The 5 Most Popular Miami Restaurants Locals Love to Hate, According to Readers

Listen, you know the drill.

You find out your best friend from your alma mater is visiting from out of town next weekend. She says it's already in the 40s in New York City, and she's over it, so she's heading down to Miami, and, of course, she wants to hit the hottest restaurant in town.

You freak out because you've been in the same leggings for the past five days and have ordered UberEats from Pubbelly Sushi, Rice Mediterranean Kitchen, Chicken Kitchen, or that Cuban spot ten minutes away from your house every day for the past three months. The last time you had to make a reservation in Miami was for a friend's 30th birthday dinner at Swan, and it was an expensive shitshow to reserve a table for more than eight people and it almost caused World War III among your friends. At this point, your BFF from out of town's call is straight up giving you PTSD.

You panic.

You quickly go on Instagram and begin saving every flashy Instagram Reel posted by Miami food bloggers showing wild flames coming out of tequila shots and 24-karat-gold-covered T-bone steaks. She then sends you six more Reels, writing, "This looks good." Remember, she wants this to be the "Best dinner ever! Girls' night out! You know the hottest spots! You're Mrs. Miami!"

Now, you begin to sweat. "No reservations?" You're going full-blown mental.

"Click here to be on the waiting list?" "Click here to be notified when a table becomes available?" "Oh, so I do need to call my shrink for that Xanax refill," you mutter to yourself with a crooked smile on your face. (Maybe it's best to skip your daily 3 p.m. cafecito break today.)

Two days later, you wake up at 12:05 a.m. by an abrupt "ping" sound from your restaurant booking app, Resy. It's notifying you that a table for two is available. (Mind you, it's for 9:45 p.m. on a Thursday, but God forbid you don't book this in 8.5 seconds, or someone else will.) So, you book it. The night comes; you and your out-of-state bestie show up at 9:45 p.m. on the dot and don't get seated until ten o'clock. It's loud, and everyone standing in line for the women's restroom looks like they may go clubbing afterward. A group of girls who are ten to 15 years younger than you are are taking photos in the mirror in ways you never thought possible. "This is going to be so worth it," you repeat to yourself under your breath while regretting your go-to skinny jean-stiletto heel combo and reapplying your tried and true Velvet Teddy Mac lipstick. (You're stuck in 2016, after all.)

You order the flashy, overly sweet cocktails (Is there any alcohol in this?) and cold, truffle-covered appetizers you saw all over Instagram, TikTok, and Yelp and leave with your credit card feeling extra hot. "Wait, four cocktails were how much?" you ask yourself as you sign the check. "What was your favorite dish?" your friend asks. You respond, "The tuna crispy rice was fire... I think." "Yeah, that was the best part," she responds while replaying her own Instagram story.

Congratulations, you just ate at a classic, popular Miami restaurant!

Miami is home to scores of hot spots that nevertheless leave patrons complaining on the way out that they were duped, disappointed, or a combination of the two. Five-star restaurants with thousands of Yelp raves, posh joints where a steak costs more than your rent? Some people are bound to feel let down.

With this in mind, New Times took to Instagram and Reddit on October 30 to ask our readers to name the most overhyped spots in Miami. Below, you'll find the five names (six, actually, when you count ties) they mentioned most.

Loud reminder to those in the back row: The following list does not reflect New Times' editorial opinion.

OK, One Last Important Note Before We Get to the List

In reading the results of our poll, it's important to bear in mind that in order to be an overhyped restaurant, an establishment must have a sufficiently high profile to begin with, including a large and loyal following that rates it as exceptionally good. Setting a high bar tends to inspire a segment of the public to conclude that such a restaurant's reputation exceeds its merit. (Famous sports analogy: Precisely one member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame was elected unanimously.) The restaurants listed below as overhyped couldn't be on a crowdsourced list such as this one if they weren't beloved by enough patrons to be mentioned at all.

1. Sexy Fish in Brickell

With a whopping 16 individual mentions on Instagram and three on Reddit, Sexy Fish in Brickell has scored the coveted spot for being the most overrated restaurant in Miami with a total of 19 mentions. Sexy Fish was mentioned almost every three comments or so, with comments ranging from, "Can't understand the hot mess of them all for mediocre food," which received 34 likes in agreement, with another responding, "I agree, it's more the ambiance, and that's the appeal. Not the food." Other frustrated patrons who commented, "Sexy Fish!" received over five likes each. Founded by British businessman and restaurateur Richard Caring in the Mayfair neighborhood of London back in 2015, Sexy Fish Miami is the third location of the over-the-top, under-the-sea-themed restaurant. It's decorated with millions of dollars worth of art, including a giant living aquarium wall, pieces by Damien Hirst, and even bathroom installations of a lifelike mermaid in the ladies' restroom and Daniel Craig as James Bond in the men's.

2. Komodo in Brickell

Coming in at No. 2 is none other than Groot Hospitality's Komodo. With eight comment mentions on Instagram and one on Reddit, Asian-fusion restaurant Komodo was thrown around across New Times' social media accounts by impassioned restaurant critics (AKA readers). Comments ranged from "Komodo... final answer" to "Komodo would probably be my pick. The ambiance was great, but when the food came out, I was like, 'Meh'... I mean, it wasn't bad. However, I've had way better at half the price." Komodo opened in Brickell in 2015 by hospitality entrepreneur David Grutman and his team at Groot Hospitality. It has been popular among visitors and residents alike ever since.

3. Papi Steak in South Beach

Nearly tying Komodo at No. 3 is a spot that is extremely popular over on Instagram and with celebrities — Papi Steak. With eight mentions on New Times' Instagram post and one on Reddit, the spot nearly tied Komodo for second place but received fewer "likes" per comment on Instagram. Comments ranged from "Definitely Papi Steak," which received seven likes, to "Komodo and Papi Steak," which someone responded to writing, "Absolutely second this, lol." Papi Steak was founded by Miami restaurateur David Grutman and David "Papi" Einhorn of Groot Hospitality in 2019 with kosher-style dishes, including latkes, Wagyu pastrami, and chicken schnitzel — and some non-kosher offerings like Maine lobster — along with a wine list and specialty cocktails. It's also known for its "Beef Case," which is an order of a $1,000 raw, 55-ounce Wagyu tomahawk steak that is presented to the table in a rhinestone-studded briefcase. (It's later cooked for the table.)

4. Carbone in South Beach

Coming in at No. 4 with four Instagram mentions and two Reddit comments is none other than Carbone, the fine-dining Italian restaurant by Major Food Group. The original location opened in New York back in 2012, and now that upscale red-sauce spot has opened locations all over, including in the glitzy neighborhood of South of Fifth in South Beach. Although commenters didn't have much to say about Carbone, it was mentioned enough (six times in total) to earn the fourth spot on the list.

5. Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge and Kiki on the River (Tie)

Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge and Kiki on the River received four mentions each on New Times' Instagram post, and both are coincidentally located along the Miami River. Seaspice is owned by Maryam Miranda and has a Saint Tropez-meets-boaters-retreat atmosphere with dockside seating, while Kiki on the River is owned by Opium Group founder Roman Jones, former Philippe Chow Miami managing partner Aris Nanos, and hospitality executive Lee Lyon. Kiki on the River is known for its modern Greek food in a Mediterranean-inspired setting.

Methodology

New Times conducted a survey on its official Instagram account, @MiamiNewTimes, as well as on Reddit on Wednesday, October 30, to ask our readers, "What are the most overrated restaurants in Miami?" New Times food editor Nicole Lopez-Alvar, who collected data between Wednesday, October 30, and Sunday, November 10, painstakingly counted the times in which every single restaurant was mentioned and how many likes each mention received (upvotes on Reddit). From there, it was tallied up to reveal that Sexy Fish had been mentioned 19 times in total, Komodo nine times, Papi Steak nine times, Carbone six times, and Seaspice and Kiki on the River four times each.