Best of Boca Raton Restaurants

The Best Waterfront Restaurant

Houston's
2821 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach 
954-783-9499

A steakhouse full of dark wood and good food.

Boston's on the Beach / Boston's Upper Deck

The casual bar has been packing 'em in for 20-plus years. Fuhgettaboutit Fridays offer primo drink specials and live music to help melt away the stress of the week. Island Sundays include Bacardi rum drinks for $2.50, Sam Adams lager or light for $3, and 10 top-neck steamers or chicken wings for $5. Live music is performed daily. -- City Link (February 16, 2005)

Hours: breakfast, lunch, dinner; happy hour 4-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, with free buffet


Reader reviews: Write a review  | Read other reviews

Best Chinese Food

P.F. Chang's China Bistro
1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton 
561-393-3722

This is the fourth P.F. Chang's China Bistro in Florida. These upscale, casual restaurants are not your typical family-run Chinese restaurant. Far from it! Here you'll experience a unique combination of traditional Chinese cuisine and American hospitality in a contemporary bistro setting.

Uncle Tai's
5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton 
561-368-8806

Boca's most upscale Chinese restaurant is also one of the best, with uncommonly elegant decor and the sort of quiet, efficient service French restaurants aspire to. The decor and presentation are also reflected in the food, in which spiciness is moderated for the American palate but dishes are cooked with a flawless sense of timing.

Gary Woo Asian Bistro
3400 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton 
561-368-8803

Expect cooked-to-order (nothing is pre-cooked, Schmidt insists) New York-style Chinese food, but also be prepared for Grand Marnier shrimp (Schmidt's wife Iris' favorite) and lemon sorbet served in a lemon shell. 

Hours: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on weekends. Closed Monday

Best Sushi

ICHIBAN JAPANESE RESTAURANT
8841 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL
Map | Add to your Address Book

561/451-2429


Type of Cuisine: Asian/Global/Eclectic
Area: Palm Beach County

Indoor and outdoor seating. All ages and types enjoy the harmony of delicious food and Ichiban�s sleek Japanese d�cor. A busy sushi bar, a bustling hibachi room and a cocktail bar surround the elegantly decorated main dining room. The restaurant also features outdoor dining in a simple garden area. Steamed eggplant and seaweed salad are excellent choices. Steamed and slightly salted edamame (soy beans) are as easy to eat as popcorn at a movie theater, and good for you, too. The sushi boats are a fantastic way to sample a wide variety of the chef�s choice of sushi and sashimi. Combination rolls like the tuna, avocado and shrimp or the yellowtail, tuna and scallion are delightfully interesting blends of flavors. Ichiban offers a very extensive menu, so if you�re not into raw fish, there are plenty of excellent choices. Cleanse your palate with a refreshing dish of ginger or green tea ice cream.

MC, V.


7860 Glades Road, Boca Raton 
561-218-9090

90 Miles describes itself as a Cuban/Mexican restaurant, but it�s more like Cuba and Mexico meet Russia. Don�t get nervous at this incongruous mix of cuisine. There�s a good reason why you�ll see borscht listed next to black bean soup and why the wine list offers Spanish and California wines as well as the viniculture of Moldova.

Best Deli

TooJays Gourmet Deli
3013 Yamato Rd, Boca Raton 

561-997-9911

This gourmet deli recently won CityLinks best for their Black-and-White Cookie, but that's not all they serve. Try deli fresh sandwiches, salads and more!

Hours: Open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 7 days a week.

Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House
3006 Executive Center Drive, Boca Raton 
561-982-8899

South Florida's Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House, an institution in Sunny Isles Beach since 1954, and for the past three years in Boca Raton, hasn't changed much. They're both now owned by the Los Angeles-based Jerry's Famous Deli and an actual Jerry's is now under construction in South Beach. But for a generation who came to Florida from points north every winter, eating at Rascal House is as much a part of South Florida lore as seeing the flamingos at Hialeah racetrack or visiting Parrot Jungle. Yes, the kitsch factor remains high in Boca in the orange-and-turquoise color scheme and the pitchfork-carrying cartoon character that serves as the restaurant's mascot. And overall, I believe the food maintains a level of quality not always found in today's delis, especially one that serves three meals each day.

Best Steakhouse

Best Steakhouse:Morton's of Chicago
5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton 
561-392-7724

Morton's is a place for a power lunch or a special dinner. The specialty, of course, is USDA Prime Steak. Servers present the different cuts and sizes of steaks prior to ordering, and prime choices include Porterhouse, New York Strip Sirloin, Ribeye Steak, Double Filet Mignon, and Tenderloin Brochette. Non-steak items include Farm-raised Salmon, Veal Chops, Lamb Chops, Long Island Swordfish, Whole Maine Lobster (3-5 pounds), and Lemon Oregano Chicken.

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
225 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton 
561-392-6746

Best Seafood

Legal Seafood
6000 Glades Rd., Boca Raton 
561-447-2112

Legal Sea Food boasts, "If it isn't fresh, it isn't Legal," and this focus on freshness started 50 years ago in a Cambridge, Mass. fish market. Clam chowder with fresh clams and fresh clam taste is available year-round; the crab cake served on a bed of crispy mixed greens and anything from the raw bar are recommended starters. Main courses are varied and the servers are primed with extensive explanations of each of the dishes.

MONTY�S STONE CRAB
2300 Executive Center Drive
Boca Raton, FL
Map | Add to your Address Book

561/994-5626

Type of Cuisine: Seafood
Area: Palm Beach County

Who needs Joe�s when we have Monty�s, Boca�s stone-crab heaven? Sinatra tunes, an open raw bar and, best of all, �all you can eat� fresh stone crabs, signature dish of South Florida from October through April. If you actually want something else, there are other options, from she-crab soup to pastas, poultry and steaks. Tucked away in an office park, Monty�s less-than-auspicious location is a non-issue when it comes to the consistent and straightforward menu of soundly prepared seafood and steaks.

CITY OYSTER
213 E. Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL
Map | Add to your Address Book

561/272-0220

Type of Cuisine: Seafood
Area: Palm Beach County

Without hesitation, order the pan-fried crab cakes in parsley butter to start. The Grand Plateau is a fine catch featuring a chilled lobster tail, oysters, littlenecks, jumbo shrimp and Jonah crab claws. We liked the complex and exotic flavors of the Thai shrimp, scallop and tuna �boke,� a wonderful coconut curry �stew� served over aromatic basmati rice. Although the menu is small, seafood lovers will be delighted by the variety of choices. The menu offers one chicken, one beef and one pork item, each simple in execution, yet satisfying in size and taste. City Oyster has an outstanding wine list (by the bottle and glass) in terms of diversity, the merging of New and Old World wines, and selection of wineries. The more expensive wines are almost a bargain, and all prices are fair.

Best Barbecue

Lucille's Bad To The Bone BBQ
3011 Yamato Road
Regency Court Shopping Plaza, Boca Raton 
561-997-9557

Lucilles, named one of the top 10 barbecue restaurants in the US by Smoke Magazine, serves Memphis-style barbecue. Among the selections are pulled pork, rotisserie chicken and barbecue ribs. You'll find all the traditional sides here, such as homemade mashed potatoes, apple sauce, corn-on-the-cob, cole slaw, baked beans and French fries.

Mississippi Sweets BBQ Co.
2399 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton 
561-394-6779

There are no surprises on the menu at Mississippi Sweets BBQ Co., just a compendium of goodies that sound ordinary but hold the promise of the true spirit of good barbecue. Sandwiches include barbecue chicken, beef, pulled pork, farm-raised catfish, burgers and chicken specialties. Barbecue options range from half a chicken to a full slab of baby back ribs. Choctaw catfish and Southern fried chicken are also offered.

Best Dessert Menu

Cheesecake Factory
5530 Glades Road, Boca Raton 
561-393-0344

There's much more here than cheesecake, and it's pretty good, too. A long wait for a table is rewarded with substantial portions of down home comfort food like pizza, meat loaf, roast chicken, the best mashed potatoes in town and a fine herb-crusted salmon. This is Boca's closest confluence of fast food (well, fast once seated) and quality. Service is friendly, the price is moderate.

Best Breakfast

Dune Deck Cafe
100 N. Ocean Blvd, Lantana 
561-582-0472

Enjoy good foof and a relaxed atmosphere at this breezy beachside cafe. For breakfast enjoy specials such as French Toast or Eggs Benedict. For lunch, be sure not to pass up the Chicken Brochette, marinated chicken on a skewer served with a greek salad and fries.

Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House
3006 Executive Center Drive, Boca Raton 
561-982-8899

South Florida's Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House, an institution in Sunny Isles Beach since 1954, and for the past three years in Boca Raton, hasn't changed much. They're both now owned by the Los Angeles-based Jerry's Famous Deli and an actual Jerry's is now under construction in South Beach. But for a generation who came to Florida from points north every winter, eating at Rascal House is as much a part of South Florida lore as seeing the flamingos at Hialeah racetrack or visiting Parrot Jungle. Yes, the kitsch factor remains high in Boca in the orange-and-turquoise color scheme and the pitchfork-carrying cartoon character that serves as the restaurant's mascot. And overall, I believe the food maintains a level of quality not always found in today's delis, especially one that serves three meals each day.

Best Outdoor Dining

De La Tierra at Sundy House Inn

The Sundy House itself is a 1902 frame structure, the home of Delray Beach's first mayor. The outdoor botanical gardens are not to be missed -- exuberant landscaping stretching past a charming white gazebo, tucked with tropical exotics, lush foliage, wooden bridges over bubbling brooks and softly illuminated rambling paths leading to more of the same.

Hours: dinner Tuesday-Sunday, Sunday brunch


Reader reviews: Write a review  | Read other reviews

Cucina d'Angelo
5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton 
561-750-2344

Cucina d�Angelo offers the same menu as Casa D�Angelo, including the cultivated whitewater clams in a white wine sauce, fennel and cherry tomatoes over polenta crostini as an appetizer; a radicchio, gorgonzola, apples and caramelized walnut salad; and Elia�s signature entree, grilled shrimp with a limon citronette served over a bed of zucchini and eggplant.

BIG CITY TAVERN
5250 Town Center Circle
Boca Raton, FL
Map | Add to your Address Book

561/361-4551

Type of Cuisine: American
Area: Palm Beach County

We recommend grabbing a table in the front to better observe the Clematis Street hubbub. This is one of the flagship Big City restaurants, with a speakeasy/old-fashioned/Yuppie, brick-and-pressed-tin-ceiling motif. Very much an urban scene kind of destination, this is high visibility dining rather than haute cuisine. Try the coconut shrimp tempura with a salmon inside-out roll. A bowl of tender, littleneck clams in white wine broth with roasted garlic and leaves of escarole is also a must. Big City has a lengthy and creative list of American wines at fair prices, with a good choice of varietals, and an interesting, but short, list of wines by the glass. Also at 224 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, 561/659-1853.

Chuck and Harold's
207 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach 
561-659-1440

Built during the 1920s, in Mizner architectural style, Chuck and Harold's hallmarks include cypress wood tile floors, a hint of European ambience and just the perfect touch of Key West. Balmy evenings necessitate a table at the outdoor cafe; when indoors, count on the many pluses of the enjoyable garden room with its retractable canvas ceiling that occasionally allows for dining under the stars. Start with the signature gazpacho, served in a footed glass, much like a giant sundae. Entrees include of macadamia nut-encrusted mahi, Maryland lump crabcakes and smoked chicken penne pasta.

Best Sunday Brunch

The Breakers

1 S. County Road, Palm Beach, (561) 655-6611 The Circle Dining Room in Henry Flagler's historic oceanside hotel is a perfect setting for this magnificent buffet brunch. It will set you back $48 per person ($61.06 including tax and tip), but where else could you enjoy such elegance, and choose from so many gourmet foods artfully placed at a dozen serving stations.Favorites among the hundreds of food selections include orange-glazed ham and other meat choices at the carving station, fresh fish of the day, stone crabs, bluepoint oysters, peel-and-eat-shrimp, seasonal vegetables, and fresh-made omelets. Separate stations also feature caviar, pasta, blintzes, risotto, cheeses and fruits, and pastries, among others. Included with brunch is champagne or mimosas.Adding to the ambience is harpist Marco Vegas, who has been performing at Sunday brunch for nearly 20 years.

Best Italian

Caffe Luna Rosa

34 S. Ocean Blvd. (Map)
Delray Beach, FL 33483-6932
561-274-9404

As location goes, Caffe Luna Rosa can't be beat. The restaurant itself is suburban beach chic, bustling with diners and servers on the sidewalk dining area. But like the service, food also seesaws between very good and not so good. >> Read the complete restaurant review

Cucina d'Angelo
5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton 
561-750-2344

Cucina d�Angelo offers the same menu as Casa D�Angelo, including the cultivated whitewater clams in a white wine sauce, fennel and cherry tomatoes over polenta crostini as an appetizer; a radicchio, gorgonzola, apples and caramelized walnut salad; and Elia�s signature entree, grilled shrimp with a limon citronette served over a bed of zucchini and eggplant.

Hours: Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11 a.m to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 11 on the weekend.

Caffe Luna Rossa
34 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach 
561-274-9404

The obviously popular restaurant is quite handsome. But it's built for noise with its polished-granite floor tiles and walls. A sound-reflecting mirror on one wall makes the compact dining room appear larger than it is. The menu doesn't stray from 1960s neighborhood Italian so there are no surprises there. Fried calamari, pizza, grilled veal chop, pollo Ricardo and chicken scaloppine Marsala are among the offerings.

Best Restaurant for Atmosphere and Beauty

The Addison
2 East Camino Real, Boca Raton 
561-395-9335

The Addison is simply beautiful. Once the residence and office of architect Addison Mizner, the historic courtyard and building retain much of their original dash and splendor.The Addison is where dames and dignitaries come to wine, dine and be merry.

Hours: Monday through Thursday 6 to 10:30 p.m.;Friday and Saturday 6 to 11:30 p.m.;Sunday 6 to 10:30 and the bar opens at 5 p.m. daily.