Miami Beach's Icebox Cafe Expands to Doral, the Falls, Hallandale, and Aventura

Miami Beach's Icebox Cafe is gearing up for its largest expansion yet, with plans to open outposts in Doral, Aventura, the Falls, and Hallandale. The New American restaurant, which opened more than 15 years ago on a Lincoln Road side street, is known for its bright and modern space serving Mediterranean- and Middle-Eastern-inspired plates.

"Our growth strategy is focused on opening in areas with a strong customer base," owner Robert Siegmann says, "places where demand for a fresh, new dining experience hasn’t yet been met."

The first outpost to open will be at CityPlace Doral (8300 NW 36th St.), which is slated to debut later this month. The two-story space will have an informal, café-style area with an indoor-outdoor bar, along with a more sophisticated main dining room on the second level. The restaurant will serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, as well as cocktails, juices, and desserts. Following the Doral debu, Icebox will open at the Falls this autumn.

Menus at Icebox's new locations will list a few new items, including tandoori-roasted cauliflower served with buttermilk green goddess dressing; ropa vieja lettuce wraps packed with braised brisket, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, and tomatillo sauce; pork chop milanese topped with mixed greens, torn mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes; and a rotating fish of the day prepared with pomegranate glaze, roasted root vegetables, and walnut-tahini tartar sauce. Prices hover around $15.

For dessert, expect a deep-dish key lime pie with a graham cracker crust ($8.50); the Chocolate Delight ($9.95), layered with dark chocolate, creamy cheesecake brownie, chocolate mousse, and dark chocolate ganache; and Icebox's version of the Devil Dog ($8.50): three layers of chocolate cake crowned with chocolate ganache, whipped cream, and chocolate frosting.

About a year ago, Icebox announced the opening of a location in Aventura ParkSquare, a mixed-use development with a health-and-wellness spin in north Aventura. Because of construction delays, Icebox estimates the eatery will open sometime in spring 2018.

"We strongly believe in the Aventura ParkSquare project," Siegmann told New Times last month. "Aventura is also a highly underserved community in need of well-executed concepts."

A few months later, sometime in summer 2018, Icebox plans to open a company campus in Hallandale Beach. The location will include a restaurant; a greenhouse to grow vegetables for all Icebox locations across South Florida; and a commissary that will operate as a test kitchen, production site, and company headquarters.