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David's Cafe Ii
Come here for a shot of Cuban coffee, cheap breakfasts on a bar stool and a bountiful lunch buffet, served in the dining room. Both you and your wallet should be full when you leave.
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Dogma Grill
Don't worry: we're sparing you more reality-defying Colombian hot dogs (no whipped cream-and-baby-iguanas-on-your-dog here). Just good ol' American toppings - chili, mustard, 'kraut and relish - at this most popular of Miami cheap eat chains.
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El Carajo
Pass the Penzoil…literally. We know it's cool to tuck restaurants into unassuming spots, but the Citgo station on SW 17th Ave? Really? Really: walk past the motor oil into a Granadan wine cellar, and try not to act too phased. And now, the food, which is absolutely incredible. Chorizo in cider blends burn, smoke and juice, frittatas are comfortably filling and sardinas and boquerones…Oh God.
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El Rey De Las Fritas
If you've never had a frita, or Cuban burger, make your peace with McDonalds and come down to El Rey with the lawyers, developers, construction workers and every other slice of Miami's Latin life. These fritas are big, juicy and served under a mountain of shoestring fries. Plus, the batidos (milkshakes) definitely bring the boys to the yard.
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El Rey Del Chivito
Heart, meet the 'King of Chivitos' and his signature dish: a sandwich of steak, ham, cheese, fried eggs and mayonnaise (there may have been lettuce, peppers and tomatoes too, but the other ingredients just laughed at them). Now run, heart, run away! That's just the basic, by the way, and it comes with fries.
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Emily's Restaurante
Two bucks gets you two eggs, toast and coffee here; around US$5 gets you on one of the best buffet deals in town. There are daily specials of Colombian, Cuban and Spanish cuisine: chicken soup, oxtail and lengua en salsa (marinated tongue).
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Enriqueta's
Back in the day, Puerto Ricans, not installation artists, ruled Wynwood. Have a taste of those times in this perpetually packed roadhouse, where the Latin diner ambience is as strong as the steaming shots of cortadito served at the counter. Balance the local gallery fluff with a steak-and-potato-stick sandwich.
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Escopazzo
There's a lot of mediocre Italian in Miami, and you won't find it here. The rustic-and-organic menu gets points for raw, vegan dishes such as nut cheese caprese, and safer but still brilliant fare such as spaghetti with red mullet roe, prosciutto-wrapped veal chops and excellent tasting menus, which all make reservations imperative.
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Five Guys
Yes, it's a chain, but if you live on the East Coast it's the best burger chain in America. A double burger with onions, mushrooms, peppers and hot sauce is as close to heaven as we've been for around US$5 .
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Flamingo Restaurant
This tiny Nicaraguan storefront/café serves the behind-the-scenes laborers who make South Beach function. Workers devour hen soup, pepper chicken and cheap breakfasts prepared by a meticulous husband-and-wife team who like to get details (and portions) just right.
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Flanigan's
Flanigan's says it has the best ribs in Miami, and they are good, but we're not giving much more credit than that. Still, this is a pleasantly rowdy, all-American kind of joint tucked into a liquor store (bonus), and a great spot to drink beer, eat decent grub and yell at TV sports.
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Foccacia Rustica
If you've been powering through a grease trap of cubanos and need a break, rejoice at the curry chicken salads, croissants, lattes, and assorted yuppie goodness at this inviting, continental-European style spot.
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Forge
We've always wanted to eat next to Paris Hilton, but when we visited Forge all we got was Hillary Clinton's press spokesperson. That should give you an idea of the folks who eat at this baroque temple to excess: important ones. Incidentally, the food is good, but you're at this A-list steakhouse to either spot celebrities or feel like one.
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Fresco California
Fresco serves all kinds of West Coast takes on the Mediterranean palette. Relax in the candlelit backyard dining room, which feels like an Italian porch in summer when the weather's right (ie almost always). Pear and walnut salad and portabello sandwiches are lovely, while the pumpkin-stuffed ravioli is heaven on a platter.
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Front Porch Café
A blue-and-white escape from the madness of the cruising scene, the Porch has been serving excellent salads, sandwiches and the like since 1990 (eons by South Beach standards). Weekend brunch is justifiably mobbed; the big omelettes are delicious, as are the fat pancakes, strong coffee and handsome servers.
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Garcia's
Crowds of Cuban office workers lunch at Garcia's, which feels closer to a smugglers' seafood shack than the financial district. Expect occasionally spotty service (a bad thing), freshly caught-and-cooked fish (a good thing) and pleasantly seedy views of the Miami River (sweet).
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Gelateria Parmalat
It's hot. You've been walking all day. You need ice scream, stat. Why hello tamarind-and-passionfruit homemade gelato! This is an excellent spot for creamy, pillowy waves of European-style frozen goodness, and based on the crowds, it's the acknowledged favorite ice cream on South Beach.
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Granny Feelgoods
If you need karmic balance after eating at Porçao, pop into this neighborhood health-food staple. Located next to the courthouse, Granny's must have the highest lawyer-to-bean-sprouts ratio in America; try simple vegetarian dishes such as tofu sandwiches and spinach lasagna. Carnivores are catered for too - there's turkey burger.
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Graziano's
Anglos love to argue over who does the best South American steak in Miami, but among Argentines the general consensus is this very traditional parilla, located on a strip of gas stations on Bird Rd. Everything is plucked out of Buenos Aires: the quebracho wood on the grill, Argentine customers and, most of all, racks of lomo (steak), sweetbreads and blood sausage, gristly bits beloved by portenos (Buenos Aires natives), which are tough to find in more Yankee-friendly establishments.
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Grazie
Thanks indeed: Grazie is top class and comfortably old school Northern Italian. There's a distinct lack of gorgeous, clueless waitstaff and unwise menu experimentation. Instead: attentive service, solid and delicious mains and extremely decent prices given the quality of the dining and the high-end nature of the location.
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Green Street Cafe
As sidewalk spots go, it doesn't get more popular (and many say delicious) than Green Street, which is now contending with a next door Senor Frogs. But the excellent menu of lamb burgers with goat cheese and salmon salads, occasional art shows and general indie-defiance of the gentrifying Grove is definitely up to the challenge.
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Grillfish
Sometimes it's all in a name. They grill here. They grill fish. They could call it 'Grillfish Awesome' because that's what this simple yet elegant restaurant, with its cutely mismatched plates and church pew benches, serves: fresh seafood, done artfully and simply and joyfully.
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Guayacan
Apparently Nicaraguans do diner too, judging by the friendly service and gut-busting satisfaction of Guayacan. Antojitos (snacks) like tamales make a meal or settle for specials (we love the roast pork) loaded with sides: salad, rice and beans, plantains, french fries, corn tortillas and bread.
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Guru
A sexy, soft-lit interior of blood reds and black wood sets the stage of this not-so-average Indian eatery, where local ingredients like lobster swim into the korma. Goan fish curry goes down a treat, too.
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Hy Vong Vietnamese Restaurant
In a neighborhood full of communist regime exiles, it makes sense to find a Vietnamese restaurant. Despite all the great Latin food around, Little Havanans still wait hours for a seat here. Why? Because great Vietnamese food - which this absolutely is (with little touches of Florida, like mango marinade) - combines quality produce with Southeast Asian spice and a colonially inherited French penchant for rich flavors. Just be prepared to wait an hour or more for your culinary reward.
