EAT: Grille 401, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Maybe it was Spring Break or maybe it was just a regular Friday night? Either way, Grille 401 was hopping and definitely the place to be in downtown Ft. Lauderdale! A DJ playing jammin' tunes and a gluten free menu?? Where else would I be dining?!?

We started the meal with the gluten free Coconut Shrimp Roll. The steamed shrimp, toasted coconut, jalapeno, and avocado gave the roll a nice spicy kick. The gluten free menu and our server confirmed that they had gluten free soy sauce. I am always apprehensive about gluten free soy sauce at a restaurant and always ask for the whole bottle to confirm its status and ensure I get the gluten free sauce. Our server informed us that it is in a big bottle and he could not bring it out. No worries, I had a couple of San-J travel Gluten Free Tamari packs in my purse! The Roll was very tasty and a great start to our meal.

I ordered the gluten free Asian Sea Bass with sticky rice and fresh spinach. In order to be gluten free, I had to omit the sherry soy broth. I decided the broth was not needed, as the Chilean sea bass was very tasty and not dry.

My gluten free dinner companion ordered the gluten free Prime Rib. In order to make it gluten free, he omitted the au gus and substituted the gluten free peanut and ginger slaw for the baked potato. The plate brought out to him had au jus on the side in a bowl and the meat had been dipped in the au jus. Not gluten free! After speaking with our server, he quickly brought a fresh plate sans au jus. The prime rib was cooked to a nice medium and the slaw was delicious, crunchy, with a hint of ginger and topped with chopped peanuts.

Grille 401 was definitely the place to see and be seen in Ft. Lauderdale. It had a nice vibe, and with two stories of seating, accommodated a large crowd. The addition of the DJ gave it a fun club feel, and people were even dancing. Grille 401 had two bars, both of which were crowded. The food was good and with the gluten free menu, it was easy to find options. My only caveat is to make sure to double check your order with the server. Ours was not the most knowledgeable about gluten free as other restaurants I have dined in, but he was quick to fix the au jus mistake.

Grille 401
401 Las Olas Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954.767.0222
www.grille401.com