Salt Life Food Shack

Not a big fish guy I was there with others who like fish
The clam chowder taste like it was out of a can and was really watered down
The burger I had was way overpriced and didn’t come with any sides and the side I did have wasn’t good at all
The tropical fried rice was garbage
All the food was bland and had no real taste
I don’t think I’ll ever be going back
Now this dump is closed

Recommended to come here when some friends were together for a reunion of sorts and it wasn’t too impressed. I’ve been here before and had a bowl and I wasn’t too blown away by it. The last time I was there the food was also pretty mediocre, I had the fish tacos and I gotta say I always expect so much more. The Parmesan oysters are really good though. I can give them that!

Second time here and a better experience than the first. ½ price drinks to start the evening off, happy hour 3:00 — 7:00. The beer selection has a few hidden gems.
The Shrimp and Chorizo Nachos were something I’ve never ordered ever and they were delicious. A plate piled high this was an appetizer that quickly became dinner. I get that SaltLife is a brand but the restaurant is making progress.

Floridian’s. The brand you see labeled on the back of every truck & visor of every fisherman has brought its «Salt Life» beach-​living ways to the South Florida restaurant scene. Coral Springs, FL to be exact. You know. That quiet little beach town cornered in-​between the Everglades, Sawgrass Expressway and I-​95. Wait? Huh? That’s not right, is it? A brand dedicated to living your own «Salt Life» in Coral Springs? Seems a bit odd. But who can blame them for opening up their first S. Florida location right in the heart of restaurant row on University Drive in Coral Springs.
When you first walk in, you are of course greeted by Salt Life shirts, hats, and the famous stickers. With a nice sized bar area, it was pleasant to see locals just hanging out on a weeknight. Something a little different for Coral Springs. A nice sized salt water aquarium separated the bar from the dining room, leaving a nice open feel to the restaurant. But let’s get down to the goods…
The theme of the evening seemed to be «fried.» We didn’t really notice it until afterwards, when (spoiler alert), we were over stuffed and exhausted from eating. Joined by members of local rock band FUSE (
), we ordered a few appetizers to keep us entertained. First up were the Bimini Conch Fritters. Lightly fried. Moist & full of flavor. Not overdone on the filling & the Shack Sauce was a nice compliment for dipping. Also on the table was a Crunch Roll — tempura battered shrimp, carrot, cucumber & cream cheese rolled in panko bread crumbs, flash fried and served with eel sauce. Lastly, a GIANT plate of Chorizo & Shrimp nachos joined the flavor party. These were topped with corn, black beans, jack and cheddar cheese, pico & finished with a cilantro-​lime cream drizzle… YOU FULL YET? I know just from typing out my meal that I can skip lunch today.
With 3 burgers on the menu, the 3 of us thought it would be a good idea to just order 1 of each and share… Mistake? Probably. Seeing as how the appetizers were enough to feed a all 17 of Octomoms kids. (awkward reference)… moving on.
There was the SHACK BURGER — wood-​fired served with lettuce, tomato, onion & pickle. My first reaction to this burger was «it looks and tastes like a restaurant-​made Whopper.» Nothing fancy. Simple and too the point. Fresh ingrdients. Just no wow factor. But again, we are in a seafood restaurant.
Next we had the BURGER CLUB — applewood bacon, ham, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato & mayo. A nice twist on a classic club sandwich. Great thick cut bacon. Sliced in quarters like a typical club would be. Served on skewers, making it fun to grab and eat.
Lastly, we had the TUNA BURGER — grilled yellow fin tuna, drizzled with a wasabi cream & asian sweet sauce, topped with «fried» avocado fries. To enhance the overall flavor of the tuna, the patty was mixed with quite a bit of peppers. It was a solid sized, hand-​made patty. Partly overcooked, but they did explain that they cook them one way to ensure proper temperature of the fish when served. The burger had a lot of different flavors, that I don’t think came through all that well together. Got a bit messy to eat. The avocado fries were a bit large to top a burger with… Now are you full? I may be even skipping dinner tonight as well after all this…

Salt Life Food Shack is a Key West style restaurant transplanted into the middle Coral Springs on University Drive.
I went here for lunch and had the mahi fish sliders and a cup of New England Clam Chowder and they both were excellent and really hit the spot. Not too much food and not too little for lunch, just the perfect size.
I normally do not drink alcohol for lunch on workdays, but when I saw that they serve authentic Pusser’s Painkillers, I decided to bend the rules and make an exception.
For those of you that have never tried one, it is the official drink of the British Virgin Islands and is like a Pina Colada but not frozen. The secret ingredient that they have here is the Pusser’s Navy Rum.
Per Edward Hamilton’s 1997 book The Complete Guide to Rum, the original Painkiller was created in the 1970s at the Soggy Dollar Bar at White Bay on the island of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands and YES, I have been there!!!
Pusser’s Painkiller
2 – 4 oz. of Pusser’s Navy Rum
4 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. cream of coconut
1 oz. orange juice
Grated fresh nutmeg

I wrote a previous review saying the food here is over priced and not very good.
Well, they definitely care about their customers opinion because after a very kind message from the owner, I was sent a $ 25 gift card to give them another try!
I’m honestly so glad I did. I got the fish sliders and they were awesome! The batter was perfectly crisp and the fish was perfectly cooked, not over cooked at all. There was a sort of tangy cole slaw on it that gave it a burst of flavor and just the right amount of acidity. (And I don’t even like regular cole slaw at all.)
All in all, I certainly retract my previous review and am glad to say that I would highly recommend you give them a try!
There is also a foursquare check in deal where you get an oyster shooter. don’t do it man. it’s disgusting. Haha but it was a fun free challenge to try to drink it! :P
Thanks salt life for being considerate of your customer’s opinions!