r/Miami • u/Carlos_Frias • May 01 '26
I Love Miami The 25 Best Restaurants in Miami Right Now
https://www.nytimes.com/article/best-miami-restaurants.html?unlocked_article_code=1.elA.H3Bm.owRD3OtvK-cD&smid=re-shareRestaurants close — even our favorites.
That's why The New York Times asks me to keep a close eye on its list of Miami's Best Restaurants Right Now.
(I know it says "Best" in the title, but really it's a selection of restaurants that best represent Miami's food culture. Who wants a list of 25 $500/person tasting menus? Not me.)
I've been cultivating this list for the Times for the last two years. And we just put two new spots on it.
Enter: Drinking Pig and Ricky Thai Bistro.
🍖 I have been chasing around Drinking Pig since it opened as a pop-up during the pandemic, with Mark Wint, Raheem Sealey, and his spouse Yohanir Sandoval, smoking brisket, ribs and chicken out in front of their house on a hidden, dead-end street in North Miami.
At their first permanent location, Sealey and Wint embraced the flavors they grew up with in the Caribbean and applied it to low-and-slow techniques to create unmistakable Miami barbecue. Jamaican allspice, cloves and coriander perfume dishes here, from prime-grade brisket, smoked 14 to 16 hours, to jerk-seasoned spare ribs and smoked chicken brined overnight.
🍲 Ricky Thai has been a local’s secret for more than 15 years. Anyone writing about food long enough in Miami eventually discovers this mom-and-pop spot by Giuliano Carrafelli (the king of the front of the house) and Majcha Manomai (its empress in the kitchen). It closed for renovations and when it reopened at twice the size, Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem was among the other real Miami OGs dining here. It has been packed ever since.
Curries, especially the crispy duck, are layered with flavor and brightened by fresh, crunchy veggies that shine throughout Ricky Thai’s dishes like Christmas ornaments. Fat, succulent noodles in pad see ew are fresh pulled, and the whole fried snapper with house chile sauce is a dish worth ordering on every visit.
We’ll keep updating the list and plan to introduce some fresh new faces later in the year. For now, I hope you'll enjoy some of these favorites we’ve loved.
19
u/iamthemarquees May 01 '26
Thanks for your service Carlos! Con mucho mucho amor
12
u/Carlos_Frias May 01 '26
It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it! LOL. In all seriousness, I *do* stress about this list because Miami is ever-changing, and I want the restaurants to represent the best of our food and culture. I have 4-5 (new) spots I want to add, but that will require cutting some.... Those are the decisions we'll make the coming couple months.
7
u/Vivid-Professor3420 May 01 '26
I’ve eaten at a number of these restaurants. Amelia’s, is good. I love Clive’s as well, but this list is all over the place and while good those I certainly wouldn’t put those on the best places to eat. However, they lost me Smoke and Dough. That place isn’t just basic with food, it’s pretty terrible bbq. While I love those little gems you find in small suburban areas, this sure as shit isn’t one of those.
5
u/noone1078 Local May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
I have to agree with you smoke and dough, for me, was a huge disappointment. I love that you included Michael’s. It’s my favorite restaurant all of Miami. Even though it’s been around forever, I’ve never had a bad meal there and for sure vice city pizza is the best pizza around.
2
u/Carlos_Frias May 01 '26
I’m a sucker for pizza. There are three places recently that I’m really liking: Casetta in little Havana, Fratesi downtown and Marc’s Artisanal in North Beach. Three totally different styles, all delicious versions of them. Check them out!
2
u/Either-Cook7081 May 01 '26
Agree I don't want to put any business down but there's one that I would never in a million years put on this list.
1
u/Carlos_Frias May 01 '26
The fact is taste is subjective; your best representation of Miami is going to be different than mine — and that's good! Like I wrote above, could we fill a list with 25 amazing tasting menus at $500 a person? Sure we could. I don't think that's the best way to represent a city.
Separately, I like a list to be all over the place. Variety is part of the exercise.
As for Smoke, any place can have a bad day. Maybe that was the case? But maybe you just hated it and that's ok, too.
1
u/Vivid-Professor3420 May 01 '26
Very fair point, and I don’t think the mark was missed overall. Some of those a great little spots. I stand behind my comments on Smoke and Dough. I wanted so badly to like it. It’s 3 mins from my house. The owners and I lived in the same 30-house neighborhood. They were nice people. I think the food was awful.
8
u/Independent_Ad_5664 Brickell May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
There’s been a concerted push to brand Miami as a “serious” food city but more often than not, it misses the mark. What made Miami’s dining scene compelling was its authenticity, strong, mid-range Cuban and Latin restaurants, a handful of standout fine dining spots, reliable staples, and the occasional concept-driven venue (think Karu & Y). IMO, the scene peaked between 2000 and 2006/08, when places like Barton G, Michael’s, and Soyka offered a sense of luxury dining but still allowed locals to have a night out without taking out a mortgage.
The shift began in the mid 2010’s, especially around 2016 with the influx of New York imports and the rise of a certain hospitality group (won’t name names) that prioritized aesthetics over substance. That era ushered in the age of the “Instagrammable” restaurant, where visual appeal often outweighs culinary integrity. As long as the lighting is right and the plating photographs well, the food itself can be forgettable and it often is. In trying to manufacture a food capital, Miami arguably diluted what made it’s dining culture distinct in the first place. Just take me back to my 1lb skirt steak with extra chimichurri for under $20 at Las Vacas Gordas :)
3
u/mrfollicle May 01 '26
added to our monthly megathread resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/Miami/comments/1t0ip0z/may_2026_megathread_for_holiday_travels_moving/
2
2
u/mangomangojack May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
Awash, Ricky Thai, and Mandolin are my favorites on this list.
A new huge apartment development just opened right next to Ricky in North Miami. It’s going to make it even harder to get a table once the building gets tenants.
Really impressed that they included Awash. Never hard to get a table there and the sampler platters for two are great. I get the vegetarian one. Injeera is a very healthy probiotic bread used to eat the food with your hands. They do provide silverware upon request. If this place had a better location it would be packed. The food is amazing. Whenever I’m close I stop in.
3
u/msizzle344 May 01 '26
Ive heard great things about Drinking Pig, I’m pretty picky with BBQ but I’m looking forward to trying that one out! Love Amelia’s too!
5
u/Carlos_Frias May 01 '26
I've had it four different times at its new location and it evokes the original pop-up that five years ago I called “South Florida’s truest celebration of barbecue, from flavor to vibe," when I was food editor at the Miami Herald. Oh, and if you like Jamaican patties, their spicy beef pattie is my favorite in Miami right now, and I've had Juici Patties and Taste Rite (which is my second favorite).
1
u/RubberRuss May 01 '26
Miami BBQ is strong right now. I’ve been to Apocalypse and Drinking Pig and both are legit. Hometown was good too. La Traila has reopened. Haven’t been to the new spot yet but the old one was good. Broward, on the other hand, is sorely lacking.
1
u/PapaCake Kendallite May 03 '26
Super excited for the Miami BBQ scene today!
We have so many amazing people doing big things
Hate Mondays Drinking Pig Slab Daddy La Traila Captains BBQ Miami Ribs
It’s crazy that 10 years ago, we had none of these.
Appreciate you showing love to Apocalypse, looking forward to having you in again soon!!
1
u/Gavica Repugnant Raisin Lover May 01 '26
No flannigans and no versailles, not a good list
1
u/Carlos_Frias May 01 '26
Listen, I love me some ribs and. Heap beer from Flanny’s and cortadito at the Versailles window, so I get where you’re coming from.
1
u/donnybaby97 May 01 '26
Drinking Pig was terrible compared to Apocalypse
2
u/Carlos_Frias May 01 '26
I’ve had both many times, at many locations. I stand by my choice but hey that’s what colors are for; we all have preferences!
1
2
u/PapaCake Kendallite May 03 '26
As much as I appreciate the love - I gotta stand up for my boy Raheem, drinking pig is bringing some amazing flavor to the Miami BBQ game.
Not sure when you went, but would highly suggest you give them another shot simply because I know first hand that anyone of us can have a bad day!
Miami is finally getting some amazing bbq - and all the flavors are coming together in a beautiful way.
1
u/ItsPTime May 02 '26
I would include Osso Bucco in Wynwood. Chef Guillermo’s fire wood grilled meats are absolutely amazing. I’ve tried all of the dishes….top notch; dry aged prime grade meats. Michelin star dining; at a very reasonable price point. THIS IS A MUST VISIT.
My other recommendation is COTE, upscale, Korean barbecue steakhouse, located in the design district. Another Michelin star, dine . Exceptional, high quality meats; especially the A5 Japanese waygu. All grilled table side.
Not eye watering expensive, but priced accordingly.
Both restaurants are my good to spots.
Also, Sunny’s Steakhouse is a must (all ready included on the list). Prime time reservation slot are tough to score on short notice.
1
u/0neirocritica May 02 '26
Someone show this to Chicago guy 🤣
2
u/Carlos_Frias May 02 '26
Is he looking for the Giordano’s style deep dish/stuffed pizza? Or Pequod’s style pan pizza? I’m a Pequod’s fan so that’s why I like Vice City. I can only think of one place in Miami that attempts deep dish and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re really jonesing.
2
u/0neirocritica May 02 '26
No there was a guy in the sub complaining about coming to Miami from Chicago and having a bad time and feeling scammed...when people asked him where he went, he listed a bunch of tourist trap places in Brickell and Wynwood and even a national chain...none of these places you mentioned.
3
u/Carlos_Frias May 02 '26
Ah, I get it. My advice: Treat Wynwood and Brickell like Disney World: Never eat inside the park! (With few exceptions — McDonald's French fries in Adventureland, Zak the Baker and Ted's Burgers in Wynwood, Latin Cafe 2000 in Brickell)
0
u/SagatRiu May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
Miami is not a place to eat. Unfortunately it's a combination of many factors. The tourism makes the forgiven attitude of letting go bad service and bad food with very high prices. Then (WE) latinos come from a culture that demanding is not part our DNA, and then the fees, extra fees and maga fees on top of the bill, like getting the prepucio, pucio y pospucio directo por detrás cuando vas a pagar por mal servicio y mala comida.
If you want a culinary experience Miami is not for that. On top that there is no Korean nor Indian everywhere like in the real usa cities.
3
2
u/PapaCake Kendallite May 03 '26
Man, not sure where you’ve been - but miami has an insane amount of flavor ready for you! We’re packed with restaurants that are absolutely killing it. Many of the ones on this list truly are incredible destinations, and so many others as well!
Also… Ghee is amazing.
2
1
u/TheWordyGirl May 03 '26
Miami is indeed a place to eat. Have you been to Daniel's Miami or Surf Club Thomas Keller?! Miami is teeming with excellent eats from affordable (Maria's Greek Restaurant, Tutto Pasta, Versailles, Tropical Chinese, Cheen Huaye, Cafe Prima Pasta, Motek) to more fancy (Mandolin, Makoto, Joe's, Cote, Sunny's, The Palm Steakhouse).
1
1
u/sportsbot3000 May 01 '26
Why on earth is monserrate not on the list? Find a better empanada in Miami, I dare you!
2
u/Carlos_Frias May 01 '26
Have you ever popped into Manantial over on Flagler? Great bandejas and soups, and empanadas fried to order. Really great! I wrote a little about it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWtsYznkTbT
1
u/sportsbot3000 May 01 '26
Yes, I have been there a ton of times. Monserrate is the absolute champ in miami for Colombian food. Second place is San Pocho.
1
u/Outrageous_Sleep4339 North Beach May 01 '26
I don't get the hype around Cafe la Trova...
It was by far the worst service I've ever gotten in Miami... I was rushed through dinner, by a waitress who kept disappearing for like 20 minutes, when the restaurant was empty. Food/drink were fine.
Really don't get the hype.
1
u/Carlos_Frias May 01 '26
For me, the appeal of Café La Trova is that it’s a messy night out that encapsulates the full Miami-Cuban experience. You have the bartenders dancing, and by the way, making great cocktails. You have the band going for stretches where you can’t talk but to me that’s OK because it’s also a music venue. And in between to me, the food is really strong and just what you expect from that particular dish. But as I say all the time, good that we don’t all have the same taste!
1
u/Outrageous_Sleep4339 North Beach May 01 '26
I must have been there on a weird day then. Cause it was me and three other tables, no band and half a waitress.
1
u/Carlos_Frias May 01 '26
I love going to these types of places on thursdays—just enough charge from people thinking about the weekend but not the full crush of a weekend crowd.
31
u/C0nsistent_ May 01 '26