Sunness Supper Club — Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

Sunness Supper Club checked off all of the boxes for a night out. Wonderful ambience, service, and most importantly, food. It has all the makings of comfort food but on an upscale, refined level that we haven’t seen. It had such a fun, familiar vibe but the noise level was somehow still intimate in feeling.

The food - French onion soup was so unique - instead of a crock, it was layered full of onion and hearty broth with a cheese toasted baguette on top. The mango BBQ ribs with the slaw on the side fell off the bone, and was it such a nice balance of the fresh slaw, sliced mango, and saucy ribs. We wanted more of the slaw which was so simple but addictive! Dishes like macaroni and cheese in a skillet were rich yet not heavy. I had the chicken entree which was beautifully cooked and sliced, with a velvety demi-glace and crisp and fluffy potatoes. The filet mignon had incredible red mash potatoes with just the right amount of garlic and texture. Presentation is elegant all around. Desserts were whimsical - we shared a strawberry shortcake with homemade cotton candy on top, and the sauce was drizzled table side that kids loved. We were a large group and also had tuna crispy rice, the rigatoni, and more!

The feel - Ambience has a homey but upscale feeling. From the wine “wall” that distinguishes the main dining area from the bar, to a bar area with lofty ceilings and an old-school tiling on the floor, this was a modern take on an old school dining experience. We were seated in a very comfortable booth with plenty of room.

The service - staff was eager to please, and the manager came over and took time to see how everything was. Our server Jailyn was attentive, we never felt rushed, and she offered an alternative when we had asked about different sides on one dish.

We will be back - it felt like a special destination meal in the comfort of a neighborhood. Great for all around American cuisine beyond what you’d make at home. This was worth the trip!

EDITED Oct 2025 to add photos from the new chef table menu. Best dessert I have ever had, anywhere was the banana cream pie. Fig and goat cheese tartine was tangy and a touch of sweet, and the twin filets with bernaise sauce was tender, flavorful and accompanied by truffle fries that were crisp and fluffy...

We had planned to eat here for our 10th anniversary dinner...

Upon entering, the bar and dining area were beautiful. The hostesses congratulated us on our 10 year anniversary and gave us props. We really appreciated them. Decor was top notch.

Unfortunately our waiter seemed disinterested in serving us and acted aloof. He helped us sort out some drinks, but seemed to spend the rest of the night focusing on the large party next to us. The restaurant really was not very busy so it didn't make much sense to us. He was fairly unprofessional in comments he made while placing orders and did not acknowledge our special occasion.

We ordered mussels which were literally boiling and thus disappointing as we had to wait a long time to eat them and both burned our mouths on the egregiously hot store bought tomato chunks in the broth. The mussels and broth had very little seasoning and were in desperate need of salt. On top of this, at least half the ones we tried were gritty and unedible. We would have loved to bring this to our waiter's attention but he was generally MIA. When he finally did check in about the mussels he did not wait around for the answer as he promptly left without listening.

At this point we had been there over an hour and he had not taken our entree orders. We viewed this as a good time to cut our losses and move on to another restaurant and asked for the bill.

Enter manager Kenny who asked about and listened to our concerns. He was very professional and apologetic. He even comped what we had and gave us a gift card which was unnecessary but appreciated.

Overall it was a pretty disappointing 10th anniversary dinner date. We had been looking forward to dining here based on reviews but ended up eating at another restaurant in town.

We cannot highlight enough how much we appreciated...

I’m so happy that, for a change, we found a place that lives up to other reviews. To sum up the experience in one word, excellent.

We enjoyed the food and service, although the ambiance could use a little work. We ordered the crispy rice and pigs in a blanket appetizers, both excellent, in particular the crispy rice. The pigs would have benefitted from a little more blanket, as the hot dogs themselves were sizable and delicious.

Next, we got the table-side caesar, always a treat, and the wedge. Both good salads, although the caesar was prepared with anchovy paste instead of fillets. I always think fillets provide a more anchovy flavor than the paste.

For dinner, we split the shrimp and grits, which were rustic and delicious, with bits of shrimp and sausage sprinkled throughout, and rough-ground grits that had a great texture, and the crab-stuffed grouper special, which was perfectly cooked, sauced, and presented.

Finally for dessert, the seven layer chocolate cake, one of the better chocolate cakes I’ve had!

Service was terrific, from the host, to our server Jaylen, to the visit and conversation with chef Allen, to the occasional visits by the GM, all felt attentive but not intrusive, and we old people loved the light-up menus!

The ambience could use a little improvement. Felt a little like a sports bar - lights too bright, music too loud, TV playing sports at the bar, no tablecloths (it’s a “supper club,” you need tablecloths). All easy fixes if they choose to.

Overall, a place I want...