A friend invited us to their favorite hangout spot - The Riverside Market in Fort lauderdale. We hadn't heard of it, and the way they talked about it's charm and amenities, we were shocked.
How could this terrific-sounding little market that been open for so long be unknown to us?
They tried to tell us the location, and we were stumped - the closest landmark they spoke of was an old wooden swing bridge - how could we not know about it?
The Riverside Market & Cafe is hard to find and in a neighborhood we had never been to before. There, we said it. And, by hard to find we mean it was impossible for us to find. We have GPS, and we not only got lost on our way there, but got lost leaving too. All those confusing street names got the better of us this time.
We've never gotten used to the inane street names in Florida. Those of you, like us, who aren't from around here, must scratch your head as you encounter 55th Place, next to 55th Court, Terrace, Lane, Drive, Road, Passage, Boulevard - it goes on and on. Then you have NE 55th, NW 55th, SE 55th, SW 55th - all running into each other and crossing each other! It drives us nuts and always have a city street map or GPS with us when we're heading out somewhere new, even after being down here on a regular basis for over 10 years.
But back to the Riverside - it is worth the confusion. From the outside, it looks like a run down mom-and-pop market out of Mayberry. A place you might find rope and bait, and maybe gas.
Once inside, you find comfy couches and a few tables:
They serve food! Really good, simple food like salads and wraps, even veggie options. We had mahi-mahi tacos, and our friend Liz had a mozzerella wrap:
But here's the extra special thing about the place (drum roll please) behind the wall of coolers they are keeping over 500 DIFFERENT beers! This place truly is a beer lovers paradise. They have beer from all around the world, and soft drinks and juices from other countries as well. Coconut soda? They have it.
You can have a beer blast with brews from China, Russia, Jamaica, Canada. Reminisce about a trip you took where you fell in love with a beer, thinking you'd never see it again. In the picture above, Liz had a Costa Rican beer with her wrap, since she had been married down there.
Tip: They have an organic garden out back, growing a lot of food they use in the cafe, organically and some hydroponically. They are happy to take you out there for a tour!
On the way out, we drove over the swing bridge, built in 1924. It was a total throwback-in-time . But after a few blocks, out time travel ended as we merged onto the traffic of Broward Boulevard and back into 2011.
We totally give this place a big thumbs up if you're looking for some casual fun. And if you happen to be a beer aficionado it is an absolute must-do!
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