20 Foods You Have to Try While on a Trip to Miami

2. Ropa vieja

The Spanish name translates to “old clothes,” referring to the way the beef is shredded and stewed in a tomato-based sauce. Though the meat used is the same as in vaca frita, the resulting dish is completely different. You can find the city’s best of both dishes at Habana Vieja Restaurant.

3. Plantains

Maduros are plantains sliced and fried to make a sweet side dish that goes great with rice, beans, and any kind of meat. Another common way to enjoy plantains is twice-fried and salted as tostones — crunchy on the outside and soft inside.

4. Toston burger

A local Miami chain called Pincho Factory has taken the alt-bun to another level by putting two giant tostones as buns. You can add all kinds of toppings, including bacon and fried cheese.

8. Aji de gallina

Miami is also a great place for Peruvian food. The shredded chicken in this dish is in a creamy yellow sauce and served with white rice. It’s unlike any chicken you’ve ever had before. You’ll find it in most Peruvian restaurants in Miami including the popular Happy Hour spot, Suviche.

9. Ceviche

Another traditionally Peruvian specialty, ceviche, is made of fresh fish marinated in citrus juices. The flavors of ceviche are unique, depending on the seafood chosen and the juices and spices used to marinate them. Coconut Grove restaurant Jaguar offers the perfect introduction to ceviche, with a variety of ceviche spoon samplers.

10. Colombian perros

Une publication partagée par Florida Food Hunter™ (@floridafoodhunter) le 29 Oct. 2016 à 7h47 PDT

After a long night of partying in Brickell, the best place to get your munchies on is La Moon Restaurant. Their to-go options include meat skewers, burgers, and the craziest hot dogs you’ve ever seen. The Colombian perro is a smoked sausage served with bacon, a quail egg, and drowned in three different sauces.

11. Pastelitos

Une publication partagée par Ricky Bakery & Café (@rickybakery) le 13 Avril 2017 à 5h48 PDT

The French have croissants, and the Miamians have pastelitos. These puff pastries come in different shapes and sizes, with different fillings. The most common flavors are guava, cream cheese, and ground meat. You can get pastelitos anywhere in the city, even gas stations, but the best ones are made fresh at Ricky Bakery.

12. Chicken wings

Sports Grill wings are Miami’s favorite, especially on a Dolphins or Heat game day. The chicken is plump and meaty, and they’re made in 7 flavors. Their most popular wings are the Special Grilled wings which are cooked first in Sports Grill buffalo sauce and then cooked again in Worcestershire. But if you’re feeling brave, you can try their extremely spicy Miami Heats — they’re covered in five different hot spices.

13. Palomilla steak

One of Miami’s oldest and most important Cuban restaurants is Versailles on historic Calle Ocho. Here you’ll find a lot of Cuban favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But the best dish of the bunch is the palomilla steak, or the butterflied beefsteak. It’s a thin steak, grilled to perfection, and served with French fries.

14. Churrasco

For a hearty piece of meat, try the churrasco, or grilled skirt steak. This cut of meat can be found at most Brazilian or Argentinian steakhouses and is often served with chimichurri, an oily sauce made with finely chopped green herbs. But for a twist on a classic, check out Finka’s take. Their churrasco steak is served with truffled green beans on a bed of sweet potato mash, with a tangy Asian version of chimichurri.

15. Yuca

Yuca, also known as cassava, is a potato-like root vegetable that is almost as important as rice in Latin cuisine. It’s typically prepared in two different ways: Boiled and served with a garlic sauce (known as mojo), or fried either in little bites or like thick-cut fries and served with a dipping sauce, like a creamy cilantro garlic sauce. Pollo Tropical has a great version.

16. Stone crab

Une publication partagée par @joesstonecrab le 11 Févr. 2017 à 15h37 PST

South Florida seafood is always fresh. Aside from ceviche, one particular seafood favorite in Miami is the Florida Stone Crab. And the best place to get your fill is at Joe’s Stone Crab, where you can dig into fresh Stone Crab claws from October 15th to May 15th. The sweet claw meat can be dipped into melted butter or their famous mustard sauce. You can also get the Stone Crab Bisque or Crab Cakes from the menu.

17. Cinnamon rolls

Another seasonal delight is Knaus Berry Farm’s cinnamon rolls. The farm, where you can pick tomatoes and strawberries, is known best for its bakery, where you can get fresh pies, cookies, and their warm gooey cinnamon rolls. People wait in line for up to two hours for these mouthwatering rolls. To help the long wait, you can enjoy a thick, cold milkshake (the key lime one is particularly delicious). But if you want to avoid driving all the way to Homestead, Knaus Berry teams up from time to time with local smokehouse Miami Smokers, who bakes their cured bacon into the rolls. Knaus Berry closes up shop from mid-April until about November.

18. Churros and hot chocolate

If you’re visiting on one of the two days of the year where the temperatures hover under 50 degrees, head over to La Palma to warm up. Churros are fried dough pastries covered in sugar and they pair flawlessly with a hot cup of cocoa. This is probably not the hot chocolate you’re used to — it’s thick and soupy, perfect for dipping.

19. Donuts

Over the past year, since The Salty Donut came to town, the city has been gripped with donut frenzy. The artisanal donut shop makes fresh batches of craft donuts every day, opening up just in time for breakfast and closing when they sell out. Some donuts are made all year round, like their Nutella and Maple Bacon flavors, but their menu changes constantly, with special flavors introduced each week.

20. Southern cooking

Une publication partagée par Yardbird Southern Table & Bar (@ybsouthern) le 27 Mars 2017 à 20h12 PDT

Miami Beach’s Yardbird is the perfect place for some great Southern comfort food and hospitality. Perfect for brunch, their signature dish is the chicken and waffles which comes with a honey hot sauce. Save room for some of the small plates, like the mac and cheese, grits, biscuits, and the fried green tomato BLT. This is a great place to go with a big group and share everything.