Michy’s

Run by Miami’s hottest chef, Michy’s is like the classical European restaurants of yesteryear, when everything was made from scratch. Whole chickens, ducks, and fish are taken apart and portioned, the bones reserved for stocks. Steaks are carved from the whole sirloin. Pastas, gnocchi, French fries, mayonnaise: all prepared on the premises. The dinner menu […]

Mina’s Mediterraneo

The cooking at Mina’s might remind you of a potluck supper hosted by friends from Egypt, Greece, Italy, Spain, and France. The kitchen is led by Yasmine Kotb and her mother, who personally trained the staff in re-creating the family’s most cherished recipes. Slurp the lentil soup, a dish that Kotb ate as a kid. […]

Miss Saigon

The interior of Miss Saigon looks otherworldly. The folks who work here dress in traditional odia (brilliantly hued long dresses) and have a knack for making guests feel welcome. Have no fear if this is your first time eating Vietnamese. An extremely friendly (and on occasion, flamboyant) server will ask you a series of questions: […]

Miss Saigon Bistro

The interior of Miss Saigon looks otherworldly. The folks who work here dress in traditional odia (brilliantly hued long dresses) and have a knack for making guests feel welcome. Have no fear if this is your first time eating Vietnamese. The traditional beef pho is large enough to share and comes with rice noodles and […]

Moe’s Southwest Grill

As a “quick casual” restaurant (a genre that combines fast-food speed and service with higher quality food), Atlanta-based Moe’s is a step up the food chain from most franchised eateries. It’s far from being the best Mexican-inspired quick-casual place in these parts; both Baja Fresh and Lime Fresh have fresher tortillas, more zingy salsas, and […]

Morro Castle

This place looks like an ugly, unwanted stepsister of El Rey de las Fritas, but it has been serving some of the best Cuban fast food in Miami for more than 50 years. People still flock to the iconic restaurant, which to this day provides car service. You read correctly – you can park your […]

Myung Ga Tofu & BBQ

Unlike traditional Korean barbecue houses, Myung Ga doesn’t have the built-in tabletop grills that have turned this nation’s barbecue meals into dinner and a show. But the galbi (short ribs, grilled after a nice, long bath in one of Korea’s unique, complexly balanced soy/fruit marinades) and boolgogi (grilled, thinly sliced marinated beef) are still habit-formingly […]

Narcobollo

With a backstory that includes boiled yuca, Cartagena and Colombian cops – the name Narcobello should elicit more than a few giggles from Spanish speakers. Meanwhile, the Doral outpost is known for serving up pan de bono (cheese bread), empanadas, bollos (corn buns) and other Colombian eats for budget-friendly breakfast and lunch. Try their sancocho […]

Natural Chicken Grill

Natural Chicken Grill is a Miami-based fast-food chain with 12 locations in South Florida. There’s an open dining area with a buffet-style counter for fast service. Dishes are made with fresh ingredients that are prepped daily — and the chicken is grilled to order. The menu features chicken in several combinations ranging from whole grilled, […]

New Chinatown

New Chinatown isn’t reinvented Chinese fare, as the name might suggest, but it does feature exquisitely fresh old-time Cantonese cuisine. Barbecue spare ribs are meaty, egg rolls crusty and propped up with a plethora of ground pork. Yatka mein soup (chicken broth filled with curly egg noodles) is great lunchtime fare. Deep-fried honey garlic chicken, […]

The Oceanaire Seafood Room

With its elegantly sweeping curves, polished wood finishes, horseshoe-shape booths, and big band tunes billowing through the air, the warmly illuminated, 290-seat Oceanaire exudes the sophistication and glamour of a 1930s luxury cruise liner. Guests are treated accordingly, meaning first-class service all the way. Ceviche, clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, and sassy salads are all prepared […]

Old San Juan Puerto Rican Cuisine

The menu at this sophisticated, moderately priced family-style restaurant touts many favorites of the expatriated, and its old-world charm gives the impression it could be located in the middle of the historic neighborhood after which it’s named. Puerto Rican cooking is defined by a mix of indigenous tropical ingredients occasionally boosted by bold dashes of […]

Orale Taqueria Mexicana

Orale is a red-, white-, and green-striped taqueria on wheels. For years, it has developed a devoted following of folks who flock to its locale on the S.W. 28th Street side of Douglas Park every Saturday and Sunday. The menu is tacos, tacos, and more tacos in their simplest, most authentic form: corn tortillas folded […]

The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.

Einstein’s makes a tasty roll with a hole in the center. New York Bagels and Brooklyn Bagels (no relation) are OK in a pinch. But the Original Brooklyn Water Co. bagels ($1.29 each) are the real deal: soft, malty, and yeasty inside, with a crisp, bronzed crust that comes from being preboiled. An in-house filtering […]

Osteria Del Teatro

Osteria has been serving fine Italian cuisine since 1987; dining here is still something of a 20th-century experience. But this South Beach favorite has retained the best attributes formerly fashioned at fine-dining establishments without subscribing to the more regrettable ones. For instance, service is executed peerlessly by professional staff members who have been with the […]

Outback Steakhouse

Leave it to the Aussies to beat us at our own game: good ol’ thick, juicy steaks. Except for a couple of pseudo-Australian offerings, you’ll find the menu comparable to an American house o’ beef — right down to offerings of nonbeef items such as chicken and fish — but delicious steaks are what this […]

Pancho Taco

Pancho Taco is Miami’s foodie-friendly answer to the 2 a.m. Taco Bell shakes. Set up outside Wynwood’s popular Wood Tavern in a converted station wagon, they serve up carnitas, chicken, and mushroom tacos to eager boozers. At $2 a pop, you can afford to chow down. And on Taco Tuesdays, they’re free of charge. What […]