Aruba Beach Cafe

The food was excellent when it finally arrived but unfortunately our service experience was very poor. It was a very busy day but that doesn't excuse the table behind us ordering their drinks when we ordered food and yet their food came out before we even received an appetizer. When our food did come out all came at once, cold soups, cold tacos... Likely all day there for the 30+ min we waited for food. Unfortunate considering portions were great and taste was awesome but you can't excuse cold food.

Fun, casual dining, right on the sand. You can eat inside with AC, or outside too. Live music and drinks from multiple bars has people dancing in the evenings. Food is delicious with a fairly extensive menu and big portions. You won't leave hungry! (I posted a picture of the current Summer special deal ... check to see what's currently going on)

Food was great, the mussel serving was generous for the price. Service was a bit slower than I had hoped but the server gave us great recommendations.

Aruba is such a fun restaurant right on the beach. The music is awesome. They have had a man playing the guitar and singing the best songs. Definitely a fun hangout. The happy hour is wonderful too! We go to Aruba each time we are in Fort Lauderdale. Lauderdale by the Sea is the best- tons of restaurants, shops, ice cream at Sloan's is a must.

This is one of my absolute favorite spots! 🌴 We love sitting outside—whether it’s on the deck or right on the beach, the views are unbeatable. The drinks are incredible, especially the frozen/blended cocktails—perfect for a hot day. The oysters are a must-try, but honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of the fresh fish dishes here. Service is always wonderful—fast, friendly, and attentive. Even though it’s always busy, the food comes out quickly and the staff never misses a beat. Whether you’re stopping by for lunch, dinner, or just drinks and apps, this place is a must-visit. Beautiful scenery, amazing food, and a lively atmosphere—highly recommend!

First of all do I have to tell you how beautiful it is on the beach in front of the restaurant on high chairs with an umbrella?! The great service from waiters that take an interest to their customers; down to the servers who brings out your delicious food with a smile! The drinks are delicious and very reasonable. I definitely recommend the mussels with the pasta with the garlic sauce and the seafood enchiladas!! Side note: as a LUNCH DATE (light eaters) those 2 dishes can can be shared...

Always a fun experience here! Dinner was great. Had the tuna pike bowl. Tons of tuna. $20 which isn’t bad. Great music and always interesting people!

If you’re looking for a place that blends delicious food with a fun, tropical vibe, Aruba Beach Café is it! Every visit feels like a mini vacation—the ocean views, the lively atmosphere, and the friendly staff make it one of my favorite spots to relax and enjoy. • Ambiance: Right by the water, with breezy seating and music that sets the mood. • Food: Fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Whether it’s seafood, cocktails, or a casual bite, everything tastes like sunshine. • 💃 Fun Factor: Perfect for dining with friends, celebrating, or just soaking up the beach energy. I always leave with a smile, full belly, and great memories. Highly recommend Aruba Beach Café if you want to eat, laugh, and feel the joy of Florida’s coast!

If you're here for the right reasons and right timing, this place is perfect. Their happy hour deal is really cheap and there's a lot to get, and the live music is such a boon to the experience. Pros- - great happy hour deal (cheap food and drinks) - live music - good ambiance - potstickers Cons - servers were very territorial (couldn't bring drink ordered at bar to our table) - The food was not the best (avoid nachos) - the Hummus came with only a single pita so we had to order more Other note was that the calamari was different both times we got it. The first time was perfectly crispy and seasoned but the second time it was overly rubbery.

Location and music are great ! Bartenders at the bar are jot nice at all . They are nicer to the ones they know . We were going to order food but since there were not nice we didn't . They need to work in been nice because they don't know what people are going to order !

It's one of my favorite places to visit when I travel down from NYC. Their shrimp pasta...delicious. The staff is very attentive. And the best part of it all is the oceanfront view. Front row seats to the beautiful soundscapes of the sea. I highly recommend this restaurant. Also they have fun karaoke nights!

If you're looking for a beachfront restaurant near Lauderdale by the sea hands-down, this is the best place and since this is the only place it does come with a commercial package you will be seated very fast. The food will be served very fast. You will be checked constantly if you need anything else they will make you rush for your bill and you're done if you're not keep ordering food or drinks. I was not very impressed by their coconut shrimp or their wings or their crabcake. I ordered a bunch of drinks strawberry margarita was not bad. The service was good, but like I said, they are very commercial. They wanna make sure that they can have as many guests as possible in a limited time and make more and more money I would have had a good experience if the food was good and since it's by the sea, a good seafood options would have really made a change on how I look at this place obviously there is no parking there so you gotta park somewhere far and walk up to the places nearby.

Aruba is one of those restaurants that is the perfect seafood restaurant for someone visiting South Florida. Fun, beachy atmosphere, awesome views, yummy food, good music and pretty at Christmas. You have to either valet park or luck out finding a parking spot nearby (and pay to park). The food is expensive but that's to be expected. I like the goat cheese salad with salmon and the seafood quesadilla. Honestly though, you go to this place for the view. It's right on the beach. You can eat inside or outside and enjoy live music most of the time. Service has been good every time I go. All in all, I would recommend going because if you haven't been here, you're missing out!

Another delicious meal at Aruba Beach Cafe. Is a beautiful day on the beach & we came inside for a fresh seafood lunch. We valet our car and happily were able to get a beachside table for four. The view is magnificent, service impeccable, and the fish is always delicious and reasonable. The Mojito specials were refreshing and icy cold. We all had seafood, which was fresh, abundance and reasonably priced. We started with warm Bimini bread with honey butter. My seafood quesadilla was filled with fresh seafood & was too large for me to finish. My husbands grilled swordfish was perfect, he really enjoyed it. Friends enjoyed their seafood Louis. This is our to go to beach restaurant on a hot summer day.

Friendly crowd. Walk in from the beach. Live music. Nice time. Need to pay for parking. Lively neighborhood to walk and meet people.

Ordered some food to go and I can honestly say I truly enjoyed it. The portions were awesome! I was happy with everything. Wait time for the food wasn't long either ! Seafood Alfredo Sesame crusted salmon

Went on a Sunday for late lunch. They had valet parking starting at $10 which was a wise move considering how busy it gets in that area. They would take the a bit car offsite but it doesn't really take long. The more expensive option is $15 and the car would be right in front...in the adjacent lot. These prices are for leaving the car while you are dining at the restaurant but if you want to leave it longer and go to the beach, it would be $20. On a Sunday afternoon, the place was buzzing. Loved their Sesame Crusted Salmon and their Ocean Sunset. It is definitely popular with locals and tourists alike. You can have a really nice ocean view and the ambiance is very relaxing.

Love this place! Great beach food, live music every night; love the ambiance. My bartender was Laura from Argentina; she was on point; lovely attitude and very pleasant customer service. If you are in the area come see her.

Before I go any further, go for the Bimini Bread! Always a hit and always sweet. If you don't finish it consider making french toast at home with it the next day. A great restaurant with a guitarist located on the beach. We never have had to wait for a table and the atmosphere is casual and laid back. Had their sword fish special with pineapple and mango sauce and my wife had a fish quesadilla. Both were very good! No surprise as it's hard to order a bad meal here. Also had their planters punch. Again a great choice. Marcos our server was attentive. Have no problem going back here. Great food, great casual atmosphere and great service. Valet parking is $10 if eating here.

This place was a lot of fun! I loved that it was right on the beach! We went on a Friday night and it was crowded, but we did not have to wait for a table. We were seated right away and got a spot facing the ocean. I ordered a Keylime colada and it was delicious. I also ordered the seafood quesadillas and the Bimini bread. Both of those were also very good. Our service was great and the live music playing inside with a lot of fun. Lots of people were dancing and it just had a really great beach atmosphere.

Great beach vibe with live music and a delicious Double Espressotini! My only suggestion would be adding an oyster shooter shot to the menu- but the bartender at least tried!!

I was in the area for 7 days and I came to Arubas 4 times. We loved the vibe, the service, food and live music. Tiffany, Cassy, Madeline and Michael were amazing. We loved their coconut shrimp with Thai Chili sauce. They were very large, crunchy and flavorful. We were absolutely surprised by the size of the Seafood quesadilla. It was filled with seafood. We couldn't even finish one of the quarter quesadilla. The Jamaican wings were freaking great. Loved the flavors and cooked to perfectly fall off the bone. We loved their happy hour prices one of the times we came by. And of course you can't go wrong with the beautiful views. We will definitely be back.

The Happy hour at Aruba is always lively, fun and inexpensive. We got some drinks (Apple martini and Captain Morgan with Sprite) and they were very well made. Their Happy Hour specials are only offered at the bar and selected tables, so it could be crowded and busy when you get there...the place is very popular and very well attended by tourists and locals. They also have some nice tables on the sandy beach overlooking the waves, a very nice location for a meal by the water....

Ive come here for 30+ years (didn't yelp then) and it was pretty good. First off, scenery is gorgeous, it's right on the beach. Breezes are great, parking nearby. My not great experience this time was that the hostess station was moved ( not their problem) but we went ti hostess station and waited at least 10 minutes. No hostess. My sister went lo9king for her, she came, handed us menus and silverware and told us to go inside and sit anywhere. The frozen drinks are divine. I had a mudslide as well as the Pina cold. I had fried shrimp which was good and my sister had a Bleu cheese burger, also good The bathroom was clean and smelled good. The live music was really enjoyable. It remains a favorite place to dine

I was in the area and this place looked cool, mainly caught my eye cause they had table seating outside in the sand on the beach. Parking is tough in that area, but I walked from a hotel is was at. I decided to check it out at night. It was very busy, live music and felt like a big party. I ordered a drink and some wings. The drink was strong but tasted terrible. The wings were cooked really well but didn't have any flavor. Staff was really nice and did their best with how busy it was. Not sure if I'd go back for food, but I'd go back for a couple drinks with the guys.

Food and service were first rate - only exceeded by the view. Amazing experience!!' Highly recommended

On the evening of Dec 3 after the LBTS Christmas tree lighting our group of 6 friends got a table at Arubas. Before ordering we asked the waiter for separate checks. We were told they have a new system but would try to accommodate our request. When our check came we were told separate checks were impossible. Every restaurant that ai have been to for several years now has the ability and willingness to separate checks and many offer pay at the table options. Two managers at Arubas refused to help us pay for the food we ordered . The manager , Wayne, insulted us but saying we were not very good friends if we couldn't split the entire check 6 ways. He called the police stating that we would not pay our check. When the police came , they suggested he simply issue separate checks and suddenly he agreed. Which is all we wanted in the beginning. Arubas poor customer service has lost them 6 local full time residents AND all their friends who will never go back to Arubas.

What a great little gem on the beach. The atmosphere was amazing, food was solid, and service was good. Everyone had a great meal. I ordered the twin lobster tails and they were worth every penny. So sweet I didn't need drawn butter! A great spot for kids too.

You can dine here with sand between your toes at the tables that are located right on the beach. Large indoor and outdoor dining areas. Live music and "tropical inspired" menu. Food is moderately priced and portions are large considering the draw of this restaurant is it's right on the beach location. Service is friendly and efficient. Make sure to order the Bimini bread.

Had a great experience there. We were there for an event and were able to sample a bunch of different foods/drinks while the band played. They had valet parking with the lot visible from the restaurant, so we took advantage of it. Everything tasted delicious as we had small bites of a plethora of items. The cold food came out cold, hot food came out hot. We never had to ask for drinks or silverware as the service was on point. We were seated outside & the weather was perfect. All in all, a great day was had by everyone.

Great spot to catch a drink and eat. Madison our waitress was a delight. The food was very good as well. The atmosphere is so cool and laid back. You'll feel at ease once you walk in. Go have a great time and walk the beach after.

Food was excellent! Service was pleasant and very attentive to us. The ambiance was amazing! Lots of music and fun! Dj was great!

What I ordered: bread, Steak and shrimp scampi, pina colada Price: $65 Overall thoughts: great vibes, delicious food, and outstanding service. PRESENTATION & CREATIVITY- I believe all food is art. This meal was fantastic. It was presented neatly and I can tell they took good care creating my food. Even the drinks looks great. QUALITY & TASTE- Everyone has their own opinion of preferences of taste. This meal was so deliciously I'm full and want more! The steak was so good and juicy, the drinks weren't too strong but had a good amount of alcohol. That bread is so good you have to get the bread! SERVICE & HOSPITALITY- One aspect of a great experience at an establishment is the service of the staff. At this location, the staff was so friendly. Diego at the front podium was so friendly and told me all about the restaurant which convinced me to come in. I was originally just taking a walk by the beach but Diego's friendliness convinced me to come in. I ended up getting drinks and dinner. My waitress Niki was so friendly as well. She had great recommendations. The atmosphere is so great, they always have live music. VARIETY OF OPTIONS- Some establishments offer very diverse menu. At this establishment, they have lots of option. If you are vegetarian, they have impossible burger. BANG FOR YOUR BUCK? Is this a good price for the quality of food? YES! It's a great time and good food! EXTRA NOTES: just go there

I've been coming to Aruba's since they first opened in the early 80's when LBTS was a sleepy town with not much there. It was way before all the plethora of restaurants and metered parking were there. I used to come here for business lunches, meeting up with girlfriends, a dinner with my main man, and a tropical beverage before heading out for the evening. Since I hadn't done a recent review, it's been waaay longer than I realized since I was here last. We love "playing tourist" and it was nice to be near the beach. We sat at the bar as I'd read online that they had a special lunch menu offer by doing so. The offer is 50 percent off most items except for the raw bar for items under $15 and a discount of $7.50 from other more expensive items. It's a summer special so assume it will run through the end of September. My husband was craving a classic burger so that's what he ordered. He said the burger was excellent with a lot of grill flavor and all the fixings. I got their fried grouper sandwich. It was larger than expected. I wound up eating the fish without the bun. Both items came with a side of french fries. Before our food, however, we both enjoyed (another special) adult beverage. They had $4 margaritas which were very, very good. I'm not much of an alcoholic drinker but I loved the mix they used. And how perfect on a hot day for an ice-cold refreshing and frothy limey drink. We got very good and friendly service from the bar personnel -- two gals -- which was delightful as we are an older couple that doesn't fit the usual profile. We enjoyed our food and drinks and the view of the beach and ocean. We've decided we've got to do this more often and come back soon.

Went out tonight and ended up at Arubas in Lauderdale by the sea. We had a great time with a great bartender Connor, picture below so if you go to the bar ask for him. The band had us up and dancing. Couldn't ask for a for a better evening out with friends,

I had an absolute amazing time at this beachfront dining restaurant. This restaurant has been around for a very long time and it was time for me to stop by! I enjoyed all the samples I had here and my favorite was the crab and lobster salad along with the scallops! The key lime pie was amazing and I would definitely come back for just that alone! The seafood we had was fresh and just tasty and flavorful. Would totally recommend for anyone looking to have some amazing views, a live band playing, good service and amazing food and drinks.

Great place and location. Love the Happy Hour - Monday-Friday (4-7 pm) Great food and drinks. Nice waitstaff.

This review is intended for Hamilton Valet, partnered with the restaurant. I've been coming here for years and never had as bad an experience as we did tonight. We parked valet as we always do, came to pickup the car to find our belongings in the car rummaged through. Our work ID's were looked through and placed back out of order. When I spoke to the manager about it I explained that I had my federal ID in the car and he responded with "I don't care who you are" and very abrasively denying his workers did such a thing. Not an apology or a sincere discussion, but a very condescending response. As a loyal customer of many years to the restaurant and valet this left a bad taste for us; won't be parking there anymore. We pay for them to park our vehicle not snoop on our belongings.

330 on a Sunday. Less busier than usual. Went in. For set away from every tv in the place. Asked for a closer place to watch football. Moved near a TV. 10 minutes. No one waited on us, although 6 came by. One returned said he couldn't find our waiter. Took our drink order. Watched 4 servers BS around the bar. Decided to leave and guy said he had our drinks ready. Terrible service. Been to every restaurant on that block and. O one sucked like them. Zero stars. Zero everything for these entitled things. Went across the street and had service and a drink in hand, on front of a TV in less than 5 minutes.

Went here for lunch and sat outside, which was nice. No view of the water from the table we sat at, but still nice to eat outdoors. I had the Aruba Teriyaki burger with fries and it was really good. Burger came with pineapple and teriyaki sauce, which made for a tasty combination. Fries were thin sliced and tasty. Service was very good, server was pleasant. Prices were fair for the quality & selection of the food. I arrived before 12 noon and found a parking spot on the street easily, but it was still early. I would go back again!

Aruba Beach Café @arubabeachcafelbts Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL One of my favorite oceanfront dining restaurants! I love the live entertainment and the friendly service. Laid back ambiance right in the ocean. Plenty of seating indoor and outside as well. Live entertainment daily. Amazing happy hour specials. The food and drinks are always on point! The menu offers something for everyone! Swing by and check them out! Have you been here yet? #ArubaBeachCafe #LauderdaleByTheSea #Oceanfront #Seafood #LiveEntertainment #Beach #FtLauderdale #Cafe #Dining #Broward #Foodie #LetsDrinkz #EatzWithSweetz #LetsEatz

Food is normally great. We got there late and they served us everything warm. Anyway hopefully next time we get there earlier

got a beer and ceviche which was great. the ceviche had a great amount of fish which I dont feel you always get. Good vibes and veiw on the beach front. The server was good as well. Very quick

One of the only places where you can literally eat on the beach! They have amazing frozen drinks too!

Came here for appetizers and drinks with 2 couples and 2 single people. Asked the server for separate checks (4 total). He said they have brand new software, and he would figure out how to accommodate us. When the bill came, the server said he couldn't ring in separate checks. Female manager said that she was too busy to accommodate us. Another manage, Dwayne Wiseman, arrived at our table with a big attitude and also refused to accommodate. As a matter of fact, he called the police right in front of us and lied, stating that he had customers refusing to pay. 7 police officers arrived. Manager continued to belittle us and lie to the officers. All we wanted to do was pay our correct tabs. If we had been told that they couldn't separate the checks from the beginning, we wouldn't have ordered. After looking completely dumb and ridiculous in front of the officers, Dwayne then said he could accommodate our simple request. Dwayne was nasty and unreasonable throughout the ordeal. His customer service was horrible. Aruba lost 6 local customers today.

As soon as we walked in, the host was so sweet and so generously interested in what he's doing. We asked if we could sit by window. He said I have the right table for you. The little sitting area that's kind of behind the bar but not. Perfect. Plus the server was super also . We had a couple iced teas. I had the seafood quesadilla and G had the chicken quesadilla . The seafood quesadilla was a little bland. If I used salt it was bland. The service from the front entrance to sevice.

Another great outdoor seating but the only thing that worries me was the birds, they hang around the tables and the whole outside seating area. The food was good there was a seafood quesadilla that was amazing the fresh made daily bread was buttery and delicious. The server was very attentive and was able to offer great suggestions on menu options

There was live music playing and the doors were open to the beach. The food took some time to come out, but overall everything was pretty good. They have inside and outside seating, so you could walk up from the beach and sit outside. Prices were good for lunch since the restaurant is on the beach.

I would recommend Aruba if you want a beach view. That's probably one of the best view in Broward by far. The outside seating by or on the beach is really unbeatable and it is worth going just for that. We went for lunch and were promptly seated. We had a table right by the beach which was just amazing. Our waitress was nice and service was quick. I took the Mac and cheese and my partner took a salad. The food was fine but not great. Prices were reasonable considering the prime location. We had a great time and would recommend this place.

We came here yesterday to enjoy dinner while watching the sunset, and we absolutely loved it. I tried the pomegranate margarita, which was delicious; not too sweet, but you couldn't taste the tequila. We weren't very hungry, so we ordered ceviche and a dozen oysters, and they were both fantastic. The waitress was nice, and they were playing live music, which gave the restaurant a great vibe. Many people were dancing, making it feel like we were on an island. The only downside was that the bathroom was a bit dirty, so I had to use another one because it would take the staff a while to clean it. Also, we also asked the person who brought the oysters to please bring hot sauce, but he never did. However, when we asked our server, she brought it right away. We would definitely return to this establishment, especially because it's so close to the beach.

Great live music Food was great Drinks were even better especially having our "5" star bartender Connor. Great people amazing vibes will definitely be one of my new regular spots to have a fun night out right on the beach.

My best friend recommended this place due to the proximity of the beach, the ability for us to get a spot right next to the sand, and the food. Our kids played in the sand while waiting for our food, which made it pleasant. The food was good. The three kids split two plates, and we just had them snack on whatever they wanted. Service was okay, our waiter wasn't very attentive, and we were the only ones present for a while. If you choose to eat outside, be prepared to watch all the birds attempt to take whatever you have, they are fast.

We went during Happy Hour. The Jamaican Jerk Chicken was delicious! The portion included 4 wings total. In my opinion the food was great, but the portions were a bit smaller than I expected them to be.

This was our first time here. Amazing location right on the beach with both indoor and outdoor dining. There is a large bar in the corner as you walk in, as well as a guy playing the steel pan drums which was a nice touch giving the restaurant a nice Caribbean feel. A large menu with salads, sandwiches, burgers, a lot of seafood, and more. Our waiter Geoffrey was friendly and attentive. We started with the crispy calamari and the peel and eat shrimp as appetizers, both of which were really good; the shrimp were large and the calamari was light and flaky and cooked just right. For our entrees, we had the baked stuffed shrimp, a fish sandwich, and the twin fish tacos. Note for the tacos, they gave me the choice of mahi or cod; I chose cod and it was delicious. All of the food was delicious and reasonably priced. I would recommend this place and hope to make it back.

We went here for dinner on Monday night for my daughter's birthday. The service was great and the waitress was accommodating for the birthday. They brought out choc cake with a candle and sang happy birthday. The food was decent and the drinks were good.

Our FAVORITE beach bar and restaurant!!! Love the view of the water as we eat good food with live music! We have been regulars for years! Busy waiter with many tables, but he took good care of us!!!

I absolutely love this place .. if you're in the Lauderdale by the sea area then you need to stop by here. The food is absolutely delicious. I have been here for happy hour many times and the prices are amazing, and food is always great. last night We were here and ordered the seafood tower which I couldn't believe was only $38 and we ordered a steak ..both were absolutely delicious. Highly recommend it. The ambiance is casual. I took one star away because of the service we had to literally ask three times for our waters. Our food was served and we still didn't have our drinks. Other than that. It was truly a great experience.. And to top it off the beach is two steps away so eat then go sit by the water