From Izakaya to Barbecue: The Best Restaurants in Downtown Miami
Miami’s fastest-growing neighborhood, Downtown, is quickly becoming the city’s hottest dining destination. Whether you’re looking for award-winning sushi or messy backyard barbecue, there’s a restaurant in Downtown Miami for every kind of foodie. Here are some of our favorites.
1. Zuma
Hotel Restaurant, Japanese, Sushi, Asian
2. NIU Kitchen
Restaurant, Wine Bar, Tapas, Mediterranean, Spanish, Vegetarian
3. The Egg Spot
Cafe, North American
Sometimes you just need an egg and brisket sandwich at 4pm. But, in a neighborhood where breakfast is usually included with your $300-a-night suite, finding a hangover-busting brunch can be tougher than you think. As of the summer of 2019, that void is finally filled. The latest venture from the father and son duo behind Wynwood’s Butcher Shop, The Egg Spot is Downtown’s first all-day breakfast, brunch and lunch spot. From 7am till 7pm, you can take your pick of almost any Miami brunch classic, from a hefty serving of chicken and waffles with Tater Tots to the slightly lighter smoked salmon bagels and quinoa bowls. There are also freshly squeezed juices and illy coffees on offer, or, if you’re really in the Miami brunching mood, opt for a mimosa, sangria or craft beer instead.
4. Vinaigrette Sub Shop
Sandwich Shop, Italian, North American
Another hole in Downtown’s food scene? A decent sub shop. Thankfully, Danny Serfer (from the hugely popular Midtown Miami restaurants Mignonette and Blue Collar) just opened Vinaigrette Sub Shop – a deli-style café serving made-to-order American sandwiches. Using only high-quality Italian meats and cheeses like Calabrian salami, 18-month prosciutto and scamorza cheese, the ‘Italian Specialties’ menu is where you should start your Vinaigrette Sub journey. If you’re a build-it-yourself kind of sub eater, you can opt for three different kinds of bread as well as a selection of five types of meat, six cheeses and 13 condiments, including pickles, hot pepper spread and spicy Calabrian chile mayo.
5. Garcia's
Market, Restaurant, Seafood
6. Soya e Pomodoro
Restaurant, Italian, Vegetarian, Vegan
7. Sparky's Roadside BBQ
Restaurant, Bar, North American
There are fine-dining options aplenty in Downtown Miami, but finger-licking, napkin-wearing backyard barbecue experiences are harder to come by. That’s why Sparky’s Roadside BBQ is so special: here, you trade bite-size food atop a hotel rooftop for carnivorous platters of beef brisket, grilled pork chops and Southern fried chicken. It’s Sparky’s secret rubs and sauces that make the meat taste so good, all hand-crafted by co-owners and New York-trained chefs Kevin Kehoe and Hans Seitz. The smoked chicken thighs, Angus beef brisket and pulled pork plate are all worth a try, but the guava habanero wet baby back ribs take first prize for juiciness and flavor. Staying true to the American barbecue tradition, every grill combo comes with a minimum of two sides. Choose from soft and gooey mac and cheese, crispy sweet potato fries, blackened peas or Sparky’s home-made baked beans.
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