Top 5 restaurants and things to do in Fort Lauderdale?

I live in Fort Lauderdale and have been in South Florida for many years.

Here's a couple favorite places my wife and I enjoy. These are nice, not fancy places mind you and they are moderately priced.

Try Shuck-N-Dive Cajun Cafe for great Cajun food and collard greens. If you like dark beer give the Turbo Dog  a try. Delicious crawfish Étouffée. Just north of Broward Blvd. on US1.

Kelly's Landing is a hidden gem. Go there for the best clam chowder I've ever eaten. Tuesdays they have lobster specials..I think about $25 for a 2 pounder. My kids took me there for Father's Day!

http://www.kellyslanding.com/

The 15th Street Fisheries. There are two levels. The upstairs is more expensive, more formal and it has tremendous fresh foods and an expanded menu. The lower area is much less formal and a very good selection of cold and hot foods. It has a fuel dock and places to dock your boat if you are travelling on the Inter-Coastal. 

The waters in front of the outside bar is teeming with Tarpon. These are game fish and they get huge as tarpons grow to about 4–8 ft long and weigh 60–280 lbs.

Buy some frozen shrimp at the Marina store and you can feed them yourself.

Have a great visit.

I second 15th Street Fisheries. My grandparents used to live on SE 15th street and we would go there a lot for family celebrations. It's a lovely place with great food--not super cheap, but if you're looking for a place to celebrate that's a good one. 

I also love Boatyard. It's more of a lunch place but the food is excellent, the prices are reasonable and they have seating right on the water. It's actually very close to the Fisheries. 

Le Cafe De Paris - this one is a sentimental favorite of mine--it's a kooky little French place on Las Olas Boulevard that looks like it hasn't been redecorated since about 1975 but the food is great even if the place is a bit austere. For some reason I've never seen more than two or three other diners dining here, though, so I don't think I would choose it for my birthday dinner. Lunch is probably a better idea. They make great Caesar salad and great escargot. 

If you want super cheap and super laid back, try the Southport Raw Bar. It's cheap, fun, and the oysters are great. 

As far as supermarkets go, I would just try Publix.

I don't eat seafood myself, but I have lived in Fort Lauderdale since 1985, and I have heard great things about this restaurant and sent multiple people there for their seafood who said it was over-the-top. I have been there myself but ate their yummy steaks rather than seafood. I feel very confident in recommending it to you, if you are looking for good seafood for a special birthday celebration. It is called the 15th Street Fisheries. Waterfront dining in the vicinity of SE 17th Street. The actual street address is 1900 SE 15th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 and their website address is: http://www.15streetfisheries.com/

Good, lower priced restaurants, Fort Lauderdale is absolutely full of them (and those are where I primarily spend my gastronomical dollars). Give me a better idea of the type of eating you like to do, and I will make you some recommendations in that regards.

Your picking up breakfast items question: not sure if you are looking for non-cookable things to bring back to your hotel to eat the next morning, or what, exactly. The two major store chains in South Florida are primarily Publix (my favorite in just about every one of their locations) and Winn-Dixie (which has some very nice stores; the one on Galt Ocean Mile is the best one I have ever been to, very nice). We have a few Whole Foods which offer foods that are more organic, locally grown, much more expensive as a result, more gourmet choices. We have one Fresh Market, which is very expensive, has every possibly gourmet, organic and high end food choice you could possibly desire.

I don't know where you are staying. "Fort Lauderdale" could mean almost anything, and may not even actually be located in Fort Lauderdale (the hotels try to say they are in hotel when they actually mean "near Fort Lauderdale" or "several miles from Fort Lauderdale"), but the real Fort Lauderdale has lots of walking and biking opps; let me know the hotel address, and I can tell you what fun opps are actually near where you are staying.

Never heard of a "pickle ball" court before. Doesn't mean we don't have them, but they might not be called a "pickle ball" court in these parts, so I can't help you there; sorry!

Lots of things to sightsee; I could spend hours giving you information on that, but won't; let me know what sort of things you enjoy when sightseeing and I will tell you what we have that fits your needs and give you blunt (and, hopefully, useful) assessments of them. Or you could see the Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau website (but remember, they will make everything sound wonderful, and some of it is a plain waste of your money) here: http://www.sunny.org/

I hope at least some of this information is what you needed. Fort Lauderdale really is great. I wouldn't still be here, if it weren't!

There's a restaurant in Ft Lauderdale by the sea called Blue Moon Fish Co. , west tradewinds Ave , I think definitely get table outside viewing Intercoastal! reservations might be wise .......... a little pricey but good food & they used to do Chocolate soufflé......yummie

I think one of the best restaurants in area is Cafe Maxx for your birthday dinner! It's smaller, more intimate. Great bartender and wines. Food is always amazing and will include seafood dishes. It's in north lauderdale on Atlantic Ave. but not far if you have a car. They take reservations also. In the beach area you have to try Coconuts for lunch, dinner, drinks! Very casual and so much fun. Get the Scubies as an appetizer; not always listed on menu but they always have them.......Mmmm! Also, for cheap and casual try Bahia Cabana Beach Resort for typical beach fare. If you go to Las Olas Riverfront area, which you should, there are restaurants/cafés and shopping. For good, nice portions of Mexican try Rocco's Tacos and Tequila Bar- better bang for your buck! 

On the intercoastal up by commercial avenue is Kaluz Restaurant, another good restaurant with great outdoor bar/lounge area. 

There is a Publix grocery store by the mall which would be close if you are staying on the beach. Anywhere along the beach you can find all kinds of breakfast places. On the north end of beach (where road splits) is Casablanca Cafe which is another popular place to have lunch or dinner. Just be careful if it's dinner because portions can be big! 

Other than the typical beach activities you can take a riverboat cruise or go on a fishing charter! 

Hope some of this helps!