One of the best ways to explore Greater Fort Lauderdale’s vibrant culture and diverse communities is with your taste buds.
With everything from traditional Cuban cuisine to modern Mexican-fusion fare, Greater Fort Lauderdale’s food scene features a melting pot of Latin American and Caribbean flavors, as well as culinary professionals who come from and are inspired by places all across the world. The following local restaurants are Hispanic-owned and offer you a taste of the area’s most authentic eats and culinary creativity.
Bubbles & Pearls in Wilton Manors is the spot for sipping from flutes of Champagne, snacking on small plates, and slurping $1 oysters during happy hour. The eatery was founded by Hialeah-born chef Josie Smith Malave, who’s of Puerto Rican, Italian, and Filipino descent and was even a contestant on Bravo’s wildly popular show “Top Chef.”
Chef Dennis Beto Quiroz and his wife, Vanesa Oliva, are the brains — and heart — behind Bravo Peruvian Kitchen, which has two locations in both Wilton Manors and Coral Springs. Voted the best Peruvian restaurant two years in a row by Fort Lauderdale Magazine readers, Bravo is a go-to spot for classic contemporary Peruvian dishes, including lomo saltado, causa, and a handful of ceviches.
Step up to the window to place your order, then grab a seat at a colorful picnic table, and bite into one of the best Cubanos you can find in Greater Fort Lauderdale. Since 1976, 925 Nuevos Cubanos has been perfecting this pressed pork-and-cheese sandwich, but you’ll also find a handful of other authentic Cuban/Caribbean dishes on the menu. Owner Luis Valdes actually grew up in the home behind the restaurant — it was his father, an immigrant from Havana, Cuba, who built 925 Nuevos Cubanos and made it the family business.
You’ll find fresh, authentic Mexican and Salvadorian plates on the menu at El Guanaco Taqueria y Antojitos, a female-owned and operated restaurant on Prospect Road in Oakland Park. Founded by Cristina Ardon and Rudi Lopez, the eatery is known for its pupusas, a Salvadorian corn tortilla stuffed with melted cheese and shredded pork, chicken, steak, or shrimp.
More than 40 years ago, the Vilariño family left the island of Cuba on the Mariel boatlift. Not long after landing in Hollywood, Antonio and Nilda Vilariño, and their five daughters, all helped open what became Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine. Today, the beloved local spot for Cuban cuisine has a dozen locations spread out across South Florida.
Three generations of Padrino’s have played a role in this authentic Cuban eatery’s history, which today spans to five South Florida locations. What started as a grocery store in Cuba evolved into a restaurant in Hialeah in the 1970s once the family left the island for the States. Then in the 1980s, Padrino's moved north to Greater Fort Lauderdale where today you’ll find traditional dishes, like ropa vieja, and drinks, like cafe con leche.
Twirl a glass of wine and pick at a selection of tapas as you wait for the empanadas to arrive at Argentino Las Olas — where most of the menu pays homage to the owners’ hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Take, for example, the Provoleta, a grilled provolone cheese served in a hot skillet with olive oil, oregano, and red peppers.
Stop into one of CAO Bakery & Cafe’s locations across Greater Fort Lauderdale to grab a hot cafecito and a fresh pastelito for your morning pick-me-up. This family-owned bakery, known for its croquetas — fried, savory fritters filled with cheese and meat — is on its third-generation of Cuban-American ownership.
Brand new to Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village, AQUI Bar & Kitchen is co-owned by Puerto Rican chef Gino Pérez-Ferrari Cocamir who is the brains behind the menu, which is a mix of Asian-fusion dishes, Mediterranean snacks, and Mexican comfort foods. The brunch menu is also brimming with mouthwatering bites, like the Brûlée French Toast and the Smoked Salmon Tostada.
Choose from more than 50 organic teas and a selection of locally roasted coffees on the menu, and your order will come served in a chic mug or mason jar. Emilio and Jimena Dominguez are the owners of The Modern Rose in Deerfield Beach (coming soon Fort Lauderdale, too!) where you’ll want to try the Mexican street corn style avocado toast, and then wash it down with a cinnamon mocha latte.
Discover your new favorite dish during your next getaway to Greater Fort Lauderdale, where our diverse dining scene is guaranteed to delight everyone under the sun.
