Brokula nije tako dobra kao cvjetača, ali meni je draža uz ribu.

Both adjectives agree with brokula, which is a feminine singular noun in Croatian.

• brokula = feminine singular
• dobra = feminine singular form of dobar (good)
• draža = feminine singular comparative form of drag in this meaning (dearer / preferred)

So the sentence treats brokula as the thing being described in both clauses.

Croatian has more than one way to compare things.

nije tako dobra kao cvjetača literally means is not as good as cauliflower.
This structure is:

• tako + adjective + kao = as ... as

So:

• tako dobra kao cvjetača = as good as cauliflower
• nije tako dobra kao cvjetača = not as good as cauliflower

A different structure would be:

• bolja od cvjetače = better than cauliflower

Both are natural, but they are not exactly the same in form:

• nije tako dobra kao cvjetača = negative equality comparison
• bolja od cvjetače = direct comparative

After kao in this kind of comparison, Croatian normally uses the noun in the nominative form.

So:

• kao cvjetača = like / as cauliflower

That is why you see cvjetača, not cvjetače here.

By contrast, with od after a comparative, you would use the genitive:

• bolja od cvjetače = better than cauliflower

So the case changes depending on the comparison pattern.

Here draža is best understood as preferred or more liked.

The adjective drag can mean dear, beloved, or in some contexts liked / preferable. Its comparative is:

• masculine: draži
• feminine: draža
• neuter: draže

In this sentence, meni je draža means something like:

• I prefer it
• I like it better
• literally: it is dearer to me

So although the literal meaning is close to dearer, the natural English sense here is I prefer it.

Because the structure with drag / draži often works with a dative experiencer in Croatian.

So instead of saying something literally like I am preferring it, Croatian says:

• meni je draža = it is more preferable/dearer to me

Here:

• meni = dative of ja (to me)
• je = is
• draža = dearer / preferred

This is a very common Croatian pattern. Similar dative-based expressions appear elsewhere too, for example:

• hladno mi je = I am cold / literally it is cold to me
• sviđa mi se = I like it / literally it pleases itself to me

Yes, meni can be omitted if the context already makes it clear who is doing the preferring.

• ali meni je draža uz ribu = but I prefer it with fish
• ali je draža uz ribu = but it is preferable with fish / but it’s preferred with fish

Including meni makes the personal viewpoint explicit and often adds a bit of emphasis:

• as for me, I prefer it with fish

So meni is not redundant; it helps mark whose opinion this is.

The noun is simply omitted because it is already understood from the previous clause.

The full idea is:

• Brokula nije tako dobra kao cvjetača, ali meni je brokula draža uz ribu.

But repeating brokula would sound unnecessary. Croatian often leaves out words that are easy to recover from context.

So draža still refers back to brokula.

uz ribu means with fish, alongside fish, or served with fish.

The preposition uz often means:

• next to
• along
• together with / alongside

In food contexts, it commonly means something served as an accompaniment:

• krumpir uz meso = potatoes with meat
• vino uz večeru = wine with dinner
• brokula uz ribu = broccoli with fish

So here it means that broccoli is preferred as a side dish or accompaniment to fish.

Because uz takes the accusative case.

The noun riba changes like this:

• nominative: riba
• accusative: ribu

So:

• uz ribu = with fish / alongside fish

This is just normal case government after the preposition uz.

Sometimes yes, but the nuance is different.

• uz ribu = alongside fish, especially as a side dish or pairing
• s ribom = with fish, more generally

In a food sentence, uz ribu is often the more natural choice if you mean served with fish.
s ribom can also work, but it may sound a bit broader or less specifically about pairing/accompaniment.

So in this sentence, uz ribu is a very natural choice.

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible.

This version is natural because:

• ali introduces the contrast
• meni comes early to highlight to me / as for me
• je is in second position area, as Croatian clitics usually are
• draža carries the key descriptive meaning

You could also hear variations such as:

• Ali draža mi je uz ribu.
• Ali uz ribu mi je draža.
• Ali meni je uz ribu draža.

These all feel slightly different in emphasis, but the basic meaning stays the same.

Yes, brokula is a normal and widely understood word for broccoli.

Likewise:

• cvjetača = cauliflower

In everyday Croatian, cvjetača is the standard word, though learners may also come across regional or less standard vocabulary for some vegetables. For a learner, brokula and cvjetača are the safest standard forms to remember.