Diner in Miami

1065 Washington Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-534-6373

This classic Art Deco Paramount dining car served up traditional diner fare in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, from 1948 to 1992, before being shipped and plunked down smack dab, and fittingly, in the heart of South Beach's Art Deco District. All the components of the American diner are here: a long counter that seats sixteen, red-and-white booths, Formica tabletops, 24-hour service, and a menu replete with burgers, Buffalo wings, barbecue ribs, BLTs, blue-plate specials, and brownie hot fudge sundaes, most of which the kitchen prepares with a surprisingly deft touch. Thick malts and milkshakes are good, too. An adjoining room features a full bar and jukebox, and there are tables outside. No matter where you sit, service is unpredictable: sometimes great, sometimes awful.

9 articles

Big Pink

157 Collins Ave., Miami Beach South Beach

305-532-4700

Diner, Recommended, Best Of, Menu, Readers' Choice

Everything at Big Pink is as a true diner oughta-be: belly-busting portions, with single items typically serving two to four people; proletarian prices; late hours; and breakfast anytime. The timeless comfort food is all house-made from scratch — even the thick potato chips and spicy ketchup — and offers some sexy upgrades: for instance, the Pink Daddy Mack burger with better beef and a brioche bun; imaginative salads; and elegant crunchy/creamy polenta fries.

42 articles

Cafe Bonjour

6222 S. Dixie Highway Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-661-4714

Bakery, Diner, French, Best Of, Menu

Imagine an afternoon stroll down the Champs-Élysées -- breezes blowing, people laughing, blue skies stretched above. You stop at a small sidewalk café, take a seat and order a French onion soup and café latte. Time slows. Your soup arrives, simmering, your coffee dense and hot. While Cafe Bonjour may not look like the scene above, it will taste like it. Set in a strip mall in South Miami, many fresh, European-inspired eats fill their menu, including chicken apple salads, steak frites, almond croissants. The cafe's daily specials are reminiscent of any European eatery. So stop by, taste a tart and imagine it's springtime in Paris. Your food will fool you, even if the scenery can't.

1 article

Cariflex Sports Diner

14291 SW 120th St., #113 West Kendall

American, Burgers, Caribbean, Diner, Sandwiches

Chug's Diner

3444 Main Highway Coconut Grove

786-353-2940

Cuban, Diner, Recommended, Best Of, Essentials

Michael Beltran distinctly remembers the day he got his nickname. It was his first day as a high school freshman; Beltran walked in late to class, a chocolate milk chug in hand. Today, Chug is the name of the restaurateur's Cuban-American diner, a successful pop-up he's since expanded into a permanent, full-service eatery and modern-day ventanita. Where once stood a tiny grab 'n' go, Chug's now shows off an airy, open design inviting morning, afternoon, or late-night dining, complete with diner-style booths and a bar with lounge-style seating. True to the diner ethos, a crave-worthy menu of Cuban-American eats covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While you can order lechón hash to start your day or grab a frita patty melt for lunch, don't miss out on the curated selection of Pastelito Papi's famous fruit- and meat-stuffed pastelitos, or the house Cubano sandwich served on fresh-baked Cuban bread from the diner's bakery. In 2022, Chug's was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its approachable, excellent fare.

20 articles

Coopertown Airboat Rides & Restaurant

22700 SW 8th St. West Kendall

305-226-6048

Diner, New American, Attractions and Amusement Parks, Best Of, Menu

Nothing says Florida like airboat rides, swamp life and gator tails. If you're into all things Sunshine State, no matter how bizarre, you'll love Coopertown Airboat Rides & Restaurant. After riding around for the afternoon looking at local wildlife, nosh on said wildlife, including "delicacies" like frog legs, gator tail and catfish. This is Swamp-sourced fare at its best. So take a tourist along with and explore the side of Florida Miamians like to pretend doesn't exist. Welcome to Swampland.

2 articles

Cozy Corner

90 Westward Dr., Miami Springs Hialeah

305-884-1880

Diner, Recommended, Best Of

It is indeed a cozy, homey sort of diner on a bustling corner of Miami Springs' business district. The walls are hung with fancy quilts and needlework, old black-and-white photos of the town circa 1930, and antique Coca-Cola paraphernalia. Real and fabricated ferns and flowers are everywhere, and delicious-looking cakes, pies, and pastries sit on counters in those covered glass stands. It's plain country-good eatin' here: meat loaf and mashed potatoes, eggs and grits — even one of the greatest dishes ever to come out of the South, biscuits and gravy.

1 article

Donut Gallery Diner

83 Harbor Dr. Key Biscayne

305-361-9985

Diner, Breakfast/Brunch, Best Of, Menu

We need not go on and on here. We're talking food on a stool. Tucked away in the corner of a secluded strip mall in Key Biscayne, this more than 40-year-old neighborhood hangout is short on elbow room, long on history, and steeped in cholesterol. Think we're exaggerating? The house special — AKA "Ted's special" — consists of ham, bacon, eggs, and cheese on a buttered English muffin. Next time you're in the area, slide in, grab a seat, and slip back to a time when nuts and berries were for the birds.

2 articles

Floridian Restaurant

1410 E. Las Olas Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

954-463-4041

Diner, American, Breakfast/Brunch, Menu

1 article

Gables Diner

2320 Galiano St. Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-567-0330

Diner, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu

With sleek wood-paneled walls and mood lighting (including candles on the tables), this diner bears little visual resemblance to the homespun, railroad-car classic model. But traditional diner dishes -- lightened up but just as all American as the originals -- are indeed offered here, as well as more modern fare. Comfort-food fans will find satisfaction in chicken pot pie with a puff pastry crust, ultra-crisp fish and chips with fresh coleslaw, and some truly humongous burgers -- ten ounces of beef or turkey with good fries or even better housemade potato chips. Those seeking slightly lighter fare can choose among main-course salads, including a signature sesame chicken with greens, a variety of American and Asian veggies, cashews, won tons, and curried cilantro dressing. Don't miss the malted milkshakes.

4 articles

Jimmy's Eastside Diner

7201 Biscayne Blvd. Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-754-3692

Diner, American, Recommended, Best Of, Essentials

Jimmy's Eastside Diner has the casual, been-there-forever feel of a neighborhood hangout. The green-and-brown color scheme is oddly appealing, and the place looks bright and friendly — diner ambiance minus any dinginess. If Jimmy's looks familiar, it's probably because the diner was used as one of the filming locations in Barry Jenkins' Oscar-winning 2016 film Moonlight. Ready your camera because you'll want to take a photo for the 'gram. Seating is all booths, and breakfast is served all day, including monster omelets and refreshing honesty from the waitstaff, as in: "Have the hash browns. The home fries have been sitting all morning." Philly cheesesteak for Saturday lunch, tuna melts — the fare has all the authentic markings of a classic diner.

13 articles

Kendall Village Diner

8695 SW 124th Ave., Kendall South Dade

305-595-4444

American, Diner, Best Of, Menu

Once upon a time, Kendall Village Diner was known as Starlite Diner, and it was good. It provided an intimate, coffee-house atmosphere where people hung out playing chess or writing furiously in beat-up journals. Those days are over. The Diner has become a place where people go to drink and God-knows-what-else. On Wednesdays and Thursdays the place is jumping - and patrons' blood levels are 80-proof. Sometimes the uninitiated wander in, not knowing any better, and stumble into what is basically one big mess. Maybe because of the lack of customers who actually eat, the service at Kendall Village Diner sucks. Servers are rude and slow and obviously don't want to be there. The managers are pretty much the same - if you have any issues, you're on your own. The selection of food is pretty good, but if you want to enjoy your meal, plan on going there for lunch and not dinner. Don't go for breakfast either - you'll be surrounded by people who haven't been home since the night before. Menu items worth trying include a homemade baked meatloaf ($9.49) served with real mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. All the burgers are good, especially the original ($7.29), served on a Kaiser roll with kick-ass French fries. If you're in the neighborhood, the price and food make it worthy of a lunch stop, but don't expect service with a smile.

1 article

Mason Eatery

3470 N. Miami Ave. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-618-5150

Diner, American, Breakfast, Recommended

Mason, created by Beaker & Gray owner Brian Nasajon, is an antidote to Miami's trite fusion cuisine and over-the-top displays of foie gras. Here, comfort, quality, and convenience come wrapped in a sandwich. Mason is a 2,500-square-foot art deco-inspired space where just about everything on the menu, from pretzel-dough knots to maple ham and fish 'n' chips, is meticulously prepared in-house. Sunshine peeks through floor-to-ceiling windows, producing a sparkle on the kitchen's white tiled walls. Electrical outlets sit beneath most tables and along the bar, encouraging customers to plug in laptops and stay a while.

4 articles

Miami Breeze Diner

3032 Biscayne Blvd. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-391-0697

Diner

1 article

Miami Diner

140 SE First Ave., Ste. A Downtown/Overtown

786-536-2400

Diner, Best Of

1 article

News Cafe

800 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach South Beach

786-644-6061

Diner, American, Breakfast/Brunch, Best Of

An Ocean Drive mainstay for 35 years, News Cafe remains a prime spot to enjoy your coffee with an ocean breeze. The café recently underwent a remodel, and snagging an outdoor table on the porch surrounded by bougainvillea is a must for laid-back day-to-night people-watching. The menu spans breakfast favorites like café con leche French toast and the grilled salmon-stuffed omelet with creamy avocado and Boursin cheese. There's a range of salads, bowls, and signature mains, including a crowd-pleasing molten chicken parmigiana topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella. When you've had your fill, don't forget to grab a cocktail to-go at the bar next door to fuel your stroll along South Beach's signature strip.

13 articles

The Ranch House Original

1548 W. 84th St. Hialeah

305-821-8200

American, Barbecue, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Best Of

It's hard to screw up french fries. Step one, cut potato. Step two, fry potato. Step three, eat delicious fried potato smothered in ketchup. But to be the BEST when it comes to fries is another matter altogether. And The Ranch House Original has made a reputation for its fresh cut steak fries ($2.75) - hot, crisp potato perfection. This landmark diner in Hialeah also does a damn good job with burgers ($8.25), ribs ($13) and breakfast favorites. Hit them up early in the AM for a plate of fluffy, egg-custard dipped French toast ($5.95). Or bite into a rich, cheesy tuna melt over lunch ($8.35). If classic, calorie-laden eats are your thing, you'll be hooked on their all-American goods in no time.

1 article

Royal Palm Grill

806 N. Krome Ave. Homestead/Florida City

305-419-0521

Diner

1 article

S&S Diner at Allen's

4000 SW 57 Ave. Westchester/West Miami

305-668-6556

Diner, Restaurants, Recommended

The original S&S, a horseshoe-countered Art Deco relic of a restaurant, is still dishing homespun fare in downtown Miami, but has expanded to a second, southern location in another landmark establishment - Allen's Drug Store. Grab a seat at the counter, or at a table on one of the two levels of seating, and be privy to one of the small pleasures of diner dining: Within seconds, a steaming-hot cuppa joe will be placed before you. Breakfast specials include two scrambled eggs with ham, home fries or grits, toast, and coffee ($3.40); same deal but with two discs of Canadian bacon and American cheese in place of ham ($4.50); and "two-two-two-two" ($6.95, but with coffee it adds up to $8.45), a pair each of eggs, bacon strips, sausage patties, and pleasurably puffy pancakes similar to those found at the original S&S (winner of New Times' first Flapjack Flip-Off, in 2001). A classic diner menu of lunch and early dinner options encompass salmon cakes, Salisbury steak, calves liver, burgers, pork chops, spaghetti with meat sauce, and cheeseburgers. Prices are low, service friendly, diner ambiance delightful.

7 articles

Wagons West Restaurant

11311 S. Dixie Highway East Kendall/Pinecrest

305-238-9942

American, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Best Of, Menu

Wagons West is the perfect place for breakfast, lunch, or brunch. Don't expect a slice of cantaloupe or complimentary mimosas, though. Instead, get ready for wisecracking waitresses and potty-mouthed cooks. But that's exactly what gives this small, narrow, and heavily wooded anomaly in ritzy Pinecrest its charm. Pop in wearing a T-shirt and jeans, or even a pair of pajama pants and pink bunny slippers, because this diner is the definition of laid-back, honey. Yet after a sampling of banana-nut pancakes or a club sandwich (we recommend it with a side of sweet potato fries), you'll know a lot of effort goes into the food. Other menu stand-outs include French toast and crab cakes Benedict, which, if you're flying solo, can be enjoyed with a cup of coffee at the central counter or, if you're with a group, at one of the many other counters. No uncomfortable free-standing tables here, or for that matter, any kind of awkwardness, period.Read more.

4 articles

Woody's Famous Steak Sandwich

13105 Biscayne Blvd. North Miami

305-891-1451

American, Diner, Recommended, Menu

The lesson learned at this old-time burger stand, across the highway from Johnson & Wales University, is that "fast food" does not necessarily mean junk food. Nor is fast food always fast; you'll wait awhile for your burger, Philly cheesesteak, fish sandwich, or sides (a large list of choices, ranging from half a dozen kinds of fries to beer-battered onion rings, creamed corn nuggets, and broccoli-cheese bites). But that's because at Woody's, everything is cooked to order, as it has been since 1954. Anyway, parking's still free, as are root beer refills, and beer's served, too, so the wait is painless. New owners have added a few bigger and better burgers, plus several healthy salad-type options for those who must.

1 article

Wynwood Diner

2601 NW Second Ave. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-747-7888

American, Diner, Best Of, Slideshow, Readers' Choice

18 articles

Diner in Miami

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