Miami Restaurants
A big part of enjoying a Miami vacation is not having to plan, shop for, prepare, or clean up after meals. Hooray – eating out every day! Whether you’re looking for a tasty sandwich to eat on the beach or a candlelit evening beachside, Miami has dining options for every desire and budget. Indulge your taste buds in some very hot and very cool Cuban food while you’re here. Here are some great dinner suggestions to make your stay even more memorable.
Family Friendly
When you walk into the aptly named Big Pink you’ll get retro décor as well as food – sleek pink tables reminiscent of a diner with updated June Clever food to match. Teens will love one of the upscale “TV dinner” trays, six tasty portions loaded onto a stainless steel tray. Younger siblings will devour a Smash Burger, or a fresh twist on the old standby, chicken nuggets. Mom and Dad aren’t left out, either. Big Pink offers comforting meatloaf with smashed red potatoes or a variety of wraps and salads. Too tired to go out? Big Pink delivers to your hotel.
In keeping with a “big” theme, Big Cheese is another family friendly dining alternative. Large pizzas, kindly priced, dominate this sports-themed restaurant. Not in a pizza mood? Try the best Caesar Salad in town. Later, when your sweet tooth needs relief, stop by Whip and Dip for a sundae or cone.
Cuban Inspired
Grammy award winning singer Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio opened Bongos Cuban Café to reflect their personal pizzazz and honor their Cuban culinary roots. Bongos offers delights such as Pappas Relleas, stuffed fried potatoes, Sandwich Cubáno, with roasted pork, ham, pickles and cream cheese on Cuban bread, and of course, Ropa Viejas, a shredded beef specialty. Bongos also has a dance club complete with live and DJ’d music and a bamboo dance floor for late night hours.
If a visit to Little Havana is in your plans, you might visit the famous Versailles restaurant, which serves authentic Cuban food, despite its French name. While most of the staff speaks primarily Spanish, many speak working English as well. Pointing at the menu and smiling works, too.
Romantic Evenings
For the most romantic evening with the best choice of cuisine be sure to make a reservation at Azul. Located downtown, it has a soothing Asian interior and upscale takes on fusion cuisine. Everything from roasted lamb to avocado tempura is sure to please your date. Don’t miss their killer martinis!
Just Plain Fun
You know you’re in Miami, but some of the best food is actually at texas de Brazil, an all-you-can-eat Miami outpost of this fantastic chain. Located at the Dolphin Mall, you’ll be quickly seated before your cheerful server will explain what churrascaria is. Basically, a troupe of Brazilian clad servers roam the restaurant, large skewers of hot meat in hand, carving whatever you’d like tableside. Choose from slow-roasted, perfectly seasoned beef, chicken, pork, and sausage. A huge salad bar with typical offerings plus unusual ones such as sweet fried bananas and Brazilian cheese bread make even vegetarians happy.
You can’t be on a Miami vacation and not eat seafood. For great food and great fun, stop by Joe’s Crab Shack in South Beach. Featured, of course, is crab of all kinds, claws, patties, and salads. Still, fish-phobes will find steak and chicken, and everyone needs to save room for homemade key lime pie.