Unit B Eatery + Spirits — Restaurant in Pembroke Pines

Update on April 2022 - 3 stars: We were so excited to return to Unit B with some friends who had never been. They wanted to celebrate a birthday and I assured them that this was the way to go. We made a reservation for 8pm a few weeks before and the day before they called us to tell us they had a last minute event and if we wanted to move it to 30 minutes earlier, so we did. Upon arriving we were told that the kitchen will be closing in 30 minutes and that we needed to get the orders in right away and felt like we were pretty much being rushed out before we even got our water, so we figured we would start with a few appetizers before deciding the entrees, after all, we still had 30 minutes to order, boy were we wrong. Long story short, the server basically disappeared for 30 minutes and by the time he got back it was to tell us that the kitchen was closed, ok that’s fine, but then they got some of the order wrong and a dish did not even arrive which we were told was being cooked but then we were told that it was never put in. The dishes that did arrive were all good, but when you receive very rushed and bad service, the food is just not as satisfying. If I do return I would make sure to call ahead a few times and ask if there is an event, as the way it was handled totally ruined the experience. I would’ve preferred if they canceled my reservation and told me that they cannot accommodate dinner at that time rather than treat us like a Fast food drive thru. I am not kidding when I say that we had to go to another restaurant to finish eating dinner and celebrate the birthday.

Original January 2022 - 5 stars: After a friend had visited for lunch, they suggested that we got to Unit B for dinner. It was a Friday night and to our surprise, the place was not full. As soon as you walk in, you feel like you have been transported into some sort of speak easy in NYC or Chicago. The dark leather sofas against the wall, the dark wood and the whisky bottles on the wall gave it an old school yet elegant feel. Once seated we ordered our cocktails, they had a nice selection of unique cocktails and also rare items like the Elijah Craig 18 Single Barrel, we automatically had to order it, since it is very difficult to find. They served it with a side of distilled water which was a nice touch. We were also told that they carry a special private label barrel from Elijah Craig that we did not get to try (since we were too busy with the EC18), however, we will definitely be returning to try it! Moving on to the food, we ordered several items and they were all delicious. The ones that stood out the most were the Lamb empanadas, truffle mac and cheese, charred octopus, the cornbread and the whole Hen. The Hen was probably the best whole served bird we all have ever had, it was an explosion of flavor with the juices flowing with every cut and bite. The bird itself was stuffed with a fair amount of rosemary and garlic, which made for a delicious combination. It sat on top of a corn soufflé that complimented it well. We also tried the pork bao buns, the short ribs, Calamari, and banana foster; they were all good but nothing extra ordinary in my opinion. All in all, I will definitely be returning. The food and cocktails are too good not to warrant...

I went to Unit B Eatery + Spirits in Pembroke Pines, FL.

Quoted:"Fashionable, intimate eatery...the restaurant's interior embraces the Unit B brand aesthetic with posh lighting, a time-lapse mural and chic furnishings. The restaurant’s New American small plate menu fuses international flavors and techniques while focusing on unique palate experiences."

Super cute, cozy, intimate spot, eclectic cocktails, crowded and loud. I suggest reservations... expect an extremely long wait for.....everything! The bartenders are also servers. Good customer service, but it's just extremely slow. While viewing the menu, they specialize in beef ribs, other types of meats, and a couple of seafood dishes.

APPETIZERS

Argentinian Sausage - Two smoked sausages, pickled red onions, and honey apricot glaze.

**This was delicious! The smokey flavor and homemade sausage burst with all kinds of flavors. Great paired with the glaze and pickled onions.

Mini Open-Faced French Dips -Toasted Baguettes, thinly sliced prime  rib, gruyere cheese, onion marmalade, and ah jus.

**Had potential, but the flavor was so bland. Tender moist meat...

Chicken and Cheese Empanada

**Just like how it sounds. Boring! Mediocre flavor. My adventurous palate would have preferred and chosen the Short Rib Empanada -- 12 hour short ribs, smoked gouda, truffle oil, fried black beans, and bechamel sauce....See the difference?

MAIN

Beef Rib with Yucca Mash - Smoked Beef ribs, sweet chili, cilantro yucca mash, red pepper coulis, and crispy shallots

**Extremely over seasoned, over cooked tough beef ribs. It was work trying to get the meat off the bone. I was shocked! I did not bother eating the other rib. The yucca mash had a nice smooth texture but no real flavor. I'm not sure about the cilantro flavor, but it wasn't bad.

Seafood Safron Rissotto - Grilled half lobster tail, shrimp, chorizo, and mussels.

**I was told that it was good.

Sesame Grilled Salmon

Kimchi fried rice, salmon filet, arugula, sweet chili oil, and crispy onions.

**I was told that it was very good.

DESSERT

Did not...

Not sure how long they've been open but it feels like they are still figuring things out. Had an 8:30 Friday reservation. We were seated immediately, which was great. Atmosphere is very nice - speakeasy meets steakhouse kind of vibe. Lots of cocktails and sizzling meat all around and it looked/smelled great. But they were understaffed - only 2 servers and 1 hostess in the dining room and 2 bartenders behind the bar. They were hustling but couldn't keep up. Water glasses kept running dry. Drinks took forever. Other requests took 5 times as long as they should have because they simply had too many things going on and would get distracted and forget what you asked them.

Food came out fairly quickly but was honestly a little sub-par. The chicken sliders were blah - too thin and dried out and not enough bbq sauce, and the buns were burnt not toasted - great concept but every bit was overcooked and under loved. The tenderloin steak was very good. The short rib was bland and boring - we had both the short rib entree over mashed potatoes and the short rib mac & cheese appetizer. The mac & cheese itself was tasty, but the short rib was just lumps of flavorless meat. Same for the entree, although the potatoes were also fairly boring and flavorless - not a "bad" meal, just a really boring/bland one. However, the tenderloin served on a hot stone was the opposite, well seasoned and perfectly cooked.

Dessert was better. The chocolate chip bread pudding was a gigantic portion and very cinnamony. I really enjoyed it. My friend didn't but I think that was more about specific preferences - she likes a very traditional bread pudding in whiskey sauce and I much preferred this approach using ice cream as the lubricant. The chocolate cake was also surprisingly satisfying. Not a traditional layer cake, more European in nature but rich and satisfying.

It feels like there is potential if they can get their staffing figured out and rescue the...