Le Tub

A couple of weeks ago, at my request, my amenable host accompanied me to my favorite restaurant in Florida for a hugely satisfying late lunch. Le Tub serves the best burgers in Hollywood, if not all of Florida, and we also indulged in a really fresh seafood salad and a couple of bloody marys that proved that one is plenty, thank you. To quote their website the property was “Established November 2, 1959 as a Sunoco gas station...closed by the energy crunch of the early seventies, your host purchased the barren property in 1974 and dedicated a concentrated year personally hand building Le Tub totally of flotsam, jetsam and ocean borne treasures all gathered daily over four years of daybreak jogging on Hollywood Beach. All landscaping, planting and decor [are] by your host.”

Sitting outside, as one should, is an adventure in itself. Le Tub is situated right on an inland channel and boats of various sizes (some huge) constantly create waves, also of various sizes, that make the boats docked at the restaurant rock gently or sometimes rather dynamically, depending on the size of the passing vessel. Also you have to keep a vigilant eye on your french fries because they can get picked off by several breeds of brazen birds with sharp eyes and beaks.

The joint (in the best sense of that word) is easy to miss if you’re going the speed limit on A1A heading south; the signage is so understated that the entrance to its parking lot is only noticeable at the last minute to the careless and unaware. Le Tub is open 365 days a year, noon to 4:00 a.m., and its popularity is now rampant; reflected in the long wait-time for service (except for the drinks) and the prices. Just stay calm, try to ignore your impatient New York attitude and enjoy the ambience and, eventually, the food. The beach isn’t going anywhere.