BBQ · Sailboat Bend · Fort Lauderdale

Ernie's Bar-B-Q
& Lounge

★ 4.2 1843 S Federal Hwy Closed today BBQ Last verified Jul 14, 2026

The place

Since 1947, Ernie's has been doing exactly one thing with absolute conviction: smoking meat. This counter-service BBQ joint on US-1 is the kind of place that makes you forget every trendy restaurant in Fort Lauderdale the moment you smell the smoke.

The menu hasn't changed much in decades — pulled pork, beef brisket, baby back ribs, conch chowder — and neither has the decor, which is to say: minimal. You order at the counter, grab a stool, and eat. The sauce is tangy-sweet in the old-school Florida style.

The conch chowder is an easy-to-miss gem — a nod to South Florida's coastal heritage that regulars order every single time. Get a cup of it even if you think you don't want it. You want it.

What to expect

Counter-service. Cash preferred. Loud and casual — not a quiet dinner spot. Parking in their small lot. Weekday lunch brings the construction crews; weekend evenings bring everyone else.

Then come for the photos

The shop, in frames

What people are saying

4.02

★★★★★

Based on 96 Google reviews

Rating and review count sourced from Google. We surface them so you can gauge a spot at a glance — the full review history lives on the business's Google profile.

Read all 96 reviews on Google →

Frequently asked

What is Ernie's Bar-B-Q & Lounge known for?

Since 1947, Ernie's has been doing exactly one thing with absolute conviction: smoking meat.

Is Ernie's Bar-B-Q & Lounge worth visiting in Fort Lauderdale?

It holds ★4.2 from 96 reviews on Google, which puts it among the better-reviewed bbq options in Fort Lauderdale. Prices are reasonable for what you get. Counter-service.

When is the best time to visit Ernie's Bar-B-Q & Lounge?

Weekday visits are less crowded than weekends. Closed Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and Saturday and Sunday.

What meat is Ernie's Bar-B-Q & Lounge best known for?

Ernie's Bar-B-Q & Lounge is a Fort Lauderdale BBQ spot with smoked meats as the centerpiece. Brisket and ribs are the standard measures of a BBQ operation's quality — ask the staff what's come off the smoker that day, since good BBQ joints often sell out of their best cuts before close.