I agree Charlie's Crab is good, upscale place (would go back). It is next door to Shooter's, which is more of a bar/hamburger joint (would only go back with cheapskates). Aruba's is better than Shooter's and is on the beach.
SeaWatch (yes, seafood) on A1A just north of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is oceanfront. I like the lunch/afternoon view as you can see the ocean better - as you walk in, there is a set of steps. If open upstairs, you will have a choice of views over the dune to the ocean and either indoor dining or outdoor. Same food as downstairs and it seems quieter up there.
Closer to MBP, at the light before Sunrise Blvd is a little section of undeveloped old Ft Lauderdale. (Light just past Bonnet House beach from MBP). There is the Blue Fish (Key West style), the Parrot (Philly Sports Bar and cheesesteaks, good hamburgers) and Thai on the Beach (corner-2nd floor). Ignore the 3 tattoo pallors. Looks a little like a ratty area, but it is a neighborhood VS being a tourist trap. There is limited metered parking - taxis cruise the area all the time. The Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort (T/S) is the 18 story building at the end of the street about 50 yards from the beach, so there are a lot of those guests visible there. Plus, the Primitara Bros 24-hour pizza (under the Thai on the Beach) is a magnet for hungary cops & others needing a munchie fix- I personally am not a fan of their pizza. There is also a Kava Bar, some tacky beach shops, a cigar store, a laundry mat, 2 corner stores selling beer, etc.
Don't know you enegry level & budget, but the above neighborhood will be the cheapest of the eating and drinking locales without going over the intercoastal waterway and/or inland. Just an FYI ...
My avartar was taken from a dining table at the Blue Fish at dusk looking into the street which has neon lights. The Parrot Bar is in a building down/across the street.