*****  Alabama Joe’s, 6316 Lantana Road, Lake Worth, Florida 33463 (561) 963-3393.

Alabama Joe’s is a “sports bar.” The joint’s complete name is, Alabama Joe’s Front Row Sports Theater & Grill…

If you live in Lake Worth, you got-to try this joint if, …big bars, loads of huge flat screen tvs, young energenic waiters/waitresses, reasonable prices and dynamite food are your game. Take a look at Alabama Joe’s website www.alabamajoes.com for menu/prices…there is also a handful of pictures which will give you a real good idea of what this large-modern joint looks like.

A few nights ago, I gave Alabama Joe’s a shot…the menu is loaded with appetizers,  salads, wings, flatbread pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and meat/seafood/chicken entrees. A “taste-test” of a “Fat Bastard Burger” which consists of 2- 10 oz. beef patties, lettuce, tomato, American cheese and coleslaw… and southern fried chicken, philly cheese-steak sandwich, steak fries and macaroni & cheese, made me into an Alabama Joe’s believer. The food was just terrific. Not to name-names, but its food is far superior to the stuff served at the local haunts… Duffy’s, Flanagans, You Name It Ale House.

Now that the Dolphins are in the Play-Offs…and the Heat is back on track…”you” South Floridians have a reason to hit the sports-bars once again.

Like I said before, if you live in Lake Worth, Alabama Joe’s is a good joint to know about. Alabama Joe’s is open Monday-Friday 11:30am-2am and Saturday-Sunday noon-2am.

       Boston Market, 7020 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33433 (561) 392-2795.

Boston Market is a  national “fast-food rotisserie chicken” chain. If you check its website www.bostonmarket.com I guarantee that you will find a location in your neighborhood. The chain in one form or another Boston Chicken/Boston Market has been around since 1985. Although the joint’s menu features items such as roasted turkey, meatloaf and sirlion beef…most people “think” of Boston Market as a chicken restaurant. Just some history, this chain back in 1999 went bankrupt and McDonald’s now owns/operates the current business.

Do you know what garbage is?…Well if you don’t, eat-in/take-out food from this joint and you will. A recent outing had me trying the chicken, turkey, meatloaf, sirlion…and macaroni & cheese-vegetable stuffing-green beans-mashed potatoes-corn bread sides. Bad?…let’s just say, that the chicken was “beyond belief” fatty and salty… the turkey was stringy and dry…the meatloaf and sirlion had absolutely no taste…the sides were passable, except the corn bread was one step away from having the consistency of a hockey-puck.

Boston Market is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Your local deli, Publix, Costco has better stuff.

*****  Damon’s Grill, 4660 North Ocean Drive, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida 33308 (954) 489-1544.

Damon’s Grill is an 80-unit “sports-bar” chain…there is only 1 South Florida location…Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Everyone and their mother knows that there are more “sports bars” in South Florida than there are Chins in a Chinese phonebook. If we are talking FOOD, Damon’s is one of the better players in this “arena.” Take a look at its website at www.damons.com for menu/prices.

Picking “top” sports-bars is a very tricky business… What I do know, is that Damon’s has the requisite bar, flat screen tvs…in addition, its food is heads and shoulders above the stuff served in most of the joints in South Florida.

Damon’s is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  Golden Chopsticks, 4350 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33308 (954) 776-0953.

Golden Chopsticks is a good  NEIGHBORHOOD CHINESE joint…operative word here, NEIGHBORHOOD…like you live in the neighborhood…

A recent taste-test of wonton soup, bbq ribs, pan fried dumplings, egg rolls, roast pork fried rice, sweet and sour chicken and shrimp with Chinese vegetables was just fine…

You know exactly what this joint looks like…there must be a “master-mold” somewhere…The menu is loaded with “specials” and combination plates.

Like I said before, if you live in the NEIGHBORHOOD, you now know about a good joint for eat in/take-out. Golden Chopsticks is open Monday-Friday 11:30am-11pm and Saturday-Sunday 12:30pm-11pm.

*****  Muncheez, 6640 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33141 (305) 868-8282.

Muncheez is a “hole-in-the-wall” American-fast-food joint. Something like 2 tables inside and 2 tables outside. Take a look at www.eatatmuncheez.com for menu/prices.

Muncheez is my kind of joint…wings, chicken fingers, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, onion rings, french fries. Order and pickup at the counter.

In a recent outing, I was like a pig in sh@t… cheeseburger and fries drenched in ketchup, grilled Sabrett hot dog topped with mustard and sauerkraut, onion rings and a Coke. Just what the old cardiologist ordered.

Muncheez is a real good place to know about, when the “urge” hits (which in my case is every day). The joint is open Friday-Saturday 8am-midnight and Sunday-Thursday 11am-11pm.

*****  La Sandwicherie, 229 14th Street, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 (305) 532-8934.

Do you know why the Avenue de Chames-Elysees is lined with enormous-shade-oak trees?…So the marching German troops don’t get over-heated.

Anyway…La Sandwicherie is an absolutely dynamite “French Sandwich” joint…check its website www.lasandwicherie.com for menu/prices.  By the way, you won’t need 3 years of high school French to figure out that… La Sandwicherie is really just a “sub-grinder-hero” joint playing the French “angle”… When you check its menu, you’ll be greeted by all your American favorities like, roast beef, turkey, tuna… nothing French about most of its stuff…prices are neighborhood-sub joint prices.

By the way, my taste-test consisted of two sandwiches… lettuce/tomato/onions/ mayo/ham/turkey-sub and a grilled toast with ham & swiss… and a caesar salad.

La Sandwicherie makes some great sandwiches and salads…throw in a juice-bar and gourmet coffees and you got everything that “clubbers” and the rest of us need…as the joint is open 7 days a week 10am-5am.

*****  Beef O’Brady’s, 1179 Royal Palm Beach Boulevard, Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411 (561) 795-8500.

Beef O’ Brady’s is a “sports bar.” Just so you know, this is a chain operation…which currently has 265 locations spread-out through 22 states. Take a look at its website at www.beefobradys.com for menu/prices/locations. South Florida is loaded with these joints… just for starters, a quick look at “locations” turned-up spots in Royal Palm Beach,  Cooper City, Davie, Homestead, Miami, Miami Lakes. If this type of joint is your game, you’ll probably find one near your South Florida home.

You know what Beef O’Brady’s decor is…big bar, booths, gazillion flat-screen tvs.

Let’s talk food…the menu has all of the stuff that you expect…tons of appetizers, salads, wings, burgers, sandwiches, meat/chicken/seafood entrees. By the way, the prices are “neighborhood sports bar” prices, very reasonable. The service is just fine.

Are we talking anything really special here?…nope. However… Beef O’Brady’s is as good as the other sports-bar chains that dot the local South Florida landscape…you know the players, Duffy’s, Fill In The Blank Ale House, Hooters.

Anyway…with all of the football that’s coming, I just thought you’d like to know about another “player” where you can watch the games…and have decent-enough burgers, wings, and fried-stuff galore.

O’Brady’s is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  Cantina Cabo, 9858 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33496 (561) 477-1899.

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.

Cantina Cabo is a “Casual Mexican” joint located in Boca Raton. The owners of Cantina Cabo also own 3 Mexican joints in NYC and Cabana Las Palmas (West Palm Beach) and Caba ElRoy (Delray Beach).

How they got here…about a year ago, Cantina Cabo’s owners opened a “semi-upscale” seafood joint named Fulton & Front in Boca Raton. The joint failed miserably…  it was recently remodeled and converted into Cantina Cabo which opened a few weeks ago.

If you are looking for… a good (now who would look for a bad?)-casual-reasonably priced Mexican joint…Cantina Cabo is for you. The menu is loaded (here is where 3 years of high school and 2 years of college Spanish pays off) aperitivos, ensaladas, fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, rellenos, quesadillas y burritos.

In a recent “taste-test”..steak fajitas, beef tacos, shredded chicken enchiladas, char-grilled salmon and sauteed shrimp all did just fine.

Cantina Cabo is open Monday-Thursday 11:30am-10pm, Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday noon-11pm and Sunday noon-10pm.

*****  Scully’s Tavern, 9809 Sunset Drive, Miami, Florida 33173 (305) 271-7404.

A Christmas present…Scully’s Tavern, located in Miami.

Scully’s is an absolute “must try.” Take a look at this joint’s website www.scullystavern.net for menu/prices/deatils. When you check the website, there are a handful of photos that will have you thinking that… this is a neighborhood “run-of-the-mill- pub”…loaded with the standard flat screen tvs and mediocre food. WRONG!!! Okay, its got the tv screens, but the food in this joint is off-the-chart…I am telling you, that many of the dishes that this joint makes, rivals the stuff served in some of South Florida’s top-rated restaurants. Throw in the fact, that the prices are neighborhhod-pub prices and you got a home-run joint.

A recent outing had 4 of us downing… appetizers of 16 scampi-style chicken wings ($9.50)…fried calamari ($4.95) and stuffed mushrooms ($7.95)… small caesar salad ($3.95), greek salad ($6.25), spinach salad ($5.95), cheddar bacon burger ($6.95), marinated flank steak sandwich ($9.25), charbroiled dolphin sandwich ($9.25), teriyaki chicken breast sandwich (7.50), corned beef on rye ($5.95).

Let me repeat myself…the food is absolutely terrific. The menu is loaded with appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and various lunch/dinner entree “specials” like baby-back ribs, lobster tails, prime ribs.  In keeping with the “pub theme” the joint also has the requisite karaoke nights, band nights, etc.

I am telling you…try this joint. Scully’s is open Monday-Thursday 11am-1am, Friday 11am-3am, Saturday & Sunday noon-1am

*****  Little Hoolie’s Sports Bar & Grill, 13135 SW 89th Place, Miami, Florida 33176 (305) 252-252-9155.

Little Hoolie’s is a “neighborhood sports bar” located in Miami.  Let me send you to this joint’s website www.littlehoolies.com for menu/prices/entertainment schedule.

Little Hoolie’s has the “typical”…bar–gazillion flat screen tvs– menu loaded with appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches,  wings, pastas, meat/fish/chicken entrees. The food is good…the prices very reasonable…the service is just fine.

Just so we are straight…if booze-tvs-food were the “game” here, this would be a joint for NEIGHBORHOOD FOLKS ONLY. But… Little Hoolie’s has something going for it, that makes it a “destination” spot for others on Friday and Saturday nights…that “something”… the joint hosts some of the best cover/and originals bands in South Florida.

A recent visit introduced me to a band, “Mr. Nice Guy” www.mngband.com …and I have to tell you, that my party of 4 had an absolute blast, eating/drinking and listening/dancing to these guys. By the way, I checked the websites of past/future booked bands and Little Hoolie’s has talented bands working its stage. There are no cover charges.

So…if you live in the neighborhood, you now know about a real good 7-days a week sports bar. For the rest of you…if you like your sports bar with some dynamite rock ‘n roll music, you got Little Hoolie’s on Friday & Saturday nights.

By the way, the joint is open 7 days a week 11am-3am.