Tucked away inside the Lauderdale Marine Center, YOT Bar & Kitchen might be the area’s best kept secret.
If you haven’t heard of the seaside restaurant yet, consider this your personal invitation. If you are in the know, please don’t tell too many people or the secret will be out.
Whether you opt to visit by land or water, one thing you will know for sure when you do arrive is that you have happened upon a hidden gem. There are many tables to choose from inside the modern restaurant, but the outdoor deck is where it’s at, offering spectacular waterfront views of the numerous mega yachts docked outside.
This year, YOT Bar & Kitchen is celebrating its fifth anniversary at its seaside location. The “next best thing to being on the water” (and we do agree), the restaurant serves up causal fare in a laid-back atmosphere.
Weekday happy hour can be enjoyed at the bar. There are $12 burger specialties on Mondays, taco Tuesdays, Winedown Wednesdays, and martini and oyster Thursdays. There is also live entertainment on select nights performed at the outdoor dockside bar.
Get started with a sampling of PEI mussels served in a garlicky white wine sauce accompanied by grilled sourdough to ensure you mop up every last drop.
Crisp and juicy YOT wings are offered in a variety of styles, including Korean, garlic parmesan, or spiced-up Buffalo and include a side of chunky blue cheese sauce for dipping.
Other appetizer selections feature a heavy offering of seafood, including smoked fish dip, YOT rock shrimp, tuna carpaccio, and fried calamari.
When it comes to main events, choose from creative flatbreads (think fig and truffle), hearty sandwiches, including a house short rib blend burger served on a brioche bun, or lighter fare like the wasabi shrimp Caesar salad.
Seared sea scallops arrive atop a tasty corn puree with applewood smoked bacon, scallion, and wild mushrooms in a flavorful vanilla-lemon brown butter. One of their signature dishes is a delightfully unexpected find – bone-in curry chicken breast.
The enormous serving features curry butter basted chicken breast with roasted cauliflower and fingerling potatoes accompanied by goat cheese crème topped with crispy shallots.
YOT Bar & Kitchen not only allows dogs on their outdoor patio but welcomes them with their own specialty menu. Four-legged friends can choose from Chica Chica Chicken (ground chicken, chicken liver, quinoa, squash, broccoli, peas, carrots, and fish oil), or our English bulldog’s favorite Big and Beefy, a healthy bowl of ground beef, beef liver, quinoa, sweet potato, spinach, peas, carrots, and fish oil).
A visit here would be remiss without trying one of their desserts. Choose from traditional Key lime pie, a decadent cinnamon bread pudding made with house-baked cinnamon buns, or rich peanut butter pie with chocolate ganache topping served with fresh whipped cream.
YOT Bar & Kitchen is located at2015 SW 20th St, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
