Fun, fun, fun!

That's what happens when you eat at Muddy Waters Restaurant and Raw Bar in Deerfield Beach, Florida. You simply can not help yourself. The atmosphere, the food, the drinks, and the prices all combine to make this one very enjoyable place to hang out.

Inside? Outside? Either way it's great! Unless it's pouring outside, I always choose to sit outside. They used to have your basic wooden benches and tables out there. Then a couple years ago they replaced the outdoor furniture with these really cool swinging, canopied bench sets. Yes, I said "swinging". Think giant swingset. With cushioned benches that can gently glide back & forth underneath a canopy, that keeps the sun from beating on you. You can even stay dry, if there's a gentle rain. Of course here in South Florida, torrential downpours take place all the time in the summer; on those days I suggest you head inside.

Inside you'll find a gigantic bar, with booths and tables on both sides of the bar. Bring your laptop, if you want; there's free wireless Internet access. Not that I would ever bring a laptop with me for dinner, of course.

Food

They have a HUGE menu, and everything I've tried has been delicious. The portions are very large, and they are perfectly willing to take "customization orders".

They offer a huge selection of seafood - both the raw kind and the cooked kind. Oysters and clams can be ordered raw, steamed, or fried. Scallops are stuffed, and they have an item called "A Ship Load of Mussels" which can be ordered with marinara sauce or a garlic sauce. Shrimp can be peel & eat, served in a cocktail, fried, or spiced with lemon pepper. I've ordered many of these items and always find them to be fresh, and plentiful. All of these items range from $8 to $14.

Then they have a whole page of appeteezers (Yes, that's how they spell it). Wings, ribs, nachos, chicken fingers, dolphin fingers (No, they're really not dolphins, and, frankly, they're really not fingers, either), coconut shrimp, quesadilla, crab cakes, and artichoke dip are just a few of the delicacies offered. From $6 to $14, there's usually plenty to share.

If you're trying to eat healthy, go for a salad. Cobb, Mozzarella & Mushroom, Caesar, or Chopped. All the salads can have filet, chicken, shrimp, dolphin, grouper, or tuna added for an additional cost of $4 to $6.

Then they have their specialty menus. One for vegetarian dishes, and one for Atkins followers. For the veggies, they have a stir fry, two kinds of Portobello sandwiches, and a veggie burger. As you'd expect, the Atkins entrees are all about protein. Chicken, steak, salmon, and tuna are available.

Next come the burgers. You gotta love a place that offers the Jimmy Buffett burger I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz Fifty-seven and French fried potatoes... There are also a large variety of all beef Kosher hot dogs. Of course, they only start out Kosher, after you add the chili and the cheese, well, they might not be Kosher anymore, but they still taste good. Then there are specialty sandwiches. Jerk pork, beef brisket, NY Strip, fresh turkey breast, grouper, and roast beef are just some of the items. Feel like something a little different? Try one of their wraps. Tuna, salmon, grouper, chicken, roast beef, and crab meat can all be wrapped, with lettuce, tomato, onions, and sauces.

I told you this was a HUGE menu... We haven't even gotten to the main entrees yet! All are served with salad, and dinner rolls:

Paella comes with clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and chicken, served over rice and vegetables. I've ordered this several times and have always enjoyed it. Besides being delicious, it is truly a meal for two disguised as a single serving.

Jambalaya has shrimp, chicken, sausage and vegetables served over Caribbean-spiced rice.

There's a fisherman's platter containing shrimp, scallops, fish of the day, clams, crab cakes, and fries. You can order the fish fried, blackened, or grilled.

If seafood isn't your thing, don't worry.

They also have beef and chicken fajitas (served sizzling with onions & peppers), pork loin, ribs, meatloaf, a bunch of chicken dishes, and steaks (T-bone, tenderloin, and NY Strip).

The entrees are all reasonably priced, ranging from $13 to $23.


I dare say that there's nobody who can't find something they like here!

And if you're still hungry after your meal, there are a bunch of desserts. All kinds of cakes, pies, and sherbets.

Finally, part of what makes this place so much fun, is the fun stuff on the menu. OK - perhaps having a few of their bar drinks helps liven them up, but here's just one example:

Free All-U-Can Eat! Followed, in little letters by:
salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, sugar, vinegar. (We keep an eye on the Sweet & Low) Other quotes like that one, just make me smile every time I eat here.

Oh - I should tell you that this place is located in a strip shopping center, there's plenty of parking, and they take reservations for parties of 8 or more. And the service is always wonderful.

Obviously, you can tell I'm a big fan of this place, and I'm happy to give it a very enthusiastic recommendation!

Recommended: Yes

Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes