Best Family Restaurant


Important: This article was last updated on September 21, 2005. Please call ahead to confirm hours, prices, dates and other information.

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Readers' picks

Best Breakfast
 The Original Pancake House, various locations

Best Cheap Eats
 Taco Bell, various locations

Best Chain Restaurant (Tie)
 The Cheesecake Factory and Olive Garden, various locations

Best Barbecue
 Tom Jenkins B-B-Q, Fort Lauderdale

Best Mexican
 La Bamba, various locations

Best Chinese
 Toa Toa, Sunrise

Best Thai
 Siam House, Fort Lauderdale

Best Mall Food Court
 Aventura Mall

Best Pizza
 Downtown Pizza, Fort Lauderdale

Best Hamburger
 Cheeburger Cheeburger, various locations

Best Diner
 Lester's Diner, Fort Lauderdale

Best Romantic Restaurant
 The Melting Pot, various locations

Best Italian
 Il Mulino, Fort Lauderdale
 
Friendly's
1001 State Road 7, Royal Palm Beach, 561/333-5757, www.friendlys.com

 With this, the first Friendly's location in South Florida -- admittedly, the very northern tip of South Florida, but we'll take it -- a long drought has finally come to an end. Transplants familiar with the mouthwatering deliciousness of the ice cream at Friendly's, which is based in Massachusetts and has locations throughout the Northeast and down the East Coast, have cause to rejoice, and anyone who remains woefully unaware of Friendly's will finally see the light. Of course, the menu boasts the standard chain-restaurant fare as well -- perhaps a couple of cuts above Denny's but still below Chili's. It's this superiority to competitors like Denny's and Perkins, plus the grade-A ice cream, that makes Friendly's a great place to take the whole family. With more locations planned for our area, everyone will soon come under the blissful spell of Friendly's ice cream, and its plan for global domination will be complete.