In April, Lobster Bar Sea Grille sailed into South Beach with a large location on Washington Avenue in the former China Grill space.
This past November, the upscale seafood emporium, which has a sister restaurant in Fort Lauderdale and is one of 13 eateries owned by the Atlanta-based Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, rolled out a Miami Spice-style, three-course brunch menu chock full of hearty entrées.
In the restaurant's spacious dining room, designed to look like the famous oyster bar in New York's Grand Central Station, waiters deliver surf-and-turf items such as stuffed lobster and steak and eggs to tables draped in white table cloths.
Lobster Bar's brunch is more formal than others in South Beach, so the unique experience is worth a try. New Times was invited to sample the menu. Below are the highlights.
To start are seven appetizers, including a salmon flatbread, berry and granola Greek yogurt, and apple kale salad. Lobster bisque and crisp Mediterranean octopus with pickled red onion are also available.
However, consider swapping a traditional appetizer for a freshly baked pastry. Served with house-made jams and Nutella, brioche buns, traditional and raspberry croissants, and pain au chocolat are served warm. No matter what pastry you choose, the dough is exceptionally fresh and will leave you wanting more.
Entrées include a whole butter-braised lobster Benedict, which is served with enough meat to fill two diners; avocado and caviar toast topped with slow-cooked eggs; and steak and egg bernaise, which includes a petite filet mignon and crisp potato pancakes.
End the meal with profiteroles smothered in chocolate sauce and served with vanilla ice cream and sugar-roasted almonds, or a mango and tonka bean mousse accompanied by mandarin sorbet.
The three-course meal costs $49 per person and includes bottomless mimosas, bellinis, prosecco, and bloody marys.
Lobster Bar Sea Grille. 404 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-438-9200; buckheadrestaurants.com. 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.