Samba Room - Fort Lauderdale

My friends and I visit the Samba Room at least once a week. The food and drinks are excellent, and the atmosphere is lively with a good-looking crowd!

Samba offers one of the most delicious lunches I've had in a long time, and it's very reasonably priced. They have three lunch boxes to choose from, which is perfect if you want to sample a variety of dishes from their menu. Each box includes soup, salad, empanadas, a main course, and a dessert. I tried the skirt steak option, which featured tortilla soup, a cobb salad (complete with beans and corn), corn empanadas, and skirt steak topped with chimichurri, accompanied by crispy fries. For dessert, I opted for a delightful chocolate mousse with a mini brownie tucked inside, served in an adorable shot glass. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was inviting, especially with the outdoor seating available. I will definitely be returning for more lunches here!

The service was absolutely dreadful. The waiter was glaring at my date, and we experienced incredibly long waits between courses. After nearly three hours for a simple meal and dessert, I had to track down my bill. The food was decent, but the mistakes made throughout the evening left a bad impression.

I've eaten here a good number of times, mostly for lunch. A lot of the menu items are in the mid-to high-level price range, but they usually underperform on value. The soup they serve is average. The mariquitas are not the traditional type, and nor are they up to par. The crab dip has a lot of cheese, but less flavor and a lot less crab. The one great highlight is the skirt steak. They do a great job at that. The shoestring fries are great as well, and they come with it. They have good drinks, but they are in the mid- to high-price range as well. The atmosphere is nice and the crowd is good, but for the most part, I wouldn't come solely for the food.

I was taken to The Samba Room for my birthday and I was pleasantly surprised. I have been there at least a half dozen times since. The happy hour is fun and lively. Sitting at the bar is ok although I liked being at a table. Bar can get a bit noisy, but it's fun. I'll be going there again.