Critic's Review
Disgusted with the insulting service I got at Bru's Coral Springs, at halftime I headed down Atlantic to another Bru's Room in Pompano. Before there were 4 sports bars in Fort Lauderdale, I used to come here to watch the games.
The problem with getting to these places during the 1pm games is parking. Nobody (except me) leaves at halftime. So getting a spot is challenging. Right next door to Bru's is a big parking lot and a Storage center. Kind of unusual to put a storage facility right on US1. The lot is always empty.
It's empty mainly because every 20 feet there's a tow away zone sign, threatening to tow you away if you dare to park there.
I've parked there multiple times without incident. Maybe they just don't enforce it on Sunday. There's also a YouFit gym in here, or at least there was; it's not a very busy gym if it's still open.
This Bru's has been the same for years; the outside patio is heavily patronized by smokers and is simply a non-option if you like to breath.
Inside they have the same crowd as usual. During the early games you usually can't get a seat, but it's never packed, so standing is comfortable. The big issue is the TVs at strange angles. If your game is on one of the side sets it can be uncomfortable watching. And the big projector screens aren't that good.
There are a couple of changes here. Thankfully, they've dumped the DJ during Dolphins game. They had a dude with a microphone who cracked house music and did a raffle during Dolphins commercials, which was ridiculous considering that half of the people are watching some other game. It didn't do anything for business; it just annoyed people. I guess they figured it out.
They also used to have cute chicks working here, but no more. Just about all the girls were way over tattooed; something I don't get. Kind of like the girls who keep getting bigger and bigger implants, as if more people will like them if they get more. Bare skin is your best look girls; I hope they figure it out one day.
Conclusion
This Bru's isn't as well laid out as Coral Springs, but all the Bru's are different. I didn't eat today, but they have the same amateur bartenders. Most people just drink beer here, so I guess it doesn't much matter.
Review 9/21/14
Another Sunday, another NY Giants game not on TV. Today I made my yearly visit to Bru's in Pompano, for the first half of the game at least. I used to come here regularly before there was Duffy's or Bokamper's or the Royal Pig Pub. I don't like coming here when the Dolphins are playing at the same time, because it's more crowded and they have a stupid DJ that plays bad music during the commercials. I got in at 1pm sharp, before kickoff, and actually got a seat at the bar. So I was able to eat.
Depending on where they decide to put your game on, you may not be able to watch your game from just any seat at the bar. But today it wasn't bad.
The got a better projector, but for some reason was showing the Patriots/Raiders game despite the lack of fans from either team in the room. I wasn't drinking at 1pm so I ordered an iced tea, which was delivered without sweeteners. I knew at this point that I was only staying until halftime, so I ordered 10 wings, medium, grilled.
It was pleasant watching the game without the big crowd, but it wasn't a very vocal bunch. Mostly just people eating and watching their game quietly. The crowds are more diverse when the Dolphins aren't playing; there are a lot of people from all over the country watching their game.
The wings came out pretty quickly.
The wings are generally good at Bru's, but they are inconsistent. Today they didn't have much "buffalo" flavor. They charge 50 cents extra to grill the, which is well worth it. Although today only a couple of the wings seemed grilled. It seemed like a half-assed grill job.
They also charge extra for extra blue cheese, but give you enough if you're not too sloppy with it.
Bar service here is simply terrible. Empty glasses remain empty as the girls sip drinks and chat with regulars. My iced tea glass was empty for more than 5 minutes; one bartender looked over 3 times and a manager was standing right near me talking to the guy sitting next to me. I had to point to the glass. This is not a real restaurant.
9/21/14
On one of those Sundays when the Giants aren't on TV, I'm off to a sports bar. This place used to be my top choice before Duffy's opened; it's not that close but it's a good Sports Bar crowd.
They've upgraded their TVs; the big screen used to be so bad that you hoped your game wasn't on it. It's better and bigger now, and the other sets are bigger also.
If you go when the Dolphins aren't playing, you can usually get a seat. When the Dolphins have an away game; the place gets way too crowded during the game. It's not a very big "room".
Last year they also has a stupid DJ with a microphone that cranked out stupid music during stops in play of the Dophin's game, which ruins the experience is you're watching a different game. I won't go here when the Dolphin's are playing anymore.
The bartenders here used to be a huge negative; they have some better ones now. One reminds me of a young Courtney Cox. Not a bad thing.
Today I was having some food, so I ordered up a rack of ribs. A Half rack is $10.95 and a full rack is $14.95, so it doesn't make any sense to get the half. The sides here all suck; the waffle fries and onions rings have an "upcharge".
The cole slaw is lousy; too "creamy"; I left it on the plate.
The ribs are somewhere between bad restaurant ribs and good BBQ ribs; There was less meat that you'd expect on a full rack. Better than Duffy's but not as good as Houston's, as restaurant ribs go. I'd recommend the ribs with some other side than what I ordered.
As for the beans, these were clearly and without question the worst baked beans I've ever tasted. Cooked with "onions and seasonings"; whatever the seasonings are; they taste terrible.
The people next to me had burgers and boneless wings; I didn't like the looks of either of them.
If you eat at brus; stick to the wings and get them grilled. Either that or a wedge salad.
Review 9/23/12
Bru's Room has multiple location and all are a bit different. The Pompano location is about halfway to Boca Raton on US1. Bru's is like 2 separate bars. There's the outside area, which is where the smokers hang out. There are TVs all around and some of the older "big screen" sets are strategically placed for Sunday Football. Inside, there's a big bar in the middle with TV's all around. Inside, there's a central bar with some booths in the back, some pub tables and a pool table with a hard top that acts as a big table.
There's a certain disorganization here.The main game, usually the Dolphins when they're playing, is on a big projector screen in the middle of the bar, with the audio pumped through the main speakers. The problem is that , while its the biggest screen, its also the worst quality screen (think 1990s technology). Each TV has a card that supposedly tells you which game is on that screen. However just as often asnot, a different game will be on. Its not unusual to have a bunch of guys huddling in one tiny area trying to watch a game thats on a TV at on odd angle. At the same time, there will be the same game on adjacent TVs. This place is a disaster at 4pm on Sundays. They don't have a plan to switch over to the late games. You'll likely miss the first half of the first quarter of your game while they try to figure it out. If the main gain runs over they're not nimble enough to find a TV to put the late games on.
Their latest "promotion" is a dealbreaker for me. During Dolphins games, they have some DJ cranking up music during commercials and interrupting with a raffle call every time there's a score or a penalty. If you're watching some other game its just plain annoying.
The food here is ok, as bar grub goes. The first time I ordered Grilled wings they were too dry and a waste of the extra $.50, other times they're stellar. More times than not, the wings are good, so I do recommend them.
The cole slaw tastes ok but is too "creamy" for me; creamy slaw just means too many calories to me. It sort of bugs me that they give you 1 carrot stick and 1 celery stick and just a thimble of blue cheese. Of course for $1.25 you can order extra. My view is that they should give me enough in the first place.
They used to have some cute waitresses in this place, but there were no sign of them on this visit. I don't care for the bartenders in this place, they spend a lot of time doing things other than making sure that their customers have what they need.
