Floramo’s
This is a place that’s known for its warm family friendly vibe.
“I’ve been coming to Floramo’s with my favorite since I was a kid.”
A local institution where the steak tips are legendary.
“I love the steak tips. They are my favorite.”
But most of all, it’s…..
“Floramos where the meat falls off the bone.”
“The meat falls off the bone. Fore real”
“Floramos. Where the meat falls off the bone.”
“The ribs really do fall off the bone.”
With locations in Wakefield, and this one in Malden, Floramo’s serves big portions of your favorites with prices that won’t break the bank.
“So Floramos has been around since 1985. Neighborhood gem you hear the slogan, where the meat falls off the bone, everyone knows you're talking about us. We've been popular for a long time.”
And it’s a good thing, because co-owner Kerri Floramo may not have met her husband John if the place hadn’t existed.
“I was looking for a part time job back in the early 90s. And I took a job as a hostess. And John and I met that way. Locked eyes across the restaurant. And we've been together ever since.”
It was all started by John’s father Tommy, who opened their original location in Chelsea which quickly became popular and hasn’t changed all too much since.
“Nothing has ever really changed in 30 years. Because if it's working, why should we change it? Our product is consistent all the time. If you can't find something that you like here. I don't know what you could possibly like, if you can't find it here it probably doesn't exist.”
And in their new locations, they’ve brought that same comfortable vibe.
“I've never heard anybody say it's stuffy in here, the bar is very lively. We get a lot of locals. We get a lot of families. True family spots where the family still works here And the family still has a hand in it And in a real tie to it and emotional tie to it. You really don't see that these days.”
It’s hard to not order Floramo’s famous ribs right when the server approaches the table. But to get you going, some starters are in order. And here they truly nail the classics.
There are plump shrimp served with a cocktail sauce that pops when it hits the palate.
Crunchy bruschetta topped with chopped tomato and garlic and broiled until bubbly.
And that quintessential old school app, stuffed mushrooms.
“It's a mushroom cap with our crab seafood stuffing. And they broil it with melted butter and lemon on the side. They're fantastic. The mushroom is very tender. The seafood stuffing with the butter and lemons just delicious."
Once you whet your appetite, there are great things happening on the grill. From their sizzling hot Bacon Burger smothered with cheese to their legendary, tender steak tips in their signature marinade.
“The steak tips are absolutely delicious. Sometimes you don't even need a knife to cut them you can just pull them apart with your fork. They're just delicious.”
And while they’re great on their own, they’re even better as part of the mixed grill- which offers a little bit of everything.
“If you don't know what to get then that's the way to go. It's a lot of meat but it's one of everything that we have that we offer on the grill.”
And OF COURSE there are those famous fall of the bone beauties. Floramos’ Ribs.
“The meat falls off the bone, for sure. .It's just the most tender meat on any rack of ribs I've ever seen, frankly, and I never ate ribs before I started working here. I can't get enough of them. Towards the end of the night we sell so many sometimes we run out very very popular.”
Seafood lovers are not left out at Floramo’s, with dishes like the fresh haddock served alongside rice pilaf.. Garlicky shrimp scampi, a surf and turf platter featuring a rack of ribs, steak tips and baked stuffed shrimp and the Seafood Medley showcasing a mix of lobster, shrimp, scallops and haddock.
“Seafood medley is one of the prettiest dishes we serve. It's garlic and oil sauteed with broccoli, onions, mushrooms. It's one of my favorites. It's delicious.”
If you’re looking for Italian, there are oversized servings of housemade lasagna,
Meatballs slowly cooked in sauce and served over pasta. And one of the best and the BIGGEST chicken parms around.
“I think we serve the biggest chicken parm around. They're very thin, crispy golden brown. You get that taste of the crispy chicken and then the sweetness of the marinara. And just the gooeyness of that cheese melted on top. It is delicious."
There are many ways to end your meal. But none are better than the bread pudding- another dish made with an old family recipe.
“We always have bread pudding, which is my mother in law's recipe. When I first started here, I remember I bought a tray to bring home and we were eating that for breakfast. It’'s..one of those solid, old fashioned desserts that, makes you think about your grandmother."
And with painstakingly prepared food at pocket friendly prices, you’ll be glad you came to Floramo’s- but not as happy as Kerri has been since the day she applied for a job.
“I really am happy I married into this crazy family. God bless them. Yeah, it's been a roller coaster. It's a lot of hard work. You have to be tough lady to be in this family. But I think I'm holding my own. I'm still here decades later. He's not looking to get rid of me yet."
