When it comes to food, South Florida is a great place to be. So many new restaurants open nearly every day. Here’s what’s coming soon to a city near you.
The Port of Peri Peri
15817 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines; myperiperi.com
In a fabulous foodie flurry of alliteration, The Port of Peri Peri is promoting its Portuguese-African palatability in Pembroke Pines with a grand unveiling on Saturday, June 8. The national chain is in 11 states (this is the first for Florida) and features all-natural fare with a focus on vegetarian-fed chicken — flame-grilled and served with authentic Peri Peri sauce. The Muslim-owned eatery is halal-certified, and its menu includes ribs, lamb chops, burgers, wraps, pitas, plant-based options and desserts (Key lime creme pie, red velvet layer cake, cheesecake xango and more). There’s also a kids’ menu. Throughout opening week, the restaurant plans to give away free wings and hold a drawing contest for children (up to age 12) where 10 winners will get free kids’ meals for a year.
Boemia Blue Cafe & Lounge
955 Sansburys Way, Suite 211, West Palm Beach; Instagram.com/BoemiaBlue
A coffeehouse by day and clubby music hideaway by night, this cafe-lounge expects to debut this summer on the southwest corner of Belvedere Road and Sansburys Way, a slight jog north of the South Florida Fairgrounds. The restaurant, which is registered to four owners — Javier and Paola Trujillo, Renato Peralta and Marlen Correa Forero — hasn’t yet released its menu or live-music schedule.
Parlor Doughnuts
444 NE Seventh St., Fort Lauderdale; parlordoughnuts.com/fort-lauderdale-fl
Set to open in August in Flagler Village, this sweet newcomer will offer signature layered doughnuts as well as vegan, gluten-free and keto-friendly options that feature a cake-like texture. There will also be a full coffee bar, plus special Pawler Dog Doughnuts available for your furry friend. The decor will mix modern with vintage Americana, evoking “parlor” rooms of 1900s Victorian homes. This marks Parlor Doughnuts’ first foray into Broward County, with future plans to open three more locations in the region.
Embarcadero 41
350 SE Second St., Suite 2, Fort Lauderdale; embarcadero41.us
Expected to open in December, Embarcadero 41 — also called E41 — is the creation of the Vidal family, who came here from Peru in 2018 and created the boutique eatery brand that serves a menu mix of Peruvian fusion and Nikkei cuisine. Husband-and-wife dynamic duo Jorge (who worked with brewer SABMiller for 24 years) and Patricia, along with daughter Rafaella and son Rodrigo, opened their first restaurant in Sunrise in 2020 and now have three other locations: in Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs and Boca Raton. The menu includes ceviche and tiraditos; hot and cold appetizers such as pulpo anticuchero (octopus), conchitas a la Parmesana; rice and risottos, pastas, makis (sushi) and chef’s specials. This new location will have a full indoor-outdoor bar with a menu of signature co*cktails, some made with pisco and Peruvian ingredients, and a wide and exclusive wine list. The new E41 will have three distinct areas — dining room, lounge bar and terrace — encompassing 3,600 square feet to accommodate 150 patrons.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
105 Breakwater Court, Jupiter; 561-831-4440; ruthschris.com/jupiter
The newest SoFlo location for the restaurant brand known for sizzling steaks is scheduled to debut for dining on Monday, June 3. Ruth’s Chris Steak House uses a patented broiling method, and each cut is served on a 500-degree plate to better ensure that the last bite is as close as possible to the first. Popular items include the aged center-cut filet, bone-in New York Strip and 40-ounce Tomahawk Ribeye. The menu also has seafood, appetizers and sides served family-style, as well as desserts made in-house. The Jupiter location will have a main dining room, bar area, patio seating and space for private events, all spanning 8,452 square feet. Founded by Ruth Fertel in 1965, Ruth’s Chris has more than 150 locations globally.
Through The Vine
444 NE Seventh St., Suite 1A, Fort Lauderdale; Instagram.com/throughthevineftl
This wine bar plans to debut in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village, nestled at EON Squared apartments, in early summer. In addition to the vino — curated by sommelier Jason Javens — oenophiles will be able to enjoy a menu of shareable plates and gourmet tapas with highlights such as charcuterie boards, Sweet Figs Truffle Honey Burrata Cheese Flatbread, Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters, and Watermelon and Cucumber Ceviche. The project is from a triumvirate of entrepreneurs and hospitality execs: Troy Cabrera, Isaac Benharoche and Eli Goldshtein.
Ah-Beetz New Haven Pizza
Multiple locations; Ah-Beetz.com
Ah-beetz, for the uninformed, is the only proper way to pronounce “apizza” in New Haven, Connecticut — locals say it loudly and emphatically, like “achoo!” — which should tell you something about the authenticity of the pies served there. After debuting in Delray Beach in 2022, the pizzeria is adding three more franchises, the first of which will bow this June in West Palm Beach (2600 Broadway Ave.), in funky-chic restaurant row Northwood Village, 2 miles north of downtown. The other two are expected to open this year in Royal Palm Beach (11051 Southern Blvd.) and Lake Park (9475 A1A Alternate). Founded by Kassondra Frantz and Nick Laudano Jr., the restaurant touts Connecticut favorites such as white clam ah-beetz, “mootz” (or mozzarella) pies with toppings, plus calzones, wings, salads and grinders.
3Natives
Multiple locations; 3Natives.com
This South Florida-blended franchise is on a tear, with plans to debut multiple outposts later this summer in Broward and Palm Beach counties. The fast-casual smoothie and acai-bowl bar, started by Tequesta’s Anthony Bambino in 2013, has already opened 10 locations, most recently on Fort Lauderdale’s 17th Street Causeway (April 24) and Boynton Beach’s Jog Road (March 27). Locations opening later this spring and summer, per the 3Natives website, include: Coral Springs (1211 N. University Drive), Weston (292 Indian Trace, Suite 2), Lake Worth Beach (8764 Lantana Road, Suite B-114) and Westlake (5070 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road). The juicery has eight signature acai bowls, from the Estes Bowl (granola, peanut butter, strawberry, green apple) to the Tequesta Dragon (dragonfruit, blueberry, raspberry), along with salads, wraps, bagels and avocado toast.
Ocean Prime
171 Las Olas Circle, Fort Lauderdale; Ocean-Prime.com
This upscale surf-and-turf chain already has a mighty presence across 17 major cities, and now the steakhouse plans to open its latest sit-down on Las Olas Marina in spring 2025. At 15,000 square feet, the eatery from Ohio hospitality outfit Cameron Mitchell Restaurants will devote half its 400 seats for patio dining. It will be perched beside the Las Olas Bridge, and diners may use the marina’s 68 public boat slips for access, chief operating officer David Miller says in a statement. “Our fifth Ocean Prime location in Florida marks another significant milestone in our expansion in the state,” Miller says. Ocean Prime — which also has outposts in Tampa, Orlando, Naples and Sarasota — will offer oysters on the half-shell, Dutch Harbor King Crab legs and chilled whole Maine lobster on ice, sushi rolls, lobster bisque soup and, for entrees, sea scallops and blackened snapper with corn spoon bread and Swiss chard in a corn emulsion. Carnivores, meanwhile, can carve into filets, New York strips and ribeyes with optional Bearnaise sauce, black truffle butter and bleu cheese crust, along with Berkshire pork in a sherry reduction and double-bone lamb chops in roasted garlic-thyme jus. There menu also includes co*cktails and brunch.
Block 40 Food Hall
1818 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Block40FoodHall.com
On land that once included the Great Southern Hotel sits South Florida’s newest food hall, a 10-kiosk dining hub and central bar that will open to the public this June on the ground floor of the 1818 Park residential tower. Block 40, whose sidewalk patio will overlook Hollywood’s tony ArtsPark at Young Circle, comes from Society 8 Hospitality, which knows a few things about running food halls. Newly announced vendors include: Donut Cream; DalMoros Fresh Pasta to Go (offers pasta in a box); Von Asia Kitchen (Jamaican-Asian mashup with robata-grilled jerk chicken); Catch Seafood Market (kosher whole fish, filets and whole-catch dishes); Hangry Joe’s (a hot chicken sandwich franchise), Cho:Tu (Indian street food), PhastBreak Cheesesteaks; Ocho Loco (street tacos and other Mexican dishes); C.L.A.S.S. Lux Burger (a burger joint from the same owners behind C.L.A.S.S. Soiree Steakhouse in downtown Hollywood); and Hollywood Creamery (housemade ice cream and ice-cream sandwiches).
Volare Italian Cuisine, Pizza & Wine Bar
1823 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-900-3621; VolareFL.com
Maybe it seemed inevitable that the owners behind Italian fast-food joint Pick-ITA-Up would crave a different name, if not price point. Owners Kremena and Filomeno Giannino (Dal Contadino Trattoria) have revamped their year-old space on East Commercial Boulevard into a higher-end restaurant and pizzeria, which will formally debut as Volare with a grand opening set for June 11, per its website. No longer will every Italian entree be $12, as it was under the Pick-ITA-Up moniker. Instead, the expanded menu of dishes (now $7-$32) includes starters such as seafood croquettes and baby back ribs; lunch-only handhelds like La Bomba (salami, mortadella, provolone on ciabatta); and, for entrees, spaghetti and meatballs and linguine alle vongole. There are also 21 signature red-sauce and white pies from Nuccio’s Pizza (confit cherry tomatoes, baked onions, guanciale, ricotta, crumbled Taralli crackers) to Volare (a star-shaped pizza with mozzarella, speck, pesto burrata, shaved Parmesan). Expect a variety of beers, proseccos, white and red wines.
Piu Argentinian Ice Cream
6310 Griffin Road, Unit B-101, Davie
This frozen treat shop registered to owner Mauricio Bastidas Castillo is coming later this year to the University Pointe apartment complex on the southeast corner of Griffin and Davie Roads, next to Pho Bar Vietnamese Kitchen and Taco Love. Although a menu isn’t available yet, it will specialize in Argentinian “helado,” a delicious middle ground that marries the density of Italian gelato with the soft, creamy texture of traditional ice cream, without quite tasting like either.
Sugar Factory American Brasserie
307 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; SugarFactory.com
Adorned in neon, sprinkles and Instagrammable grass walls, this candy-coated chain is expected to arrive in Delray Beach this summer, replacing Lionfish, the acclaimed seafood restaurant on swanky Atlantic Avenue that abruptly shut in April after 3 1/2 years. The new, over-the-top restaurant is a celebrity magnet known for creating co*cktails and Couture Pops (lollipops) endorsed by the likes of The Rock, Bruno Mars, Nick Jonas, Kendall Jenner and Pitbull. And the food menu itself? It’s just as grandiose, with rainbow-colored sliders served with a rubber duck, cheeseburger- and pizza-loaded fries, a Flaming Hot Cheetos Burger, another hamburger dipped in 24-carat gold leaf, a firecracker shrimp stir-fry, a salted caramel cheesecake “insane milkshake” and a $99 “King Kong Sundae.” A Sugar Factory spokesperson told the Sun Sentinel in April that an attached retail shop will offer 100 varieties of candy and “party accessories such as sashes and tiaras.”
ROK Prime Korean BBQ
1729 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach
One of South Florida’s longest evangelists of Korean cuisine, chef-owner Michael Kwon will bring a sister restaurant to his 12-year-old ROK Korean BBQ in Lauderhill sometime later this summer. His new 2,200-square-foot restaurant in the Sunshine Square plaza will feature tabletop grills firing all-you-can-eat prime cuts of meat such as pork belly and bulgogi, along with banchan, vegetable-loaded side dishes that are staples on Korean barbecue menus. The opening of ROK follows the 2022 closing of Bap Bistro in Sunrise, where Kwon (Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C.; Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne) served build-your-own bibimbap bowls.
Man Ray
522 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth Beach; Sub-Culture.org
Named after the iconic painter and photographer subversive who straddled two art movements — Dada and Surrealism — this restaurant is expected to open later this year on Lucerne Avenue in downtown Lake Worth Beach, replacing the former C.W.S. Bar + Kitchen. Billed as a spinoff of Dada in Delray Beach, the eclectic sit-down comes from Palm Beach restaurant impresario Rodney Mayo (Kapow!, Sassafras, Hullaballoo, the recently opened El Segundo) and features no menu yet.
Pura Vida
6 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach; puravidamiami.com
This Miami-based, health-conscious chain is quickly expanding throughout SoFlo with a particular focus on Palm Beach County. The new Pura Vida Delray Beach will overlook the ocean when the 4,000 square-foot space opens this summer. Founded by Omer and Jennifer Horev in 2012 (there are already 24 eateries), the fast-casual keeps an eye on food allergies and dietary restrictions, offering dishes such as pasture-raised egg sandwiches, salads, raw organic acai bowls, wraps and gluten-free vegan sweets. “We are thrilled to continue our journey of growth in Palm Beach County with the opening of our new stores in Jupiter and Delray Beach,” Omer Horev says. “Our aim has always been to foster spaces where individuals can come together to enjoy not just great food, but a lifestyle centered around health and wellness.”
Howl at the Moon
600 SE Second Court, Fort Lauderdale; 754-356-4695; HowlattheMoon.com
In a bygone Fort Lauderdale party era, dueling-piano bars tickled the ivories into the wee hours of the morning at Beach Place. Now one of those singalong nightspots, Howl at the Moon, is staging a comeback with a 5,000-square-foot venue off Las Olas Boulevard, behind Big City Tavern. It is slated to open in October. As with the other 12 national locations, this new piano-bar will sling co*cktails, shots and beers, no doubt to loosen your tongue for belting out “Don’t Stop Believin’” for the 50th time. Meanwhile, performers will face each other across black baby-grand pianos, taking song requests for tips while inviting customers onstage.
Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza
1 Main St., Miramar; mistero1.com
Renato Viola’s pizzeria is expected to open this fall at the new Manor at Miramar, an eight-story, mixed-use development right in the heart of the southern Broward County city. Known for star-shaped, Neapolitan-style pizzas, Mister O1 has multiple South Florida locations, including in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Aventura and South Beach.
The Knife Parrilla Argentina
9231 W. Atlantic Blvd., Coral Springs; TheKnifeRestaurant.com
After closing locations in Hallandale Beach and Sunrise over the years, Argentinean-style steakhouse The Knife is carving its way back into Broward with a new home within Coral Square Mall. The 38-year-old restaurant chain’s newest outpost expects to debut this spring at the mall’s east entrance, beside Foot Locker, according to the mall’s website. The “parrilla,” which touts all-you-can-eat cuts at a fixed price, includes short ribs, rump and bottom sirloin, picanha, N.Y. strips, boneless chicken thighs, flank pork and beef briskets, along with side bars devoted to appetizers, salads and charcuterie. (There are also empanadas, desserts and co*cktails including the Messi Favorito Mojito, in honor of Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi, of course.) Other locations remain in Doral and at Miami’s Bayside Marketplace.
Bondi Sushi
3333 N. Federal Highway, Oakland Park; BondiSushi.com
This beachy, Big Apple-born, sushi-bar chain is expanding with its first Broward outpost, which expects to debut this summer at Oaklyn, a new sky-high tower giving Oakland Park a jolt of big-city appeal. The 2,100-square-foot kitchen comes from founder-partners David Hess, Aiden Carty and Justin Hauser, and will occupy space next to soon-to-open burger joint La Birra Bar and the motorcycle-themed Imperial Moto Café. The dining room will be distinguished by a Japanese-style co*cktail bar and a sweets shop called Icebergs, which will serve Japanese ice cream, rice-cake desserts, sodas and candy. Bondi, which also operates a Miami Beach outpost, will serve king salmon and yellowtail jalapeno sashimi, 12 kinds of handrolls (from lobster and toro to A5 Wagyu and truffle avocado), 14 types of nigiri (sea scallop, seared albacore), crispy rice and shish*to pepper appetizers.
Fat Boyz Barbecue
10334 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs; FatBoyzBarbecue.com
Owner Jarael Holston-Jones has grown and shrunk his smoky empire of barbecue multiple times over the years, so you’d be forgiven for feeling déjà vu over the pitmaster’s soon-to-open Coral Springs location. After the pandemic and overaggressive expansion killed his last outpost there in 2021, Holston-Jones’ shrine to Southern-style smoked ribs and brisket is expected back in early summer. The new 1,000-square-foot shack will replace the former Juana La Cubana Café on West Sample Road and cater to take-out crowds, although its menu will be identical to other locations in Deerfield Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Its usual crowd-pleasers include dry-rubbed St. Louis spare ribs kissed with hickory and spice, Texas-style brisket, smoked lean pastrami and its Big Daddy sandwich, a combo of pulled pork, chopped brisket and mac ‘n’ cheese on a kaiser roll.
SoHo Kitchen
3020 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; Instagram.com/sohokitchenfortlauderdale
This breakfast-lunch café plans to open this spring in Plaza 3000, next door to Lotus Chinese Kitchen and The Mason Jar Café. The eatery, which comes from husband-and-wife New York transplants Andrew and Jutbina Pirgousis, doesn’t have a full menu available yet but is said to specialize in all-day brunch and lunch specials.
Tacocraft
3300 N. University Drive, Coral Springs; Tacocraft.com
This growing taqueria chain is not only backed by powerhouse investors — gridiron great Dan Marino, radio star Paul Castronovo and restaurateurs Anthony Bruno, Pat Marzano and Marc Falsetto — but its new Coral Springs location will be its largest yet. When it debuts this summer, the 4,500-square-foot, 200-seat restaurant from Handcrafted Hospitality will anchor the new City Village, a soon-to-open, mixed-use shopping plaza spanning two blocks on North University Drive. Along with a lineup of tacos (korean short rib, chicken al pastor, carne asada), there are trendy smash burgers, salads, fajitas, churro ice-cream sandwiches and a bar program of margaritas and tequila-forward co*cktails. The Coral Springs location joins outposts in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Fort Lauderdale and Plantation.
Celis Juice Bar
335 E. Linton Blvd., Suite B-12, Delray Beach; celisjuicebar.com
This health-conscious eatery (make sure you check out their running club) will open its newest location in May, joining the original brick-and-mortar in West Palm Beach that opened in 2015 and the Palm Beach venue that followed a couple of years later. The quick-service restaurant offers fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, acai bowls and made-to-order breakfast and lunch. The boutique-chain is owned by the Celis brothers — Alex, Camilo and Felipe — and Taki Kastanis, who is also CEO of Yolk restaurants.
Jerk and Lime at Nicole’s House
182 NW Fifth Ave., Delray Beach; Instagram.com/nicoles_house_/
Owner Nicole Myers’ long-in-the-works Caribbean restaurant plans to open a slight jog west of downtown Delray Beach, a block north of the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, sometime this spring, the restaurant’s Instagram confirms. Myers, originally from St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, is cooking up a menu that will include braised oxtail with plantains and rice and pea cabbage, stew fish, fried lobster tail with jumbo shrimp, fried catfish, pepper steak with mashed potatoes, and jerk chicken with garden fruit salad.
Juliana’s Pizza
905 N. Railroad Ave., West Palm Beach; JulianasPizza.com
For most pizza lovers, the arrival of Juliana’s to West Palm Beach’s rising NORA district heralds yet another New York-born pie shop sowing new roots in South Florida. But to folks fascinated with the Empire State’s very long and winding pizza wars saga, Juliana’s represents a slice of Big Apple royalty. The short version: Juliana’s was founded by restaurateur Patsy Grimaldi, who at various times ran Patsy’s and Grimaldi’s and traces his bona fides back to the original Lombardi’s, and has been selling pies in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood since 1990. (Juliana’s is named after Grimaldi’s late mother.) The history gets more convoluted from there, but Juliana’s has racked up countless accolades, topping best-pizzeria lists from TripAdvisor and USA Today to Cosmopolitan. The man most directly responsible for its South Florida expansion is cofounder Matthew Grogan, an ex-Wall Street executive and current Palm Beacher, who will bring Juliana’s menu of coal-fired pies with thin, crackerlike crusts, egg creams, meatballs and seltzer to West Palm in early 2025.
Drunken Dragon
601 N. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach; DrunkenDragon.com
What happens when a Korean barbecue spot touting tiki-themed co*cktails, Asian tapas and DIY grilling uproots from flashy Miami Beach? In Hallandale Beach, at least, enter the Drunken Dragon. The restaurant called it quits after 10 years on Alton Road with a Dec. 31 farewell party ahead of a planned late-2024 opening at Atlantic Village, a sprawling live-shopping complex. The move from cofounder Angel Febres and his Homecookin’ Hospitality Group (Rácket in Wynwood, Foxhole in Miami Beach) has been in the works since 2021. Drunken Dragon’s new 300-seat eatery is a rebranding of the barbecue house into what it calls a “craft-co*cktail supper club,” with 37 communal grilling tables, a “Dragon Lounge” and live entertainment.
