The Friendship Grill — Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

While vacationing in Florida this past week, I was told to check out the Friendship Grill in Fort Lauderdale, FL. You see unlike most upscale restaurants I visit, this one was very homey, with the authentic Israeli experience. You see the staff at the Friendship Grill are special needs children from Chabad’s Friendship Circle organization. These special children learn life skills, make friends, and are made to feel like they are a part of functioning society. It was for that reason that we drove out from Boyton Beach over 45min away. While the children only work there and in the Friendship Café next door from morning till 3pm, the place was full of pictures and information about the children. There was even a big screen with photos and captions as well as videos showing them off. The man behind the grill and fryer, Tomer, a native Israeli, was telling us about how the kids help prep the food, stock the fridge and even take turns manning the cash register. Frankly, it was very inspiring. Tomer loaded our table up with the works. Plenty of piping hot pita bread, dips and salatim including; Carrot Salad, Beet Salad, Eggplant, Matbucha, Cole Slaw, and plenty of Chummus. Naturally we tried everything from the Falafel to the Shwarma and Schnitzel . We also got some delicious fries and sweet potato fries. Behind the restaurant is the Chabad House and Judacia Store. The food was really good and filling. The Falafel, crispy and golden brown on the outside and yummy, fragrant, and green on the inside. The turkey shwarma was juicy and soft, perfect when paired with some pita and chummus. For those that don’t want bread, they even had some rice and wrap sandwich. The schnitzel was really good. Crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside. Honestly, we couldn’t finish all the food. There was so much variety! It’s a great place to eat and even better place to support. Visit Tomer and tell him...

Listen, I’m Jewish and my whole family is from Israel and I also hate giving bad reviews to local businesses. I’m a business owner myself, so I understand how damaging they can be but the fact of the matter is this place has earned its one star.

I’ll start off by saying the food is great… If you can ever get a chance to eat it. Before I move to Florida, I was visiting a few times a year and finding authentic Israeli Shawarma is one of the most impossible things to do where I’m from so every time I would visit, I put this on my list of places to go and every single time they were closed. Just random stuff too. Like somebody went out of town for vacation or something. Then I finally moved here and I still have about a 50-50 shot of actually getting food when I visit. Either they are unexpectedly closed Or they are literally out of Shawarma. Yesterday I tried to bring a friend here, Hoping them up about how great the food was and they were out of Shawarma. Not only that, but the guy Acted like I was the A-hole for even wanting Shawarma that day.

I’ll still try to go back because the Shawarma is really banging But I’m gonna start calling ahead first just to make sure someone’s even there. If I see an attempt at improvement by the business, I will amend my review. Until then, For lack of availability and rude customer service this place...

Stop your search for the best falafel spot in Ft Lauderdale, perhaps even in the entire state. It’s right here at the Friendship Café. While the service could be a tad more welcoming, the food more than makes up for it with its sheer brilliance. Simple yet deeply satisfying, each dish was nutritious, perfectly seasoned, and allowed every ingredient to shine.

The location is convenient, immaculately clean, and well-lit, making it a pleasant spot for a meal. I also admire the Café’s mission to provide employment opportunities for individuals with special needs. It's an inspiring way to give back to the community.

Adding to the charm, there was a lively celebration next door, which lent the space a warm and festive atmosphere.

My small meal was so delicious and satisfying that it kept me full until evening, and I’m already looking forward to returning—this time with an even...