13 Mouthwatering Dishes To Try When In South Beach Miami

By ESSENCE Lifestyle · Updated February 15, 2022

Art Basel isn’t the only event that gets the people going in Miami. In fact, about 60,000 come out for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival (SOBEWFF) from the Food Network and Cooking Channel. It’s a four-day festival filled with good food, culinary stars and beloved celebrities. Those into food travel can head to South Beach and expect to see the creations of top wine and spirit producers and chefs and culinary stars. And while there is plenty to see and do within the event from Feb. 24 to Feb. 27, there’s even more to offer around town at popular restaurants and staple eateries in that neighborhood and throughout Miami as a whole. Here are a few locals can’t get enough of, and they include a lot of ceviche, sandwiches (Cuban and burgers), seafood and more. Book a flight ASAP to get these one-of-a-kind dishes on a table near you.

01

Jonesing Hot Sandwich

It’s giving yum! This sandwich from Amaris Jones’s Chick’n Jones restaurant has a slew of flavors, including a mustard marinated chicken thigh, wild berry hot honey sauce and buttermilk red cabbage slaw.

02

The Juicy Lucy

Whitmans, a famous NYC burger joint, made its way down to Miami and brought with it a beloved burger: The Juicy Lucy. It’s two beef short rib blend patties with a scoop of pimento cheese that oozes from the middle when you take a bite.

03

Cuban Sandwich

There’s nothing boring about Versailles‘ Cuban sandwich, made with pork that’s been marinated and roasted for three hours. Don’t forget about the ham! It’s glazed with brown sugar and pineapple juice, giving you sweet and savory goodness.

04

Pipo’s Choice

The 2019 Burger Bash People’s Choice Winner, PINCHO‘s signature sandwich is a beef patty on top of fried plantain bits with smoked gouda cheese, smoked applewood bacon, grilled onions, papitas and guava ketchup. Could it sound more heavenly?

05

Escargots de Bourgogne

Feeling fancy? Grab some snails from LPM. Their take on the French delicacy is rich in garlic butter and herbs and goes great with the restaurant’s baguettes.

06

Tiradito Bachiche

Chef Diego Oka at Peruvian restaurant La Mar is giving you art and fine fare with this cebiche. The favorite Tiradito Bachiche is made with fluke tiradito, aged parmesan cheese, leche de tigre, colatura, garlic chips and basil oil.

07

Kunsei Ceviche

This ceviche from Osaka Nikkei Miami is a memorable moment for the mouth. It’s made with smoked tuna tataki, crispy sweet potato, black quinoa and yuzu ponzu sauce.

08

Stuffed Maine Lobster with Seafood Mac & Cheese

You can have it all — at once — at the World Famous House of Mac. Like this lobster stuffed with mac and cheese, lump crab and shrimp scampi Alfredo sauce.

09

Arroz con Pollo Fritters

Finka‘s arroz con pollo fritters are the talk of the town, a combination of Cuban-style yellow rice and chicken fritters stuffed with mozarella cheese.

10

DJK Jerk Platter

Eat jerk with all of your heart at Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen. The jerk platter is a half rack of jerk ribs, jerk pork, jerk chicken, and a side of sweet plantain and festival bread.

11

Peking Duck

One of Miami’s most popular takes on peking duck, Komodo‘s meal is roasted to perfection and served with sweet hoisin sauce and Chinese pancakes.

12

Raw Butternut Squash Salad

Not everything good has to have meat and fish in it. The fresh butternut squash salad from Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink is served with dates, pecorino, and topped with pumpkin seed vinaigrette.

13

Black Truffle Ceviche

The truffle ceviche from the restaurant Juvia is a local favorite. Not only is it colorful, but the Japanese and Peruvian-inspired dish is delicious, made of white fish, red onions, ponzu, truffle, leche de tigre, roasted piquillo peppers, and micro arugula.