J. Mark’s
J. Marks Restaurant: 1245 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
The Restaurant:
J. Mark’s Restaurant has been a local favorite for many years. It all began with a dream for two brothers, who opened their first location in July of 2007 in Pompano Beach. The staff and owners are all very friendly. They opened their Ft. Lauderdale location about 5 yrs ago. With the new location cam the ability to add an outdoor seating area which can be used year round based on it’s design. There is a bar which features seating both inside and outside, although on some cold days/nights the outdoor section of the bar may be closed off.
J. Mark’s is open for both lunch and dinner, featuring a fabulous brunch on Sundays. The staff uniform is unique in their white shirts, blue jeans, and a long white apron. Sometimes Parking can be of an issue, but overall there is a good amount of parking. You will also find that during peak times you may have to wait for a seat. The restaurants are also very popular with groups, wedding parties, birthday celebrations, networking events, and more.
Service is usually very good. Soups can change from day to day. One of our favorites is the steak soup. The chicken florentine is also very good.
What we ate:
Several of us had the Filet Mignon, which is not a normal menu item. Instead they have this on special several times a week. You only get one side dish with it, and a few had the cajun fries which give a nice spiced up kick, while one had the mashed potatoes. Each and every steak were cooked to perfection, and even butterflied for those that like it more well done. A couple of tasty buttermilk battered onion rings garnish the steaks adding an extra flare.
Next up was the J. Mark’s Tender Salad. Chicken tender nuggets, mixed greens, tomatoes, avocado, red onions, zucchini, beets, bacon, cheddar cheese & croutons and your choice of dressing. Our choice is their homemade honey mustard. This is always a fan favorite and one of our go to menu items when we stop in. And another crowd favorite was their Gorgonzola Shrimp Salad. Romaine and Arugula lettuce with poached shrimp, chopped egg, tomato, croutons, red onion and Gorgonzola, all served with house-made Balsamic vinaigrette. Very tasty and exploding with flavor.
The final dish of the evening was a pasta dish. Bistro Shrimp Pasta, which has crispy fried shrimp with arugula and diced tomatoes tossed in a white wine and lemon sauce served with Angel hair pasta. This is definitely not a lighter side dish, but has amazing flavor. If you are a fan of pasta and shrimp, then this is for you.
Pricing: $$-$$$$ for lunch or dinner, depending on what you order and any drinks you might have with dinner
