J Alexander’s – Redlands Grill

Redlands Grill – By J Alexander’s: 2415 N. Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305

We had not been to a J Alexander’s in a long time.  Plus Jerry’s brother was in town and he had never been to one.  Se we figured let’s take him there to give him the full experience.  We went early as this location is known for getting very busy.  They don’t take reservations, but you can try to do a call ahead.  On busy nights you can wait up to 45 minutes and even more during season.  The decor is that of a nice contemporary restaurant.  However this is part of a small restaurant chain which includes two other brands.  They have a nice open kitchen concept that allows guests to view into the cooking area to see your meal being prepared.   There is plenty of parking, and one tip is that you can drive all the way around and there is a large lot in the back of the restaurant.  The bar is nice to eat at but only fits about 17 people.  You can order from their full menu while sitting at the bar, which many people do. They also have a nice number of tables and booths of all sizes to accommodate your parties needs.  There is always a very fun crowd, especially at the bar.

Jerry had his usual scotch in a brandy snifter.  Then he orders the Thai Kai salad which has chicken, mixed greens, and peanuts tossed in a cilantro vinaigrette with Thai peanut sauce.  He really loves this salad and almost thought it was not on the menu. This is a nicely chopped salad and the dressing and sauce go well together to give this dish a true Asian feel.   His brother decided to have the fish tacos.  They come as a plate of 3 with the daily fish selection which is deep fried.  They then add avocado and a chili mayonnaise which gives them a little bit of a kick.  I had the Chicken tacos, you can also get them with steak.  They are made with lettuce, sour cream sauce, Monterey Jack cheese, fresh cilantro and pico de gallo salsa.  They were very flavorful, and I could eat them all day.

I’ve also had other dishes here that were very good as well.  They have a wonderful Spinach Con Queso that is served with tortilla chips that I love because they are salty.  The Redlands Salad is also very good and comes with bacon, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, and croutons.  We’ve also had the filet mignon which is a center cut and comes with a Bearnaise, but I usually get it with out that.  If you get the french fries as your side, they are a shoestring and nice and crisp with seasoning on them.  J Alexander’s Redlands Grill is always a fan favorite around town.

Pricing: $$ to $$$ for lunch, $$ to $$$$ for Dinner depending on what you order