At South Florida’s safest restaurants, robots will call you out for not wearing a mask. Forehead temperature scanners are routine. Fancy air purifiers with ultraviolet lights kill bacteria. Private dining rooms are a thing.
But how do customers, amid a deadly pandemic and constantly evolving rules, discover these reliably safe eateries in the first place? To find out, we asked the eagle-eyed, well-traveled members of the Sun Sentinel’s Let’s Eat, South Florida Facebook group.
So what makes a dining room “safe”? The 23,000-member group coalesced around five benchmarks, which hew closely to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines. Above all, diners crave cleanliness, protective gear (masks, gloves, disinfectant), proper table distancing, disposable menus, patios. Less important, but a bonus: temperature checks, partition walls.
Put another way: “Health and safety are more important than hospitality right now,” says Lew Langer, general manager for Abe & Louie’s steakhouse in Boca Raton and a 30-year restaurant veteran. “The old-fashioned guest experience and emotional connections are taking a backseat.”
Read on for the top Broward and Palm Beach restaurants that diners say are doing it right.
Broward County
Andy’s Live Fire Grill & Bar
1843 S. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-903-9945; AndysLiveFire.com
What’s new: The aroma of red oak and grilled steaks perfume the dining room at Anthony Bruno’s two-story eatery, with cards on every table that read, “This table has been sanitized.” Masks are mandatory but gloves are not, sanitizer stations can be found on both floors and the stairwell, and upstairs offers spacious outdoor seating. “You’ve got to find that balance,” says Bruno, who opened Andy’s in 2019, replacing the six-decade-old Ernie’s Bar-B-Q. The restaurant tests employee temperatures before each shift. “We want people to feel safe but don’t want to make it a depressing experience. Servers don’t hang around the table, just boom, walk away.”
What diners say: “Clean as a whistle! Masks and spaced properly. (Delicious food – have the ribs.)” — Audrey S. Caan, Fort Lauderdale
“Proper social distancing and [they have] seating outside on their patio upstairs. They also have QR codes for their menu.” — Amy Liebenson, Fort Lauderdale
B Square Burgers & Booze
1021 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-999-5216; BSquareBurger.com
What’s new: The bustling comfort-food hub on Las Olas Boulevard, home to a $40 lobster hot dog, enters employees’ body temperatures in a logbook every shift, says B Square general manager Bianca Lemos. Customers aren’t allowed inside without masks, but some forget to don one while leaving their table to use the bathroom. “It’s a lot of babysitting, but now it’s second nature these days,” says Lemos, adding that seating capacity is about 80 people. “But it’s worked because we haven’t had a scare here, no employees testing positive.”
What diners say: “They are completely on point with all measures! I know for a fact they periodically close for a whole day to get the restaurant professionally sanitized. Employees are tested on the regular through a private company, bar closed, tables distanced, everyone wearing masks and gloves.” — Jenn Dunworth, Fort Lauderdale
Flanigan’s Seafood Bar & Grill
23 locations from Stuart to Pinecrest; Flanigans.net
What’s new: The home of baby back ribs, dolphin sandwiches and the famous Flanigan’s green cup has taken a page from the Chik-fil-A playbook and moved its hostess stand outside. “It’s like a bouncer at the gate,” says Jennifer Pierce, a Flanigan’s spokesperson. “It stops people from entering the restaurant without a mask.” Customers showing up without masks are provided one for free, and there’s hand sanitizer on every table, QR and paper menus and daily employee health screenings. To minimize contact, tables are bussed by someone other than the server. Customers must wait inside their cars if there’s a wait for seating.
What diners say: “They ask that you put your mask on before you get within 10 feet of their outside stand. Before you can sit down, inside or outside, you must let them sanitize your hands. They’re always wearing masks and ask your choice of menus and utensils.” — Donna Lunsford Hook, Fort Lauderdale
Lucille’s American Café
2250 Weston Road, Weston; 954-384-9007; LucillesCafe.com
What’s new: Since 1999 this throwback diner has re-created the “Happy Days”-era with jukebox tunes and an oversize menu. Today, amid COVID-19, Lucille’s survives on 75 percent takeout but little dine-in service, Lucille’s owner Paul Nuñez says. Which hasn’t stopped him from installing ultraviolet-light air purifiers to sterilize recirculated air in the diner. All staff wear masks and gloves, and daily temperatures are recorded in a logbook. But he stops short of adding Plexiglas walls between booths. “If you’re going to wreck your atmosphere with divider walls, it kills the vibe. I’m already sanitizing the air people breathe,” Nuñez says. “We also bounce employees on and off the schedule as a precaution.”
What diners say: “They are cleaning and sanitizing constantly, and definitely doing social distancing with 50 percent capacity and either online menu or disposable menus. [It’s] safer than the grocery store for sure.” — Milisa Osbrach Stern, Weston
Pasta And…
4990 W. Atlantic Blvd., Margate; 954-977-3708; PastaAndRistorante.com
What’s new: Offering homemade gnocchi and ravioli since 2008, this small eatery from Northern Italy husband-and-wife owners Luigi and Esperanza Marenco seats only 20 customers. For that reason, booking a reservation is “highly recommended” — but not required — says manager Gian Marco Marenco, the owners’ son. Upon arrival, customers receive a wine box filled with silverware and wine glasses to avoid contact with servers, and more wine boxes are stacked on unused tables, he says. “It’s a nicer touch,” says Marenco, who does mandatory temperature checks on customers with a forehead thermometer. “A wine box setup is more appreciated by our guests. We value everyone’s health more than anything else.” Masks are also enforced for guests and employees.
What diners say: “It’s a very small restaurant to begin with and their indoor seating capacity is now half, but there are about five tables inside. Because of the reduced seating capacity, it’s highly recommended to make a reservation. No Plexiglas dividers but the tables were far enough apart — more than six feet — paper “tablecloths,” hand sanitizer on every table. We have celebrated many occasions there and we felt safe and comfortable.” — Terry Kugler, Lauderhill
The Tipsy Boar
1906 Harrison St., Hollywood; 954-920-2627; TheTipsyBoar.com
What’s new: New CDC guidelines are posted on the windows of this long-running gastropub in downtown Hollywood, and customers are scanned for body temperature before entry, owner Jose Castellanos says. To beef up the Boar’s seating capacity during the pandemic, Castellanos added a tented biergarten with nine tables in the parking lot he owns next door. “We got really lucky,” he says. “We’re doing 70 percent of our usual sales and none of our employees have tested positive.” A deep-cleaning crew sanitizes the restaurant once a month, air-conditioning filters are replaced every two weeks and masks are required on everyone.
What diners say: “They spaced [apart the] tables and added outdoor seating. Masks, e.t.c.” — Vicky Phillips Rotunno, Hollywood
Acquolina
2320 Weston Road, Weston; 954-389-1880; AcquolinaWeston.com
What’s new: “Beyond this point, we’re practicing social distancing,” reads one sign above the entrance to upscale Italian restaurant Acquolina. Signs on tables read, “Reserved for social distancing.” These signs speak for themselves, Acquolina operating partner Jason Morabito says. “All staff are gloved and masked, but the signs are so that we aren’t asking our minimum-wage employees to actively police which customers are wearing masks and which ones aren’t.” Tableside oils, vinegar and cheese are now by-request only, menus are one-time-use paper, and there are hand-sanitizer stations near the entrance and bathrooms.
What diners say: “I feel Acquolina in Weston did a good job with cleanliness and distancing.” – Jenny French Miller, of Weston
Aruba Beach Café
1 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-By-The-Sea; 954-776-0001; ArubaBeachCafe.com
What’s new: Gloved employees must wear masks or face shields, there are disposable paper menus and employee temperature checks happen every shift, Aruba employee Donald Book says. There are Plexiglas dividers between booths, condiments in single-use paper packaging and 10 extra patio tables at the nearby pavilion and Pompano Pier. At 50 percent capacity, the café has also limited reservations to eight parties or fewer.
What diners say: “Stopped in at Aruba this afternoon after a walk on the beach. Sanitizer at the entrance, dividers in between tables, servers wearing face shields. Although we only had drinks, it felt very safe. The table next to us was sanitized twice. No bar seating, small tables for two were placed beside the bar. They were obviously trying very hard to stay within safety guidelines.” – Antonia Viatori Martinez, of Fort Lauderdale
Coconuts
429 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-525-2421; CoconutsFortLauderdale.com
What’s new: Coconuts spokesperson Sasha Formica says there’s seating six feet apart indoors and outdoors; sanitizer stations at entrances, hostess stands and point-of-sale terminals; masks and gloves for employees; extra patio seating at Coconut’s still-closed dock bar and overflow seating at next-door G&B Oyster Bar (also closed). “Customers love the open-air dining room,” Formica says. “Customers already want to dine outside because that’s already the big attraction of our restaurant.”
What diners say: “We … went down to Coconuts in the pouring rain. We were NOT disappointed. Everything was so good. They had tables closed and were very conscious of social distancing including masks and sanitizer available.” — Debbi Emerman Rosenblum, of Boca Raton
Papa’s Raw Bar
4602 N. Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point; 954-942-0740; PapasRawBar.com
What’s new: Troy Ganter, co-owner of the family-owned raw bar and seafood market, says Papa’s has transformed a lot in three months. New additions include an air purification system, disposable paper menus and required masks for employees. He secured a temporary permit from the city to add a 40-foot outdoor tent with 50 socially distanced patio seats. “We’re treating the pandemic as a silver lining and using it to reinvent ourselves,” Ganter says. “We have to stick to our guns and make Papa’s a safe place to eat.”
What diners say: “I had lunch today at Papa Hughie’s in Lighthouse Point. Sat inside. Tables were very spread out. All personnel were wearing masks and gloves. They explained all of their cleaning procedures. One menu was disposable and the other plastic-covered, which they removed and cleaned as soon as we ordered. Plastic utensils and food were served on paper plates. No doubt that detracts somewhat from the experience but I would rather feel safe. The restaurant and bathroom were spotlessly clean. The fish, as usual, was fantastic (grilled mahi-mahi). All in all, a positive experience for someone who has barely left my home since early March.” – Fran Schreiber, of Boca Raton
Tijuana Taxi Co.
901 N. University Drive, Coral Springs; 954-344-9201; 4400 S. University Drive, Davie, 954-472-5008; and 1015 S. Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach, 954-708-2775; TijuanaTaxiCo.com
What’s new: Bathrooms are now single-occupant only, there are Plexiglas shields in front of the hostess stand, menus are now QR code or single-use paper, managing partner Jessica Booke says. “We require guests to wear masks unless they’re sitting,” Booke says. “But once they stand to use the bathroom, they have to put masks back on.” Customers can use plastic or metal silverware, and employees have body temperature checks before shifts begin.
What diners say: “Outside dining was well-spaced. Servers in masks. Customers cannot go inside without masks. Paper menus. Plastic utensils but food was served on regular plates. Drinks in plastic cups. Tortilla chips in a plastic bag and small plastic containers of salsa. We had lunch sitting on their covered porch. Not very busy. No specials offered at this time. Server said they are hurting.” – Rena Moosa Bernstein, of Fort Lauderdale
Beg for More Sushi & Thai
2831 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-900-3082; and 19 SE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach, 561-563-8849; BegForMoreFL.com
What’s new: There are body temperature checks for employees and customers. Customers with temperatures of 100.4 or higher will be turned away at the door, says Surissada Sothiwanwongse, owner of Beg for More in Oakland Park and Delray Beach. Floor-to-ceiling clear vinyl curtains are suspended between tables, and customers have the option of one-time-use paper or QR-coded digital menus. Plates and utensils arrive in vacuum-sealed bags. “We even sterilize the tables with a special ultraviolet wand so customers realize everything is new and clean,” Sothiwanwongse says. “It doesn’t take much for this virus to spread.”
What diners say: “It makes us feel really safe to be eating here. You can tell that they’re going the extra mile. The other restaurants had paper menus or scannable menus but nobody else has had the cutlery or dividers.” – Mimi Stroud, of Fort Lauderdale
Gianni’s
1601 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954-942-1733; GiannisItalianRestaurant.com
What’s new: There’s hand sanitizer at the door, disposable paper menus and all employees are required to wear masks. So are customers, but they won’t be turned away without a mask, owner Ciro Gentile says. “We bought 500 extra masks,” he says. “So if a customer wants one, we’ll provide it.”
What diners say: “We went out for a late lunch today to Gianni’s In Pompano Beach… first time to enter a restaurant since March 15. They are first class, always have linens on the tables which were spaced 8 ft apart or more. All I servers and host wore masks and all patrons required to wear the same. It’s a relaxed, pleasant environment and prices are so reasonable for excellent fresh food. It’s a favorite of ours. – Larry and Adria Schott, of Deerfield Beach
The Field Irish Pub
3281 Griffin Road, Dania Beach; 954-964-5979; TheFieldFL.com
What’s new: The 19-year-old Irish pub now includes hand sanitizer stations, paper and QR-coded digital menus, and guests and front-of-house employees must wear masks. Bathrooms are sanitized every hour, as are dining tables between meals. “If our customers don’t have confidence in our ability to operate safety, we don’t matter anymore,” says Jay O’Haire, the Field’s general manager. Also added: extra patio seating.
What diners say: “The Field Pub on Griffin Road [had] masks, gloves, disinfecting spray, gel, tables properly distanced. They had menu on app for phones — or disposable paper if requested.” – Barbara Ringstad, of Dania Beach
Palm Beach County
Elisabetta’s Ristorante
32 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-560-6699; Elizabettas.com
What’s new: A mash-up of Louie Bossi’s and the late 32 East, this brash, two-story Italian spot has Plexiglas dividers between tables and booths, and masked and gloved staff must log temperatures into an app called Zedic before shifts begin. “After they check in, a manager asks employees how they feel to double-check against their Zedic results,” says Todd Herbst, a co-owner of Big Time Restaurant Group. “We’re big believers in redundancy when it comes to everyone’s health.” Free masks are given to guests who arrive without one, there a QR-coded menus and servers bring mobile card readers to diners’ tables for no-contact payments.
What diners say: “COVID precautions taken very seriously, yet still a nice vibe. The upstairs is really beautiful and even the restrooms showed attention to detail.” — Christine Orgo Corbo, Hollywood
Fries to Caviar
6299 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; 561-617-5965; FriestoCaviar.com
What’s new: Not wearing a mask at this eclectic eatery? Prepare to be shamed in public: A $5,000 machine at the entrance scans body temperatures and detects if you’re masked up. If maskless, a voice in a posh English accent loudly proclaims, “You need to wear a face mask.” “One time someone came in without a mask, heard the voice, and their face went red,” says Philipp Hawkins, whose eatery serves Sunday dim sum and slow-cooked short ribs. Because of his small dining room — 32 seats at half-capacity — Hawkins leased a 1,000-square-foot space next door that he transformed into a private dining area with six tables. Visitors can reserve the free room for up to 90 minutes.
What diners say: “We were celebrating our 40th anniversary. First off, everyone was wearing a mask the entire time we were there (except the diners). Food that was delivered or cleared was taken by gloved hands. I saw at least one person change their gloves. They followed all precautions.” — Andrea Leshman Platt, Boca Raton
Abe & Louie’s
2200 Glades Road, Boca Raton; 561-447-0024; AbeAndLouies.com
What’s new: At this 15-year-old steakhouse, there are employee temperature checks, all masked staffers carry hand sanitizer clipped on their belt loops, and wear black gloves for handling food and blue gloves when cleaning. Table linens are changed between meals and washed at a laundry facility on premises. Its Wine Room is now used as a private dining space, HEPA air filters were added to the A/C system, and tempered glass panes now separate seating booths and banquettes, general manager Lew Langer says. “The glass also dulls the sounds, which is great because steakhouses tend to be boisterous. We have to be aggressive about this because this is a crazy situation,” he says.
What diners say: “Their social distancing is better than most places. Additionally, their procedures are the best around for sanitizing, from where I have been.” — Jennifer Hartman, Lighthouse Point
Casa D’Angelo
171 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, 561-996-1234; 1201 N. Federal Highway, #5a, Fort Lauderdale, 954-564-1234; and 2906 NE 207th St., Aventura, 305-699-5500; Casa-D-Angelo.com
What’s new: Angelo Elia, chef-owner of eight South Florida restaurants including Casa d’Angelo, says he installed high-tech gadgetry at every restaurant to combat COVID-19 spread. Employees now use ultraviolet-c light wands to disinfect dining tables (UV-C light kills microscopic germs). Entrances have built-in hand sanitizer dispensers, and each location is equipped with fancy air purifiers that spray a probiotic mist designed to sterilize airborne bacteria. “These are all extra steps, but for us, this level of safety is the difference between brushing your teeth and flossing,” Elia says.
There are also disposable paper menus and covered patio seating. Customers and staff must wear masks while dining and employees take daily body temperature checks before their shift starts, Elia says, adding that he also bought COVID-19 testing kits for employees.
What diners say: “We went and had a fantastic dinner at Casa d’Angelo in Boca last night. The staff wore masks, patrons removed theirs when seated. They only used every other table for spacing. It was a great night and fantastic meal.” – Warren L. Wheeler, 59, of Fort Lauderdale
Agliolio
2258 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach; 561-509-6486; Agliolio.com
What’s new: This Italian bistro and wine bar (pronounced “ah-lee-oh-lee-oh,” after the Northern Italy dish) does most of its seating outside these days, on a white-tented patio adorned in market lights and music speakers, general manager Amy Courtney says. “It’s a pretty massive tent and we add ceiling fans and ran speaker wire out there. We have a masked server standing outside so you can place your order with them.” There are QR and sanitized plastic menus, four new curbside parking spaces, sanitizer on each table and hands-free bathroom door handles.
What diners say: “They even wipe down the pen before you sign your charge. Lots of procedures in effect: kitchen staff wearing masks and gloves, indoors and outdoors.” — Penny Richman, Boynton Beach
Deck 84
840 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-665-8484; Deck84.com
What’s new: This Burt Rapoport-owned dockside eatery offers disposable paper and QR-coded menus customers can scan with smartphones, general manager Lauren Choquette says. And they’ve expanded patio seating near the Intracoastal marina. A “sanitizer administrator” — basically, an employee in a white lab coat — wipes down tables and chairs between meals, and there are mandatory body temperature checks for employees. “All of our staff are in masks and gloves but we don’t require customers to wear them,” Choquette says.
What diners say: “Went to Deck 84 in Delray. Listened to some live music, watched the boats go by. Everybody following guidelines. Ah, a little slice of the old days.” – Chuck Ternosky, of Pompano Beach
Kapow Noodle Bar
431 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 561-347-7322; KapowNoodleBar.com
What’s new: “You want to keep your customers as safe as your staff, and making diners feel safe is about optics,” says Vaughan Dugan, co-owner of Kapow Noodle Bar. There are six-foot-distance stickers on the floor with cheeky sayings (example: “So close you can almost smell it”). Each server carries hand-sanitizer and is asked to sanitize as they greet new customers. There are also disposable paper menus, daily body temperature checks for employees, compostable paper dinnerware and plastic utensils, and Plexiglas divider walls at Kapow’s patio takeout area. Guests are recommended, but not required, to wear masks.
What diners say: “Kapow Noodle Bar in Boca at Mizner Plaza has been practicing ALL [coronavirus] protocols!” – Kathy Powers, of Boca Raton
Burt & Max’s
9089 W. Atlantic Ave., #100, Delray Beach; 561-638-6380; BurtandMaxs.com
What’s new: A spokesperson for Rapoport’s Restaurant Group, which owns Burt & Max’s, said the restaurant added paper menus, seated diners at every other table, daily body temperature checks for employees and mandatory masks for staff and guests. A new “sanitation administrator,” dressed in a white coat, sanitizes tables between meals.
What diners say: “Burt and Max’s in Delray marketplace … did all the things … except temperature checks which in my personal opinion would be off putting in the extreme.” – Melissa Schultz Bendett, of Parkland
