Miami Food-Aholics

Miami is full of some of the best places places you can eat. With being so multicultural you are never short of options to choose from. In this post, I am going to share 10 of my favorites as of 2019. We are going to start off with more of the cheaper, reasonable options and end with the fancier and pricer options. Below are my favorites:

#1: DICED ($)

We start of strong with one of my favorite places that I have found in Miami. Diced is a quick, fast and healthy option for all of you trying to watch your figure or just want something healthy. Sorta set up like Chipotle, you can choose if you want a wrap, bowl or salad. You then follow with a protein, rice or salad, beans, veggies, cheese and sauce. The options are endless!

I really enjoy Diced because of its quality service, freshness and house sauce. Their house sauce consists of their tomato basil, spicy guava, and garlic pesto cilantro. You definitely won't feel bad about eating this massive bowl after an intense workout. Your belly will feel so content with what you are putting in it which makes it one of my favorite places.

Pictured is both the bowl and wrap. Picture courtesy of @dicedfoods on instagram.

#2: FIREMAN DEREKS - BAKE SHOP ($)

Craving something sweet? Well boy oh boy do I have the place for you. Fireman Dereks is everything and more! From pies, to brownies, to cakes, fudges, cheesecake, cookies and flan - there is a little something for everyone and the options are endless. With having two locations - Wynwood & Coral Gables - you're bound to not miss it!

Now I am not much of a sweet person but from time to time I will get a craving for something sweet. When I go to Fireman Dereks I lean towards a slice of the red velvet cake. It's literally the biggest slice and is so incredibly moist. Being made in store, your guaranteed the freshest ingredients and most delicious sweets.

Pictured is a slice of the Red Velvet Cake. Picture Courtesy from @fdpies on instagram

#3: SPECIAL-TEA LOUNGE ($)

Craving something a little healthier? Well right beside FIU (Florida International University) is one of my favorite places to go to lunch with friends after class. Special-TEA Lounge is one of those places you might miss if you don't look hard enough. Thankfully, our school had an event where we encountered them and my now favorite dish to get there! They serve over 60 premium fresh loose leaf teas and tisanes. But that’s not all! Special-Tea is a community of environmentally conscious individuals that appreciate a good cup of tea and some bangin' food!

My favorite dish to get is the Coconut Curry Bowl. The bowl contains spicy masala curry sous vide chicken breast, mozzarella, organic spring mix, tomatoes & a side of sweet coconut lassi dipping sauce. Its a party in your mouth from the spice in the curry to the sweetness of the coconut. You get the perfect bite with the ingredients that compliment each other so well.

Pictured is the Wild Buffalo Bill (back) & the Carolina Dreamin' (front). Picture courtesy from @specialtealounge on IG.

#4: THE SALTY DONUT ($$)

The Salty Donut is one of those places you can't miss when traveling to Miami. With having two locations - one in Wynwood and their new location in SoMi (South Miami) - you literally CANNOT miss it. The Salty is a family-owned, artisan donut shop that focuses on chef-made, small-batch, craft donuts that rotate based on seasonality. They are 100% a scratch bakery, so they use nothing but the highest quality ingredients and make everything in house!

I want to start off by saying I love donuts. I am always trying to find the best places to eat when it comes to eating donuts and The Salty Donut is by far top on the list. My current favorite donut is the Guava + Cheese donut (24 hr. brioche filled with guava & cream cheese swirl, cream cheese glaze & topped with a crushed Galleta Maria cookie crumble) paired with the Cinnamon Crunch Toast Iced Latte (Espresso with homemade cinnamon toast crunch milk).

Pictured from top to bottom: Guava + Cheese, Nutella, & Traditional. Picture courtesy of @thesaltydonut on Instagram

#5: MOFONGO'S ($$)

Mofongo's on Calle Ocho is one of my favorite places to get mofongo. Being introduced to it by my Puerto Rican BF, we make it a pit stop almost all the time so he can get that PR food hit. Mofongo brings the freshest ingredients in the market so they can strive to give you a taste that will make you wanting to come back for more. The recipes come directly from the island so that they can help your palette taste the tropical paradise that they call home. 

Before my BF, I can sadly say I never tried mofongo. I knew what it was, but never had a desire to eat it but after taking me here I can see why he always gave me a hard time about it. When ordering, we get the Tostones Rellenos de Cameron's (flattened plantain with shrimp) and I get the Mofongo con Pollo (mashed plantain with chicken) with a Medailla (PR beer) on the side. It had become a comfort food to him and I that we keep coming back for more. With all its glorious flavors, live music, and amazing staff, you are bound to have a great time!

Pictured is the Mofongo with Shrimp paired with a Medailla. Picture courtesy from @mofongorest on IG.

#6: LE CHICK ($$)

When looking for something to eat with my brother in the midst of Wynwood, we came across Le Chick and saw how incredibly busy it was for a Tuesday night. Having to already needing to wait for our cousin, we decided to go with it and put our names down for a table. Little did we know what we were in for or the type of food that was served. While waiting we did some research and found that Le Chick was inspired by Rotisserie Amsterdam, the Dutch hotspot known for its delectable rotisserie chicken, burgers, and trendy bar. Something I think we were all looking forward to trying.

Upon finally getting seating (which I want to note that we were seated at the food bar, so you got to see how they were cooking everything) we browsed through the menu and automatically knew what we wanted. For a starter, we got the Fried Chicken that came with a spicy maple syrup and for entree we ordered the Double Dirty which was the burger with double patties, bacon, cheddar, fried egg, tomato, lettuce, house pickles, secret sauce. And let me tell you...WOW. The fried chicken was so moist and tender and paired with the syrup made the world go round and the burger was so incredibly juicy. 12/10 would recommend this to restaurant to everyone going to Miami.

Pictured is the Fried Chicken paired with the spicy maple syrup and a white wine. Picture courtesy of @lechick_miami on IG.

#7: CRAZY ABOUT YOU ($$)

With breathtaking views of the Miami skyline and water, Crazy About You is probably one of the more romantic settings you can take your significant other too. For our six month anniversary, I went with my boyfriend and I can say that it was truly something magical. With excellent service and surprise fireworks across the bay "Crazy About You" is truly an experience not to be missed. 

The views in the restaurant are unbeatable but add the food and its like a dream come true. The menu is set up in a particular way were you can get two tapas for $20 or get an entree which includes a free Tapa of your choice. Having been set up like this, it made our romantic dinner a very reasonable price and can we talk about the incredible service? Being our anniversary they gave us complementary Champagne and the food came out so quickly we could't keep up! Upon ordering, we got a bottle of White Wine, Fresh Baked Cornbread, and I ordered the Argentinian Churrasco with Mexican Ox-Tail Tacos as my Tapa. Everything that we ordered was exceptional and will defiantly will be back for more.

Pictured is the Mexican Ox-Tail Tacos. Picture courtesy of @crazyaboutyoumiami on IG

#8: HAVANA HARRYS ($$)

When it comes to eating Cuban food in Miami, I feel like I have been to every place there is to get Cuban food. However, nothing seems to compare to the one that has held my heart since I was 6 years old. Havana Harrys is the go-to place for Cuban food in Miami. What I like to say is that if the Cubans go, then you know its going to be good. With their huge portions and cheap pricing, you won't be able to miss out on anything because Havana Harrys is a Miami foodie destination.

One of my favorite dishes to order is the Vaca Frita con Arroz Blanco con Frijoles y Maduros (fried cow with white rice and fried plantain). All of the flavors compliment each other so well. And you most definitely cannot forget to order one of the incredible desserts like the Flan. I highly recommend heading over to Havana Harrys to get the best bites of Cuban food!

Pictured are several famous dishes at Havana Harrys. Picture courtesy of @havanaharrys on IG

#9: ORIGINAL BIG TOMATO ($$)

Before you decide to hate on Pineapple Pizza, let me enlighten you on the best Pineapple Pizza in Miami - the Original Big Tomato. The Original Big Tomato menu includes delicious salads, healthy wraps, oven-roasted chicken wings and their very own Panini sandwiches. But it all started with the pizzas. Their dough is made fresh daily, Big Tomato's also owns sauce recipe, and to add to that, they have fresh vegetables, delicious meats and the best quality cheeses available. Its a winning combination.

My favorite dish to get at Big Tomato is the Hawaiian Holiday which has the sweet & sour sauce, with chicken, bell peppers, red onions, pineapple & mozzarella cheese. Though many hate the concept of putting pineapple on pizza, the sweet & sour sauce makes the combination that much better so I highly recommend it. Don't knock it before you try it!

Pictured is the Hawaiian Holiday. Picture courtesy from @originalbigtomato on IG

#10: JOE'S STONE CRABS ($$$)

Last but certainly not least is one of my favorite places to get crab legs and I'm sure you have all heard of this famous place before. Joes Stone Crab is notorious for its long lines and famous crab legs. Being only open October-May, and having no reservations you need to get there early if you don't want to wait hours to get seating. I can say that it is worth every minute!

My favorite thing to get is of course the stone crabs. However, while Joe’s is known for Stone Crabs, there is such variety on the menu that you simply should try some other items as well. This is world-class cuisine done in a way that is simply and uniquely Joe’s. Do yourself a favor, order the Stone Crabs, but try something else or have Stone Crabs this visit but come back soon to try another world-class dish on the menu.

Pictured is both crab legs (left) & stone crab (right). Picture courtesy from @joesstonecrab on IG

Whether you are looking for something sweet or something made with the freshest ingredients, this small lists got it! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I had writing it. So if you're looking for places to eat while in Miami, I hope this helps you out!