Blue Moon Fish Co. — Restaurant in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

So…not sure where to begin here, but let me jump in. Ben, our server, was great. The patio seating overlooking the intercoastal was probably calming for most but with me being a former yacht owner I was stressing with every yacht approaching the bridge. Can’t blame the restaurant for that. The brunch buffet was a nice display but that’s where the positive part of this review ends. We started at the seafood station, with a few oysters, peel and eat shrimp and crab legs. Two of the oysters had shell grit in them. The cocktail sauce was bland (even after adding horseradish) - obviously missing a few ingredients. We were not expecting “peel and eat” shrimp. Nor unbroken crab claws. Was way too much work for the price. We’ll get to that in a minute. The cuts of meat at the meat station were not quality cuts. The prime rib was mostly fat (and I appreciate how important fat content is for meat), and the brisket was terribly dry but the ham was ok. The kicker? My wife wanted some prime rib “medium” but the carver was obviously at the center of the cut of meat and it was on the rare side. That’s totally good by me, but she asks for a “medium” cooked cut. Would that have been an unreasonable ask if the other end was likewise already carved? Or there was only one slab of prime rib in front of him? Agreed. However, he hadn’t even cut into the other side nor tapped the other cut of meat in front of him until we asked twice. When we asked the FIRST time, he simply shrugged his shoulders and said that “this is the way it comes”. Really,? You have another end in front of you to cut into and another slab not yet even touched and that’s your response? My wife simply lost her appetite at that point. We mentioned the carver’s rudeness to the server but that’s as far as it went. But that was not before she ordered the Korean BBQ ribs to our table because she IS Korean and was excited to have some familiar tastes. She said that it was Chinese ribs - not even a slightly Korean taste. Check please. Oh - and speaking of the check, we have no issue paying for great food and great service - like we had no issue with a $500 brunch at The Circle Restaurant in the Breakers - but the $240 tab for the two of us at Blue Moon felt like we were robbed or simply short changed. And maybe others would justify the poor experience by simply eating an “all you can eat brunch buffet until you have gotten your money’s worth”. Not us. As we were walking out, my wife asked “would you come back again”? I said “not a chance”. It was a total swing and a miss from our perspective - and yes, our next stop was the...

I first drove by Blue Moon 3 or 4 years ago but never checked it out. From the moment we walked in until the valet promptly returned my car, I was impressed. The doors were held open for us as we entered the foyer, and we were received an immediate, professional and warm greeting from Isabella at the front desk, whose smile you could see, even from behind her mask. Even though we didn't request a table by the water when making the reservation, she was extremely accommodating upon our arrival.

We were quickly approached by a member of the support staff who inquired about our water preference and provided us with a basket of bread accompanied by cloves of roasted garlic in olive oil. Our server Sergio was close behind and guided us through one of the better meals I have had in a long time.

We started off with martinis that were expertly shaken to showcase a thin layer of ice crystals that were only visible from the right angle, without being watered down. A sampling of both east and west coast oysters arrived after enough we were given enough time to enjoy our cocktail without being left to wonder when our food would arrive. Our second course was a beautifully plated tuna poke and a spinach salad, that as far as salads go, may have been on of the best I've ever had. The main course consisted of shrimp and crab ceviche with toasted plantains, and a corn and blue crab stuffed grouper over mushroom and asparagus risotto, that we paired with a 2017 Domaine Ferret Pouilly Fuisse. The food was exquisite; perfectly cooked and properly seasoned with depth and layers of flavor. Bravo to the Chef and his team!

I enjoyed the delicious meal as I watched the "performance" of the service staff working together to provide a flawless dining experience to a full restaurant. While it was a very busy Friday night, Sergio made multiple efforts to stop at our table for a quick chat and to ensure that we were enjoying our meal. He was knowledgeable, polite, and professional and his service etiquette and standards were flawless. He made great recommendations and controlled the pace of our evening so that we wouldn't feel rushed or ignored. He maintained our beverage levels and the appearance and arrangement of our table with such expertise and precision that we almost didn't notice it was happening.qq

Everything about this dining experience was a hit! If you haven't been to Blue Moon, you're missing out. If you have, well then you already know. While I cant speak to any other servers, I definitely recommend that you ask for a table in...

Washington DC resident here with vacation home in Fort Lauderdale hoping to take dear Canadian friends for Easter brunch at BlueMoon, after bragging about how wonderful the place is. Been coming to BlueMoon at time I come to my vacation home, several times a year. Anyway, made a reservation the Friday before the holiday over the phone and the very pleasant lady offers a seating for 4 but she asks for a credit card to secure. She waits for me the get my wallet and takes the billing info. She talks through the process and tells me all set, card accepted. I see a mail message which she tells me is the confirmation. I am thrill and good to go. I call her back to request if possible a patio table which she says may not be guaranteed but takes note, I understand and say good bye. Comes Sunday and while I'm traffic heading there I call the restaurant to announce a few minutes possible delay. The very energetic lady answerimg the phone tells me I canceled my reservation. Something I did not do it, I was livid and out of my mind trying to figure out what happenes. After checking emails I notice the email received after reservating over the phone was a request for entering credit card info and not a confirmation after I already gave my credit information to the young lady. Since I felt was not fair, I asked to talk to the manager who tells me the place is booked but asked to come promptly come down in case some cancelation came through. Upon arrival, the manager Doug came by and offers seating us the bar which we accepted. He also said he had already had a talk with the reception staff to ensure the reservation over the phone is explained better and certainly to request card numbers over the phone as it may be misleding. We sat in the corner of the bar so the setting very adaptable for pleasant conversation. Doug offered us free round of cocktails, and Jordan at the bar was amazing and delightful. Doug came by an checked on us a few times during the visit. Have to commend Doug for being such a professional manager that solved our days and make me and my party want to come back again, sure we will. I have brought many frienda to BlueMoon and will continue doing so, every time my friends are...