Barbecue in Miami

9980 SW 104th St. East Kendall/Pinecrest

A business that began on a Weber Smokey Mountain has grown into one of the area's best barbecue restaurants. In 2022, Jeff Budnechky channeled his pandemic side hustle into a standalone location. Outside the restaurant, a small array of smokers billow aromas of pork and beef that betray Budnechky's Brazilian-Argentinian roots and his wife's Cuban heritage. Arrive early and you might snag an order of the brisket bacon: seasoned and smoked pork belly sliced thick and tossed on the flattop before serving. If you manage to resist ordering the St. Louis-cut ribs at first, you might change your mind after seeing platters emerge from the kitchen, slow-cooked and practically begging to be lacquered with Budnechky's colada-infused "oro negro" sauce. Cafecito-rubbed, Texas-style brisket or pulled pork shoulder pair nicely with the chef's Carolina-inspired mustard sauce (not to mention classic sides like a pepper-flecked mac & cheese, sweet coleslaw, and honey-doused cornbread). Further upping the ante: a ten-seat bar offering tropical and classic cocktails. Try a shaken piña colada made with fresh juices or the berry-infused, housemade sangria.

3 articles

Bar-B-Que Ribs Chicken & Jerk Shack

12101 NW 27th Ave. Hialeah

305-681-3536

Barbecue

1 article

Bo Leg's BBQ

533 NE 83rd St. Miami Shores/Biscayne Park

305-462-5815

Barbecue, Best Of

5 articles

Emerald Coast Chinese Gourmet Buffet

16850 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach North Dade

305-787-1530

Barbecue, Chinese, Seafood, Recommended, Menu

No, we're not talking glam dining here. But there is something for everyone and plenty of it. That's why you'll often find a line of patrons waiting for a table during peak hours. Waiting for chilled snow-crab legs, shrimp, and mussels. Eel, salmon, and California sushi rolls. Barbecued ribs, sweet-and-sour chicken, egg rolls, dumplings, stir-fried veggies. Prime rib, black-pepper steak, General Tso's chicken. A salad bar, six different soups. Eight flavors of hard-packed ice cream, Black Forest cake, miniature coconut tarts, chocolate-dipped fruit. An exhausting array of more than 100 items spread over seven serving stations. Unfettered access to the buffet will run you $7.50 to $11 (on weekends) for lunch and $14 to $17 for dinner. You can also order food à la carte for special dietary requirements. Lunch hours are 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 2:30 p.m. on weekends.

2 articles

Grumpy Greg's BBQ

No Address West Kendall

786-352-5480

Barbecue, Mobile Food, Best Of

1 article

Hometown BBQ Miami

1200 NW 22nd St. Little Haiti/Liberty City

305-396-4551

Barbecue, American

Hard work is also the mantra of Hometown Barbecue founder Billy Durney, who constantly repeats, "Stay humble, stay focused, stay hungry." Durney opened in Allapattah an outpost of what's considered the best barbecue in New York City. Here, you'll find all of the Texas signatures, including butter-soft brisket with a deep-magenta smoke ring rippled with juicy fat. There are massive heavily marbled beef ribs alongside thick-cut bacon encrusted in a fiery jerk seasoning, as well as a refreshing coleslaw, rich-as-hell mac 'n' cheese, and jalapeño-studded corn pudding. The house-made cheddar jalapeño sausage is also worthy of attention thanks in no small part to the molten pockets of sharp cheese riddling each juicy link.

4 articles

House of Prayer Restaurant

2445 NW 62nd St. Little Haiti/Liberty City

305-691-5577

Barbecue, American

1 article

Izzy's Brooklyn Smokehouse

3585 NE 207th St. Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-690-7103

Barbecue, Kosher, Menu

1 article

James BBQ

NE Fourth Ct. at NE 48th Terrace Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-493-0941

Barbecue, Restaurants, Recommended, Best Of

Tomato or mustard? Tangy or sweet? Every barbecue lover has his or her sauce preferences, but in all honesty, the sauce is just windowdressing. It's the meat that matters and it's James's meat that draws customers to parking lots across town. To cover James's ribs with any sauce, even your favorite, would be a tragedy akin to putting a burlap sack on a beautiful woman. The flavor is simply inspiring and the bones so tender you can gnaw straight through them to the marrow. Save the sauce for that filet mignon or other slab of tasteless meat you bought at the supermarket a few feet away. Call James now to find out where he will be setting up his smoker this weekend (he's usually at the edge of the parking lot behind the Publix on Biscayne Boulevard at NE 48th Terrace). Then get a rack of ribs or some chicken, add a couple of cobs of roasted corn, and head home to eat -- if you can hold out that long.Read more.

1 article

King Jerk

13640 NW Seventh Ave. Hialeah

305-300-9682

Food Trucks, Barbecue, Menu

3 articles

King Jerk

14821 W. Dixie Highway North Miami

300-300-9682

Barbecue, Caribbean

2 articles

King of Racks BBQ

15516 SW 72nd St. West Kendall

786-391-2092

Barbecue, Menu, Readers' Choice

1 article

Kyu

251 NW 25th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-577-0150

Asian Fusion, Barbecue, Recommended, Slideshow

TEMPORARILY CLOSED A sizable portion of the menu at Kyu in Wynwood is prepared on the restaurant’s wood-fired grill using a combination of Asian and American barbecue techniques. The meat is simply prepared with Japanese sea salt and black shichimi pepper and then smoked for 12 to 14 hours. It arrives divided into thick slices on a flat wood stump with a bevy of accouterments, such as fresh lettuce for wrapping, pickled cucumbers, red onions, and shiso. There are also three miniature beakers containing sweet/sour, spicy/smoky, and light/spicy barbecue sauces. In a reverse twist, Kyu has opened an outpost in New York City's trendy SoHo neighborhood.

35 articles

La Traila Barbecue

8030 NW 154th St. Miami Lakes

786-703-6197

Barbecue, Best Of, Readers' Choice

Formerly a “first come, first served” pop-up, La Traila Barbecue has turned into a Miami success story, serving up some of the Magic City’s finest barbecue. With a recently opened brick-and-mortar location, Austin-born Mel Rodriguez and Miami native/Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie have given a Miami spin to Texas-style barbecue with a menu focused on platters and meat sold by the pound, from smoked pulled pork and spareribs to smoked turkey and USDA Prime beef brisket. While burgers and a fried chicken sandwich offer stellar departures from these platter-sized plates, La Traila’s signature dish remains the duo’s famous “Brisket Sundae,” which begins with a base of creamy mac ’n’ cheese that’s layered with sides like baked beans and creamed corn before the final touch: a heap of house-smoked brisket topped with cotija cheese, fresh crema, and house-made barbecue sauce.

2 articles

Las Mercedes Restaurant

8199 NW 54th St. Doral

305-591-9311

Cuban, Nicaraguan, Barbecue, Recommended, Best Of

At Doral's Las Mercedes Restaurant, the succulent, fat-rippled slabs served Thursday through Saturday speak for themselves. At most, there's a dusting of salt and pepper, perhaps accompanied by a splash of mojo. Racks of beef and pork are pulled from a smoking vessel, then cleaved and served with two sides such as moros, maduros, or boiled plantains with garlic oil. The place is run by Denise Paredes, who handles the register with ease while making chitchat and directing mammoth platters of ribs across the tight orange space. She and her husband bought it about ten years ago, when the weekend barbecue was already a longstanding tradition. They've also added some of their own flair to the mostly working-class menu, including a piquant, savory goat stew called chilindrón de chivo that will keep you sated the rest of the week.Read our full review.

3 articles

Mama Lucy's All Pro Ribs

2201 NW 119th St. North Miami

305-687-8782

Barbecue, American

3 articles

Miami Smokers Urban Smokehouse

306 NW 27th Ave. Little Havana

786-520-5420

Barbecue, Cuban, Retail, Recommended

Andres Barrientos and James Bowers started Miami Smokers in a few coolers while working at a catering company. The goal? To make better bacon. Soon the business moved into Bowers' Coconut Grove apartment, where they produced mounds of the smoky, salty stuff that made its way to biergartens and pop-up brunches. Now, a dedicated space on NW 27th Avenue gives them the room to makes tens of thousands of pounds of bacon annually and a lineup of crafted sandwiches made from scratch. Even the mustard on an amped-up Cuban sandwich, with pork and ham cooked sous vide, takes the long way by beginning with local beer fermented into vinegar that's blended with mustard seeds. Don't forget to pick up a bag of candied bacon to go with it.

17 articles

Mr. Boneless

1807 NW 79th St. Little Haiti/Liberty City

561-891-3015

Barbecue, Best Of

1 article

The Mustard Seed

17480 SW 105th Ave., Perrine Cutler Bay/Palmetto Bay

305-282-5648

Barbecue, American

2 articles

People's Bar-B-Que

360 NW Eighth St. Downtown/Overtown

305-373-8080

Barbecue, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu

Oak is the wood of choice for barbecuing at People's, the Overtown restaurant that's been serving barbecue and soul food specialties for over four decades. The menu includes oxtails, pork chops, and ham shanks, but most diners come for the tender chicken and meaty ribs, both bathed in a mildly tangy barbecue sauce. Sides such as collard greens, baked beans, and black-eyed peas are pure, delightful Southern fare. Generous portions leave little room for homemade pineapple-flecked bread pudding, or any of the numerous desserts that change daily.Read our full review.

17 articles

The Pit Bar-B-Q

16400 SW Eighth St., West Dade Westchester/West Miami

305-226-2272

Barbecue, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

That plume of smoke you see rising by the Shark Valley entrance to Everglades National Park is likely emanating from the Pit's wood cabin. What's on the grill are juicy ribs or chicken or even frogs' legs. The double pork sandwich, with perhaps the best pit-cooked pulled pork to be had south of the Carolinas, is topped with sweet, crunchy slaw. Sides, such as tangy baked beans and lightly floured real onion rings, are great too. Wash it all down with imported Beck's beer. The eclectic redneck-to-reggae jukebox is big fun too.

9 articles

Pittboyz BBQ

2007 SW Eighth St. Little Havana

Barbecue, American

1 article

Pride and Joy

2800 N. Miami Ave. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-456-9548

Barbecue, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu, Slideshow

Pride and Joy was one of the most highly anticipated restaurant openings in Wynwood in 2012. The barbecue eatery is a partnership among Myron Mixon and five South Florida locals -- Mike Saladino, Chris Mayer, Paul Thielecke, Jose Santa, and Pablo Cardenas. Mixon, who is known as the "the winningest man of barbecue," is a three-time barbecue world champion, judge on TLC's BBQ Pitmasters, and best-selling cookbook author of Smokin' With Myron Mixon. It's the chef's first large-scale restaurant concept -- complete with a draft house, honky-tonk, and beer patio. But despite Mixon's reputation as one of the most loudmouthed, experienced barbecue chefs in the nation, the project has faced many challenges since opening in early November. So far, the cuisine has been inconsistent. On one occasion, the brisket was dry, tough, and difficult to swallow. Seasoned with Mixon's signature 30-ingredient dry rub, the baby-back ribs were excessively charred. Paired with a smooth, sweet peach butter, the cornbread was slightly stale. On another visit, though, the food easily ranked among the best barbecue in the city. In short, the greatest challenge here is consistency.Read our full review.

11 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

Ribs-2-Go

Second Ave. at NE 35th St. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

786-597-8946

Barbecue, Restaurants, Best Of

Everyone knows God took a rib from Adam to create Eve. But he must've snatched a second one and given it to Mark A. Gibson, a former minister who's now grillmaster and owner of mobile barbecue business Ribs-2-Go. There's just no other way to explain his homemade slabs of pure deliciousness. If you frequent midtown or the Design District, chances are you've seen Gibson on his turf Tuesdays through Saturdays (he takes off Sundays to give props to Jesus) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on a sandy stretch of Second Avenue south of NE 36th Street, grilling away in a cloud of dark smoke. The menu is limited but pumped full of soul. "I love making good food, and the folks around here really seem to appreciate quality," Gibson says. Available are two chicken leg quarters for $7 and succulent, smoky, fall-off-the-bone tender pork brisket and St. Louis baby-back ribs (a full rack is $20, half rack is $15, and a quarter is $10). Try the tangy honey mustard dubbed "golden sauce." After one bite, you'll find yourself hollering, "Hallelujah!"

1 article

Shantel Lounge

5422 NW 7th Ave. Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

305-751-6752

Barbecue, Restaurants, Music Venues, Best Of

If you're tired of Sunday fundays that are all about football or dog parks - Shantel Lounge's Sunday Fish Fry will be a welcome change. Fried fish and live R&B in a one-of-a-kind Liberty City, edge of Allapattah setting will shake up that weekend routine. Or drop by the other days of the week (when they're open) and score some killer BBQ chicken. This serve up cheap, no-frill eats. And don't forget to save some room for at least a few bites of sweet potato pie.

3 articles

Shiver's BBQ

28001 S. Dixie Highway Homestead/Florida City

305-248-2272

Barbecue, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

Shiver's is an institution — that's what they call you when you've been in business for 57 years. The requisite weathered, log cabin/picnic table-and-bench decor remains in place, with obligatory cattle horns and horseshoes on the walls. Chicken, pork, and beef go into two hickory-fueled smokers (some of the meats for up to 12 hours) and come out fully imbued with real barbecue flavor. Ribs are clearly Shiver's strong suit, so the best bet for first-timers might be the rib sampler, with heaping helpings of beef, pork, baby backs, and two sides. Squirt any of a quintet of scintillating sauces on top: red-hot; a chunkier, smokier red-hot; sweet, brown molasses-based; mildly spicy mustard-based; and hickory-heavy "Shiver's sauce." Sides include black-eyed peas, fried okra, and a couple of items you don't often see pulled from a fryer — like mac 'n' cheese nuggets and corn on the cob. Some might say the most important accompaniment to barbecue is beer, and you can get a pitcher of Bud for cheap (if you want that fancy imported stuff the city folk prefer, Corona, Heineken, Amstel, and the like are available). Housemade peach cobbler is the only worthy dessert.

5 articles

Shorty's Bar-B-Q

2255 NW 87th Ave. Doral

305-471-5554

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

It's been almost 50 years since "Shorty" Allen opened his first log-cabin-style barbecue restaurant. Though the business changed hands in 1980, the hickory-smoked chicken and ribs, creamy cole slaw, and homemade baked beans remain the same. Consistently good food at affordable prices is only part of the recipe for Shorty's success. Other ingredients include a comfy Western motif, friendly service, and communal dining at long picnic tables, all of which make for a good-timey experience.

10 articles

Shorty's Bar-B-Q

9200 S. Dixie Highway East Kendall/Pinecrest

305-670-7732

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

It's been almost 50 years since "Shorty" Allen opened his first log-cabin-style barbecue restaurant. Though the business changed hands in 1980, the hickory-smoked chicken and ribs, creamy coleslaw, and homemade baked beans remain the same. Consistently good food at affordable prices is only part of the recipe for Shorty's success. Other ingredients include a comfy Western motif, friendly service, and communal dining at long picnic tables, all of which make for a good-timey experience.

20 articles

Shorty's Bar-B-Q

5989 S. University Dr. Davie

954-680-9900

Barbecue, Menu, Readers' Choice

3 articles

Shorty's Bar-B-Q

11575 SW 40th St. Westchester/West Miami

305-227-3196

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

It's been almost 50 years since "Shorty" Allen opened his first log-cabin-style barbecue restaurant. Though the business changed hands in 1980, the hickory-smoked chicken and ribs, creamy coleslaw, and homemade baked beans remain the same. Consistently good food at affordable prices is only part of the recipe for Shorty's success. Other ingredients include a comfy Western motif, friendly service, and communal dining at long picnic tables, all of which make for a good-timey experience.

15 articles

Smoke & Dough

4013 SW 152nd Ave. West Kendall

786-362-5698

Barbecue, Tapas

1 article

Smoke't Southern Kitchen & Tap

1450 S. Dixie Highway Coral Gables/S. Miami

305-669-8338

Barbecue, Southern, Recommended, Menu

The owners and executive chef (Michael Altman) of nearby Town Kitchen & Bar succeed at Smoke"t using the same formula: popular American fare, affordable pricing, and - perhaps most important - a lively bar scene. The last gets sparked by a wide array of tequilas, margaritas, and more than 80 bottled beers from across the globe (from New Hampshire"s Smuttynose to Belgium"s Delirium Nocturnum). And though the food is still a tad inconsistent, there"s plenty of good eating. For instance: a meaty half-rack (plenty!) of St. Louis-style pork spare ribs with a tangy Carolina mustard-vinegar sauce, or long, slender slices of tender brisket, whose succulent meat is smoked and brushed with Coca-Cola-based barbecue sauce. Smoke"t slathers more than just meats, as evidenced by a starter of onion rings with a nachos-style topping of pulled pork, melted cheese, and spicy chipotle sour cream. Other appetizers include fried calamari, a crock of chili, and "redneck rolls? - a shotgun wedding of barbecue and sushi. Main courses come with choice of two fixings, and there are lots of tasty ones from which to select: Coleslaw is homemade and not overly sweet, franks and beans with crisp onions are sweet but delicious, and jalapeño cornbread flecked with corn kernels and bits of pepper is the best in town. Try the warm homemade doughnuts with maple frosting for dessert.

6 articles

Barbecue in Miami

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