Pines Boulevard is the center of suburbia, full of strip shopping centers and countless restaurants. But finding something more than run-of-the-mill chain restaurants is always a challenge.

Here are some new and old places that offer a change of pace.

ROCK BEACH GRILL

The former Shells has a new lease on life that's a definite upgrade. Gone is the casual fish house atmosphere geared toward the Century Village crowd, replaced by something much more upscale and hip without being too pricey.

Originally designed as a prototype that was a joint venture between the now-bankrupt Shells and its former chief executive, Rock Beach is a standalone independent.

The atmosphere is laid-back enough for a family dinner, but also nice enough for a casual date night.

The signature dishes are the aggressive promotions: a 1 ¼-pound lobster for $15.95 or a full rack of ribs for $11.95. But there's also a wide variety of other choices including sushi, grilled fish, salads, tacos, fried seafood, pastas and options for the landlubber.

Make sure the server doesn't forget the hot, fresh coconut luau bread. It's worth savoring. Our server didn't bring it until after our meal arrived.

We didn't want to work for our lobster so we opted for the lobster pasta special, served with a spicy tomato sauce. The dish was flavorful, but a little greasy. It contained ample lobster yet left this fan craving a little more.

A shrimp combo offered a sampling of different preparations. The best: the rockin' shrimp with the spicy Thai cream sauce, which offered a perfect combo of sweet and spicy. The traditional fried shrimp and coconut shrimp were solid executions, but next time we'd double up on coconut and Thai and skip the traditional.

Here's hoping Rock Beach does better than its predecessor.

Rock Beach Grill, 11825 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, 33026; 954-436-4667; starters $3.99-$9.99; sandwiches/tacos/big bowl salads $7.99-$11.99; entrees $8.99-$16.99.

DAISY DUKES SALOON

True to its name, the attraction at this restaurants/sports bar is the young women in their Daisy Duke shorts.

Daisy Dukes Saloon is trying to be the next Hooters but with a Southern twist. It's a comfortable place to watch your favorite team, and on weekend evenings it gets rocking with live entertainment.

For a sports bar the menu is ambitious and diverse with BBQ ribs, seafood, pizzas, salads and close to a dozen kinds of chicken wings. But a warning: the execution of the food is hit and miss.

Plus, management needs to make sure the menu is correct. We ordered baby back ribs and got St. Louis ribs. First, the waitress tried to tell us they were baby backs. Then the manager tried to bill them as an upgrade. Ultimately, they changed the order, but it was an awkward situation.

The blackened mahi-mahi was a vast improvement. Although not very spicy, it had a savory seasoning mix. Another winner was the raspberry chipotle chicken wings; the smoky flavor provided a unique contrast with the sweet and tart raspberry sauce. Also, worth the upgrade fee: sweet potato fries.

Two items to skip: the Hawaiian chicken wings (drowning in teriyaki sauce) and the beef brisket sandwich (hardly any meat).

Daisy Dukes Saloon, 10060 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines; 954-430-9930; www.myspace.com/daisydukessaloon; appetizers $6.99-$9.99, sandwiches $7.99-$10.99; entrees 10.99-17.99; pizza $8.99-$10.99.

BIG TOMATO GRILL

This is one old-timer that hasn't lost its way. More than a dozen years after it opened, Big Tomato Market Grill is turning out Italian classics better than ever. Prices have risen only a few dollars over recent years, while portions and quality have maintained.

Designed like a traditional Italian market with giant cans of Bella Rosa tomatoes, jars of roasted peppers and fake grapes, the atmosphere is a cross between cozy and kitschy.

Come hungry because portions are huge. Share a dish or expect to take home enough leftovers for lunch or dinner. Entrees come with a bottomless bowl of Caesar or market salad served family style.

The staff is very accommodating with requests for changing sauces on dishes. We still love their unique Chicken Bella Rosa, a chicken breast smothered with fresh baby spinach, artichoke hearts and mushrooms, which we modify with a Fra Diablo sauce to give it some zing. The chicken parmigiana is a thick and tasty breast that's perfectly fried and not greasy.

Let's raise a glass of chianti and toast to another decade.

Big Tomato Market Grill, 8300 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines; 954-704-0100; www.bigtomatomarketgrill.com; appetizers $7.25-$9.95; specialty pizzas $10.95-$16.95; entrees $10.95-$18.95.

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