*****  Thick & Thin Restaurant & Pizzeria, 23062 Sandalfoot Plaza Drive, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 482-7020.

Thick & Thin has been around since 1979.

There is an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” When I first moved down to South Florida 16 years ago, Thick & Thin was one of the regular “mom & pop” red-sauce joints that got my business at least once or twice a month. Over the years, for one reason or another, Thick & Thin became an “out of sight, out of mind joint.” Now don’t hold me to this, but until last night, I think the last time I was in Thick & Thin was something like 7-8 years ago. Why I forgot about this joint?…I don’t know.

Anyway…last night I ate dinner in this hole-in-the-wall and I have to tell you, that the food is as good as when I was a regular customer. Great pizza…veal parmigiana…veal francese…veal marsala…You know the drill, soup or salad, entree, side of pasta and garlic rolls…

Thick & Thin is located in a shopping center on 441 in Boca Raton. The CVS is out of business…The Winn Dixie is out of business…Many other vacancies, yet this little joint which seats about 50 was jammed and the take-out business was booming.

This is a real casual joint, so tee shirts/shorts are the dress of the day. Like I said before, Thick & Thin has been around for something like 29 years, so obviously even without my patronage it has been doing just fine.

This joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner and by the way, in the center there is a great car wash Express Car Wash that for 8 bucks gives you one of the best exterior washes going.

Great NY Style Pizza and a Great Car Wash…courtesy of Jeffeats.com

*****  Strip House, 1701 Lake Victoria Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410, (561) 296-4900.

Before jeffeats.com “crashed,” it had a writeup about the Strip House. In that review, I told you folks that the Strip House was one of the best “upscale” steakhouses in all of South Florida if not the best one. Anway…last week the Sun Sentinel had a 4-star review on the Strip House which confirmed everything that I already knew, namely that the food and service are absolutely top-shelf.

Last night, I had dinner at the Strip House and I am happy to report that this joint is still at the top of its game. Great food and great service. Just so we are clear, you pay for everything at the Strip House…salad, entree, sides…nothing comes with nothing…and a steak dinner with salad, sides, dessert, non alcohol drink and taxes/tips is going to run you close to $85-100 a head.

This joint is open 7 days a week for dinner. One other thought, unlike most of the upscale steak joints, the Strip House doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is done-up in a red wallpaper decor which features very tastefully done black/white photos of female strippers of the 1930s-1940s…and the wait-staff is as friendly and helpful as can be…none of this haughty attitude that many of the other joints generate.

***** The Pastrami Club
5240 North University Drive
Lauderhill, Florida 33351
(954) 748-0001

The Pastrami Club is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. The Pastrami Club (which has been around since 1985), is one of the “best” New York “Kosher Style Delis” in South Florida. Over the years I have “fressed” on this joint’s pastrami, corned beef, turkey (off the frame) and brisket sandwiches and loved each and every bite.

Cardiologists tell you to stay away from joints like this… last week I saw mine stuffing his face with a fatty corned beef on rye with a potato knish. “Do as I say, don’t do as I do.”

I am telling you, that you “gotta” try this joint. The combination of great food and “old” deli decor (red booths and formica tables), will remind you of what delis are “suppose to be all about.”

Check-out this joint’s website at www.pastramiclub.com for menu/prices.

End of story.

*****  Okeechobee Steak House, 2854 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33409, (561) 683-5151.

The Okeechobee Steak House has been in business since 1947. The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

The Okeechobee Steak House is not a fancy schmancy upscale steakhouse. That said, the food is terrific and the menu is priced right. For around 35-40 bucks a head, you get salad, entree and side dishes. A similar meal at a fancy schmancy joint- which is maybe a 1/2 a notch higher in quality and service would run you $55-60.

The Okeechobee Steak House serves top quality steaks and seafood. Like I said a few seconds ago, it isn’t a fancy schmancy joint with tee shirts/shorts being pretty common there. What makes this a “beautiful” place is that it doesn’t take itself seriously like “upscale” joints do. The game here is good food and good service in a real-easy atmosphere.

Look…you don’t stay in business for 61 years without doing something right. Try this joint, you will really enjoy the food.

*****  Ralph & Rosie’s Restaurant/Lounge, 2017 South Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, Florida (561) 731-4400.

There are joints and then there are JOINTS…

This combination restaurant-lounge-drive thru-liquor store-takeout is an absolutely fantastic place to enjoy a casual lunch or dinner. I guarantee that no matter what your taste, you will find something that you will enjoy on Ralph & Rosie’s menu. Just so we are straight, this joint which has rock-bottom prices and humongous portions doesn’t serve crap. Its pizzas, burgers, salads, subs, seafood-meat-veal entrees are top-notch. Do yourself a big favor and check www.ralphandrosie.com to review all of the fantastic dishes “Ralph” (who looks just like Joe Pesci) cooks-up in his kitchen. I must tell you, that the thin crusted pizza and chicken parmigiana sub are as good if not better than that served in the 5-boroughs.

From the road (South Federal Highway), Ralph & Rosie’s looks like a dump-building which has a tiki-bar rapped around the outside. Unless you are a real “explorer,” the odds say that you have never stopped (and never will) at a joint that looks like this.

Ralph & Rosie’s consists of a a small building which houses a bar and a very small bandstand. There are no dining tables inside, but there is a nice sized out-door thatched roofed  tiki-bar which seats about 75 for dinner or lunch.

Rather than knocking myself out trying to describe this joint, take a look at the menu and pictures at the joint’s website and you will get an idea of what Ralph & Rosie’s is all about.

The food is great. The service is great. The owners are great.

On certain nights, there is free entertainment. Don’t miss Joey Dale & The Gigolos who perform on Friday & Saturday nights…this group gives Dion & The Belmonts and Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge a real run for the money.

Rather than my going on and on and on…just give Ralph & Rosie’s a try. The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Tee shirts/shorts are at home here.

This is a fabulous place to know about.

***** Lucille’s Bad To The Bone BBQ, 3011 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 997-9557 & 710 Linton Boulevard, Delray Beach, Florida, (561) 330-6706.

Friends of mine, swear by this joint which has 2 locations. They rave about the ribs, chicken, pulled pork etc. Over the years I have eaten in the Boca Raton location at least 20 times. Personally, I think that the food is just okay, nothing more and nothing less…nothing to write home about. Just so you know, the Boca joint is located about a minute drive from my home, so convenience more than anything else has played a role in my eating there.

Have you ever wondered why there are no NATIONAL BBQ CHAINS? The reason: Every region in the country seems to have its own favorite  bbq style/taste. Personally, I don’t care for smoked-products and like Chinese styled bbq ribs.

Like I said before, Lucille’s isn’t one of my favorites…that said, maybe Lucille’s makes bbq ribs/chicken that will please your tastebuds. The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

*****  Park Avenue BBQ & Grille, 4796 North Congress Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida 33426, (561) 357-7427.

Park Avenue is a small “local” South Florida bbq chain. I have lost count on how many there are, but 7 or 8 units sounds about right. Over the years I have eaten in 3 of its locations a total of something like 35 times and taken out so much food, that it’s amazing that I haven’t had to have an angioplasty done. Anyway…my last Park Avenue outing was last night (at the Boynton Beach location) and I have to tell you, that the this joint’s baby-back ribs and bbq chicken are absolutely delicious. This joint also makes corn-fritters doused in powder sugar that are terrific.

Do yourself a favor and visit a location in your area. Delicious food. Big portions. Pleasant and efficient waiters/waitresses. All kinds of menu “price specials.” Park Avenue is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. If you wear anything dressier than tee shirt/shorts you will look silly.

   d

    Le Tub, 1100 North Ocean Drive, Hollywood, Florida 33419 (954) 921-9425.

Awhile back, Gentlemen’s Quarterly (GQ) magazine rated the hamburger at Le Tub as the best hamburger in America. Well, let me tell you something…If Le Tub’s hamburger is the best in the United States, then I’m going to be elected the next Pope and I ain’t even Catholic.

The burger is crap. The staff a bunch of nasty bastards. If you think I am being harsh on this joint, “GOOGLE” Le Tub and read the numerous “customer reviews” and decide for yourself if this is a joint that you want to try.

All I can say, if you eat at this joint…YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

*****  Frank’s Ristorante & Pizza, 3428 East Atlantic Boulevard, Pompano Beach, Florida 33062, (954) 785-4140.

Over the years, I must have eaten at Frank’s at least 20 times. It is basically a pizza joint which seats maybe 35-40 people. It is one of the better “mom & pop” red-sauce joints which dot the South Florida landscape. This is strictly a shorts/tee shirt venue.

My latest visit to Frank’s, was this past Friday Night as part of my annual attendance at the  Pompano Beach Seafood Festival where The Buckinghams were performing. By the way, this annual Festival is a 3-day affair and is a great event for those of you who like rock n roll music on the beach, craft booths and great food vendors.

Anway, let me get back to Frank’s…terrific pizza, veal parmigiana, chicken cacciatore and garlic rolls.

If you live in the area, Frank’s which has been around something like 9,000,000 years is a great place for a really casual lunch or dinner. Frank’s is open 7-days a week.

     Farraddays’ Steakhouse, 1800 Southwest Street, Pompano Beach, Florida 33069, (954) 972-2000.

Farraddays’ is an “upsacale steakhouse” located in the Isle of Capri Casino. I ate there last night and the $40+ steaks, $10+ salads, $9 side dishes etc.  weren’t worth the money. The food/service wasn’t bad, but were far from great. When a joint advertises/prices itself as being top-notch,  you should get terrific stuff all around. 

This joint is open for dinner Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

On a  final note, the Isle which has slots, poker and trotter-racing is a very well run operation.  In addition to Farraddays’, the Isle also has an Italian restaurant, Bragozzo…a deli named Myron’s and a buffet called Island Buffet. A cursoy look at these joints’ menus, indicated “specials” and more reasonable price points.

Just so we are clear, Farraddays’ isn’t a bad joint. It is just a very overpriced restaurant for what you get… if its menu was cut by 30% price-wise, I would be a frequent diner.