***** Rock N Roll Ribs, 4651 State Road 7, Coral Springs, Florida 33073 (954) 345-7429.

Rock N Roll Ribs is a “bbq joint”…it opened about 3 months ago…one of its co-owners is Nicko McBrain, the legendary drummer of the metal-band Iron Maiden…by the way, Nicko lives in Boca Raton. So, you now know— how “it” probably got the name Rock N Roll Ribs. The joint, has videos of bands playing, records on the wall, hanging guitars and a drum set as its decor. Rock N Roll Ribs is located in a shopping center on State Road 7…I think there are more empty stores than going businesses. Personally, I think that the spot stinks, but hey, it ain’t my dime! The joint isn’t all that big, maybe 80 seats. From what I understand, although Nicko is one of the owners and hangs out there- when he is in “town” (he wasn’t there, last night), it is run by “Moby” Rick Baum who according to the joint’s “pr” has an extensive background in developing/opening/running restaurants—the guy also plays guitar in Nicko’s (other band) McBrain Damage… What I can tell you, based on last night’s meal, this guy Moby Rick knows his bbq.

At this stage of the concert, check www.rocknrollribs.org for menu/prices/photos.

Now let’s talk food…tried- baby back ribs, bbq chicken, pork sandwich, cheese burger, french fries, garlic toast—this is some of the best bbq that I have had “down here” in South Florida. This joint’s bbq is not heavy-smokey, but rather “sweet” grilled stuff, that is right on the money.

On the pricing front—very reasonable…a full rack of baby back ribs with garlic toast and 2 sides goes for $15.95…a 1/2 chicken with garlic toast and 2 sides $12.95.

On the service side—very pleasant and efficient waitstaff.

Like I said before, 80 seats, looks better than a Hard Rock Cafe, real good food, real good prices, real good service, lousy location. Hey! Nicko and Rick, you got a great concept here…I just hope that people “find” you.

One final thought, you might like to check www.ironmaiden.com and www.myspace.com/mcbraindamge and read about Nicko and Rick’s music and bandmates. Just so you know, Nicko-is considered by many, to be one of the top rock drummers of all-time.

I really enjoyed Rock N Roll Ribs.

The joint is open 7-days a week 11am-10pm.

***** Surf Road Taco, 101 Northeast 3rd Street, Hallandale, Florida 33009 (954) 239-0128.

Surf Road Taco is a cheap-super casual- “hole in the wall” and I do mean “hole in the wall”—“MEXI-CALI” joint. Order at counter, pickup at counter. Help yourself salsa bar. You can check its menu/prices/photos at www.surfroadtaco.com.

Talk about casual…your shorts/tee shirt/flip-flops ensemble…some of the patrons will consider that get-up, formal wear.

I love finding joints like Surf Road. Recently did, grilled mahi taco, grilled shrimp taco, tortilla soup and some guacamole. Now, just for the record, this MEX-TEX-CALI -whatever they call it, isn’t my most favorite food…but if I got to eat it…it should taste like Surf Road Taco’s stuff, absolutely delicious.

Like I said before, super casual-hole in the wall-very reasonable-real good food. Surf Road is open Monday-Friday 11am-9pm, Saturday noon-9pm, closed on Sunday.

***** Packy’s Family Sports Grill, 11379 West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33428.

Packy’s Family Sports Grill…is a sports bar, but you already knew that, didn’t you?. Take a look at its website www.packyssportsgrill.com for menu/prices/photos.

Let’s make this one simple, THIS IS A SPORTS BAR…tvs, decent food, booze—recent outing had me doing, bacon cheeseburger ($8.25), philly cheesesteak sub (8.95), chicken parm sub ($8.95), rack of ribs ($15.95) like I said before- decent—actually, its stuff is better than what most of its South Florida brethren are dishing out.

If you live or work in Packy’s neighborhood, I’d give this joint a shot.

Packy’s is open Sunday noon-10pm, Monday-Thursday 11:30am-11pm and Friday-Saturday 11:30am-midnight.

Lilly’s New Cuisine, 451 East Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 (561) 362-0208.

Lilly’s New Cuisine is an Italian-semi upscale joint…Lilly’s has been around for something like 21 years and has an extremely loyal following…don’t believe me?– try and get a table on a Friday or Saturday night. Lilly’s has both indoor and patio seating.

I have been hearing about how terrific Lilly’s is since 1991. For some strange reason, last week’s dinner was my first “try” of this joint.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know what all the screaming was-is about. I found–snapper franchese ($20.95), veal parmigiana ($24.95), zuppe di pesce fra diavlo ($28.95), chicken-ziti-broccoli ($18.95) to be okay, but nothing that I couldn’t get at almost any half-way decent Italian joint down here. For sure Lilly’s is a pretty place…it’s got that European chalet look (whatever that is), but like I said, okay food, but nothing to get nuts about. On the service front, okay, but don’t expect some 50 year old guy with an Italian accent to be taking your order—think, waitresses at Cheesecake Factory and you’ll be in the ballpark.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my meal, but it wasn’t “anything” that I would go running back-for.

Lilly’s is open Monday-Friday 11:30am-3pm and 7 days a week for dinner 5pm-10pm.

***** Outrageous Bagel Company, 8843 Southwest 107th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33176 (305) 595-0188.

Order at the counter—Pickup at the counter.

Outrageously (pun intended) good bagels, spreads, breakfast stuff, sandwiches…fancy-schmancy coffees and smoothies. Think bagel…this joint’s 24 (types) bagels are twice the size.

Recent outing had me doing… “everything” with tuna salad, “pumpernickel” with chicken salad, “onion” with egg salad. Like I said before, outrageously good stuff.

Check www.outrageousbagels.com for menu/prices.

The joint does breakfast and lunch 7 days a week.

Rosarios Ristorante, 145 Southeast Mizner Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 (561) 393-0758.

In one word…DON’T.

This Italian joint use to be called La Viola…it’s now called Rosarios, but the owner is the same guy, Rosario Lanza. Not going to go into the history of Rosarios but it started out as La Viola, got sold and the old owner is now back with a new name for the joint.

Tried… house-salad, rigatoni alla vodka, grilled chicken, filet of sole francese and eggplant parmigiana. Other than the sole and house salad which were good, the food is second rate. The chicken-pasta-eggplant were as bland as could be. Your local pizza joint serves better stuff—much better stuff. Rosarios serves 1/2 portions (for one person) and full portions (for two people)…portions are very skimpy and everything is ala carte. Some soggy-shoe leather garlic bread comes with the meal. On the pricing front—rigatoni-$13.95-$22.95, chicken (only full portions available)-$29.95, filet of sole-$18-$30.95, eggplant-$12.95-$20.95. The house-salad only comes in full-portions at $13.95 a pop.

Let’s talk service…HORRENDOUS. Food was ordered at 7:35pm and the salad arrived at (approximately) 8:15pm and everything else at 9:05pm. ***Our waiter blamed the slow food-delivery on the “kitchen” telling our party that the restaurant was very busy. What absolutely amazes me about lousy waiters is that they don’t understand that the customer couldn’t give a rat’s ass about why the meal is a disaster. All I know… I “pays” my money and I “wants” my food…and the waiter’s problems, the owner’s problems, the kitchen’s problems, shouldn’t be my problem. I personally had to ask the waiter 6 times for a water-refill, before “mission accomplished.” My requested ice-tea refill, despite 3 requests…never appeared. Dirty dishes, were left to pile-up.

This joint is bad news. You can check www.rosariosristorante.com for menu/price/photos but you really would be wasting your time.

***** A Chef’s Burger, 330 Northwest 29th Street, Miami, Florida 33127 (786) 344-5825.

Wanna eat an absolutely-delicious burger?…then you gotta try, A Chef’s Burger which makes its stuff in a truck-located at 330 Northwest 29th Street. There are 2 chairs outside to sit on, so figure on eating standing-up, in the car, or taking the burger-to-go. The fries are also pretty good, but not in the burgers’ league. I am telling you, one of the best cheeseburgers I’ve eaten.

A Chef’s Burger is open Monday-Saturday 11am-3:30pm.

***** Park Avenue BBQ Grille, 1198 North Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 (561) 416-7427.

On April 29, 2008 I told you guys about Park Avenue BBQ Grille…a small-casual-very reasonably priced-Florida based “bbq-chain.” Last night, I had dinner at Park Avenue’s newest location (#9) which just opened in Boca Raton…and the food is terrific.

Park Avenue’s newest spot—is located in the free-standing building formely occupied by Bucky’s BBQ. From what I can tell, other than hanging a few new signs and decorations, the joint has the same interior as Bucky’s had…and I gotta tell you, the cozy 98 seat dark wood table/ booth–dimly lit–small bar decor is great looking. For those of you not familar with this chain’s other 8 locations–they seat close to 150, have large bar areas and are brightly lit. Although the Boca location “looks” different than its brethren…the food is exactly the same, delicious.

Do me a favor and read my original 4/29/08 review…it will save me from doing some typing. You can check Park Avenue’s BBQ website www.pabbqgrille.com for menu/prices.

Park Avenue is one of the best bbq-joints in South Florida…The joint is open 7 days a week 11am-10pm.

***** Pelican Cafe, 612 US Highway 1, Lake Park, Florida 33403 (561) 842-7272.

Let’s call Pelican Cafe a “a cozy-neighbborhood American-style” joint…which serves breakfast-lunch and dinner. If you check its website www.the pelicancafe.com you will find menu/prices/photos so you’ll know what this joiint is all about. Let me get this out of the way, Pelican has indoor & outdoor patio seating and is closed on Monday–serves breakfast Tuesday-Saturday 8am-11:30am, lunch Tuesday-Saturday 11:30am-2:30pm, dinner Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-9:30pm, Sunday brunch 9am-2pm—these guys got more-schedules than the Long Island Railroad.

Anyway…the other day, I did breakfast at Pelican Cafe and this joint is a winner. Just so we are straight, I didn’t do lunch or dinner or brunch…but based on breakfast, I’m gonna go out on a limb and think-that lunch and dinner are also going to be real strong.

I have never really mentioned this, but old Jeff Eats is a sucker for a good donut…well, Pelican makes “home-made” donuts– plain, powdered, apple cider cinnamon, chocolate frosted, blueberry—and Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Creme better watch out…the chocolate frosted and plain were outstanding.

As for my breakfast “sampling”…banana & pecan waffles, challah french toast, western omelet—right on the money.

Like I said before, I only did breakfast—but I definitely would like to give this joint a shot for lunch and dinner. In reviewing the menus, the dinner menu is heavy on Italian stuff, which is even more reason for me to get to Pelican Cafe because I love Italian food…then again, I also love Chinese food, burgers, wings, ice cream.

Pelican Cafe…the donuts alone are worth the price of admission.

***** The Boulevard Restaurant & Gourmet Deli, 10961 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410 (561) 776-8700.

You can thank me later for this one…

The Boulevard is a 7 days a week 6:30am-3pm table, booth and counter seating “diner” which for a lack of a better word is GREAT. If you eat-like-I-eat…you will absolutely love this joint. Breakfast is served all-day and the menu is loaded with all kinds of appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, entrees. For menu/prices/photos check The Boulevard’s website www.boulevardgourmetdeli.com.

The Boulevard is a throw-back to the diners which dotted the American landscape in the 1950s-60s. This is a real neighborhood joint. In no particular order, a recent outing had me “sampling” potato pancakes, western omelette, challah french toast, off the frame turkey on rye, chocolate chip pancakes, pastrami & chopped liver on a toasted everything bagel. The old diner atmosphere–The decor–The diner food…I loved the whole shooting match.

Don’t miss this one.

Like I said before, The Boulevard is open 7 days a week 6:30am-3pm.