J. Mark's Restaurant of Fort Lauderdale Review

You can find your way across this country using burger joints the way a navigator uses stars.
                                                                                              -Charles Kuralt



One thing I like during the holiday season is to spend a nice meal with friends. Our friend Mark, took us to the new J Mark's Restaurant on Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Federal Highway is US Route One in South Florida. This major thoroughfare is dotted with local and national chain restaurants all the way to the  Keys. Restaurants come and go on this busy highway, and its hard to keep track of all the many choices. J Mark's Restaurant is not a "burger joint", but rather a casual contemporary adult oriented restaurant without the TGIF/Chili's kitsch culture.

This locally owned restaurant has a comfortable contemporary/mid century decor. J Mark's has  nice cozy bar, with high tops and booth seating.  The dining room is a modest size and features mid century architectural stone work, and light wood grains with modern contemporary fixtures.  The restaurant is decorated for the holidays but not in an over- the- top garish way. The staff  is polite and professional.  Restaurant is similar in concept to: J Alexander's and Houstons which feature contemporary American fare.

We started with a shared calamari appetiser. The calamari was fresh and  tasted good. However, we noticed that it was overly salted. I liked the selection of dipping sauces: marinara, garlic aioli, basil pesto ( Italian flag colors?).

Mike and Mark opted for the much touted prime rib that came with garlic mashed potatoes and side of vegetables. The meals were ample and cooked perfectly with a side of au jus.
J Mark's also had a nice selection of tuna meals. Our server, Candace, suggested that I try  tuna burger. The Deep Sea Tuna Burger, is 4 ounces of chopped sushi grade tuna mixed with spices, topped with an avocado, tomato and onion. Served with a side of remoulade sauce. The burger was tasty and filling, and I would get this again on another visit.

As  mentioned, restaurants come in go in South Florida, but I do think this one will be here for a while. A combination of: menu selections, specials, quality of  meals, and professional staff are things that make for a good restaurant!

The Details

J Mark's Restaurant

1245 North Federal Highway ( Route One)

Ft Lauderdale, FL  33304

Phone 954.390.0770

http://www.jmarksrestaurant.com/

Dress Code: Casual ( not beach attire)

Price: Modest

Servers: professional and polite

Quality: Excellent

Parking: Ample

Full liquor license.