Plantation Area of Fort Lauderdale

[geoherb]

We're booked at the Holiday Inn Express - Plantation for one night before our cruise on HAL's Westerdam. Google Maps shows a Denny's on the corner and a gas station. There's a strip shopping center there, but I can't see the stores in it. About another block away is another strip shopping center called Jacaranda Square up near the intersection of Sunrise Blvd. and University Dr.

 

Are there good restaurants in either of these shopping centers? We like local, non-chain restaurants. (What's the point of going to Florida if we're going to eat at Denny's?)

 

Is there a grocery store or liquor store near the Holiday Inn Express? Also does anyone know how much cab fare is going to be from FLL to the Holiday Inn Express and from the Holiday Inn Express to the port?

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I can't answer most of your questions. I just wanted to add that I've stayed at that HIE a number of times and it is very nice. It used to be a regular Holiday Inn but it was gutted and rebuilt a couple years ago. And yes, there is a Denny's right there by the entrance road. This hotel typically has the lowest Holiday Inn rates in Broward County, especially if you have an Entertainment Card discount.

 

Can't answer anything else though. You can ask the hotel about restaurants. But while this is a typical suburban area, I can't recommend wandering around on foot at night.

 

BobK/Orlando

[royalcruz]

Recommended: Thai Thai is a good Thai restaurant at Sunrise Blvd. and Pine Island Road in Jacaranda Square, but I wouldn't walk there at night. There is the Caspian Persian Restaurant at NE corner of Sunrise Blvd. and University Dr in the Mercedes Plaza. There is Little India Restaurant on Oakland Park Blvd a block east of University Dr. Sorry, I can't think of anything else right now.

 

Plantation/Sunrise is a middle class neighborhood filled with mostly chain restaurants and pizza/sub shops.

[geoherb]

The Thai restaurant sounds good. I've looked up the time for sunset when we'll be there. It's 7:30. We could go to dinner at 5:30 or 6:00 and have time to talk back before the sun sets. Is it unsafe to walk in this area at that time of day? Or only after dark?

[royalcruz]

The Thai restaurant sounds good. I've looked up the time for sunset when we'll be there. It's 7:30. We could go to dinner at 5:30 or 6:00 and have time to talk back before the sun sets. Is it unsafe to walk in this area at that time of day? Or only after dark?

 

I wouldn't walk around after dark, but as long as you can see around it is fine.

[geoherb]

We're back from our cruise and our stay at the Holiday Inn Exprses in Plantation. There is a Publix grocery store in the same shopping center that Royalcruz mentioned. It's three to four blocks from the hotel. The wine selection isn't great--especially the box wines. We bought a couple of 1.5 liter bottles of a merlot that was very good. There were not any box wines I wanted to buy.

 

I highly recommend the Japan Inn. It's in the shopping center behind the Denny's. Our supper there was delicious and not too expensive--under $40 for the two of us, including tip. (But we did not have any drinks.)

 

I'd gladly book the Holiday Inn Express again if that's all we can get through Hotwire for a reasonable price. But next time, I will rent a car to get around. But even with cab fare from the airport and the shuttle fare to the cruise port, we came out a lot cheaper than the hotels nearer the pier were charging during spring break.

[jeffbrig]

Wish I'd seen your post in January. I live in Plantation, actually I work right across the street from your hotel.

 

For anyone else reading, Chada-Thai is excellent, and just north of Sunrise Blvd is Mario The Baker, a small Zagat-rated italian restaurant. It's casual, but the food is great and it's inexpensive. No reason not to walk around after dark, Plantation is a very safe community.

[royalcruz]

We're back from our cruise and our stay at the Holiday Inn Exprses in Plantation. There is a Publix grocery store in the same shopping center that Royalcruz mentioned. It's three to four blocks from the hotel. The wine selection isn't great--especially the box wines. We bought a couple of 1.5 liter bottles of a merlot that was very good. There were not any box wines I wanted to buy.

 

I'm so glad you had a great trip. It's too bad that there was not a good wine selection in the Plantation Publix. The Publix's in east Fort Lauderdale have a huge wine selection; the one by me has 4 half-aisles, 5 end-aisles, and promotional displays of wine, all organized by country! And they always have wines on sale. I'm not sure about boxes, though, as I haven't looked for those.