I dined with my adult family at the Southport Raw Bar for dinner on a Wednesday evening in late December 2016. (We visited Southport previously because we have family who live in the area.) Southport is open daily from morning until late, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and snacks. Southport does not accept reservations, but they maintain a waitlist. (The bar/restaurant is popular, and we waited for about 30 minutes until a table opened up.)
Southport Raw Bar is located on Cordova Road between SE 15th
and SE 16th Streets (across from the Quarterdeck restaurant) somewhat near the
intersection of Routes 1 and A1A in the Lauderdale Harbors/Harbordale
neighborhood. You can park in a small lot in front of the restaurant (shared
with Brownie’s dive shop), or in a (perhaps not officially authorized)
boatyard/marina parking lot on SE 16th Street. Alternately, you can dock your
boat on the canal at the rear of the restaurant for a “dock and dine”
experience. Live music is often available, and Southport offers a weekday happy
hour and daily specials.
The casual, laid-back restaurant offers seating in several
areas, with the most desirable on the back deck overlooking the water, either
at umbrella-topped wooden picnic tables or at plastic tables and chairs.
Inside, you can dine at one of two bars (the rear bar offers a view of the
water), or in one of two dining rooms. The atmosphere is a bit dive-y but
festive and fun! The interior is somewhat dark, with wooden tables and booths;
the ceiling is covered by large tiles stamped with “Old Florida” slogans and
mementos. The restaurant has several kitchen areas: you can spy chefs grilling
outdoors adjacent to the canal, or at two indoor cooking areas, one of which
boils/steams the peel-and-eat shrimp that are one of the most popular menu
items.
Southport Raw Bar serves American cuisine with an emphasis
on seafood, including raw bar items (although it does not offer as many choices
as its name suggests). As a starter, our group shared the smoked fish dip
(served with crackers and crudité), followed by a cheeseburger (prepared on the
outdoor grill), fish and chips, and the aforementioned shrimp as our entrees.
Southport serves a limited selection of alcoholic beverages (beer and wine
only), but it does not offer a full liquor bar for cocktails.
A visit to Southport Raw Bar is generally on our itinerary
for its relaxed environment, water views, and simply prepared food.
