Pregame Miami Style

Firstly, I recommend gearing up the for the day Miami-style by grabbing your morning fix at one of the Top 3 Cuban Coffee Shops in Miami (no tourist traps). Cuban Coffee is the standard for locals and visitors alike. Once you’re buzzing, sit down at any of the below restaurants, relax and enjoy some solid Miami eats.

All restaurants serve dishes under $20.

FLANIGAN’S – wings/ribs/beer

Flanigan's ribs and wings in Miami, Florida.
(Left to Right) Flanigan’s curly fries, full rack of ribs, Flanigan’s take-home cups, wings with a side of broccoli

Miami locals probably aren’t surprised that I had to start with the king of all casual dining establishments in Miami, Flanigan’s. Flanigan’s is a sports bar where local traffic is sincerely unmatched with people returning every Wednesday for their famous “Wing Wednesday” deal which earns you a pitcher of beer/lemonade/tea with the purchase of a basket of wings.

Their wings are phenomenal by the way.

Flanigan’s also has fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs and crunchy curly friesThey have tons of money-saving deals, and rest assured you will be able to find one any day of the week, any time of the day.

Come here to catch a Miami Heat, Dolphins, or Florida Panthers game with friends and family, but expect a packed house! 

Also, don’t skip getting a 32oz Flanigan’s green souvenir cup included with the purchase of a soda, lemonade, or tea. In October, the cups are pink! (for Breast Cancer Awareness)

MISTER O1 – craft pizza

Star Beckham Pizza
Mister O1’s Star Beckham pizza

Chef Renato, founder of Mister O1 arrived in Miami from Italy under an O-1 VISA, which is reserved for those with internationally-recognized “Extraordinary Artistic Ability”. After receiving this honor, he named his pizzeria Mister O1.

The Miami restaurant will change your perception of pizza.  I can almost guarantee you haven’t had anything like this.

If your fit friend tags along, they also have great build-your-own salads, too!

On their pizzas, they use unique flavors like spicy salami, coffee, stracciatella, and honey.

One of their most unique pizzas is the Coffee Paolo. It is a tomato-based pie topped with gorgonzola bleu cheese, spicy salami, coffee, mozzarella, and honey.

For a fresh tasting pizza order the Star Beckham, named after the soccer player himself.

HOT TIP: Ask for your pizza “star-shaped” so they build the pizza on a star-shaped ricotta-filled crust!

CASOLA’S – classic pizza

FACE-sized pizzas. That’s what I think of when I think of Casola’s. This restaurant has been serving the Miami community since 1982, and frankly, there aren’t many Miami restaurants left that can say the same.

For many local folks, visiting this pizzeria is like taking a trip down memory lane. They used to come here after school, soccer games, and field trips.

This casual dining establishment is CASH ONLY, but they have an ATM inside that you can use.

The pizzas are massive and super cheesy, and they have red pepper and parmesan shakers if you want to throw on additional spice (I definitely lay that parmesan on).

Finally, I will share my biggest reason for stopping into Casola’s… their tiramisu. You wouldn’t think that a casual pizza place so focused on curating the perfect slice would make bomb tiramisu, but they do.  If coffee-flavored, creamy goodness is up your alley, make sure you save room for it.

KUSH – burgers

KUSH, located in Wynwood, has garnered a massive following because of its unique food offerings like the Frita burger, the most famous item on the menu.

The Frita burger won the 2021 Heineken People’s Choice Award at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. 

The Frita pairs Miami-esque flavors like guava and potato sticks with bacon, swiss cheese, and KUSH’s secret sauce.  

I recommend ordering the Frita with half and half fries (half sweet potato and half regular).

Another tried and true on the menu is an appetizer, the Florida Alligator Bites. These alligator bites are fried to PERFECTION, like so golden. Like, look at them and proceed to sing *in my head* “You’re so golden” — golden.  Uniquely, they sift Old Bay Seasoning overtop and serve it with creamy garlic and spicy mayo sauces.

LA DIOSA TAQUERIA – tacos

La Diosa in Miami's Quinoa Shrimp Tacos
La Diosa’s Quinoa Shrimp tacos

This Miami Restaurant holds a VERY special place in my heart because I love tacos and margaritas.  La Diosa receives a steady paycheck from me twice a month — minimum.

So proudly, I get my hands on their tasty tacos and margaritas often.  Where are my margarita lovers?!

If you appreciate a good margarita, La Diosa delivers with flavors like coconut and spicy passion fruit.

They also have a great “Taco Tuesday” deal where you get half off on most of the tacos on the menu.

My personal favorite you ask? The Quinoa Shrimp Taco.  Is it the sweet crunch from coconut-quinoa-encrusted shrimp, or the tangy agave-chipotle dipping sauce? I’m not certain, but now I want one…

If you’re feeling savory allow me to point you in the direction of a different taco — La Costra. Although not a part of their Taco Tuesday deal, it is hard to turn down a taco with melty manchego cheese!

LA LATINA – Venezuelan arepas

La Latina in Miami, Florida
(Left to Right) La Latina’s Pelua arepa, Pabellón arepa without beans

*Latin comfort food has entered the chat*

La Latina offers a variety of arepas stuffed with Latin staples like black beans, sweet plantains, white cheese, and shredded beef.  I am a sucker for that exact combo they’ve called the “Pabellón”.

They also have vegan options with just black beans and avocado.

If you like chicken salads, I recommend the Reina Pepiada — an arepa stuffed with creamy chicken and avocado salad.

This Miami Restaurant is a great option for ordering in if you’re unable to commute there, and for when you are craving a quick meal that you can eat like a sandwich.

KABOBJI – Middle Eastern

Little disclaimer… I am from the southern part of Miami, but I am about to talk about a North Miami staple.

Kabobji is a line-out-the-door restaurant located in North Miami Beach (NMB).  NMB residents RAVE about it.

I have yet to find a Middle Eastern restaurant that measures up.

I will drive the 30-40 minutes (with traffic) from South to North to eat their food.

They serve a phenomenal Kibbeh Nayee which is ground, raw beef blended with cracked wheat and special spices. This is one of those “don’t knock it til you’ve tried it” kinda foods.  PRO TIP: stuff the Kibbeh into the freshly baked pita bread they serve alongside it.  Once you try it, you’ll understand why it is truly to die for.

The appetizers I suggest are the Fattoush Salad and the Malfouf. The former has diced cucumber, tomatoes, and peppers, and special house-made dressing. It makes you feel all healthy and stuff.

The Malfouf is made with ground beef stuffed into cabbage rolls and served with a creamy, cucumber yogurt sauce for dipping or topping.

LA SANDWICHERIE – sandwich shop

It isn’t until right now that I realize we have 3 restaurants on this list whose names begin with “La”… #Miami #305

Folks come to La Sandwicherie for the sandwich but they return for the secret sauce. La Sandwicherie has a secret sauce, that has become so popular they have bottled it up and now sell it in-store.

The secret sauce is a Dijon mustard vinaigrette of sorts, and it’s one of those things you want to put on everything from your sandwich to your salad.

For the main event, I suggest one of their signature sandwiches like the SOBE Club which has turkey, melty brie cheese, and avocado. I highly recommend getting it on a toasted croissant and drizzling the secret sauce on it.

If the SOBE Club isn’t up your alley, check out their menu for other signature sandwiches or opt to build your own!

Their sandwiches are great for virtually any time of the day because La Sandwicherie is open from midday to 5 AM!

With hours like that, they have unofficially dubbed themselves your go-to Miami drunk food joint. Appropriately, they have open-late locations in all of the party neighborhoods like Wynwood, Brickell, and South Beach.

GOGO FRESH – Argentinian empanadas

Empanadas from GoGo Fresh in Miami
Empanadas from GoGo Fresh

Gogo Fresh is my go-go to for empanadas.

Reliably, this Miami Restaurant offers a variety of flavors for not only meat eaters but also vegetarians and vegans!

The empanadas are always served fresh and warm or even occasionally VERY hot! So be careful taking that first bite.

Make sure you leave room for dessert so you can indulge in their Guava + Cream Cheese or Nutella + Banana empanadas.

This Miami Restaurant is a nice grab-and-go meal that you can take with you to the beach (hello South Beach location!) or just snack on for a quick pick-me-up.

My favorite savory flavors are the Shrimp Scampi, Ham and cheese, and the Philly Cheesesteak.

TROPICAL CHINESE – dim sum & some

I grew up going to Tropical Chinese on the weekends, it was one of my family’s favorites.

They have been serving Hong Kong-style pushcart dim sum for almost 40 years! 

There is a wide array of options ranging from their sought-after BBQ Pork Bao Buns to their classic leaf-wrapped sticky rice. 

Since this Miami restaurant operates push-cart style, you just flip your card to green and they will come by with shareable options the whole table can select from.

One of the last times I went to Tropical Chinese was after we finished a walk for the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) at Tropical Park right across the street.  It was one of the most satisfying lunches you can scarf down after a 5k, believe me! If dim sum doesn’t fill you up, then you can also order from their standard dining menu, but be mindful that the prices can reach above $25/dish with standard dining.

COYO TACO – more tacos

Coyo Taco Grouper Frito and Carnitas tacos
(Front to Back) Coyo Taco’s Grouper Frito tacos, Carnitas de Pato taco

Coyo Taco is an order-at-the-counter-and-they-bring-it-to-your-table-style restaurant. Whew, that was a lot of hyphens!

Their mainstays are their fresh craft tacos, but they also serve quesadillas, burritos, salads, and more.

As a matter of fact, I highly recommend trying their refreshing margaritas, especially on a hot Miami day. Also, if you’re feeling adventurous, ask for tajín on the rim instead of salt!

I have yet to find a comparable fish taco to the Grouper Frito at Coyo. It is phenomenal. The filets are Modelo beer battered and then fried giving it a crispy, flavorful base. It’s topped with cooler balancing ingredients like avocado and slaw.

Ask for the Valentina hot sauce and pour that on your tacos, especially the Grouper Frito.

That wraps up the list of Miami Restaurants recommended by a local. Check out our other Miami posts like the top 7 ice cream spots in Miami

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Ashley Sutton

Hello there and welcome to Sutton Thoughts! This blog is a source of inspiration for living more productively – with a little bit of travel sprinkled in!

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