100 Montaditos

There are about 200 locations worldwide, but the 100 Montaditos in midtown Miami is the first to open in America. It is the dollar store of fast-food franchises, but instead of a bunch of junk, you can get all sorts of great sandwiches: for instance, thin wisps of Serrano ham on warm, crunchy-crusted, olive-oil-drizzled, oven-fresh […]

Alabama Jack’s

Is it the first stop on your way to the Keys or your last stop on the way home? That’s for you to decide. Either way, Alabama Jack’s is an institution. It’s on a lonely stretch of Card Sound Road – the alternative to U.S. 1 that tourists en route to the Keys hardly ever […]

Alaska Coffee Roasting Co.

Fairbanks and Miami aren’t exactly sister cities. One is cold; one is hot. One is north; one is south. But coffee is the universal unifier – hence the popularity of Alaska Coffee Roasting Co. This Biscayne Boulevard coffee shop and café serves house-roasted beverages, along with sandwiches, pizzas, baked foods, soups, and all kinds of […]

The Alibi

Does a Philly cheesesteak sandwich â?? thinly sliced rib eye, grilled onions, and Cheez Whiz on an Amoroso roll imported from Philadelphia â?? taste better at 3 in the morning than at any other time? No. It tastes better at 3 in the morning because you are eating it at the Alibi, a food concession […]

Alisa’s Painted Bistro

This dual-purpose spot is a bistro and pottery workshop, so artists of all ages can get their paint on while inhaling eye-candy cupcakes and homemade baked goods. In fact, Alisa’s Painted Bistro cupcakes were such a hit, they even branched out into a food truck dubbed Alisa’s Cupcakery. The Aventura joint also serves up savory […]

Ankarr European Pastry Shop

In a city swamped with antiseptically lit cafeterias and overcrowded cafecito counters, it’s a luxury to find both the ambiance and space where you can lounge comfortably while feeding your caffeine habit. For that reason, the discovery of a quaint European-style café such as Ankarr should be considered nothing less than a major coup for […]

Babe’s Meat & Counter

In the early-morning hours in late spring 2013, Jason and Melanie Schoendorfer gathered a cooler full of homemade bacon and sausage, several dozen eggs, and a few cases of fluffy rolls and headed for the weekly Pinecrest Gardens Farmers Market. The two didn’t know that five years later, they would be one of Miami-Dade’s premier […]

Bar Nancy

Bar Nancy in Little Havana sports rustic, nautical-inspired decor and a healthy selection of craft cocktails. The bar – named for the brigantine Nancy, which transported war supplies during the American Revolution – offers cocktails named after ships or patriotic themes, or both. The “Abigail Adams” is made with Fords gin, peach liqueur, lemon, strawberry, […]

Best Sub & Sandwich Shop

Is Best Sub & Sandwich Shop really the best? Considering the fact that this shoebox-size grilled-sub shack has been operating in the same location â?? on a quiet, hidden avenue that snakes along East Kendall’s Greenery Mall and curves to the rear of Pinecrest’s Tattoos by Lou â?? for 32 years, it doesn’t seem like […]

Blue Collar

Now in classed-up digs across Biscayne Boulevard from the original site, Danny Serfer’s Blue Collar still takes its cues from the classic American diner. The MiMo District stalwart offers daily specials and elevated comfort foods. Start with a gutsy New Orleans-style dish of shrimp and grits with bacon and Worcestershire-based barbecue sauce, or Hanukkah latkes […]

Caciques Corner

Situated directly beneath a Metromover stop, this homey little Cuban diner is busy at all times of day. In the wee hours of the morning, you can catch a whiff of strong coffee floating out of the large ventanilla, as patrons gather beneath the grubby blue awning to chat about the day’s headlines before dispersing […]

Cafe Floridita

From the outside, Cafe Floridita looks like any dilapidated downtown takeout joint – a scraggly awning and smudged display are nestled into an extremely busy coffee window where servers are more interested in speed than stellar service. The inside is nothing fancy either – a bright and clean Formica lunch counter surrounded by no-frills tables. […]

Cafe Que Rico

Tres Marias are always better than uno – just ask Café Que Rico’s signature Cafe Tres Marias Arabica bean blend. Their café con leche ($1.50) has been ranked Miami’s best, and edible accompaniments range from classic ham and cheese croissants ($2.95) and pan con bistec ($7.50) to house specialty ensalada “Tuna Tony” (albacore tuna on […]

The Cheese Course

Let’s face it: Cheese makes everything better. The Cheese Course — a chain with four locations throughout South Florida — is a nod to the stores of Europe that sell one item done extremely well. Patrons wander through the odorous shop and are encouraged to sample from more than 150 cheeses from all over the […]

Chocolate Fashion

True Francophiles swoon when the words “Chocolate Fashion” are uttered. Just one look into the lighted pastry case is enough to make them sob. There are glazed super-size fruit tarts, delicate cakes and cookies as big as a baby’s face, and shot glasses of chocolate mousse topped with chocolate macaroons. Had a bad day? Your […]

Corbett’s Sports Bar & Grill

This locals’ joint tucked into the corner of a Pinecrest strip mall features wooden booths, a central bar, darts, foosball, and billiards. You’ll also find standard furnishings such as multiple TV sets and a jukebox. Smoking is allowed inside the sports-heavy establishment, which boasts a varied liquor selection. Typical bar eats such as sliders and […]

The Corner

If you “know what it means to miss New Orleans,” the Corner is the Miami bar for you. Nestled in the downtown nightclub district, this little speakeasy boasts a bar constructed from 150-year-old repurposed wood and a vibe that’s more reminiscent of the Big Easy than the neon lights of the Magic City. Maybe that’s […]