ISO (In Search Of) GOOD EATS in BOCA

[netmover]

Hi

I am spending a 2-3 days a week up in Boca as of late and was hoping some of you could help a fellow SOFLO Chowhounder out. So far I have the following to positively report, but I really need to expand my lunch/dinner portfolio. Please help! Thanks.

Mississppi Sweets BBQ
V&S Deli
Our Original
Talia's Tuscan Table
La Spada's
Lucille's BBQ

Any and all input are welcome!

[iNosh]

we go every year to 'city fish market' - it's on glades road next to hilton suites. they are always incredibly busy, so plan ahead. the array of seafood and fish is amazing. also they have great bread (which is baked in Lauderdale!). if i could
only locate the bakery! but they won't devulge. anybody here knows? it's probably the best bread i managed to find in broward-dade to this day...

[netmover]

Any Must eats in Boca?

[freakerdude]

Rebel House
Tucci's Fire n Coal Pizza
Nick's New Haven Style Pizzeria & Bar
Kapow Noddle Bar
possibly The Mexican and Sybarite Pig but I have not been

[LiveRock]

I would add La Rosa Nautica to the list.

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2010-...

[smartie]

I'm a fan of Miss Sweets too, sometimes I'm just Jonesing for the Talladega Chicken sandwich of theirs. I need to try Smokehouse it seems.

[netmover]

I haven't tried that sammie, but I truly dig their wings over at Miss. Sweets. Brisket is good too!

[netmover]

I finally tried Palm Beach Bagels and meehh! My Brisket Melt was far from special, but it's not fair to judge a place on just one sammie out of dozens. The Omelet my pal ordered looked decent and I trust their bagels are better than Einstein's?

ISO some good Mexy in "Rat Mouth"...help! Porfavor.

[OysterHo]

PB Bagels - I'm not sure about those kind of deli sandwiches. I do like their bagels and they often have good baked salmon or other fish platter specials - on 441 and Clint Moore. The one that's east, near Yamato and Congress isn't as good and didn't have any fish platters when I visited it. Seriously, no baked salmon, no whitefish? WTH??

What mexican place on Congress did you visit? The only Mexican in Boca that I've tried and liked is Las Fajitas on Dixie, north of 20th St. It is NOT Dona Raquel, so I would just drive to Pompano if that's what you're craving. They have great fish tacos, spinach quesadillas, skirt steak fajitas, grilled fish salad, and I heard their chicken soup is to die for (huh?). Next time I am sick, I am picking some of it up to see.

There is another taco place near Dixie and Palmetto, CFByrne has been there a lot, and that might be closer to Dona. Mi Casita? I haven't been so I don't know, but I'm sure it's not the same is Dona (which I loved too, btw).

El Jefe Luchador is AWESOME. http://www.jefetaco.com/ (Same owners as Charm City Burger) It is not Dona, so don't go there expecting Dona. Go there expecting Dona and some innovative high end restaurant in a very casual setting.

If the pork skins freak you out (it was my favorite taco btw, just delicious), their fish tacos (I get them grilled) are awesome. I don't recommend the fried shrimp tacos. If they can grill the shrimp, then yes. The breading of the shrimp overpowered the taco, IMO, but I should add that I don't usually like fried shrimp anyway.

Their other tacos I loved were Al Pastor, Ultimo Dragon (but you better like kimchi) and the Mistico. The mistico is rich and very different, but delicious.

Souvlaki Fast is pretty good and they have $5 gyro tuesdays - good deal.

Max's Grill is consistent and I always love everything I get there.

As for V&S, I've only tried their chicken salad and I didn't like it. I found it to be kind of watery. However, I hear their subs are great, but if I'm going to go off my low carb diet and eat a sub, I would only go to La Spadas. Sorry V&S :

)

I'll think about more places...

[netmover]

Thanks! V&S is really good...

[OysterHo]

So, which Mexican place on congress was it? :)

[netmover]

I purposely have forgotten! It's in a rather large nondescript strip mall about +/- 5 miles north of Yamato. Tiny little Taco Joint. Seemed authentic, but authentic does not always equal GOOD!

[CFByrne]

Net, maybe you are confusing Congress with Dixie?

Congress Ave actually comes to an END at Yamato.

And I can't imagine any Mex joint in any strip mall on Congress N of Yamato...

Altho... Hmmm.... maybe at Linton.... there's a kind of run-down strip mall there on the NE corner... which I've never dared go near.

[netmover]

That must be it! I just headed North on Congress from Yamato and was about ready to double back when I saw that run down strip mall with an unknown Super Market on the South end. It's a tiny Taco joint in the middle. Stick with Chipotle when in the vicinity.

[OysterHo]

Oh dear, not a nice strip mall at all. It used to be winn dixie and smelled like urine in there.

Don't give up on your quest and do let us know which places you've tried, liked and disliked!

[netmover]

The Dona Raquel magnet pulled me off I95 and into Pompano again today. Braised Pork in a Red Sauce was today's lunch special. You could cut it with a fork it was so tender! And at only $6.99 I got a nice Happy Hour base in my belly.

I'm still on the lookout for something comparable in Boca, but do not have great expectations that anything will ever top DR's...still ISO tho O-HO.

BTW, That Super Market almost drew me in for a sniff around, glad I was in a hurry that day! lol

[CFByrne]

Delete Lucille's, add Smokehouse.

Second El Jefe.

[freakerdude]

Delete both Lucille's and Mississippi Sweets then add Smokehouse twice.

Additionals would be:
D'Best for a damn good philly cheesesteak
Hot DogOpolis for a great Chicago dog
La Rosa Nautica for Peruvian
Renzo's pizzeria
Gyroville or Boca Skewers for Greek
Sonny's Gelato or Canoli Kitchen for Italian
Fran's Fried Chicken for a step back into 1950

All are very reasonably priced for both lunch and dinner.

[netmover]

Thanks! I got to say I like Miss. Sweets so I must really be in for a treat at Smokehouse, which got very mixed reviews on another site I shan't mention here. I stumbled upon Lucille's for lunch one day and had a decent Chicken Cordon Bleu Sammie. D'Best is D'lish! I forgot to mention that one...and OMG I forgot to mention Fran's too which was very good. What is Jefe's? I saw a video of that place cooking up some nasty looking fried pig skin, I think Burger Beast posted it somewhere. This ought to give me a good start, but by all means keep 'em coming. Thanks!

[CFByrne]

I'm puzzled why you would go to Lucille's BBQ and order a "Chicken Cordon Bleu Sammie"!

But in any event, if you want actual BBQ, you'll be far better off at SMokehouse than just about anywhere else, never mind Lucilles.

El Jefe Luchador is a "gourmet taco" / Mexican street food joint. Yes I know those two together don't make sense but that's just the best way I can convey it.

[netmover]

I was ISO a quick lunch and after traversing the never ending blvd I saw a small sign saying there was a 'hidden' shopping center, I went back there and shazaam like a dessert oasis there was a huge shopping center with a Publix and about 3 dozen other establishments. I saw Lucille's and that was the lunch special that caught my eye. I won't bother plunking down for their bbq until I try Smokehouse tho based on your recommendation. Thanks.

El Jefe sounds interesting...but Deerefield is close to Pompano and you know where I'm heading when I'm in that neck of the woods. I love U Dona! BTW, is there any good Mexy in Boca? I found one on Congress (seemed authentic) but it really sucked, I'm happy to say I've already forgotten the name. Rocco's was way better and that's not exactly autentico!

The other cuisines that interests me would be Asian if you have any clutch places?
I had a soup at the 5 Spices and was underwhelmed, but that soup dish didn't even scratch the surface of their vast menu...is it any good?

Keep 'em coming Boca...I am hungry!

[stuartlafonda]

When I was in Boca earlier this month I found Nick's New Haven Pizza in a mall south of Glades west of 95, and it was excellent. I have been to Wooster street many times and while not that close to Pepe's it was very good thin crust pizza. I had the clam pie and a regular pie.

The burger spot by the beach in Delray is a Shake Shack knockoff, but was pretty close to the real thing and delicious. The name is BurgerFi.

[CFByrne]

If you get the clam pie at Nick's I like the variation with garlic and bacon.

(As everyone knows, garlic and bacon make *everything* better).

Especially Nick's White Clam Pizza.

[netmover]

I saw that place while enroute to La Spadas and wondered how it was. Good to hear. Is it just pies or do they offer slices?

[SaminSFL]

I will second CFB on Smokehouse, V&S a must, Talia's a must.... I happen to enjoy Hotdogopolis also. And El Jefe's is real good also, as well as the other Rest. they own, Charm City Burgers.

[tpigeon]

If you are willing to go to deerfield beach, you can try El Jefe Luchador. It is very good.