Kaluz Restaurant — Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

It has been over a month since I visited this establishment, and every time I started my review, I got interrupted and couldn't complete it.

I have dined at this restaurant more than three times on different occasions, and my experiences have always been good, except for my last visit on February 2nd, a day before my birthday, to celebrate with some friends.

I must start on a positive note. Our server, Jeane, was excellent after we were finally seated with a party of six individuals. She did everything possible to make my day special and even sang "Happy Birthday" to me, which I thought was superb. She was pleasant, knowledgeable, and friendly. The drinks and the food were okay; the portions were satisfactory and not disappointing. However, it was utterly intolerable and embarrassing to arrive until we were seated properly.

Since it was my birthday, my wife set up the reservation. She requested an outside table and was told it was on a “first come, first serve basis, and everyone within the party must be present to get a table.” I get that rules are rules and are not meant to be broken, and I respect that.

My wife set up the reservation for lunch at 1:00 PM on a Sunday. My wife, my daughter, and I arrived about 15 minutes early and waited for three more individuals who made up our party to come, and they were all here on time; the problem started when there was no table that we wanted available, but they attempted to offer us a booth which we kept refusing as we were fixated by the table that became empty. We waited for that table so the attendant could offer it to us. However, after waiting for fifty-five minutes, we reluctantly accepted the booth that was provided to us. The booth was close to the bar and seemed not as secluded as we would have liked.

The table we had been waiting for was still available, but we realized that it had been taken before we sat down. Suddenly, three individuals got off a boat that had just docked and were offered the table. We were all sitting and watching to see how quickly they could get to that table. A few minutes later, a few more people arrived and were seated at the same table.

Having seen that, my wife complained to the attendant that sat us down that it was not fair to wait for fifty-five minutes and were not offered that table, whereas this group without a Complete parted got sat there.

She brushed her off by saying that we were there first. My wife said that was false and asked to speak to a Manager.

A few minutes later, the Manager arrived at our table, and my wife explained to him what happened. He didn't allow her to complete her sentence. He expediently stated that he had to back up her employee and believed she was telling the truth. He furthermore stated that he had already lost many employees, was short, and was not about to lose another one. He was to back up his employees.

We were seated and looked at each other, dumbfounded, wondering how this man could be the Manager of this restaurant. At this point, I intervened and asked him, “How about the customers? ” We waited for fifty-five minutes for a table and were resigned to sitting at a table that we did not want.

He quickly replied, hesitantly, "Good customers will stay, and the bad ones will not return.” I promptly responded and asked, “Are we the bad customers? Are you insinuating that we are bad because I complained about our treatment?”

At this point, he realized that the conversation was not going well and asked for a couple of minutes to regain his thoughts.

He came quickly after realizing that the wrong words were coming out of his mouth and offered us a better seating arrangement, which we gladly accepted.

Although pleasant, this gesture could not erase our recent experience. His attitude showed a lack of customer service aptitude and training for a man in this position.

This experience left a bad taste in my mouth, and we shall never return.

Shortly after my visit and review this restaurant was closed by the Health and...

What else is there to say about Kaluz restaurant? Since it opened back in 2013, there have been countless of most positive reviews posted everywhere, and each one was we’ll deserved, for sure. Owner and operator David Baldwin introduced a bold and refreshing new, modern, and avant-garde architectural presence in the premier American dining experience of Fort Lauderdale. Positioned directly on the exquisite stage of the Intracoastal at Commercial BLVD, the waterway setting is exceptional – but that’s only the first impression. Upon entering the restaurant, the complexion décor is retro of early 1960 NYC modern business buildings’ lobby designs with 2 giant thigh resin techno panels of amber and yellow colors hanging from the ceiling opening the mood for an airy, spacious and voluminous space under a 20-22’ tall ceiling. Behind the golden panels are a gigantic bar offering most delicious potions and a wide-open spotless kitchen for people to see that you can even eat off the floor (figure of speech, of course), and both are surrounded by dining boots—many people love to eat in that area because they feel the vibrance of the bar and the energy of kitchen. The focal point of the restaurant is divided in two parts: the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The indoor offers a comfortable air conditioning environment that is set along a maybe 60’ long floor-to-ceiling impact glass wall projecting an expansive vista of the Intracoastal bustling with recreational boats to mega yachts parading up and down. The outdoor is also an approximate 60’ long terrace running along the Intracoastal, ideal for October to May, but quite uncomfortable in the summer for most people; yet, many die-hard open-air people do eat outside under our scorching summer sun. And, if you really want to show-off and don’t want to use their complimentary car valet service, you can dock your dingy, or your yacht on Kaluz’s dock to dine in (I would guess that proper attire is required for both dining areas).

Now that you know about the alluring aesthetic of Kaluz, let’s talk about the main attraction: the FOOD. The phenomenal success of Kaluz is not accidental, or by chance. Prior to owning and opening Kaluz, Mr. Baldwin graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1987 with a BA in Hotel/Motel Administration/Management. His first major job was the kitchen manager at a Houstons restaurant for 6 years (1988-94). He joined a J. Alexander’s restaurant as a manager (1994-98). He is now the Operations Manager of Kansas Bar And Grill since 1998 – present, and, simultaneously, the Owner of Kaluz since 2012 - present. With all that experience from some of the most successful chain of restaurants behind him, Kaluz could not, and would not fail. Kaluz offers among the best quality food in SOFLO from delicious appetizers including ceviche to flatbread, outstanding burgers and sandwiches, an array of dinner salads, a killer Danish BBQ ribs, meats that rival Capital Grill, and their signature Chilean Sea Bass and other outstanding fish dishes, an incomparable wine selection, and so much more. And, naturally, irresistible desserts.

(Information about Mr. Baldwin was pulled from Google search and from his LinkedIn page. Location of the restaurants where he previously worked were not disclosed. However, I assume they were all within SOFLO - There are 2 other fabulous Kaluz restaurants: Plantation and...

I visited Kaluz for a birthday celebration and was highly disappointed from start to finish. Before going, I looked up the dress code on their official website, which stated that appropriate dinner attire was required. However, upon arrival, we saw guests wearing sandals, jeans, see-through tops, and even bikini-style clothing. The actual dress code was clearly not enforced, which was surprising for a restaurant that presents itself as upscale.

Despite having a reservation, we waited approximately 30 minutes to be seated. During the wait, I went to the restroom and was shocked by the condition: it was dirty, had no toilet paper or paper towels, the floor was wet, and napkins were scattered everywhere. To make it worse, a staff member was standing in the bathroom talking on the phone. I brought this to the attention of the front staff, and they didn’t seem to care.

When we were finally seated, we were placed at a large corner table meant for about 10 people, directly under a cold vent. We asked if the air could be adjusted, and while they claimed they did something, the cold air continued to blow straight down on us.

The biggest issue, however, came with the food. When my meal arrived, I found hair in my mashed potatoes and another piece of hair lying across the top of my steak. I immediately informed our server, who showed little concern. He simply took the plate and asked, “What would you like me to do?” His attitude was dismissive, and I told him to just replace the dish. But due to the lack of care, I ended up declining a replacement and instead asked to speak with the manager.

When the manager arrived, I expected a sincere apology or at least some concern but instead, he too appeared indifferent. He asked what else I wanted to order, and when I said I didn’t want anything after finding hair in my food, he simply took the plate and left.

To make matters worse, I followed up with a phone call to speak with another manager, who claimed they would send a gift card in the mail. I told him it wasn’t about the gift card, but the overall experience. He responded by saying, “Let’s just leave this alone” and essentially dismissed the conversation. Unsurprisingly, the gift card never arrived—though I never truly wanted one in the first place.

This experience was disappointing, disrespectful, and far below the standard that Kaluz portrays online. From the dirty bathrooms to the hair in the food and the unbothered staff, this was by far one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had. I will not return and do not recommend...