The Insider's Guide to Exciting Fat Tuesday Party Action in South Florida

From Fort Lauderdale to South Beach, Fat Tuesday is a time to celebrate and over-indulge in the the fine cuisine and party like there's no tomorrow . The weather is always perfect both day and night, and there's never any shortage of places to party ... or people to party with.

Las Olas - Fort Lauderdale

Las Olas Boulevard is definitely Fort Lauderdale's "party zone", with dozens of restaurants, clubs and bars to celebrate Fat Tuesday before Lent officially begins on Ash Wednesday. While it's no South Beach, Las Olas does attract it's fair share of party animals and decadent pre-lenten revelers. With live music nightly and a dedicated clientele of party animals, Mangos is your best bet for Fat Tuesday action. Start there and see where the evening and the crowd takes you.

The Broadwalk - Hollywood Beach

Hollywood Beach's "broadwalk" would be a "boardwalk" if it had wood planks instead of pavement. But it has plenty of restaurants and bars serving every type of food and drink imaginable so that's all that counts. Hollywood Beach caters to the swimsuit and tank top, kicked back and casual set who like beer, tropical drinks or Jack Daniels with seafood. The best place to start Fat Tuesday partying is a O'Malley's Beachside Bar. Hoist a few brew there, enjoy some clams or shrimp and then head north up the beach along the broadwalk to check out the action. If you're into wine and fine French-Caribbean style seafood, stop by Sugar Reef, just south of the Johnson Street Band Shell on the Broadwalk.

Young Circle - Downtown Hollywood

Downtown Hollywood's party zone extends from Young Circle west to Dixie Highway along Hollywood Boulevard and Harrison Streets. From fine upscale restaurants like Fulvio's to the more casual Caribbean restaurant and bar Ginger Bay to the down and dirty bars like Coyote, Downtown Hollywood offers something for every Fat Tuesday Party goer. There's even a Greek restaurant with a belly dancer who gyrates in front of the restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard.

South Beach - Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road

Ocean Drive along the beach is where Miami Beach's party action begins and ends. Every art deco hotel has a bar and restaurant ranging from the down and dirty dives to sophisticated and sublime cafes. Quinn's at 640 Ocean Drive is your best bet for great seafood and drinks in a congenial atmosphere. A Fish Called Avalon, just a few doors up the from Quinn's is another restaurant for good food and drinks along Ocean Drive. Action at the bars along Ocean Drive continues well into the wee hours of the morning.

Lincoln Road, just a few blocks west of Ocean Drive is a pedestrian promenade featuring a number of sidewalk cafes, restaurants and bars. It's far more laid back than Ocean Drive and is a great place to people watch. Sushi-Samba featuring Japanese-Latin fusion cuisine is a great place to eat and drink. Their sushi is fantastic and their drinks are great too ... especially their mojitos.

Eat. Drink. Party