Doc B's Restaurant — Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

There are a number of things different, sort of strange, about going to Doc B's Fresh Kitchen. First off if you drive there it is located next to Fresh Market. Though both have "Fresh" in their name, I know of no evidence connecting the two. Then for parking, though Doc's has free valet, you're right next to the Fresh Market parking lot. When I was there it was rather clear that most of the patrons of Doc's were using the Fresh Market parking lot rather than opting to put up with having some valet crawling around in their car, dealing with tips, etc. I say it was rather clear as I bothered to take a rough count of the cars in Fresh Market parking lot, then went into Fresh Market and made a count there. Unless the customers of Fresh Market each drove two cars, there were a least twice as many cars in the Fresh Market parking than customers. At some point, I would think the situation is going to become a problem.

Another packed with strangeness, at least for me, is Doc's menu. I've never before read such an undescriptive menu. An example would be their offering of "Steak Frites" without any mention whatsoever of what kind or cut of steak and what's with the cutesy thing of using the French word for fries? I would think people would want to know what cut of steak they are getting. A T-bone, a filet mignon, a rib-eye or what? They also do it with their Cajun Fish Seasonal White Fish. We know there is not such fish as Cajun which refers to the style of preparation but we also know that "white fish" is a fishery term including any number of finned fish taken from the demersal water zones such as cod, pollock, or hake.

Some have said that stating no particular name is a marketing ploy now used to substitute cheaper ingredients upon the consumer without a public awareness. Whether that is true or not, I don't know and won't get into it. All I know is that such vagueness leads me to asking my waiter a lot of pointed questions and it should to you too.

As for Doc's restaurant, it's totally new, rather stylish with a pleasant décor, a good bar seating, indoor and outdoor dining areas.

After discussing what cut of meat the menu term "steak" referred to, I was advised that it was a hanger steak. That being one of my favorite cuts, I ordered it done rare, a kale salad, their "Bang Bang Oysters," along with two (yes, two) bourbon Manhattans. When my steak arrived, I couldn't have been more delighted as it had been done perfectly as I had ordered, was possessed of a full bodied meat flavor that exceptionally well enhanced with a chimichurri sauce. Then, as for the kale salad, actually one of the best I've ever had as the dressing for it was one of the very best. As of the oysters, they came rather different than I had expected, cooked in a bowl, served with a spoon along with varying other like salad type ingredients but overall very good in taste and plump in size.

Finally, for the two bourbon Manhattans, nicely mixed and what I particularly enjoyed were the more realistic maraschino cherries they used instead of those bright red ones of maraschino flavoring only.

So all in all, though I found Doc's to be on the higher end of the price scale for what you get, overall worth it and offering an enjoyable...

Service Done Right! Bravo Doc B's for being one of the select few nowadays that understands what exceptional service actually means and then even exceeds the definition! From our first interaction with Crystal (our server) we knew we were going to have a great night. She was so sweet, charismatic, knowledgeable about the menu, attentive in just the right ways without being distracting or pushy and just had the best overall disposition. You can imagine our surprise when we found out from Chris the Maitre D that she was pretty new to Doc Bs! She was such a natural and we can't wait to go back and sit in her section again. Which leads me to Chris. Our first interaction with him was when he came to our table to apologize for the delay in one of our dishes. He said when the salmon came out it wasn't cut/plated to his standard and he was having the kitchen redo it but that it would be out shortly. We had a few other minor issues with some accouterments and he not only corrected the issues immediately, he did so in the "Forks" type of way (surprising and delighting the table with every fix). For those of you who don't know about the show The Bear and the episode Forks, it is all about taking pride in what you do day in and day out in the restaurant business and why that matters... because "every second counts." Also because of "how stoked they are to see us and how stoked we are to serve them" because "every night we make someone's day." Chris epitomizes this episode and this level of service with such an impeccable eye for detail and an even more impeccable and likeable demeanor. What is even more impressive is that as much time and energy as all of this takes (it is not lost on me how exhausting doing things right/well can be which is why so many take the easy way out)... Chris makes it look easy and like he isn't even breaking a sweat. This is a true talent and while many may not always recognize it there are those of us that get it and do... and it does make a difference so thank you for being you! PS This keen sense of pride even goes beyond the food and service to the toilet paper in the bathroom! We each visited the bathroom two or so times during our dining experience and each time came back to the table saying... the top layer of the toilet paper was folded into a "v/triangle" again! It was like a game with each person who went to the bathroom to try and figure out how they managed to swoop in after every use of the bathroom to make these folds! Was a person hiding behind the door? Do they have someone dedicated just to that? It was all of this and more which enabled us to have one of the best nights out with great food and lots of smiles. Again Kudos to Chris, Crystal and the Doc B's team . Well...

Doc B's.... huh......?!? Hold on............. Don't let that be your thought and I'll tell you why!

We came for dinner, it was late and couldn't really figure out where we wanted to go... After deciding not to visit one of our favorite places to eat (not an advertisement) so we could try something new, I did some research and stumbled across this gem!

Being born and raised here I always try and support local businesses, which is why I haven't tried Doc B's sooner being originally from another state (I believe Chicago). That truly was a BIG mistake.

We came late in the night, I believe within an hour of them closing. It still was very busy but not overly crowded and was easy to get a table. The restaurant was very clean and our server was very pleasant. Any question I had about the menu was thoroughly answered with confidence. Her recommendations were on point and we actually loved all of them...even though we went rogue on a few!

I have to be honest though.... I am not sure everybody will have the amazing experience I had.

I don't want to blow her spot up, but if you ever get the chance to meet SOPHIA..... "Phenomenal" Really! She made us feel as if we were family in the restaurant she is running. That is such a hard thing to do in south Florida and she nailed it! I will 💯 be back because of Sophia. The way she treated us, my wife, my kids and myself..... It was mind-blowing.

I can't tell you the last restaurant I went to, where the food and service were competing in my head for supremacy. Even the drinks from the bar were killer. I am a whiskey guy and my wife a tequila kind of woman..... Both of us got our fix from the bar.

If you read this whole review you should be on your way there right now. Enjoy!

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