Even Keel Fish Shack offers the best Fort Lauderdale seafood restaurant experience at its two Broward County locations: Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Las Olas.
Even Keel is a chef-driven seafood restaurant in Fort Lauderdale that focuses on fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. It’s owned by chef-partners Dave MacLennan and Brad Phillips. While working with James Beard Nominee and South Florida local Dean Max, these two met at his award-winning restaurant, 3030 Ocean.
These two chefs have worked together for decades since then. Their culinary careers have taken them to California and the Bahamas, then back to South Florida. They opened Even Keel in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in late 2020. It quickly became a hot spot for seafood in Fort Lauderdale.
This Fort Lauderdale seafood restaurant is on the corner of A1A and Commercial Boulevard. It’s just footsteps from the beach with great views of this charming little part of town. The second location opened at the end of 2023, offering guests a waterfront dining option, right on the canal. It’s in the heart of Las Olas Boulevard, a popular spot for entertainment, shopping, and dining in Fort Lauderdale.
The Even Keel Fish Shack concept is laid-back and casual. It’s all about keeping things on an even keel. The restaurant’s name is a nod to the crew’s overall approach: constant, steady, smooth sailing.
Both restaurant locations offer happy hour Monday through Friday from 4-7 pm. Sunday brunch features $25 bottomless mimosas, Bloody Marys, and Aperol spritz for $25 with the purchase of a brunch plate. Weekday specials include Monday Mussel Madness with All-You-Can-Eat spicy mussels for $19, Two Dollar Tuesdays featuring $2 oysters, High Life beer, and Chambongs (champagne in a flute that is shaped like a beer bong), and Wine Down Wednesday offering half-priced bottles of wine under $80.
What to Order at Even Keel Fort Lauderdale Seafood Restaurant
Seafood is the star at Even Keel. There are plenty of fresh and local fish, shellfish, raw bar items, and classic American comfort dishes. While Even Keel will appeal most to those who love seafood, there are also a few items not from the ocean, for those who might prefer chicken or steak.
The menus at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Las Olas do have some slight differences. Make sure to check their website ahead of time when deciding which of these two fresh seafood Fort Lauderdale restaurants to visit.
I recently visited the new location on Las Olas with some girlfriends, and we really enjoyed our experience. When you want the best seafood in Fort Lauderdale, Even Keel truly delivers.
You cannot go to a Fort Lauderdale seafood restaurant like Even Keel and not order the seafood tower. There are three options to choose from: the Skiff, Ketch, and Mega Yacht. If you couldn’t tell, these are all names of types of water vessels.
The Skiff comes with half a dozen chilled cold-water oysters and 4 peel-and-eat shrimp. It also includes the house-smoked local fish dip, served with pickled vegetables and Old Bay crackers. I am a huge fan of smoked fish dip, especially with local Florida fish, and this one did not disappoint! If you are gluten free, simply ask for some carrots and celery sticks on the side.
The Ketch comes with a dozen oysters, 6 peel-and-eat shrimp, the fish dip, and shrimp ceviche. The ceviche has Thai-marinated shrimp, local citrus, jalapeño, cucumber, cilantro, radish, and coconut.
The Mega Yacht has it all: one-and-a-half dozen oysters, 6 peel-and-eat shrimp, the fish dip, and shrimp ceviche. On top of all that, it also includes the conch salad and hamachi poke. The conch salad is Caribbean-style with Fresno chili, red onion, sweet pepper, cilantro, cucumber, and lime. The hamachi poke has cucumber, edamame, sesame chili, yuzu, and cashew.
All of the seafood towers also come with tarragon mignonette, cocktail sauce, house-made hot sauce, and dill aioli. Whichever tower you choose, it’s an excellent way to kick off your meal at Even Keel!
One of the best things on the menu, in my opinion, is the charred octopus. I never hesitate to order grilled octopus when I see it on a menu. As soon as I saw the description, I knew I needed to try it — minus the olives. If you know me, you know how much I hate olives…but these were easy to avoid.
The dish has fennel, crispy chorizo, salsa verde, pickled mustard seed aioli (and smoked olives). The char on the tentacle was perfectly crispy. The meat was tender, and it had a perfect balance of flavor and texture.
I also really liked the crispy Brussels. I know this isn’t seafood, but it’s great to order as a shared side dish to accompany your mains. It has cashews, cilantro, scallion, and nuoc cham, which is a Vietnamese-style sauce.
When you visit, make sure to check on social media or ask your server if there are any specials. We were lucky enough to get to try the salmon crispy rice special. Chef Dave even made a gluten-free version for me. This was quite possibly our favorite bite of the day. Crispy rice is a huge trend, seen on countless menus, but Even Keel really knocked it out of the park.
For brunch, the lobster Benedict on brioche is a hit. Although I was not able to taste this, the girls loved it. It’s a pretty impressive dish, sure to elicit lots of oohs and aahs.
The chicken and biscuits are another fan favorite during brunch. It comes with Even Keel’s signature housemade cheddar buttermilk biscuits, chorizo gravy, Mike’s Hot Honey, and home fries. Just typing all of that made my mouth water. Additional brunch specialties include the Nutella pancakes, smoked salmon toast, and Fisherman’s Breakfast which comes with a crab cake, 2 eggs, home fries, and bacon.
There are a lot of seafood and fish restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, but Even Keel really stands out. Chefs MacLennan and Phillips are passionate about providing guests with a high-quality meal and memorable experience.
If you’re looking for seafood restaurants in Fort Lauderdale on the water, check out Even Keel Las Olas at 1109 E. Las Olas Boulevard. For a Fort Lauderdale seafood restaurant near the beach, visit the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea location at 112 Commercial Boulevard.
Even Keel Las Olas is open for dinner Monday through Friday from 4-10 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am-10 pm.
Even Keel Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 11 pm (kitchen closes at 10 pm), and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 am to midnight (kitchen closes at 11 pm).
FAQs
Yes! The Lauderdale-by-the-Sea location offers a “Lil’ Skippers” menu for children. You can view the menu here.
Yes! You can order online for pick-up or delivery.
The restaurants are open to walk-in guests on a first come, first served basis. If you have a large party of 8 or more, they recommend you call in advance.
