Best of Miami
Where locals eat in Miami
Start with Sanguich de Miami in Little Havana for cuban sandwich, with a croqueta, Zak the Baker in Wynwood for country sourdough miche, babka, pour-over and Tropical Chinese in Westchester for dim sum on a weekend morning. Here are all 10, with what to get at each.
- Sanguich de MiamiLittle Havana · Bib Gourmand (2026) · Cuban
Get: Cuban sandwich, with a croqueta
Pork marinated 24 hours, ham brined a week, bread from a Homestead bakery.
- Zak the BakerWynwood
Get: Country sourdough miche, babka, pour-over
Miami's best bread, kosher bakery and café. Wynwood Jewish bakery and cafe known for naturally leavened breads, pastries, and a deli counter with good sandwiches.
- Tropical ChineseWestchester · Cantonese dim sum
Get: dim sum on a weekend morning. The city's first stop for Chinese food
Longtime Westchester favorite for dim sum, rolling carts and all, loved by Miami's Cantonese food fans.
- La CamaroneraLittle Havana · Cuban seafood
Get: the pan con minuta, a fried snapper sandwich. A seafood counter locals still love
Little Havana seafood counter known for cracked conch, shrimp cocktails, and quick, no-frills Cuban-style seafood.
- Mandolin Aegean BistroBuena Vista · Aegean
Get: the grilled octopus and the Turkish manti. A garden of Greek and Turkish cooking
Leafy Buena Vista courtyard restaurant serving Turkish and Greek home style dishes in a relaxed garden setting.
- Shorty's Bar-B-QSouth Miami · barbecue
Get: the spare ribs and the cole slaw. A log-cabin barbecue room since 1951
Long-running Miami barbecue joint with picnic tables, known for smoky ribs and old-school Southern sides.
- El Palacio de los JugosFlagami
Get: fresh sugarcane juice, a tamal and chicharrones. Cuban market eating
- Michael's Genuine Food & DrinkDesign District
Get: the wood-oven roasted chicken. A reliable neighborhood room since 2006
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Save the whole listAsk Chef for morePlan my Miami food tripWhere locals eat in Miami: questions people ask
What are the local restaurants in Miami?
Chef Amazing’s picks start with Sanguich de Miami (Little Havana), Zak the Baker (Wynwood) and Tropical Chinese (Westchester). All 10 places are on this page with what to get, where they are and a map.
What should I order?
At Sanguich de Miami, get cuban sandwich, with a croqueta. At Zak the Baker, get country sourdough miche, babka, pour-over. At Tropical Chinese, get dim sum on a weekend morning. The city's first stop for Chinese food. At La Camaronera, get the pan con minuta, a fried snapper sandwich. A seafood counter locals still love.
Which neighborhood is best for local restaurants in Miami?
Most of these are in Little Havana and Westchester. The map on this page shows every one, numbered like the list.
How does Chef Amazing pick these?
From Chef Amazing’s city guide and lists for Miami: the places critics, chefs and locals keep recommending, checked and kept current, with what to order at each. Nobody pays to be on them.
More in Miami
Local restaurants in other cities
Places change: check hours before you go. Pins come from addresses and OpenStreetMap and can be a little off. Updated October 25, 2026.