. Monday-Friday Shakers serves breakfast until 11am but on Saturday-Sunday breakfast is served all-day.

You’ll need a freaking train schedule to keep track of this joint’s hours.

Anyway…the food is really good so if Shakers fits your schedule, give it a try.

Southside Johnny

***** JUKE BOX GENERATION SERIES *****

Every “season” the Duncan Theatre at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth produces the “Juke Box Generation Series.”

This year’s shows…

Thursday- Januray 31, 2013- Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes
Thursday- February 28, 2013- Jarrod Spector
Thursday- March 20, 2013- The Bronx Wanderers

Jeff Eats has seen all 3 “acts” and they are terrific.

The Duncan Theatre seats 700. Every seat is good.

The series costs $63 for all 3 shows. There are no service or additional fees.
By the way, you can buy individual shows for $29 a seat.

TICKETS JUST WENT ON SALE.

IF YOU WANT TICKETS, DON’T WAIT…call the box office at (561) 868-3309. This series is always a sell-out.

You can check www.palmbeachstate.edu. for further details.

***** The Daybreak Diner, 3335 Curry Ford Road, Oralndo, Florida 32806, (407) 898-8338.

The Daybreak Diner…”mom & pop” diner located in Orlando.

I’ll bet you a buck, that without ever setting foot in the door, you guys know exactly what The Daybreak Diner looks like…let’s just say “formicasville” tables/booths. You can check menu/prices at www.daybreakdiner.org.

You regular Jeff Eats’ readers know, that “mom & pop” diners have a special place in my heart. Personally, I’d rather eat breakfast/lunch in a neighborhood diner, than in a bagel joint, fast food restaurant, chain operation. You guys gotta appreciate that most of us-folks of the 50’s-60’s were raised on diners—anyway…

A week or so ago, I was up-in Orlando and came across the Daybreak Diner. All kinds of breakfast stuff, appetizers, salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, subs/wraps, meat/fish/chicken “meals”- desserts. A quick taste “test” netted Jeff Eats…western omelet with hashbrowns ($6.59), bacon cheeseburger and french fries ($8.50), chicken salad on white toast ($4.95)—everything was just right. Just so we are straight—Was the Daybreak Diner the best “diner” I’ve ever eaten in? Nope! But as “expected”…my party was served decent enough diner food by a super pleasant waitress…suffice it to say, The Daybreak Diner held-up its end of the bargain…the food, the decor, the vibe–just what the “recipe” called for.

So, you Orlandoians and non-locals now know about a mom & pop” diner where you can catch a decent enough breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The Daybreak Diner is open Monday-Friday 6am-8pm, Saturday 6am-2pm, closed on Sunday.

*****. Obama–you gotta be kidding me! *****

Every tv news network Jeff Eats has watched today has reported that the United States Government requested Google and You Tube to remove the “Video” that supposedly sparked the current “unrest” in the Middle East…and that Google and You Tube refused to do so.

Hey Obama—I know this is a food blog but it’s time you stop being such a PUSSY!

***** PETER J. FOGEL *****

Last night Mrs. Jeff Eats and I saw the “Coco Burlesque Cabaret Show” at The Pavilion located in the Seminole Coconut Creek Casino in Coconut Creek (www.seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com)…it’s a terrific variety show priced at 25 bucks and currently “plays” Friday nights at 9pm.

The shows’ “master of ceremonies” is Delray resident—Peter J. Fogel who has to be one of the funniest comics that Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats have seen in a very-very long time. Last night Fogel’s “clean” act had the crowd of 1,250 literally in stitches and screaming for more.

I’ve found in life, that many times, some of the best things are right in your own backyard. Over the past 5 years or so, Jeff Eats has seen Fogel live-something like 7 times in local South Florida comedy clubs (such as the New York Comedy Club in Deerfield Beach)…I’ve also seen him a number of times on local South Florida television programs.
The interesting thing about Fogel, every-time I’ve caught him he has had new material—and the “old stuff” is so funny that I often find myself wiping tears from my eyes even though I already know the punchlines…this guy cracks me up.

Trust me on this one, Peter J. Fogel is good–real good.

Here are two suggestions for you guys…

Catch Fogel in the Coco Burlesque Cabaret Show–or catch his “full” 45-60 minute set at a local comedy club. In any event- if you like to laugh—make it your business to see Peter J. Fogel.

Fogel’s website is www.peterfogel.com.

***** Best Hamburgers In America *****

Real Simple—tell Jeff Eats…where– America’s best burgers are.

***** Duke’s Lazy Loggerhead Cafe, 401 Ocean Drive (Carlin Park), Jupiter, Florida 33477, (561) 747-1134.

Got an absolutely terrific “mom & pop” breakfast-lunch joint for you…Duke’s Lazy Loggerhead Cafe in Jupiter.

This is a real casual “formica” tables/booths operation, so make sure that you wear your favorite tee shirt/shorts ensemble.

Duke’s breakfast/lunch menu has loads of breakfast stuff, salads, burgers, sandwiches. A recent outing had me “doing”— western omelete, thick cut french toast, hash browns, grilled chicken/caesar salad, cheeseburger with french fries. Trust me on this one, everything was delicious with the hash browns getting a special shout-out… Duke’s is right up there with the best of South Florida’s “mom & pop” diners. For those of you who need a bit more “color”—service was as friendly as can be, the portions were large and the prices were local-diner prices (you can fill in what you pay at your favorite local diner).

Duke’s Lazy Loggerhead Cafe is open 7 days a week 8am-3pm.

***** Please Read This *****

If you or you know someone who is interested in “getting into” the self-serve yogurt business…please, do Jeff Eats a big favor and DON’T!

For the past year or so, I have been telling you guys, that this self-serve yogurt business is nothing but a FAD—a huge game of musical chairs, which is going to end very-very badly for “individuals” who buy franchises in this arena. Same goes for the “upscale” fast food hamburger game, but that’s a story for another column.

Last Saturday night I picked-up food at Rock n Roll Ribs in Coral Springs. In the same center “was” a LA Frozen Yogurt store….the operative word here being WAS, not IS. Not sure how long this self-serve yogurt store “lasted” but I think it took longer to build the joint than it was open-for-business.

I am going on record, that the “shakeup” in the the self-serve yogurt business is now underway. This thing is gonna be “bloody” and a ton of money is going to get flushed down the drain.

As you guys know, Jeff Eats travels all over South Florida stuffing his “face”…trust me on this, in my travels I have seen “tons” of newly opened self-serve yogurt stores in locations that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Without any question, the owners of most of these joints have no chance whatsoever of having a successful business.

Regular readers know that I have been harping on the “fad” angle of the self-serve yogurt industry for some-time now. It absolutely breaks my heart knowing that some “small” guy is going to bet his last dollar building one of these joints.

If you check Jeff Eats’ background, I kinda know the franchise business…and what I do know, is that most franchisors (that’s the guys who sell the franchise to a franchisee) couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the “locations” that franchisees pick. Right about now, some of you guys are saying, hey Jeff Eats—why would a franchisor let a franchisee open in a crappy-location? For the “uneducated”…when you buy a franchise, you pay a franchise fee just for the location. Guaranteed most of the self-serve yogurt franchises are getting $25,000-$35,000 per location…Capice! In addition, many franchises “use” commissioned sales-people to sell franchises…just maybe these folks have a conflict of interest with the “prospective” franchisee.

If you don’t believe what I’m telling you, just take 1-minute and count the number of self-serve yogurt stores within a 2-mile radius of your home. In Jeff Eats’ case there are 11…now do you really think that a 2-mile “stretch” needs ELEVEN stores basically serving the exact same item? Well, I know it doesn’t.

Be sensible, just take a minute and ask yourself…”If I was opening a self-serve yogurt store, would I pick THAT location? Betcha anything, 9 out of 10 times, you won’t be able to justify the “spot.”

That- LA Frozen Yogurt store that I mentioned a few seconds ago…I guarantee you, that’s just the first of many “closings” to come.

Before I forget, the bbq babybacks and chicken I pickedup from Rock n Roll Ribs were delicious.

***** Franco Corso *****

Recently saw “Italian crooner” Franco Corso at an Italian restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens…the guy blew my socks off.

If you like- in no particular order, Sinatra, Bocelli, Jerry Vale, Domenico Modugno (Volare) you will absolutely love this guy. Based on his website www.francocorso.com he has upcoming “dates” at several South Florida Italian restaurants and numerous country clubs/communities. Jeff Eats “saw” him backed by tracks, but I understand that he also works with bands and orchestras.

If this type of “thing” is your bag, then make it your business to see Franco Corso…you won’t be disappointed.