Nicole Lopez-Alvar
Audio By Carbonatix
There are few Miami restaurant openings I have been waiting for as impatiently as Miami Slice in Coconut Grove.
For months, I have been asking the team behind the wildly popular pizza shop when its new Grove location would finally open. Every time I drove past the Historic Engle Building next to Mr. C Miami, I would look over to see if there was any movement inside.
So when I got the chance to visit a few days before its grand opening, there was no chance I was turning it down. On Sunday, August 9, at around 7:30 p.m., I walked into the new Miami Slice with my little rescue Chihuahua, Romeo, in tow.
The Coconut Grove restaurant is now officially open as of Wednesday, August 12. It marks the fourth Miami Slice location for the homegrown brand and its most ambitious yet. It follows the original downtown Miami slice bar, its takeout location in Key Biscayne, and its outpost at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. However, the Grove location is completely different in all the best ways.
Photo by James Jackman
Miami Slice grows up without losing what made it great
The first thing that struck me when I walked in was how beautiful it is inside. Right now, with a large floor-to-ceiling “MIAMI SLICE” sign still covering the windows, the dining room feels incredibly cozy. Walking inside on Sunday night almost felt like stepping into a little New York restaurant on a crisp fall evening, which, as someone desperately waiting for fall to arrive in Miami, immediately won me over.
It was warm and calm, and everyone working inside looked genuinely excited to be there. Pizzas were moving in and out of the brick oven while diners mingled at the doorway (neighbors kept running into one another). Plus, the whole restaurant has an easy, welcoming energy despite how dimly lit it is inside.
Once fall finally arrives, I have a feeling the outdoor tables along McFarlane are going to be packed. Coconut Grove is made for outdoor dining (when Miami’s weather cooperates), and this location feels built for those nights.
It’s also dog-friendly, which meant Romeo was perfectly happy hanging out while I ate far more pizza than I intended.
Nicole Lopez-Alvar
What to expect (the pizza is better than I remember)
Coconut Grove keeps its signature counter experience, but finally gives the restaurant room to breathe. There are comfortable tables and more space for people who want to stay a while. Therefore, it feels like a true neighborhood restaurant without losing the personality that made Miami Slice so popular in the first place.
But here’s my biggest takeaway from the night: The slice I had, “Pepperoni Proper” (my favorite), was better than I remember. I’ve eaten Miami Slice at food festivals and pop-ups. I’ve had it at the Infatuation’s EEEEEATSCON, and I’ve eaten at the original downtown Miami location years ago.
However, sitting in Coconut Grove on Sunday night, I genuinely wondered whether I was eating the same delicious slice.
With that perfect char, that smoky undercarriage, wonderful chew, and even better fresh toppings…I could go on and on. Maybe there’s extra attention that comes with opening a flagship, but the pizza tasted phenomenal. The quality of the ingredients immediately stood out, from creamy stracciatella to the pepperoni and hot honey. Nothing feels thrown onto a slice simply because it sounds good. You can taste the care that goes into it.
I left carrying a takeout box full of pizza because apparently eating it there wasn’t enough.
Nicole Lopez-Alvar
Order the pistachio tart. Trust me.
I also left with dessert, and I need everyone who loves pistachio to listen to me on this one.
Get the pistachio tart. It’s rich, decadent, creamy, and intensely nutty. I love pistachio, so this was always going to be an easy sell for me, but it’s worth saving room for even when you are convinced you cannot eat another bite.
Miami Slice is also serving cookies from Liger’s, one of the coolest cookie shops in Miami right now. If you know, you know.
Between the desserts and expanded menu, the Grove location feels like a much more complete restaurant experience. You can still come in for a slice, but you can also settle into a table for dinner and stay awhile.
Nicole Lopez-Alvar
The Grove gets its own menu
One of the smartest decisions the team made was not simply copying the downtown Miami menu into a bigger restaurant. Culinary director Jose “Chema” Cardenas is taking advantage of the Historic Engle Building’s wood-fired oven with dishes exclusive to Coconut Grove.
The Grove menu includes wood-fired cabbage, a watercress Caesar, beef carpaccio, and a Caprese salad. These aren’t afterthoughts designed to fill out a pizza menu, either. The dishes I tried were genuinely delicious.
It also makes perfect sense for Coconut Grove. This is a neighborhood filled with families, and I can already see parents bringing their kids here all the time. But sometimes you don’t want pizza every single time your kids do. The Grove exclusives solve that problem. The prices surprised me, too. Some of the salads cost less than what you can easily spend on a salad at Carrot Express or Pura Vida Miami these days. (Let’s be real.)
Photo by James Jackman
Miami Slice has found its Grove groove
Miami Slice was founded by Alejandro Diaz in 2019, who developed the original pizza recipes, and is led alongside managing partner Manuel Peinado and operating partners Cardenas and Santiago Huen.
The brand has come a long way from the team’s experimental “pizza lab” days during the pandemic, and Coconut Grove feels like the culmination of that evolution. But the beloved slice bar is still there, and full pies and individual slices will be available for takeout. Dine-in will remain first-come, first-served with no reservations for now.
Miami Slice Coconut Grove is officially open for business, and considering how long Miami has been waiting for this opening, I would expect a crowd. (And yes, Romeo and I will absolutely be back.)
Miami Slice. 2996 McFarlane Rd., Miami; miamislicepizza.com.
