Chops Lobster Bar Boca Raton FL

To celebrate Steve’s 80th Birthday, our dear friends Jackie and Art took us to Chops Lobster Bar in Boca Raton, FL. We had an amazing meal that was worthy of such a momentous occasion.

Chops Lobster Bar Boca Raton FL

This was the first time that Steve and I had dined at Chops Lobster Bar. Many years ago my jewelry booth was set up right across from where Chops is now. At the time there was a sign outside that said “coming soon”. It was so frustrating to be staring at the word LOBSTER during the entire art show, and not be able to eat some. Lobster is my favorite savory food of all time. For Steve, it’s right up there – just after filet mignon.

Ambience

We were both excited to see what the food and ambience was like. So when we arrived we paid special attention to our surroundings. I have to say that everything about this restaurant makes you want to dine there.

Outdoor dining surrounds the building and the chatter and aromas draw you in. Once inside, the many dining rooms have the feel of a Manhattan steak house. There’s just enough light to see your food and read the extensive menu. Chops is elegant without being stuffy. If we still lived here, I know we’d going back again and again, because the food matches the ambience!

About Chops Lobster Bar

Chops Lobster Bar opened in March 2007 in Boca Raton. The Buckhead Life Restaurant Group already had a well established Chops Lobster Bar in Atlanta, Georgia before bringing the concept to South Florida.

This iconic restaurant is known for its exceptional food and service, and deservedly so. We had impeccable service from beginning to end. Chops Lobster Bar is consistently listed as one of the top 10 steakhouses in the United States. At Chops they use the very best Prime aged beef and their exquisite seafood is flown in fresh daily.

Our meal

Jackie had ordered a bottle of Monticello Vineyards “Jefferson Cuvée” Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa for us to share. It was so delicious that when we polished off the first bottle, she ordered a second that we had no problem finishing.

Starters

We started our meal off we salads and an appetizer. Jackie and Art shared the Caesar Salad which was gloriously topped with croutons and Sicilian white anchovies. Steve and I shared the classic Chilled BLT Wedge that reminded us both of our very first wedge salad which we had had Cole’s Chop House in Napa CA years and years ago. There was an abundance of crisp bacon, chopped ripe tomato, chopped egg and triple cream blue cheese which made for a little party in our mouths.

We all shared the Wild Burgundy Escargot. The six wells of the escargot plate were filled to the brim with parsley, butter, garlic, Pernod and tender snails. Then each escargot was topped with a lovely puff of golden flaky pastry which was perfect to sop up all the goodness below. Sorry that I don’t have a picture for you. We devoured those snails faster than you can say ESCARGOT!

Mains

Jackie, Steve and I all had one thing on our minds for our main course – LOBSTER!!! Art, on the other hand, ordered the 22-ounce Black Diamond Bone-in Rib Eye.

The rib eye filled Art’s plate. It was huge, tender, flavorful and so yummy that I was almost sorry I hadn’t order it. ALMOST.

I say almost, because my 8-ounce thinly crisped – lightly fried lobster tail served with drawn butter, lemon and Greek honey-mustard aioli, a signature dish, was AMAZING!!! When Steve and I were young marrieds we used to love a restaurant in Atlantic City called Carson’s. Our favorite dish there was French Fried Lobster. Sadly, since it burned down decades ago, we have not had that dish for eons – until our dinner at Chops.

Our Signature Chops flash fried lobster tails were sweet, tender with a crisp exterior and a little salty like the ocean they came from. I am not a huge fan of drawn butter, but the honey mustard aioli was right up my alley. And the “sharing sides” that we ordered turned our entrées into pure perfection.

Since everything is a la carte, we added two of those sharing sides to complete our mains. Art and Jackie selected the Thick Cut Onion Rings which come with a luscious steak sauce that had a slight vinegary tang to cut through the richness of the crispy, crunchy coating of the sweet onions. We selected the Truffle Parmesan Fries. I’ve had truffle fries before and they have been tasty but never very truffly because they’re made with truffle oil. These very delectable fries were sprinkled with fresh parsley and lots of shaved truffles! Real, honest to goodness, TRUFFLES!!!

Dessert

Art and Jackie shared a slice of Key Lime Pie that looked and tasted great according to Art. Steve and I never tasted it because we were much more focussed on Steve’s dessert.

As the birthday boy (I use the term loosely!), Steve got to choose whatever dessert he wanted, on the house! He chose the house baked chocolate chip cookie with ice cream. It was the perfect choice! The cookie was loaded with really excellent dark chocolate chunks that were still gooey from the oven. It also was crisp around the edges and chewy in the center, and a fabulous counterpoint to the two scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream. He was gracious enough to share his dessert with me.

And the crowning glory was a snifter of Black Sambuca. It’s his favorite after dinner drink, but most restaurants don’t stock the Black Sambuca.

Our meal at Chops Lobster Bar in Boca Raton, FL was one that we won’t soon forget! And it was the perfect 80th Birthday Celebration. Thank you Jackie and Art!!!