Manolo’s Food Guide To Miami
This one was actually incredibly hard for me, not only because it’s difficult to whittle down so many delicious places into just a handful, but also because I’m awful at remembering names and I can only describe restaurants as “that one over there by that thing”.
Tropical, Latin flavors are ubiquitous with Miami - specifically Cuban. I love Cuban food - it’s very garlic forward, which to me is delightful (when everybody smells like garlic, no one smells like garlic). Aside from world-famous Cuban places like Versailles, or La Carreta (terminal D at the airport is probably my favorite dining destination), Miami hosts a plethora of fantastic food from all over the world - yes, Latino reigns supreme, but you can find a little bit of everything in Miami, from sushi to bagels to barbecue and Greek.
Last time I split things up by time of day, but now I’m going to do things a little differently, mostly because I can, as I’m the one writing this.
THE ABSOLUTE BASICS
If it’s your first time in Miami, these are the places that you absolutely must go to as part of your tour, kind of like getting a baguette or a croissant in Paris: you just gotta!
This place is cash only, so you know it’s classy. Famous the world over, Joe’s Stone Crab is an institution in South Florida that is only open from October - May, (stone crab season) since 1913. There are other locations now - Chicago, DC, Las Vegas - but the Miami one is the original. Obviously, the stone crabs are the star of the menu, but the restaurant offers some other delicious fare, like steaks, King crab rolls, potatoes, salads, and of course, another Florida native, Key Lime Pie.
Nothing screams FLORIDA to me more than this beloved local chain (beloved by everyone from Miami. People get married there and everything - seriously). The interior is lined with endless pictures of men in shorts fishing off the Florida waters - lots of trinkets, and rope, and nautical tchotchkes. The logo itself brings up images of Hemingway - or Santa Claus (depending on where your mind goes when you see a beard) - and of a care-free, bygone Florida where there’s always mañana. My favorite things on the menu are the baby back ribs and the dolphin sandwich, and of course the famous plastic green cups.
Probably the most famous Cuban restaurant in the world, and the second most famous Versailled in the world, this restaurant on La Calle Ocho (or as they say in English, Calle Ocho) in Little Havana has been open since 1971, where its ventanita for cafecito and pastelitos has become an institution. The restaurant is the official unofficial center of Cuban diaspora and culture not only in South Florida but in the entire United States - coups against the Castro regime have been planned within the walls of the storied dining room over tiny plastic demitasses filled with coladas (cuban espresso, my favorite). It is not only a culinary institution, but politically it means so much more to the Cuban population. If you like Cuban food - and why wouldn’t you?- this is the place to go. You gotta. It’s Versailles.
Another Florida staple which I love because of how vehemently Florida it is, Monty’s is a place where kids can get grilled fish sandwiches while adults feast on oysters, grilled dolphin (Mahi-Mahi in Florida speak), sword fish, crab, and all sorts of seafood. You sit outdoors on lacquered wooden benches, and you feel like you’re in either the Keys or in an Elmore Leonard novel. Either way, it’s great. The location in Coconut Grove is right on the marina and you get a wonderful view of enormous yachts bobbling on the water and enormous cruise ships pulling into the harbor.
THE NEXT LEVEL
These are the places you go to if you have a little extra time in Miami, like the sights you see after you’ve gotten through all of the big stuff.
Miami has some phenomenal Italian food, but that’s not surprising, seeing as to how much Cubans love garlic and carbs. There are now more locations of course, including one in New York, but the original located in a remodeled house in Miami Beach remains to this day a fantastic and intimate ambiance, where you can get authentic Italian food under the glow of candle light. It’s pricey, but worth a splurge with that special someone.
If Versailles is a little to passe for you, look no further than El Sanguish! They offer some spectacular Cuban sandwiches as well as some not-so-traditional fare, and we love that. My favorite there is the classic Media Noche, your typical Cubano sandwich of pork, ham, pickles, Swiss cheese, and mustard.
This is some of the best Lebanese food I have ever eaten, hands down. The Lebanese rice, fried kibbeh, and the hummus with grilled lamb on it are favorites of mine. Plus, they have delicious Baklava, which is always a win in my book .
THE FUN PLACES
Miami is known for partying, and any evening began at one of these locations is surely to end well (and very, very late).
This famous Mexican restaurant offers traditional recipes in a fun, new and exciting way - plus the tequila flows like wine.
Aside from being one of the coolest looking restaurants in the coolest looking neighborhood of Miami (the Design District), this restaurant also has some of the best Italian food in the city. It’s massive, with two beautiful floors in a setting that is half tropical and half Bellagio Las Vegas. Like everything in Miami, it’s a vibe.
Yachts. Day party. Bottle service. This is the place to be for fun, and delicious food. My only issue is that they bring the steak in a little grill that is still smoking…if I wanted that I would just eat in my kitchen.
My favorite Greek place, the rice and chicken skewer are fantastic and the spreads are famous across the city for being delicious. The location is romantic, as if you’re in a patio in Sanotrini, except without the view or sound of donkeys trudging up and down a hill all day (which is for the best, to be perfectly honest, they should stop doing that there).
HONORABLE MENTIONS BECAUSE I LIKE THEM I JUST DON’T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO PUT THEM ON THE LIST
The title kind of says it all.
West Coast has In-N-Out, Miami has Pollo Tropical. I will die on this hill.
I’m not just saying this because you can find our empanadas at all Bodega locations across South Florida and Chicago, but even if I was, you should go and check it out because while you’re sipping on a delicious margarita in the back speakeasy, you can be munching on one of our delicious empanadas found at all Bodega locations across South Florida and Chicago.
