This Popular Florida Burger Spot Is Worth The Wait According To Locals
The best burger I ever had was not at a restaurant with a Michelin star. It was at a place with plastic chairs and a handwritten menu board.
And I almost drove right past it. Florida has a talent for hiding its best food in plain sight, but nothing prepared me for what came out of that kitchen.
A burger so good it made me stop mid-conversation. The kind where the juice runs down your hands and you do not even care.
This state has no shortage of burger joints competing for your attention. Most of them are forgettable by Tuesday.
This one lives in your head for months. The locals already know.
They have known for a long time. The line outside is not a warning.
It is a promise.
The Famous 13-Ounce Sirloin Burger
Few burgers earn national magazine covers, but this one did. GQ Magazine called it the best burger in America, and that title stuck for good reason.
The patty is made from fresh-ground sirloin that is never frozen, ever.
At 13 ounces, this is not a light lunch. The burger arrives on a poppy seed bun with classic toppings like lettuce, tomato, and onion.
Cheese is optional, but most people say yes without hesitation.
The grill marks are real, and the flavor is honest. No fancy sauces or trendy toppings compete here.
Burger purists genuinely appreciate that simplicity.
Oprah Winfrey praised it publicly, which sent the crowd count through the roof. That kind of endorsement does not happen by accident.
The burger earns every bit of that attention on its own terms.
Located at 1100 N Ocean Dr, Hollywood, FL, the place is easy to find and worth every mile of the drive. One grill handles all the orders, which explains the wait.
But when that plate lands in front of you, patience starts to feel like a smart strategy. Every bite delivers exactly what a great burger should taste like.
The Quirky Waterfront Atmosphere
Nothing about this place looks like a typical restaurant from the outside. It started life as a Sunoco gas station back in 1975, and the bones of that original structure still show proudly.
The transformation is gloriously weird in the best possible way.
Bathtubs, toilet seats, driftwood, and old crab traps cover nearly every surface. Each piece was salvaged from the beach or the water over decades.
The result feels like a very creative person had a very long weekend.
Sitting outside means you are right on the Intracoastal Waterway. Boats drift past while you eat, and the water catches the afternoon sun beautifully.
The whole scene carries a relaxed Florida Keys energy without the long drive south.
The plastic wind screens around the open-air seating block the breeze off the channel effectively. Even on a gusty evening, the patio feels comfortable and inviting.
The casual setting makes every visit feel unhurried and easy.
The Wait Time That Is Actually Worth It
Patience is a virtue, and at this spot, it also comes with a reward. The wait for a seat can stretch past an hour on busy weekends.
Then the food itself takes another 40 to 55 minutes after ordering.
That sounds frustrating on paper, but most people leave smiling anyway. The setting makes waiting feel less like a chore and more like pre-meal entertainment.
Boats pass by, the decor keeps your eyes busy, and the energy stays upbeat.
The single grill is the honest reason behind the delay. New ownership since late 2023 has been working on kitchen improvements to speed things up.
Progress is happening, but the place has never been about fast food.
Smart visitors arrive early or on weekday afternoons to beat the rush. The restaurant opens daily at 11 AM, so an early lunch is a solid strategy.
The wait becomes part of the story you tell afterward. Nobody remembers saying the burger was not worth the delay.
That fact alone says everything about what lands on your plate.
Fresh Seafood Options Beyond The Burger
The burger gets all the headlines, but the seafood quietly holds its own here. Old Bay steamed shrimp arrive hot and well-seasoned, served with melted butter for dipping.
That combination is hard to argue with on a warm afternoon by the water.
The blackened mahi mahi sandwich is another standout that regulars return for specifically. A thick, well-seasoned fillet sits on a good bun with a flavorful sauce.
It feels like a proper meal, not just a side option.
Smoked fish dip appears on the menu as a starter and earns strong praise from visitors. The vegetables served alongside it complement the smoky flavor well.
Starting your meal this way sets a high bar that the kitchen consistently meets.
A lobster BLT also appears on the menu for those feeling adventurous. The grilled chicken BLT has received enthusiastic feedback from diners who tried it on a whim.
Both options show that the kitchen thinks beyond beef.
The seafood menu makes this spot genuinely flexible for groups with mixed tastes. Not everyone at the table needs to order the famous burger.
Everyone still leaves full and satisfied regardless of their choice.
The Intracoastal Waterway Views
Watching yachts drift past while eating a burger is a specific kind of Florida afternoon that never gets old. The outdoor seating sits directly on the Intracoastal Waterway with an unobstructed view of the channel.
Boats of every size pass through regularly, giving the meal a natural entertainment backdrop.
Sunsets from the deck seating area are genuinely spectacular during dinner hours. The light hits the water in a way that makes even a casual weeknight meal feel like an occasion.
Arriving around sunset is a move worth planning ahead for.
Fish occasionally jump out of the water near the dock, which catches diners off guard in the most delightful way. The waterway stays active throughout the day with recreational traffic.
Nature adds a layer to the experience that no interior restaurant can replicate.
The view carries that relaxed Florida Keys energy without requiring a four-hour drive. Everything about the outdoor setting feels unhurried and genuinely coastal.
It pairs perfectly with a plate of steamed shrimp and a fresh mocktail.
The combination of great food and real water views is not something every restaurant can offer. This one delivers both without asking you to dress up or spend a fortune.
That balance is genuinely rare and worth appreciating.
The National Attention That Put This Burger On The Map
Getting called the best burger in America by GQ Magazine is not a small thing. That recognition landed around 2005 to 2006 and changed the restaurant’s trajectory permanently.
Suddenly, people were driving from across the state just to try one burger.
Oprah Winfrey added her voice to the praise shortly after, which brought an entirely new wave of curious visitors. That combination of editorial and celebrity endorsement is rare for any restaurant.
Most places spend years chasing that kind of attention without ever finding it.
The acclaim did not change the recipe or the approach. The kitchen kept using fresh-ground sirloin and kept the toppings simple.
Staying true to the original formula turned out to be the smartest possible response to fame.
Almost two decades later, the reputation still holds up under scrutiny. New visitors arrive expecting greatness and generally find exactly that.
National recognition can sometimes pressure a place into overreaching. This spot never fell into that trap.
The burger that won the award is essentially still the same burger you order today, which is a real achievement.
New Ownership And Fresh Improvements
Change at a beloved institution always raises eyebrows, but the transition here has been handled thoughtfully. New owners Dan and Lise-Anne Serafini took over at the end of 2023 with a clear goal in mind.
They wanted to preserve what made the place special while fixing what needed attention.
A significant cleanup was one of the first priorities after the ownership change. Staff training received focused attention to bring service quality up to match the food reputation.
These behind-the-scenes improvements matter more than most diners realize.
The tiny kitchen is being expanded to help manage the famous wait times more effectively. More kitchen capacity means faster ticket times without sacrificing the quality of the burger.
That improvement alone could shift the experience significantly for weekend visitors.
The eclectic decor is staying exactly as it is, which was a relief to longtime regulars. The bathtubs, crab traps, and salvaged marine items are part of the identity.
Removing them would be like repainting a masterpiece.
The website at le-tub.com reflects the updated direction while keeping the original spirit front and center. Ownership changes can sometimes strip the character from a place.
This one appears committed to doing the opposite, which is genuinely encouraging to see.
The Decor Made From Salvaged Treasures
Most restaurants hang framed prints on their walls and call it atmosphere. This place went a completely different direction and never looked back.
Every surface tells a story sourced directly from the ocean, the beach, or someone’s very interesting trash pile.
Old bathtubs gave the restaurant its name and still anchor the visual identity of the space. Toilet seats appear as decorative elements throughout, which sounds odd until you see how naturally they fit the overall aesthetic.
Driftwood and crab traps fill in the gaps with a genuinely coastal texture.
Everything was collected over decades of beachcombing and salvage runs. The accumulation feels organic rather than staged, which is what separates real character from manufactured charm.
No interior designer could have planned this and made it feel so authentic.
First-time visitors often spend several minutes just looking around before ordering. The details reward curiosity, and there is always something new to notice on a return visit.
The decor functions almost like a rotating exhibit that never fully changes.
Regulars who visit every year still find new things to notice among the collection. That layered quality keeps the space feeling fresh even after multiple visits.
The decor is not just background noise here, it is genuinely part of the meal.
Practical Tips For Your Visit
Showing up without a plan at a place this popular can turn a fun outing into a frustrating one. Arriving before the lunch rush on a weekday gives you the best shot at a short wait.
The restaurant opens at 11 AM every day, so an early arrival genuinely pays off.
Order the burger with confidence but be specific about doneness. The kitchen runs on the rarer side of the temperature scale, so adjust your order accordingly.
Asking for medium typically produces a medium-rare result, which is useful to know in advance.
The Greek salad is massive and easily feeds two people as a shared starter. Chips and salsa or the smoked fish dip are both solid ways to keep hunger at bay during the food wait.
Planning your order before sitting down saves time at the table.
Grab a photo by the vintage bathtub near the entrance before you leave. The place is open until 1 AM on weeknights and 2 AM on weekends.
Evening visits offer a completely different but equally enjoyable version of the experience.
