The 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is closing its doors for the year, but the rest of Fort Lauderdale isn’t. With thousands of captains and crew coming for the show and even more already calling the city home, we asked yachties some of their favorite, and not so favorite, places to go when they’re in town. Rhythm + Vine was one of the most popular answers to yachties’ favorite bar, with Jevon (Tiger) Rutledge and Fernando Escutia noting the music, vibes, and the fact that dogs are allowed in as big factors they keep returning. Rutledge also mentioned Moxies as his pick for the most underrated place to go out in Fort Lauderdale, Boat Yard as the best place to find other yacht crew, and Rock Bar as one he thinks is a bit overrated. Growing up in South Florida gave Alyssa Sardisco a different view on where to go when in town, with Noodles Panini being her pick for favorite and underrated restaurant. “It’s a hole in the wall, little, tiny Italian restaurant, and they have the best meatballs ever,” Sardisco said. “I haven’t had a meatball since [I was with] my grandmother 30 years ago, so the fact that I’m eating someone else’s meatball says a lot.” Sardisco recommends going to Noodles Panini if you’re craving Italian over what she picked as her overrated spot, Louie Bossi. “I just feel like chain Italian restaurants are a scam.” Captains and crew don’t always have a ton of time to grab an Uber and head far from the yacht, which is why Eirik Thomsen chose The Southport Raw Bar as his favorite place to go out. “There’s lots of other restaurants and activities all around it for you to get away for a minute,” Thomsen said. “It’s in the financial range that we can afford to go and do stuff with and it’s right in the center of the yachting community.” While Courtney Frazier mentioned Elbo Room Beach Bar, Quarterdeck, and YOT Bar & Kitchen as some of her favorites, she shared that Freddie’s Anchor Sports Grill was not her favorite. Although she admits you’ll always find crew there, she thinks it’s just because it’s so close to all the crew houses. With FLIBS and yacht crew coming and going from Fort Lauderdale, take some time to relax from the show and visit some of these yachtie’s recommendations to judge for yourself where they’ll fit on your list.