We hit the coastal road again—this time heading south—for some staycation eating and drinking, without airplanes or trains to worry about. There are enough places to see the waves, so the ride along A1A is worth the extra bit of time. Your blood pressure will thank you.
DECK 84
840 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561/665-8484; deck84.com
This popular Delray Beach venue had a huge advantage over competitors as restaurants started opening up in early fall; most of the seating here is outside. The huge decks with turquoise awnings hold a good number of diners even with spacing widened between tables.
You can arrive here by boat, car or on foot, as the ocean is just a couple of blocks away, while Deck 84 itself is on the Intracoastal.
Adding to the SoFla vibe is some very good food and drinks. From Caesar salad to Kung Pao wings to bacon-wrapped meatloaf, fried chicken, fish sandwich and burgers and more, there’s something here that will taste great as you watch the boats sail past.
We tried the Baja fish tacos ($18) accompanied with corvina, a cilantro-lime coleslaw with jalapeño and tomato salsa. The tacos had a nice flavor bite, the slaw and house-pickled jalapeño giving the dish a great kick. We found the same palate-pleasing kind of combos with the Thai tuna salad ($23) in a zippy cilantro-ginger vinaigrette. Next time we need to land at the dock!
BEACH HOUSE POMPANO
Crunchy Salmon Roll at Beach House Pompano
270 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954/607-6530; beachhousepompano.com
This oceanfront venue—it is actually on the beach—opened in 2018 and is part of the restaurant row next to Pompano Pier. It has a sizable deck on the first floor, and a rooftop deck with a great view of the Atlantic that tends to fill up quickly.
Because the area has so many restaurants as well as a pier and the beach, parking is at a premium when valet isn’t available, so try a parking garage or beachfront parking where you pay by the hour at a kiosk.
Then head for the sushi, sandwiches, burgers, seafood or just the great smoked trout dip with your favorite cocktails. The salt air will join you—and it always makes everything taste better.
We were impressed with the char-grilled pita that arrived with the fish dip ($12)—it’s the small details that make a good dish slide into the excellent category. The Folly Beach Sliders ($6 each) contain a blend of short rib, brisket and ground chuck topped with pimento cheese, caramelized onions and a chef’s island dressing that also takes these little babies a couple levels above “just good.”
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This story is from the January 2021 issue of Boca magazine. For more content like this, subscribe to the magazine.
