Taverna Opa Restaurant

By M.L. Warren, Sun-Sentinel Restaurant Critic "Taverna Opa is Fun, with a capital 'F'. From the raucous level of the music on the expansive waterside terrace to the flip but friendly servers, it's clear from the beginning that no one here takes things too seriously. That's not to say the food is haphazard, because it is not. There's more to life than menus that need three lines to list the ingredients in each dish. At Taverna Opa, a few words do it, and do it very well."	Miami Herald: Taverna Opa Greek \| Casual \| Moderate "Face the water and watch the sun set. Sit in a simple black painted chair pulled up to a long wooden plank of a table, and sip ouzo. Smell lamb and fish sizzling on a wood-fired grill. Feel the ocean breeze and listen to it flap white, sail-like canvas screens, which are hiding the parking lot to help you forget that you are not really in a rustic tavern in Greece. You are in Hollywood."

BEST REPLICA OF WATERFRONT DINING IN GREECE "The menu is in Greek and on weekend nights so is the music and atmosphere at this moderately priced but richly flavored Intracoastal restaurant. You can eat indoors in plain sight of the open kitchen that dishes up robust salads, vegetarian appetizers, grilled meats and seafood. But the essence of Opa is best experienced on the dock and patio that offers one of the best waterside views in all South Florida. The food is up to the setting, as well, with an emphasis on Greek dishes such as keftedes (delicious balls of ground beef), the olive-oiled and garlicky melitzanosalata (grilled eggplant salad) and the hearty moussaka soufflé (potato, eggplant, beef, lamb, tomato and more)." "There’s also a nice variety of seafood dishes and a wealth of salads that will have you craving feta cheese long after you leave. Best of all, Taverna Opa’s prices are so reasonable that this is a place you can afford to go back to on a regular basis. Get there early on Friday and Saturday nights, however, because that’s when the party kicks in with diners providing the entertainment with impromptu Greek dances."

OUR GUESTS: Taverna Opa (Hollywood; tel. 954/929-4010): "Don't get nervous if you hear plates breaking when you enter this raucous, authentic Greek taverna situated directly on the Intracoastal Waterway--it's just the restaurant's lively wait staff making sure your experience here is 100% Greek." "crazy place to party, the water right out of the window and the greek food spectacular! never seen something like this before!" "Food is delicious, the music is wonderful but it is a bit loud!