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Categories: Seafood, Chicken Wings [Edit]
1317 S Federal HwyWednesday Nite Madness! Every Wednesday 7:30pm-Close
Buy A Pitcher Of Beer Get 10 Wings Free!
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Tark's of Dania Beach, I would have never imagined a place with fresh oysters and clams!! Got here because of the reviews of other fellow yelpers. We got there around 6.30-6.45pm, sat on the bar right in front of the person that has six frying stations in charge!!
We ordered a New England Clam Chowder that was meh.... not your typicall New England Clam Chowder. Later had a Conch Salad, since it is a staple here, and it was so so. Maybe I am used to the latin american ceviches that have a lot more flavor!!
Fresh oysters were great!! You can really tell they are really really fresh, if your'e a fan of oysters THIS IS THE PLACE! Oysters are fresh and have a lot of meat, they are not the skimpy ones. People sitting next to me ordered clams - steamed, they looked good.
We also ordered a combination platter - everything fried, it had 2 pieces of grouper, 3 breaded shrimps, clam strips and curly fries. It was great!!! I have never had so fresh fish fried in Miami!!!
The total bill was $30-$33 with tip included!! Prices are a bargain!!!
I recommend this place!! This place is often visited by regulars.
Tark's of Dania Beach is funky, fresh and tasty!
The staff AND clientele are both the friendliest in town. The fish is fresh. The cook is amazing in the way he cooks things just right while he's got 10 things going at once.
Some patrons struck up a conversation with us while we waited for our food. The staff were very engaging.
When all was said & done we had a very nice seafood dinner for a LOT less than we'd expected. Appetizer, food & beverages for two for what I'd expect a single entree to be.
Of course, you sit on wooden bar stools around a counter with about 15 other patrons. There are also some outside seats & tables available, but you want to be inside where you can watch the show. The fry cook is quite amazing.
Tark's of Dania Beach is a hands-down must do while you're in the area.
Hmmmm....I know I'm going against the grain with this review, so here goes:
I get that it's a dive...I love a good dive. But, this is not a good dive.
I started with mozzarella sticks (yeah, I know it's a seafood place), and they were average. My partner started with the New England clam chowder. It had an off-taste, so he could not finish it. It smelled funny to me, so I didn't bother to try it. I had the wings (again, I know it's a seafood place). They were average. My partner had the mahi mahi sandwich, grilled. What he got was broiled. They said it was grilled, but it wasn't. It was the thinnest piece of mahi I've ever seen, and it was way overcooked. We both had a side of fries (average) and his came with a side of coleslaw which was inedible.
The place is cramped and completely filthy...I was afraid to touch any surfaces! We sat along the window counter and I don't think they ever clean it. There was all sorts of garbage (wrappers, hardened food, etc.) along the back crack of the counter.
The people who work there are real characters...nice, and a whole lotta fun. They are the ONLY reason this place is getting 2 stars.
We went to Tark's last year for vacation and loved it so much we came back. We even ordered the same thing - at least me & my dad did. I got the fried combo again - the best fried seafood combo ever & even better, just $8.95. Generous portion of fresh beer-battered grouper, fried shrimp, fried clam strips, fries, and cole slaw. Dad got just the beer-battered grouper, fries & cole slaw ($8.95). Mom tried to be all healthy and got the grilled mahi-mahi sandwich w/ fries & cole slaw ($8.95) - her fish was fresh & prepared well but ... I think when you're eating at a dive like Tark's, you gotta go fried. I have a pretty strong feeling my mom will go the right path next time :)
Tarks is the picture perfect example of a dive restaurant -- just look at the storefront. However,… Read more »
Great food, and better service especially when the cook screams at the patrons
Whenever I have company from out of town... this is the place I bring them. Everyone wants local flavour, not franchise shit..
this place is the bomb!
dirty -who cares
friendly?- absolutely
food fresh- absolutely
orders come to you correctly-always
have a cold beer, bob your head to 70's rock and roll, listen to the locals talk about fishing, the mayor, taxes... be part of the ambience.
I am in sales and every single client I have brought here has asked to go back when they come back to town.
oysters are the freshest
wings are killer
dolphin sammich's rock
shrimp-always cooked perfectly
clams-outstanding
customers-- the best
wait staff and cook- the absolute best
you are treated like you are family when you come to this joint.
sit at the counter and order quickly, drink cold beer, rock to the music and bring all your friends!!!
anyone that gives this place a bad rating.. IGNORE!
they're not locals!
those of us that have been coming here for more than a decade know better! and that I will take to the bank, any day. ;)
enjoy the food, the waitstaff, the cook, the guy that opens the oysters...
feel good about being in a non franchise piece of garbage..
this is Florida history, right here!!
LONG LIVE TARKS!!! I love youuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!
Good, bad, and the ugly! It's all true. Wife and I were there for a conference and meeting up with great friends. We sat outside and had a blast soaking up the atmosphere, drinking cheap beer, and eating really good seafood. Menu for the night consisted of: 2 blackened Mahi-Mahi sandwiches - they were cooked perfectly: firm but juicy & flaky; could have backed off the blacking spice just a tad as not to override the fish. Overall, I give the sandwiches a strong 3.75 out of 5; 1 grilled Mahi-Mahi sandwich (had a bite)- cooked perfectly and the taste was fresh, 4 out of 5; Fried seafood platter- I mean what do you say. It's a mound of deliciously fried, fresh seafood! Overall- worth the visit and will go again.
This is as close as you get to a great seafood Florida drive
up spot. The food is incredible! the best wings, clams, shrimp
crab, everything is fresh catch. Good beer and cold drinks!
Staff is friendly! If your looking for good food this place is a must
its a neighbourhood spot that you must check if your in South
Florida. Hollywood/Dania area!
This place is the BEST - best blackened Mahi sandwich ANYWHERE! Great shrimp and wings too! Fresh, friendly, fast, lively, kid-friendly, cheap and fun fun fun! I personally have never noticed the dirt!?
We saddled up to the counter on a Friday just as Happy Hour was winding down and the real dinner crowd was rushing in. Raw oysters were going out at a furious pace and the first thing we noticed were 6 very active deep-fryers. We tried the conch fritters, hot wings and fried clam bellies - the Friday special. My dad had a Dolphin sandwich ("Mahi-Mahi" for non-Floridians).
The fry cook seemed to be handling 80% of the food going out and kept up with the pace. My major food issue was that he did not season anything that came out of the fryer! Also the "Key Lime Pie" was not great - homemade but not very tart.
In terms of atmosphere, Tark's gets 5 stars. A Salty Sea Dog (the type you see throughout Broward county beach towns) was at the counter and making trouble with the cook. Locals of all types came in and out grabbing tables outside and premium seats at the bar (seating is scarce). Service was friendly and quick, even if the fry cook ended up in the weeds and took a while to get everything out. The hot wings ended up being a second course.
I don't think Tark's is good for kids or families unless you take the food to go - but then you miss half the fun (the ambience). It is indeed a dive and dirty but not unbearably so. If you have a group, show up early and grab an outside table (and lots of wet naps).
This place is the diviest dives of all dives. It's really dirty and the employees are ummm...interesting. You might be wondering why I gave it 5 stars if it's dirty. Tarks is an experience...you have to eat there to understand where I'm coming from. I think the grime and flies add to the flavour. Some of the best seafood to be had in South Florida.
Tarks! My god bro exposed me to this hole in the wall about 3 yrs ago, and every time I hit south florida, I make it a point to have my face in the place!
Tarks is a nightmare from the outside. Shoddy, dilapidated, and small. But once you step inside, the smell of fried seafood, the chatter of long time regulars, and the splash of pitchers of beer fills the air.
The food here is nothing short of incredible. This is a great place to go sample food because the prices are so damn reasonable. We typically get about 6 or 7 items off the menu and make our own buffet.
A few items that stand out:
a) The dolphin sandwich (not flipper--the other dolphin), fried fish with all the fixins and some special sauce that makes your heart flutter.
b) Conch fritters: Could the be a tad bit meatier? Sure, but nonetheless they hit the spot everytime.
c) Buffalo wings: For a seafood spot, this place can damn sure make it happen with the wings!
d) Fried clams strips-- once again incredible if you love clam strips.
Tarks is the truth...plain and simple, and my absolute favorite seafood spot in south florida. Dont come here trying to be cute....cuz ill be damned if you dont leave smelling like fried everything...
I went to high school with Tark, ate there a lot back then and had forgotten about it until I read the reviews here. I had also spent a lot of time this summer in New England and ate at a lot of clam shacks so I thought I would pay Tarks a visit.
It hasn't changed much in 35 years. It also looks like they haven't cleaned it in about that long. While I agree with almost all of the previous reviewers comments about a real, down home, simple kind of place I just don't understand why it has to be so nasty, and right in front of the diners??
Enough about atmosphere, lets talk food. The N.E. Clam Chowder was the worst that I have had in quite a while. Wallpaper paste. The raw clams were fine, it would just be nice if there was someplace in South Florida that knew how to shuck shellfish without giving you a mouth full of broken shells (and were able to disconnect the animal from both sides of the shell). The clam bellies were pretty good and the beer was cold. For those two I would go back but only after a thorough degreasing. Unfortunately, the fried clams did not match up to the best that I had in New England regardless of atmosphere.
Only locals seem to know about this place. Whenever I bring people there, the locals ask, "How did you hear about this place?" and my friends point to me. I love going here with some people or even alone. The banter back and forth with the employees at the bar is entertainment enough. Plus you get to watch them cook and multitask (and sometimes get a little hot oil from the fryer in their eye). It's all good, though.
The buffalo shrimp is delicious. So are the clams - raw or steamed. Sometimes the steamed clams can have too much sand though - it's the luck of the draw. They've got raw oysters too. And the snow crab is steamed up just right.
The employees are constantly shucking clams and oysters. Just beware - they also feel strongly about their sports teams. The Boston transplants are all about the Boston teams, of course, and the Islanders are about the local teams. They will trash talk if provoked, or even if you're wearing a sports jersey. Just when you feel outnumbered, the guy next to you will nudge you and whisper, "I'm with you, I love your team too." It's all in fun, though.
The owner, btw, loves to say goodbye to his customers with a "See you tomorrow!" =)
[See http://community.livej... for some pictures of the food I took at Tark's.]
So where can I start...there's crazy Lenny the Italian fry cook..(sings) "Stuck in the middle with you...stuck in the middle with you"..."hey that'd make a great tampon commercial, right?".....then there's crazy Tim with the munchies..."Hey man..how 'bout those wings"...waitress says "how 'bout them?"...Tim says "my great-grandparents could F*** faster"....watiress says "okay...time to hush..for five minutes"..Tim walks outside lingers around....Carlos S. has a shooter...(two shots of beer with tabasco sauce with raw oyster)....his last name is actually Santana.."No one to depend on" is playing on the speaker....this encapsulates Tark's...much love to the world
Chris
I was fortunate enough to be escorted to Tark's by locals who happen to be very frequent regulars. It's a tiny shack of a building, with space only for countertop seating, and a couple of picnic tables outside. Not a place to bring an enormous group of folks unless you try to go in the off-hours. I'd recommend going at least in a four-or-threesome, if you want to be able to sample a bunch of their offerings at once.
Most everything, short of the salads, sides and combo platters are $7-9, including: a dozen oysters, steamed clams, or fried clam bellies. I loved the conch salad, which offered a very generous portion of the chewy marine snail along with a very simple preparation of iceberg lettuce, tomato and onion. The dining counter serves as prep space as well, and you'll have the oyster and clam shuckers up close and personal denuding the shellfish you're about to consume in some very brief moments. The oysters come with lemon, cocktail sauce and horseradish; other items were accompanied by coleslaw and/ or curly fries.
The staff are exceptionally friendly, and call out to the numerous friends and regulars dropping in throughout the evening. I loved watching Sean drop piece after piece of chicken wings into the fryer; and indeed--this was one of the more popular nonfish items on the menu - served 10 to a platter along with ranch and celery sticks. We almost ordered some but were too full eventually.
Though there appeared to be an enormous industrial fan, you will leave (if you dine indoors) smelling slightly of fried foods and grease. It's totally worth it, though.
A note about this place being similar to "Hooters" -- if you're going here expecting a buxom waitstaff, you probably will be disappointed. However, if you want very generous no-frills seafood portions, efficient service and a very casual, laid-back, atmosphere, you'll love this place as I did.
So Yummy. Raw Oysters; steamed top neck and bottom neck clams(I like both), Chowder- New England and Manhattan. There is some kind of special everyday of the week.
Divey place which makes it EXCELLENT. I love the counter seating and watching how quick and almost machine like the staff works. That is in regard to shucking. The banter between staff is usually better than any movie or comedic act you could possibly take in.
Fresh and there isn't anywhere else that can beat their prices. I give it 4.5 stars only because my legs fall asleep on the bar stool seats. Please don't tell too many people as there isn't that much counter space and I am hungry : )
Great place to sit down and watch the staff make the fresh seafood right in front of you. Everything is always hot and fresh. Can be really crowded.
I long for places like Tark's. There is something self-confident and self-assuring about a place like this. With Tark's popularity, it could easily have expanded, added extra tables/chairs, put up neon signs, jacked up the price, and watered down the flavor. But Tark's stays the same and keeps it original. No frills, no thrills, just a restaurant that does its job - to serve great food.
Once you walk in, the kitchen is in your face and there's no choice but to sit on the stools and eat at the countertop (if you're lucky to get seats up front). Then, the action begins. Immediately, service is provided. With the suggestion and help of the friendliest cook in town, we ordered buffalo shrimp, mahi mahi, clams, oysters, and snow crabs. Each were excellent. The cook even provided samples of his on the spot 'creations'. Beers were cheap and needless to say, it kept flowing. All that food plus drinks and total bill was about $60 (for two people).
Besides the new computer register to handle money, I didn't find anything in the place that was relatively new. Perhaps this is why I like Tark's. It gives me a sense of nostalgia, for real home-cooking, and a friendly atmosphere. My entire trip to Florida was validated by my dining experience at Tark's. God, I miss their buffalo shrimp already.
PS - If you want to take a peek at Tark's, Youtube has a short 2 minute video clip. Miami Herald did a little piece on them (search Tark's of Dania).
DIVE into this little old diner type clam house for some yummy food, friendly staff, and lots of local regulars.
You can grab a little table, if you're lucky and you have a small [3-4 people] group or sit at a table out front.
I like to sit at the counter and watch the talented kitchen staff make magic right before my eyes with their ancient and obviously well used pots and pans .
Its so small and cozy inside, you are practically forced to talk to your new best friends here, so leave your attitude 'backin' wherever and join the fun.
Screw the chain stores, forget the mall over by I-95, this is the reel deal!
Once you've Tarked, you'll be hooked.
Oysters! Clams! Burgers. Wings. Fish.
Its all good, and everything's cheap.
Daily specials make it an even better value!
I'm not just handing you a line, here. [groan]
This place has good food at less than stratospheric prices, where you're surrounded by friendly laid back people, and thats pretty scarce in this part of the world.
Do not pass this place by if you're in the neighborhood!
Divey and fun. Great steamers.
This place is a total hole in the wall. Kinda dirty, small and the staff is loud and obnoxious but it has all the charm in the world and some of the best seafood around. If you are looking for a local spot with local people and local food in the overly saturated chain restaurant geography of south florida then Tarks is a must. 10 Steamed Clams for 6.95 on Tuesdays. Great Stuff!!!
Been going to Tark's for about 19 years. First in North Miami, then in Pembroke pines/Hollywood and now in Dania. The other two locations have since been closed. My favorites there are Beer Battered Fish Fry, Count Fritter, Clam Chowder Soup, Buffalo Wings (Terminator)...... Oh well I don't remember anything that's bad there. At Tark's in Dania you are basically sitting inside the kitchen, food arrives in front of you about 45 sec to a minute after its taken off the grill/fryer whatever. Also, the place is not big so don't go there with a big party. If you don't care for the ambiance just food, you will love it...
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