The warmth of the sun, the smell of the never-ending ocean, the sight of people with nationalities ranging from Romania to China, nightlife, parties and a variety of cuisines as far as the eye can see. Thai noodles, escargot, sushi, Indian food, ceviche, you name it. This is what South Florida claims its pride from. As a young and dynamic college student, I have no problem with experimenting with all the different cuisines and pondering on the feeling the restaurant leaves ingrained in your mind after savoring every bite. Last weekend I visited home, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the first time in about two months and as a way of celebrating the fact that I was home and did not get lost at the airport my family and I decided to dine at Downtown Hollywood, one of the pulsating hearts of nightlife, amusement, and cultural diversity in South Florida. We witnessed blocks and blocks solely composed of restaurants, we decided to visit the one with a bit of a Latin vibe and were familiar with because of a celebration my mother’s friend was having there prior to her wedding about a year ago. The name of the restaurant was nothing fancy, no French involved or much creativity, just simple yet intensively descriptive, Beef Eater Steak House, located in 1902 Hollywood Blvd. I wanted to see the restaurant at its best and if it could hold up with the demanding crowd of a lively Friday night.
Exclusively based on location, Downtown Hollywood, this restaurant is extremely accessible and popular since it is close to interstate-95 and in a highly populated area. This restaurant is known to be an Argentinean restaurant decorated from wall to wall with Argentinean artifacts, such as pictures of famous Tango dancers and celebrities, fine wine bottles, paintings, etc. Yet the decorations are not so overwhelming that you feel claustrophobic but it complements the warm, sophisticated and South American ambiance quite nicely. The restaurant also provided subtle traditional Argentinean music; I found it soothing and calming. Not to forget that October is the month of the macabre and mysterious, the month of Halloween. The restaurant nicely incorporated a touch of Halloween decorations to the ambiance yet it did not take away from the sophisticated, soothing and romantic feel of it. This was a delicate and classical balance not be temper with.Upon been seated after a short wait, we all agreed that the tables were situated too close together which created a small discomfort. We browsed through the menu for the many meat options been served that night. After carefully selecting the short ribs for me, the chicken breast with French fries for my sister and parillada for my parents the waiter approached us; his name was Pako, with a bowl of chimichurri sauce and a basket of bread and butter. After placing them on the table and flashing a smile to all of us, he asked for our order. After having written our dishes down on his small notepad, he again smiled at us and left. We entertained our taste buds with the bread, which was warm and crunchy or as Colette from the movie “Ratatouille” would say, the true test for fresh bread. We waited about 20 to 25 minutes for the food, which made us a bit impatient. After the long wait, the waiter excused himself after placing the dishes as if a painting on the table. The sight of the burgundy-cloth table was any meat lover’s dream. Even though the dishes were simple, they had vibrant colors and mouth watering scents. We picked up our forks and knives and boarded into a ship bounded for fine meat dinning.
The short ribs were well-done, covered in barbecue sauce, easy to cut and chew and gastronomically heavenly, satisfying all of my senses. I had tasted the chimichurri sauce only once before and did not like it, I hoped that after applying a small amount to the short ribs my opinion would change but it did not. Chimichurri is a tangy, green sauce made off chopped parsley, olive oil and minced garlic. It is usually to be eaten with beef and steak; however I find it a bit too tangy which left a discomfort on my throat. I proceeded to my parents’ platter, the parillada, which consists of beef, chicken, chorizo and French fries. The beef was engaging, juicy, wholesome and luscious. The chicken was grilled but it left something to be desired since it was a little dry, yet it was easy to cut and was filling. The chorizo, a pork sausage, was radiating scrumptiousness. It was perfectly cooked and dripping with meatiness, I couldn’t just have one bite. We sat there eating our meals, enjoying the soothing music, admiring the decorations, intoxicating ourselves with the scents originating from the kitchen and enjoying the people around us.
My sister was too exhausted from school that day to eat, so we took her chicken breast and French fries home. We paid for the stupendous meal which was surprisingly around $40; an affordable and appetizing meal for families, couples and especially for college students who are on very strict budget. Moreover, the attire for this restaurant is casual and it has take-out for people on the go. The most famous entrée is the rib eye which was $20, the entrée that comes in second place is the skirt steak. I look forward to visiting again and ordering these main dishes.
After arriving home, feeling fulfilled and satisfied we headed on to bed. The next day, my sister and I woke up to a breakfast of chicken sandwiches, which my mom lovingly made from the chicken breast from last night. And again the chicken was dry but it served as a substantial and nutritional breakfast.
I thought of the many ways of how to rate every factor of the restaurant. After carefully examining each factor I formulated an answer. The character and classiness of the restaurant is 30% because of the ingenious design of the restaurant which includes an outside section lighted by candles creating a romantic and high class essence, 30% because of the delectable food, 15% is the beautiful diversity of cultures visiting the restaurant, 20% because of the attentive, friendly and homely service and 5% for having shared it with family. The Beefeater Steak House survived the defining test; it survived the demanding Friday night with a hint of class. Overall, the service was excellent, the waiters were nicely dressed, friendly and spoke Spanish, which was perfect since my dad doesn’t speak English fluently; furthermore it provides the restaurant with credibility and integrity. Despite the crowd coming into the restaurant, the flow of guests been seated was constant. A downside of the service was that of the serving of the food required a long wait. Another downside was that of parking, there is no parking in front of the restaurant; we spent about 15 minutes looking for parking lot which was a 5 minute walk from the restaurant. The latter was the biggest hassle of the night. Besides that, the vibe was great, everywhere I looked people were smiling, savoring the food, drinking some wine and releasing stress. My rating is 4 stars.
The short ribs were well-done, covered in barbecue sauce, easy to cut and chew and gastronomically heavenly, satisfying all of my senses. I had tasted the chimichurri sauce only once before and did not like it, I hoped that after applying a small amount to the short ribs my opinion would change but it did not. Chimichurri is a tangy, green sauce made off chopped parsley, olive oil and minced garlic. It is usually to be eaten with beef and steak; however I find it a bit too tangy which left a discomfort on my throat. I proceeded to my parents’ platter, the parillada, which consists of beef, chicken, chorizo and French fries. The beef was engaging, juicy, wholesome and luscious. The chicken was grilled but it left something to be desired since it was a little dry, yet it was easy to cut and was filling. The chorizo, a pork sausage, was radiating scrumptiousness. It was perfectly cooked and dripping with meatiness, I couldn’t just have one bite. We sat there eating our meals, enjoying the soothing music, admiring the decorations, intoxicating ourselves with the scents originating from the kitchen and enjoying the people around us.
My sister was too exhausted from school that day to eat, so we took her chicken breast and French fries home. We paid for the stupendous meal which was surprisingly around $40; an affordable and appetizing meal for families, couples and especially for college students who are on very strict budget. Moreover, the attire for this restaurant is casual and it has take-out for people on the go. The most famous entrée is the rib eye which was $20, the entrée that comes in second place is the skirt steak. I look forward to visiting again and ordering these main dishes.
After arriving home, feeling fulfilled and satisfied we headed on to bed. The next day, my sister and I woke up to a breakfast of chicken sandwiches, which my mom lovingly made from the chicken breast from last night. And again the chicken was dry but it served as a substantial and nutritional breakfast.
I thought of the many ways of how to rate every factor of the restaurant. After carefully examining each factor I formulated an answer. The character and classiness of the restaurant is 30% because of the ingenious design of the restaurant which includes an outside section lighted by candles creating a romantic and high class essence, 30% because of the delectable food, 15% is the beautiful diversity of cultures visiting the restaurant, 20% because of the attentive, friendly and homely service and 5% for having shared it with family. The Beefeater Steak House survived the defining test; it survived the demanding Friday night with a hint of class. Overall, the service was excellent, the waiters were nicely dressed, friendly and spoke Spanish, which was perfect since my dad doesn’t speak English fluently; furthermore it provides the restaurant with credibility and integrity. Despite the crowd coming into the restaurant, the flow of guests been seated was constant. A downside of the service was that of the serving of the food required a long wait. Another downside was that of parking, there is no parking in front of the restaurant; we spent about 15 minutes looking for parking lot which was a 5 minute walk from the restaurant. The latter was the biggest hassle of the night. Besides that, the vibe was great, everywhere I looked people were smiling, savoring the food, drinking some wine and releasing stress. My rating is 4 stars.
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