The Chimney House – Grill & Cafe

Sat down for lunch outside with my dog. Was greeted promptly and ordered a beer. Server came back ten minutes later with my beer and some water for my dog, which was nice, ordered the chicken sandwich, took a sip of my beer only to find a dime size piece of mold floating in it. I grabbed another waiter’s attention and showed him the mold floating around in my beer. He replied with «oh sh@t». I asked him to inform my server to cancel my order because if there is mold in my beer there is no way I trust the food. And left never to return.

Just great! Excellent food and service. Went before a show at the Broward Center. Fast efficient service and awesome steaks! The flan was amazing!

I’ve passed by this place a thousand times, and never tried it. We recently went for brunch/​lunch on a Sunday, and it was not crowded at all. The food was amazing. We ordered from their normal menu, and were speechless.
We will be back

After a very long restoration to a dilapidated building just west of the Broward Theatre, the
dedicated owners opened the Chimney House about 3 years ago and it’s still going strong. I appreciate that they saved the chimney which stands in the center of the cute home turned eatery — please stop and take note of it if you do visit.
I love the little white lights that decorate the outdoor patio & because the servers immediately made us feel comfortable and welcome, I immediately fell in love with this little grill. We never felt rushed or ignored and the evening passed in a most favorable way.
The owners and chef are from South America and Latin America they have the secret family recipes to make really good empanadas. Ceviche is another of their specialities with 5 or 6 varieties and the entrees include chimicurri churasco steak and fresh fish dishes. We thought prices are reasonable and if it’s a nice night, the patio is a great place to sit and enjoy their delicious sangria. The restaurant choices in the area have really diminished so it’s nice to have a new place (although parking is a bit of trouble) to enjoy lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch.

An great find. The atmosphere and service /​staff, impressive. The food was truly amazing. The bone in pork chop was perfectly marinated, basted in an ideal blend of peppers and spice, and sweet pineapple. The plantains … perfection, not to mention watching each dish coming out of the kitchen and noting it a masterpiece. Menu had a nice range from tapas through salad, casual, and full meal. .Leave enough room for an incredibly smooth and tasty flan for desert.

Back again for a third time and this place never disappoints. Had the patacon de la casa for appetizer, delicious! Dinner was Paella for her and the whole fried snapper for me, both amazing! Two coffees and a flan sealed the deal. And the waiter was fantastic.

Really enjoyed this place. Close to the performing art center. The Mahi Mahi was nicely cooked. I did use a little hot sauce, but that’s me. (They need a hot sauce other than Tabasco). Salad with salmon or chicken were also very good. Very good beer and wine selection. We were held up by a friend and were rushed to eat and get to the concert, but the staff as responsive. Just wish her taxi driver had been.

Was there on a Monday night a show was going on at the performing arts center. My wife, two kids and I did not have a reservation they sat us at a nice table outside. Staff was great as was the food. Ordered appetizers guacamole and plantain chips and empanadas all delicious. Entrees all were perfect turkey meatloaf, pork chop. Owners are all over the place to ensure your visit is a pleasant one. Staff is on point. We will definitely be back.

Very cute place in the neighborhood. Outside seating and music was nice. Great food-​we will be back. Empanadas were amazing!

Great food and great service, this family owned business is one of the best restaurants in Fort Lauderdale. Located in a historic structure, at the edge of the historic sailboat bend neighborhood, this little house serves outstanding food at great prices. If you’re going to the Broward Center for a show, pop in here first for dinner, it’s literally across the street.
My wife and I eat here frequently and we highly recommend this for locals (if you haven’t tried it) and for anyone from out of town.

Great service
Excellent ambience
Very convenient when you are going to theatre
Food was very good
But not excellent
Overall very satisfied and I would return

Set up a group of 8 people here for a work function. Evening started great. A nice table outside where it was a cool vibe and atmosphere. Weather was perfect and the servers were nice and kind. We ordered some drinks and wine all was good. Then we ordered the tuna ceviche, avocado and chips, empanadas and all were good.
The reason for the one star is that all of us ordered main courses and they were all equally bad. The food came out cold. The meet was all tough and lacked flavor. Not one thing on our table food wise was good or had the flavor expected or even that would be mediocre.
To the owner. You need a new chef or manager because without great food you will be out of business.
Thanks for listening!
#LoveWhatYouDo
#LoveWhatYouEat
#EnjoyLife

It’s a unexpected jewel in the middle of Ft Lauderdale.
Ambiance was great, service was excellent. Tostones con Ropa vieja were delicious. It’s not that pricey, price is fair

In town for a conference and wanted to sample some Latin food while in town. We are from the Upper Midwest so not much opportunity, other than when Cuban friends of my mother (or my mother herself) cook for us.
We arrived mid-​afternoon so the place was quiet. Staff was friendly and the place was very clean.
Had empanadas for starters which we thought were great. I had the Churasco Chiminchurri and my wife the Grilled Skirt Steak. Both were decent pieces of meat. Having been raised on a farm and beef ranch I do know my red meat. They were also cooked just as ordered and tasty. The yellow rice was okay and the black beans excellent. Flan for desert which was also very good.
A great Latin place coming from a non-​expert on Latin food.
If you are staying on the beach front, the last stop on the Las Olas line of the Sun Trolly will get you within a block.

I have come here a few times now and i fall in love every time.
The chicken saldado is epic
The chicken sandwich with queso fresco is my favorite to go food.

Chimney House is super solid — and writing this review reminds me that I need to return back, it’s been awhile since my last visit. It’s a quaint little spot — that makes the perfect location for a date night — or even for a casual lunch.
They have indoor and outdoor seating — last time my wife and I sat outside we were attacked by mosquitos — and the staff was super nice in helping us relocate inside.
Sangria — We started off with a pitcher of Sangria. It was super refreshing and we got about 2 glasses each out of it.
Steak tacos — solid! Comes with two per order. Stacked with lettuce, guac, pico and the steak is shredded (and I believe fried.) Great to share.
Yuca a la huancaina — I’m a sucker for huancaina sauce. This was super solid. Crispy, fried yuca — drizzled with creamy, cheesy sauce.
Patacon de casa — a flattened out plantain — stacked with meat and guac. It was delicious. This was my first patacon and I am hooked!
There’s not a huge amount of parking, but there’s always been plenty when I’ve come in — they have parking on the side of the restaurant in a small lot.
Overall there’s some good eats here — a nice mix of various Latin American cuisines.

I’ve been wanting to go to this place forever. What a cool spot, in a cool renovated 1920’s home with the fireplace right in the center. Cool ambiance inside, outdoor seating on the porch.
Wife had Yuca a la huancaina and she loved it, I didn’t have any. She also had Patacon de la casa. And this I stole from her. Fried platano covered in ropa vieja with a spicey kick to it and guacamole. Sooo good. Both these are appetizers.
I had the Ropa Vieja meal with rice, beans and sweet plantains. Was very good but the ropa vieja from the Appétizer was different and better.
Looking forward to coming back and trying out a few other meals from here. Definitely recommend it.

My friends and I came to The Chimney House before a musical because of the advertised pre-​show menu. It was so close to the theater that it seemed to be the perfect place. I made the reservations easily, and we were set.
Then we actually arrived for dinner. We sat on the porch area, which is not bad. My only problem was that it’s not that well lit, so I had trouble reading my menu. I ordered the fried seafood platter, but since I don’t like mussels, I asked if they could take it out and get more of the others. I also wanted to sub yuca for fries. I was even willing to pay a premium if I had to for fries. I really don’t like yuca. However, I was told no for both. When my platter came out, I couldn’t understand why they couldn’t accept my substitute requests. I would understand if it was like a seafood paella, everything mixed already, but this was not. To me, it just seemed that the answer was «no» because they were too lazy. The platter itself had waayyy more calamari than anything else. There was only 2 of each of the other items. Needless to say, I was very disappointed in my meal.
We also ordered sangria, and I was definitely not a fan. It’s funny that I saw in someone else’s review that their sangria was too sweet. Ours was too bitter! Obviously then, there is no consistency in how they make it.
The service we received was terrible. Aside from my ordering mishap, it seemed so difficult to converse with our server the entire night. He was Spanish-​speaking, which normally isn’t a problem for me, but he didn’t seem to even try with us. I also felt a bit neglected as a table as we had to wait for him to come around again so I could ask for a refill on water. Not friendly, not attentive.
I really wish I had not come here, but at least now I know I am definitely not returning.

A best kept Fort Lauderdale secret, The Chimney House boasts the perfect menu for a taste of authentic Latin American cuisine. Located on Avenue of the Arts (at the base of the SW 4^th Ave bridge), in downtown Fort Lauderdale, it is situated directly behind the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. This is one of the few, if any in the area that will accept reservations, making it the perfect marriage for a pre-​dinner theatre night on the town. It is also in walking distance to the theatre.
The architecture is a small classic style 1924 historic home converted to meet all the needs of the restaurant business balanced neatly with an old world Latin American flare. Original to the house, there is actually a brick chimney in the center of the main dining area.
The menu selection is as visually compelling as it is tasteful. I have been here three times thus far with various people, and everyone has enjoyed it each time. (Even my parents liked it **wink wink**.) The recipes and style are refreshingly original enveloping a unique twist to the fanfare. Bravo!
— Pricing/​Value: Reasonable
— Food portions: Just right
— Specials: Pre-​dinner theatre menu available. Show your ticket stub before you order to hear the menu and special offerings
— Hospitality: Warm and attentive
— Favorite Menu Item: Ceviche de la Casa (the picture speaks for itself. Best I’ve ever had)
— Libations: Beer, wine and homemade traditional red or white sangria — *sangria is too sweet*
— Parking: There is limited parking on the right side of the house, however there is additional FREE parking in the adjacent lot on the side street across the way.
— Seating: Small interior with limited tables. Additional seating on outside patio deck area. Both seating areas are comfortable.
— Dress: Casual
— Clean and well maintained
Just to be clear, this is a small grille and café, so don’t expect a fine dining experience, just a relaxed atmosphere, good food and nice people.
Am I gushing?
#fortlauderdale #bestkeptsecret #latincafe #chimneyhouse #browardcenterfortheperformingarts

I brought my Valentine to The Chimney House before taking in a show down the street…
We started the night off with the fried calamari… it was lightly breaded and fried to perfection! Plentiful portion of tender calamari rings served with a fresh marinara sauce and an amazing lime, onion, pepper sauce.
My beautiful valentine had the skirt steak scampi with mash potatoes and grilled mixed veggies. The steak was tender and the shrimp divine …
I had the rib eye in a mushroom gravy with mash potatoes and grilled mixed veggies. Melt in your mouth yummy goodness.
The only negative of I had to found one was the tres leches… the cake seemed frozen.
We will absolutely come again… this is a hidden gem in downtown.