LGBTQ+ travelers can’t go wrong with sunny Fort Lauderdale and its seemingly endless miles of white sand beaches. There are endless dining options, accommodations to match any price range, and, of course, the nearby enclave of Wilton Manors. For the uninitiated, Wilton Manors is one of the queerest places I’ve experienced — everything there seems to be LGBTQ-owned, and there’s a bit of something for everyone.
Out on the town
Rosie’s Bar & Grill is a longtime favorite for travelers and locals. Toward the north end of the Wilton Manors strip, this restaurant and bar has an extensive patio area and an expansive menu. (You’ll laugh at the double entendre entrée names and the silly drink names.) They have a famous Friday Fish Fry and a Sunday brunch here, too — DJ and all.
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You could spend all evening wandering down Wilton Drive. There are different vibes with different crowds at every stop, and every one of them is relentlessly queer. It’s incredible to experience. Some highlights:
• Spencer’s Corner Bar: Just how it sounds from the name, but has an upscale restaurant feel; there’s also an extensive covered outdoor area.
• Gym Sportsbar: This is a crowded bar with multiple TVs tuned to almost every sport. It is bustling, and customers often spill out onto the sidewalk. There is a friendly mixed crowd here.
• Pub on the Drive: This place has more of a party-dance vibe. It was very loud and hopping.
• Drynk: This spot has the feel of a beautiful old bar in Boston or any older, bigger city.
Shopping
There are more than bars along the strip, though. I wandered into a clothing shop, Top and Bottoms, where I met the handsome owner, Nathaniel Perez. Originally from New York, Perez told me he opened his shop two and a half years ago because there wasn’t anything like it in the area. He wanted something with a boutique feel and to focus on up-and-coming brands. He doesn’t carry big brands like Andrew Christian and instead focuses on seven vendors from South America, boasting a lot of different fabrics.
Nearby, there was more gorgeous clothing at True Blue Clothing store. This store has been open for over 20 years, and the owner designs some of the shirts himself. I felt like every single business in this town seemed to be queer, queer-owned, or queer-adjacent. What a fantastic feeling!
Make sure to visit the Wilton Collective. This nonprofit resale shop is full of eclectic furnishings, knick-knacks, clothing, and so much more. The store was the brainchild of the nonprofit organization Julian’s Fountain of Youth. The idea is to support local queer youth, both via the revenue from the store and hands-on training working at the store.
And if you still have the energy and calories to burn, stop at the cute Wilton Creamery shop. There are so many unique choices here (including some funky malts) that we had a hard time deciding!
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Beach and pool time
We decided to go high-class on this trip, so we chose a gorgeous ocean-view room at the Four Seasons Hotel & Residences Fort Lauderdale — a gleaming beachfront property with excellent service and some fantastic food. Plus, it boasts an exceptional fitness facility, which we needed to keep anywhere close to beach shape, with all the food on this trip.
Evelyn’s Fort Lauderdale is the hotel’s restaurant, overlooking the 3rd-floor pool deck. We started off here with the popular Tequila Academy class that’s free to guests. Justin, our bartender, took us on a virtual journey through the history of tequila, from how it’s made to the differences between brands and styles. We even delved a bit into mezcals, a personal favorite!
Dinner at Evelyn’s was an experience, with creative Mediterranean touches in the dishes, plenty of seafood, and perhaps the best Caesar salad I’ve ever had. Make sure to go for the Australian Wagyu beef skewers, and the olivewood smoked octopus. And who could pass by the opportunity to have a Tequila Sunrise after our earlier class?
For our beach day, the Four Seasons staff took great care of us as soon as we walked onto the sand. They set up complimentary lounge chairs and umbrellas and even brought us cold water and sunscreen with our towels. The beach here is a great place to people-watch, and the Florida bodies don’t disappoint.
We also spent another day at the hotel’s pool deck and rented a cabana with daybeds. This was a perfect vantage point for watching the scene and dozing off when the mood struck. Renting a cabana here includes lunch (from Evelyn’s), making us feel like royalty. There are two pools here: an adults-only and a family pool. Smart!
My only faux paus of the trip was when one of the pool boys walked around with Jell-O shots. “Incredible!” I thought and sat up, eager to take one. Only to find out (luckily before consuming) that, in another thoughtful touch, he was passing out small tubs of aloe vera gel for those guests who’d overdone it on the sun. Lesson learned!
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