I dined with a family member at the Quarterdeck Fort Lauderdale for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon in
late December 2017. (We have visited this Quarterdeck location several times
over the past 15+ years.) Quarterdeck is open daily for lunch, dinner, drinks,
and in-between. The Quarterdeck offers multiple locations including Plantation,
Dania, Davie, and two in Fort Lauderdale.
In 1966, Joe “Big Daddy” Flanigan opened Big Daddy’s Liquor
Store and Lounge on Cordova Road, which was nicknamed the “Quarterdeck”. (The
word “quarterdeck” refers to the stern area of a ship reserved for ceremonial
use, although it is unclear how this term relates to a restaurant.) Two decades
later, the current owner Paul purchased the business as he continued to work
with Flanigan by managing several locations of Flanigan’s Seafood Bar.
The interior
space includes two main areas: a dining room and a bar room. Al fresco seating
is available on the side of the building, including “booths”, high-top tables,
and high-top tables with canvas awnings near the parking lot (where smoking is
permitted). Indoors, you can dine at a booth or at a table, or you can take a
seat at the large central bar. Décor includes photographs featuring boating, fishing,
diving, and surfing, wall-mounted fish, and flat-screen TVs.
The Quarterdeck
serves American cuisine, with an emphasis on burgers, ribs, fish (dolphin)
sandwiches, and sushi. We shared the calamari to start, Rhode Island style
because it included both deep-fried and unadorned banana pepper slices as well
as deep fried squid rings and whole “critters”. We then shared two orders of
tacos: one blackened mahi mahi and the other blackened shrimp. The tacos are
served three to an order, with the protein topped with lettuce tomato and
shredded cheddar cheese and wrapped in a flour tortilla, and accompanied by a
side of rice with black beans. Drink specials (two-for-ones) are often available,
and Wednesday night is kids night, with a clown who makes cool balloon
sculptures. (The one we liked best was a monkey climbing a palm tree.)
We always have a
good time at the Quarterdeck!
