Fortunately for those seeking the freshest seafood in Miami, there are seafood markets that are hidden gems only locals venture to and classic restaurants true Miamians only know and love that New Times has expertly gathered.
From old-school seafood staples like Captain's Tavern in Pinecrest and Southport Raw Bar in Fort Lauderdale, which have both been around for more than half a century, to small seafood markets where you can score the best seafood at reasonable prices, like FreshCo Fish Market & Grill in Kendall and Golden Rule Seafood in Palmetto Bay, these hidden gems will satisfy your longing for fresh seafood in the Magic City.
Without further ado, listed in alphabetical order, here are the 12 best seafood restaurants in Miami.
Captain's Tavern
9625 S. Dixie Hwy., Miami305-666-5979
captainstavernmiami.comAlthough Captain's Tavern in Pinecrest is a hidden gem of South Dixie Highway, there's never an empty table at the restaurant — and for good reason. In addition to building loyal relationships with his customers and staff, founder Bill "The Captain" Bowers has built trusted business partnerships with seafood suppliers around the world, allowing him to offer fresh, abundant seafood to his clientele at fair, affordable prices since 1971. This unassuming local favorite seafood restaurant is a magnet for large families and old folks, and the menu is vast. The coconut shrimp comes with a sweet, slightly peppery dipping sauce. Try a fish dish. Fillets arrive either lightly breaded and fried or baked to perfection, all with a dazzling array of toppings from which to choose. Cocktails are potent, martinis are popular, and the mai tai is delicious.
Estiatorio Milos
730 First St., Miami Beach305-604-6800
estiatoriomilos.comGreek cuisine is rooted in simplicity and quality ingredients. At Estiatorio Milos in South Beach, there's something new to discover on every visit. The fish selection changes daily depending on what fishermen haul in. The day's catch is prepared to your liking and priced according to weight. There's nothing newfangled here, but when it comes to top-notch seafood, Milos is in a league of its own. One of the restaurant's specialties is melt-in-your-mouth, charcoal-broiled octopus seasoned with white balsamic vinegar and olive oil produced by the owner's sister in Greece. Another signature dish is the tomato salad with cucumbers, green peppers, onions, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. The restaurant's homemade Greek yogurt dessert is so thick and creamy that you'll never believe you're eating something that's good for you.
A Florida lobster dish from FreshCo Fish Market & Grill in Kendall, Miami
FreshCo Fish Market & Grill photo
FreshCo Fish Market & Grill
12700 SW 122nd Ave., Ste. 113, Miami305-278-3479
freshcofish.com Although there are plenty of restaurants and markets that serve local seafood, this spot has garnered enough five-star reviews to land its name on Yelp's Top 100 Seafood Spots 2024 list. Located at the Cortland Plaza in Kendall, this unassuming fish market and grill boasts an impressive amount of five-star reviews on Yelp thanks to its fresh seafood, perfected classics like Key West conch fritters and fish dip, and welcoming atmosphere. The menu features classic Florida seafood appetizers but with a South Florida twist, like FreshCo tostones, which are Cuban-style fried plantains that can be topped with tuna ceviche or another protein, key lime fish wings, which are lightly floured, and fried fresh snapper and mahi tossed in key lime-peppered seasonings served with hot sauce.
A whole fried hog from Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish Market
Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish Market photo
Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish Market
398 NW North River Dr, Miami305-375-0765
garciasmiami.comThis grill and seafood market has been serving up a winning combination of fresh fish dishes and family hospitality for nearly 60 years. In-the-know Miamians flock to this indoor/outdoor restaurant overlooking the Miami River — overseen these days by brothers Luis Garcia and Esteban Garcia Jr., whose parents founded the local institution in 1966 — for the freshest catch reeled in daily and available for purchase on the menu or by the pound at the fish market next door. If you choose to stay, you can dine amid dark-wood surroundings or enjoy the laid-back vibe and river view outdoors. Choose blackboard specials or house favorites such as fried grouper fingers or blackened or breaded preparations of your favorite fish. The famous fish dip or crab cakes make tasty starters, and each entrée comes with your choice of two sides.
Golden Rule Seafood
17505 S. Dixie Hwy., Miami305-235-0661
goldenruleseafood.comIf you can't cast a line off your very own 40-foot catamaran, Golden Rule Seafood is the next best thing. This family-owned purveyor has been around since 1943, serving up fresh fish, stone crab, lobster, oysters, live blue crabs, shrimp, and all other forms of the ocean's bounty. So, if you're in Palmetto Bay and craving a little something from the sea, you know where to go. If you prefer pre-cooked eats, they'll even steam your seafood onsite for you. And if you're too tempted to wait till you get home, there are tables where you can sit and crack, squeeze, and drool your way through a set of stone crab claws.
Joe's Stone Crab
11 Washington Ave., Miami Beach305-673-0365
joesstonecrab.comFor more than a century, crowds have flocked to Joe's Stone Crab for fresh seafood. Founded in 1913, the restaurant is older than the city of Miami Beach, which was incorporated two years later. Over the years, Joe's has become a multimillion-dollar business; it was named the second-highest-grossing independently owned restaurant in the United States by Restaurant Business. Though Joe's boasts a wide selection of fresh seafood and steaks and employs full-time fish and meat butchers to cut perfect pieces of flesh, it's the stone crabs that lure customers from around the globe. The claws, served with the restaurant's signature mustard sauce, are the reason multiple generations have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, and just a Thursday evening at Joe's.
Miami Shores Fish Market
8300 NE Second Ave., Miamiat the Citadel Food Hall
miamishoresfishmarket.comCurtis Rhodes has always had a passion for seafood due to growing up in Hawaii. Being on his father's charter boat bringing in 300-pound marlins and eating fresh-caught sashimi on the boat with hot mustard and shoyu was the highlight of his childhood. With exposure to local fresh fish and working with chefs from Hawaii to San Diego and now Miami, he has learned the value behind it. At the Shores Miami, he goes above and beyond, filling the case in its fish market with delicacies that range from live Japanese softshell crabs to Hokkaido scallops to Florida rock shrimp. There are always whole local fish fillets ready to be cooked for you as well — or to take home to your own grill. Its New England clam chowder rivals anything you can find up north, and the fresh fish sandwiches here are the best in Miami-Dade County.
Mignonette
210 NE 18th St., Miami305-374-4635
mignonettemiami.comA meal at Mignonette should start with a round of oysters (or Alaskan king crab legs or shrimp cocktail). Move on to a crab cake. The redfish comes seared with a reduction of sautéed shallots, garlic, and piquillo peppers deglazed with brandy, stock, white wine, plus a touch of butter and haricots verts on the side. The beer is ice-cold, and the wine list is refreshingly oyster-friendly. Pro tip: Chef Danny Serfer also brings us Blue Collar, a restaurant that embodies its no-nonsense name, in the MiMo District.
The River Oyster Bar is a classic Brickell restaurant known for its seafood.
The River Oyster Bar photo
The River Oyster Bar
33 SE Seventh St., Ste. 100, Miami305-530-1915
therivermiami.comLocated in the heart of Brickell for more than 20 years, the River Oyster Bar is one of Miami's top happy-hour destinations for busy professionals. The cuisine offers a modern twist on classic seafood and a reprieve from the Miami heat in a sleek yet comfortable dining room. The restaurant is known for its ice-packed selection of hand-shucked, cold-water oysters, hand-selected local produce, and fresh cold-water fish brought in from Alaska. From local shrimp from Cape Canaveral to stone crabs from the Florida Keys, quality ingredients are what always takes precedence at the River Oyster Bar.
Rusty Pelican is a go-to restaurant for waterfront views along the Rickenbacker Causeway.
Rusty Pelican photo
Rusty Pelican
3201 Rickenbacker Cswy., Key Biscayne305-361-3818
therustypelican.comSavory seafood and stunning views of Biscayne Bay from every seat in the house (and out): That's what makes the Rusty Pelican, a Key Biscayne landmark, which opened in the 1970s just off the Rickenbacker Causeway, a perennial favorite. It's the perfect spot to celebrate all manner of milestones, be they birthdays and engagements or graduation dinners. Enduring signature items include the "Rusty Pelican Board for Two" (fried snapper, lobster and shrimp risotto, and New York strip steak), a surf and turf of filet mignon and butter-poached lobster, and the "Steak Progressive" (four different cuts of steak with roasted garlic confit and red wine shallots). The restaurant offers a lavish Sunday brunch and boasts a glass-cube wine "cellar" that holds hundreds of vintages. All servers are well-versed in the treasures within.
Southport Raw Bar has been serving the freshest seafood in Fort Lauderdale since the '70s.
Southport Raw Bar photo
Southport Raw Bar
1536 Cordova Rd., Fort Lauderdale954-525-2526
southportrawbar.comYou're probably thinking, "This is in Fort Lauderdale!" but trust us, this hidden gem is worth the drive from Miami. In the 1970s, when it opened, Fort Lauderdale was still a very undeveloped little beach town, but it's been the home to one of the finest seafood restaurants in South Florida. Over the past fifty-plus years, Southport Raw Bar has served everyone from famous people to generations of local residents. Carmine Ferrante and Mickey Kirtman started selling their share in the restaurant in 1998, which is when its three managers, Jack, Pat and Buddy Sherman, purchased Southport Raw Bar. Between the three of them, they have almost one hundred years of experience at this restaurant, which is an impressive feat. Expect casual waterfront dining at inexpensive prices. Oysters and clams are the specialty. This no-fuss spot has more than 5,000 4.5-star reviews.
Stiltsville Fish Bar
1787 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach786-353-0477
stiltsvillefishbar.comCulinary couple — and erstwhile Top Chef contestants Jeff McInnis (season 5) and Janine Booth (season 11) — operate this Sunset Harbour fish house, which draws inspiration from the former's early years in the Florida Panhandle, where he subsisted on simply prepared seafood paired with tropical cocktails. The indoor-outdoor venue includes a maritime-themed dining room and bar and a menu that ranges from signature items that range from spicy Buffalo fish wings and a housemade, oak-smoked fish dip prepared with the freshest local catch to Southern favorites like fish 'n' grits and sweet-corn spoon bread. For a unique experience, guests can choose their meal directly from an ice-filled tub that showcases the day's selection of fresh fish. Pro tip: The weeknight happy hour is popular among locals in search of deals on cocktails, rum sippers, and bar bites.
