Caribbean in Miami

295 NW 82nd Ave. Doral

786-458-8240

Caribbean, Puerto Rican, Seafood, Best Of, Sponsor

Benny's Mofongo (BEHN-eez moh-FOHN-goh) (n.): A delicious Puerto Rican dish made of deep-fried plantains mashed together with garlic and pork rinds in a mortar with a pestle. (Also see: ¡Ay, m'ija, qué rico!) The rest of the menu at this Doral spot is a Puerto Rican nostalgia trip, just like our tía abuela from Loiza used to make it, but the mofongo is porkily sublime, earning the place a visit from Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives a few years ago. Served in a small mortar (or a large one for sharing with the rest of the table) with a side of chicken consommé (or caldo), mofongo comes plain or topped with fried pork, shrimp, chicken, steak, or lobster, for the truly indulgent. The mortars are cast with some sort of spell that leaves them incapable of emptying, no matter how much you fanatically shovel into your empanada-hole, but you won't mind taking your abundant leftovers with you while singing "La Borinqueña" the entire ride home.

2 articles

Clandestino Pub

758 Washington Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-397-8946

American, Bar Food, Caribbean, Contemporary, European, South American, Wine Bar, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Sponsor

Beer & tapas make a great pair. Just ask the regulars at this unassuming spot. As far as brew options, they've got somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 bottles of beer on the wall -- plus drafts, wine and cocktails to boot. Pair your fave fermented option with tapas, including quesadillas, tacos, nachos and hot dogs cooked in beer. It's a pleasing alternative to the usual South Beach scene.

18 articles

Bahama Breeze

12395 SW 88th St., Kendall South Dade

305-598-4040

Caribbean, Best Of, Menu

Even in a city filled with authentic Caribbean cuisine, suburbanites flock to "the Breeze" for fine fakin'-Jamaican food. Sometimes the wait is more than an hour - not necessarily a problem if you spend it drinking a mojito made with fresh-squeezed sugarcane out on the huge outdoor bar deck that comes complete with a stunning view of Kendall Drive. Servers here aren't waiters; they're "tour guides" who wear garish tropical-print shirts. There are faux tropical plants galore, and Buster Poindexter's "Hot Hot Hot" is on constant loop. Try appetizers such as chicken with tostones - this restaurant's surprisingly addictive version of nachos - and jumbo coconut shrimp. Entrée standouts include a leafy, crunchy, and flavorful salmon tostada; creamy calypso shrimp linguine; and guava-barbecue-sauce-glazed West Indies baby-back ribs. For dessert, give the mousse and brownie concoction Chocolate Island a whirl, or sip a strawberry-swirled ultimate piña colada.

4 articles

Bahamas Fish Market and Restaurant

7200 SW Eighth St. Westchester/West Miami

305-264-1448

Seafood, Caribbean, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

Not really a Caribbean restaurant, this family-style operation is, however, a good spot for fresh standard seafood dishes with Cuban nuances. Don't miss the escabeche, a chilled extravaganza of lightly breaded and fried pickled kingfish smothered with a tart onion-and-pepper-studded marinade. Nothing is frozen here, and seasonal catches are priced by the pound. Bahama's is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Read our full review of Bahama's Fish Market and Restaurant.

3 articles

Bahamian Pot Restaurant

6301 NW Sixth Ave. Little Haiti/Liberty City

305-759-3408

Caribbean, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

A ton of perks come with being the official gateway to the Americas. Miami is blessed with access to restaurants serving awesome food from exotic locales beyond the home of processed cheese. One such place is the Bahamian Pot, a trip to the Caribbean that doesn't require a passport — just your hungry belly. The menu overflows with island favorites such as oxtail, plantains, stewed fish, johnnycakes, and chicken or pork souse. As an ode to good ol' American eatin', the menu also includes soul-food staples such as fried chicken and waffles and pork chop sandwiches. The chefs here have perfected the art of just-right spice; never bland yet nothing that will knock your taste buds from your tongue. And because everything at the Pot is affordable, your wallet will be as full as your tummy. The entire menu is sublime, but a must-try is the guava duff, a fruit-filled ball of boiled dough.

3 articles

Bahía at Four Seasons Hotel Miami

1435 Brickell Ave. Brickell

305-358-3535

Latin American, Caribbean, Recommended

The setting is luxe, on the Four Seasons' seventh-floor terrace (if a two-acre expanse with a pool and waterfall can be called a terrace). The menu's tapas — ranging from an appetizing assortment of imported olives to more filling small plates such as creamy croquetas de marisco and new potatoes with wonderfully garlicky aioli — are matched by a selection of tacos, including short rib and Baja-style fish. Drinks to pair with the tapas include formidable cocktails, an extensive assortment of Latin American beers, and wine.

2 articles

Balloo Restaurant

19 SE Second Ave., Ste. 4 Downtown/Overtown

786-534-2768

Caribbean, Asian Fusion

1 article

Bar One Miami Beach

520 W. Ave., Ste. 1, Miami Beach South Beach

305-763-8323

Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, Menu

Brisa Bistro

1601 Biscayne Blvd. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-714-3680

Caribbean, European, South American

This huge multilevel restaurant looks more like a corporate convention's dining facility than a bistro. But when the upper tier is filled with packed buffet tables on Sunday, the lack of intimacy pales in comparison to the phenomenal deal: The $29.95 all-you-can-eat brunch for two even includes all-you-can-drink bubbly. At nonbrunch times, it's best to stick to simple preparations, but some of these are superior, such as lunch's moist (and gigantic) Super Grouper sandwich or, for dinner, a plentiful Spanish antipasto platter that shines with high-quality raw ingredients.

1 article

Caña Restaurant

1102 Brickell Bay Dr. Brickell

786-535-1653

Cuban, Caribbean, Latin American, Menu

1 article

Cariflex Sports Diner

14291 SW 120th St., #113 West Kendall

American, Burgers, Caribbean, Diner, Sandwiches

Cartagena by Juan Manuel Barrientos

1701 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-455-2999

Latin American, Caribbean

Chez Madame Johns Restaurant

975 NE 125th St., North Miami Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-892-9333

Caribbean, Restaurants, Best Of

Madame John used to cook and sell griot (Haitian-style fried pork) out of her Little Haiti home. Her griot became so popular that at certain hours on weekends, cars would clog the street and lines would spill outside. A few years ago, no doubt at the urging of customers and code-enforcement inspectors alike, the operation moved into a real restaurant. It's principally a carry-out business, though there are chairs and booths and a big television tuned to Haitian cable channels. Griot is still the star of Madame John's menu, but now you can order other typical Haitian dishes, such as toast (fried beef or goat) and truly spectacular poisson go sell, a whole fish spiced and cooked with various vegetables and seasonings. The place is packed at lunch and dinner times, and service is slow (unless you're pregnant -- it's bad luck to keep an expectant mother waiting to eat, because her baby will send bad vodou your way). But Madame John's food outweighs these discomforts. After all, there's a reason she has too many customers.

1 article

Cliff's Restaurant

10740 NW 7th Ave. North Miami

305-754-2679

Caribbean, Jamaican, Best Of

This cluttered roadside room contains some tables scattered about and a counter with stools in front and hand-printed signs behind it touting assorted breakfast, lunch, and dinner specials. Cliff's seems left over from another era, and so do the prices. For $5.50 you can get a lunch of jerk chicken, pork chops, cow foot, or any number of West Indian specialties, served with red-bean-studded rice, steamed cabbage, fried plantains, and fruit punch or lemonade. If you know of a better deal in town, please clue us in. Other bargains include six pieces of crunchy fried chicken with French fries for $5.00, and a breakfast special of yam, banana dumpling, and callaloo for $6.50. Of course these deals wouldn't be nearly as impressive if the food weren't so lip-smackingly tasty. Worth the trip alone is curry goat, with soft morsels of dark meat adrift in an emerald green sauce whose ginger-mustard-masala mix kicks in full flavor. Barbecue is worthy as well, and a black smoker on the side of the restaurant is piled with chicken, ribs, and pork. Whether slathered with barbecue sauce or jumped with jerk seasonings, the meats are absolutely imbued with full, slow-smoked flavor. Cliff's caters weddings and such, and also throws a pretty good party of its own come weekend evenings, when island tunes waft through the air and dancing fills the streets (or at least the adjoining lot).

4 articles

Clive's Cafe

2818 N. Miami Ave. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-576-0277

Caribbean, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu

This is truly the hole-in-the-wall that has it all. Almost indistinguishable from the other storefronts along this part of North Miami Avenue, Clive's makes its mark at the cozy counter set up with great Jamaican favorites like curry goat, oxtail, and cowfoot. With ample food packed on a $5.50 special this is a can't-miss deal every afternoon. The chicken is cooked to diner perfection and the curry is a smooth blend that avoids the fire-alarm spices of other native cuisines. The mood is laid-back, with a pleasant Mrs. P taking good care of the customers and a small radio pumping out reggae sounds. You just may catch Clive's fan Lenny Kravitz taking in the scene. Clive's is great for take-out but just as nice for a midafternoon stop to take it easy.

7 articles

Clive's Cafe

5890 NW Second Ave., Ste. A Little Haiti/Liberty City

305-757-6512

Jamaican, Caribbean, Best Of, Essentials

Clive's Cafe makes its mark with Jamaican favorites such as curry goat, oxtail, and jerk chicken. The original Wynwood location, which had been around for nearly four decades, closed, but the Little Haiti digs make for a colorful haven in which to eat some of the best Jamaican fare in Miami. The chicken is cooked to diner perfection and the curry is a smooth and subtle blend. The jerk chicken with rice and beans is a favorite menu item. The mood is laid-back — right down to the small radio pumping out reggae sounds. You just may catch Clive's fan Lenny Kravitz taking in the scene. The place is great for takeout but just as nice for a pit stop at any time of day.

4 articles

El Conuquito Restaurant

1099 NW 119th St. North Miami

305-769-0800

Dominican, Caribbean, Best Of

1 article

El Palacio de los Jugos

7085 Coral Way Westchester/West Miami

305-269-5116

Caribbean, Cuban, Best Of

The name translates to Juice Palace, and that’s exactly what this chain is: a topnotch spot for fresh, natural juices. That, and so much more. The open-air restaurant is composed of three main areas: a juice bar, a sandwich counter, and a large hot-food section that offers great Cuban food as individual meals or by the pound. Prices tend to be low, even for seafood. By far the most popular dish here is lechón asado, served with congri and yuca or maduros, but pescado de aguja with yellow rice has its own fanbase, as does pollo asado with yellow rice and boniato (fried sweet potato). El Palacio can get crowded, attracting as it does a mix of young couples to families with screaming toddlers in tow. Bear in mind that they’re there for the same reasons you are: because the food is fantastic and the prices can’t be beat. New Normal: The chain has implemented expanded disinfection and sanitation protocols.

8 articles

El Rey De Las Fritas

801 NW 37th Ave. Little Havana

305-646-1495

Asian, Caribbean, Cuban, Japanese, Mexican, Best Of

1 article

El Rinconcito De Santa Barbara Cafeteria

2050 W. 56th St. Hialeah

305-819-5590

Caribbean, Puerto Rican, South American, Best Of, Menu

4 articles

El Yoyito Restaurant Y Cafe

495 E. 49th St. Hialeah

305-953-0701

Caribbean, Coffeehouse, Cuban, Tea, Coffee Shops, Best Of, Menu

Sidle into this whole in the wall in East Hialeah and order what they do best: Cuban sammies. For more than a decade, Yoyito's has been serving up pan con bistec, medianoches and croquetas to people who aren't about to settle for anything less than the best. In this neighborhood, you better know your Cuban food -- and they do.

1 article

Fatboys Wings & Tings

1562 NE 165th St. Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-209-2533

Caribbean, Best Of

1 article

Fidele Restaurant

12391 NE 6th Ave., North Miami Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-756-8886

Caribbean, Seafood, Recommended

The high-end items among the more than two dozen main courses go for about $6, and that includes dishes such as steamed shrimp; golden fried conch; and "stewfish," a fresh, whole red snapper succulently cooked in a thin, flavorful tomato broth. Five-spot offerings encompass barbecue ribs, fried chicken, vegetable stew, oxtail, and callaloo, the Caribbean crab-and-spinach stew that here comes stocked with tender allspice-spiked slices of beef and okra. All meals are accompanied with a generous helping of rice with pigeon peas and baby lima beans; a small cup of fiery, vinegary slaw; and iceberg-lettuce salad with tomato and onion. Wash things down with a beer and call it a night, if, indeed, you're visiting this friendly, bare-bones 50-seat Haitian restaurant for dinner -- Fiedele also serves a bargain breakfast and lunch.

1 article

Garden of Eatin

136 NW 62nd St. Downtown/Overtown

305-754-8050

Caribbean, Health, Vegan, Vegetarian, Best Of, Menu

Most people's understanding of Rastafarianism is centered around Bob Marley and weed-smoking. But the series of daily practices of consciousness that comprise this syncretic religion are far more complex. Take Ital, the vegetarian diet to promote life energy. You can check it out at Garden of Eatin', a tiny restaurant that will make you feel like you're eating in the living room of a Rasta friend's home. Haitian-American chef Imanuel Tafari owns this bright yellow house filled with tables covered by red plastic tablecloths, a whirring fan, posters of King Haile Selassie, and a beautiful mecca of cafeteria-style offerings - some of the tastiest Caribbean vegan cuisine in all of Miami. The menu changes daily, and you can sample all of the day's soups, salads, main courses, and desserts for $6 to $12, depending on the size of the plate. Dishes are usually heavy on the faux-meat protein, mainly tofu and seitan; Tafari is famous for his ackee "fish" entrée, various curries, and ginger "chicken" legs that use a bamboo stick in place of bone. The refreshing limeade and gingerade ($2) are homemade, and drink flavors can be mixed to create your own concoction. There is a community feel to this tiny, one-room operation, with a diverse crowd of Rastas, artists, local office drones, and political activists grubbing away while reggae music plays in the background.

1 article

Ginger Bay Cafe

1908 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood

954-924-1844

Caribbean, Jamaican, Music Venues, Bars and Clubs, Menu

Ginger Bay Café is known for its smooth Caribbean vibe, featuring tunes as spicy as the jerk chicken. With live music five nights a week, you've got several options to choose from. Wednesdays at the Bay is "dance hall night." Thursdays feature soca and calypso music. Round out the weekend with reggae on Friday and Saturday nights, and wind down to jazz on Sundays. Ginger Bay Café is the only Caribbean restaurant in downtown Hollywood, so where else would you go to satisfy your craving for good times and island food? This late-night club-crawl stop-off point serves spicy jerk chicken, whole fried fish, and potent-as-hell rum drinks. Not the kind of place for quiet dinner conversations and soft lighting, this lively Caribbean hangout comes equipped with DJs blaring reggae, hip-hop, and R&B and live bands playing into the wee hours.

GRAND CAFE

12389 PEMBROKE RD Pembroke Pines

954-404-8160

American, Bars and Clubs, Caribbean, Menu

House of Wings

1039 NW Third Ave. Downtown/Overtown

305-371-6556

Wings, Seafood, Caribbean, Best Of

2 articles

Island Restaurant & Variety Food Store

10201 Hammocks Blvd. South Dade

305-388-5118

Caribbean, Jamaican, Best Of

You don't have to head all the way to the island nation to get your fill of Jamaican food -- just to the Hammocks, to Island Restaurant & Variety Food Store. At this orange-walled eatery, you can sample all the traditional Jamaican eats that might otherwise be difficult to find. Think callaloo with codfish, oxtail, red pea soup and, of course, Jamaican patties. All served up with a smile.

1 article

Ivan's Cookhouse

14815 Biscayne Blvd. Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-944-4826

Asian Fusion, Haitian, Caribbean, Best Of

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3 articles

King Jerk

14821 W. Dixie Highway North Miami

300-300-9682

Barbecue, Caribbean

2 articles

Konata's Restaurant

13343 NW Seventh Ave. North Miami

305-688-7400

Caribbean, Vegetarian, Vegan, Organic, Critics' Pick, Best Of

It's been decades since Sam Konata dished out his first vegetarian meal. These days at his small place, he serves as many fist bumps as he does sweet, sticky slices of vegan banana bread. His menu, like several others in the area, is rooted in the Rastafari religion that blossomed in Jamaica in the 1930s. It's based on a diet called Ital (rhymes with "vital"), which evolved from Hindu vegetarian traditions delivered to Jamaica by indentured Indian servants who arrived with the British. The rules are simple, Konata explains: "Nothing that eat, walk, swim, or crawl." Read our full review of Konata's.

3 articles

Krave Lounge and Restaurant

4519 N. Pine Island Rd. Plantation/Sunrise/Tamarac

954-530-3087

Caribbean

La Belle Jacmelienne Cafe

3328 S. University Dr. Miramar

954-381-3886

Haitian, Caribbean, Best Of

1 article

Caribbean in Miami

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