Critic's Review
For the most part, I have no use for Quarterdeck "restaurants". As someone described them to me when I first moved here, they're Flanigan's wannabe restaurants without the decent food. But they took over the old Beach Watch on the Dania Pier, so I thought it was worth an investigation. I made the mistake of trying on a Saturday and there wasn't a parking spot to be found. On a Monday afternoon the beach area and the restaurant were a bit less populated.
There's a big long walkway that leads up to the pier and the back of the restaurant, but you want to go in the front door. The hostess is in the front, and you have to be seated unless you're going to sit at the bar. The rear of the restaurant is a big patio with a bar, and it's where most people seem to want to sit.
The cheap patio furniture didn't impress me, so I got a booth inside. The Beach Watch was pretty creepy; they've lined the walls with cheap wooden booths that provide a bit of privacy if nothing else. It's not the best place to watch TV, with one set high up on the wall.
But you can't beat the view. Although this isn't Malibu Beach, but the water is nice.
I contemplated getting the conch chowder, but my server didn't seem to want to recommend it. I was having a wedge salad and I'd heard it was kind of small (only $5.99), so I ordered the Clam Chowder also.
Music is fairly loud, and alternated between decent and bad. Whitney Houston, Depeche Mode, Madonna, Wham!. When they brought out the soup, I knew that I'd made a mistake.
Good grief. Talk about your gloopy soup. This reminded me of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom if you don't stir it well enough. It actually tasted better than it looked, but no restaurant should serve this. Not too many clams; Surprise, Surprise. The soup is a loser.
The salad came out just as I'd had enough gloop; it looked a little better.
The attempt at presentation is a bit of comedy, but at least there was plenty of blue cheese. The bacon was surprisingly flavorless; the lettuce was fresh and crisp. They emphasize "fresh tomatoes", but you can never tell when they're chopped. A veritable salad; as good as I can expect to get at the Quarterdeck.
It's too bad that the place isn't nicer; it just feels like another cheap place like Anglins where I really don't want to go to eat or drink., and it's not like the bar scene is going to draw me in. Service was fine but they have daily specials and they don't tell you about them at the restaurant. The last time I was at a Quarterdeck I ordered the special and the server had to "find out" if it was a special. I don't like that sort of thing.
They call these Quarterdecks "Seafood" restaurants, but I wouldn't order fish in this place. Based on the ribs and the clam chowder; I'd hesitate to order anything that requires even minimal culinary skill.
Paul Flanigan (the adopted nephew of founder Joe Flanigan) decided he wanted out of Flanigan's when his uncle wouldn't let him run the show and the Quarterdeck's are not part of the Flanigan chain today.
They still market themselves as a Flanigan's by trying to fool everyone with the Flanigan name and nautical theme---but the 'real" Flanigan's are managed by Jimmy Flanigan and his brothers.
Quarterdecks's are not Flanigan's and not nearly as good---not that Flanigan's are great.