What to Eat in Miami: Cuban, Caribbean, and Seafood You Can’t Miss

Miami’s food scene is as diverse as its people, with Cuban traditions, Caribbean flavors, fresh seafood, and modern fusion cooking all part of the mix.

This guide covers the city’s iconic Cuban coffee and sandwiches, the island dishes found across its neighborhoods, and the seafood that defines coastal Florida.

You’ll also find highlights from Little Havana, Wynwood, and Brickell, along with the street food and casual bites that keep Miami full of energy.

TL;DR – What to Eat in Miami

• Cuban staples: cafecito, pastelitos, Cubano sandwich
• Seafood icons: stone crabs, ceviche, hogfish
• Street food: Dominican chimis, croquetas, tacos at night

Jump to: Cuban • Caribbean • Seafood • Fusion • Little Havana • Wynwood • Brickell • Street Food • FAQ

More on Miami:

• Miami Budget Guide
• Where to Stay in Miami
• Best Time to Visit Miami

Cuban Classics

Miami’s Cuban heritage shines through its beloved cafecito (Cuban coffee) and hearty sandwiches. A Cuban coffee is a sweet, strong espresso shot whipped with sugar into a frothy crema, served in tiny cups.

Locals often line up at ventanitas (walk-up windows) to grab a cafecito paired with a flaky pastelito pastry, such as the popular guava-filled puff pastry, for a quick pick-me-up. Equally iconic is the Cuban sandwich (Cubano) – a pressed sandwich layering sweet ham, mojo-roast pork, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and yellow mustard on buttery Cuban bread.

Traditionally pressed until the bread is crisp, this savory handheld is a Miami must-try for its blend of textures and flavors. Beyond these, Miami’s Cuban cafeterias churn out golden croquetas (ham croquettes) and empanadas (savory stuffed pastries) by the dozens – snacks designed for maximum flavor on the go.

These Cuban comfort foods, whether a medianoche sandwich (a midnight variation on the Cubano) or a guava and cheese pastelito, have become ingrained in the city’s food culture, reflecting generations of Cuban influence in Miami.

Caribbean and Latin Influences

Greater Miami’s population is a mosaic of Caribbean and Latin American communities, and their cuisines have enriched the city’s dining scene. Haitian cuisine contributes hearty, spice-laden dishes like griot – marinated fried pork chunks considered Haiti’s national dish – often served with pikliz (spicy pickled slaw) for a tangy kick.

From nearby Jamaica comes the smoky aroma of jerk chicken, rubbed with Scotch bonnet peppers and spices, adding another layer to Miami’s spice profile. The Dominican community brings its own comfort foods; you might find restaurants serving la bandera (the “flag” plate of rice, beans, and meat) or street vendors grilling Chimichurri burgers, a Dominican specialty.

These “chimis” are savory spiced meat patties on fluffy rolls loaded with cabbage, tomatoes, and a tangy pink sauce – a flavorful example of Dominican street fare that has become one of Miami’s favorite casual bites. Meanwhile, Puerto Rican flavors make their mark with dishes like mofongo, a garlicky mash of fried plantains pounded together with pork cracklings.

Mofongo is traditionally served topped with meats or seafood, a dish that Guy Fieri once praised as the best fried thing he ever ate. From Trinidadian roti stands to Dominican bakeries and Colombian arepa shops, Miami offers a tour of the Caribbean without leaving the city. Each culture’s cuisine – Cuban, Haitian, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Jamaican and beyond – adds its spices and specialties to Miami’s culinary melting pot , creating a vibrant tapestry of Latin-Caribbean flavors.

Seafood Culture

Surrounded by ocean, Miami revels in its seafood traditions. In fact, there are few things more beloved in South Florida than stone crabs, the sweet, meaty claws of Florida stone crabs that feature on menus across the city. When in season, stone crab claws are typically served chilled on ice with a side of the signature creamy mustard sauce for dipping – a simple preparation that lets their fresh sweetness shine.

Local waters also yield a bounty of fish: snapper, grouper, mahi-mahi, and hogfish are just a few of the daily catches you’ll find grilled, blackened, or in sandwiches at Miami’s seafood shacks. Hogfish, a reef fish prized by locals, is said to taste sweeter than grouper and flakier than mahi, truly melting in your mouth.

You can sample conch fritters, a Key West and Bahamian favorite adopted into Miami cuisine – these are fried dough balls studded with chewy conch, usually dunked in a spicy sauce, exemplifying the city’s blend of Southern and Caribbean seafood traditions.

Latin American influence is evident in the popularity of ceviche: this refreshing dish of fish or shrimp “cooked” in citrus juice, mixed with onions, chile, and herbs, has become a menu staple from upscale restaurants to beachside cafes.

Thanks to Miami’s large Peruvian and Latin communities, you can find top-notch ceviche made with local catch like grouper or corvina, marinated in lime-based leche de tigre and often served with sweet potato or corn for contrast.

Whether it’s indulging in luxurious Florida lobster tails (spiny lobster, often grilled with butter and garlic) or a simple basket of crispy fried Gulf shrimp, seafood in Miami is always fresh and often locally sourced.

Don’t leave without trying a cup of chowder or fish tacos with a squeeze of Key lime – a nod to Florida’s tropical twist on seafood. From the ocean to your plate, Miami’s seafood offerings celebrate the coastal bounty and multicultural spin of the region.

Fusion and Upscale Dining

Miami’s dining scene doesn’t stop at traditional fare – it’s also a hotbed of fusion cuisine and upscale experimentation. In the 1980s, visionary local chefs (nicknamed the “Mango Gang”) pioneered “New World” or Floribbean cuisine, blending Caribbean, Latin, and Asian flavors with Florida’s local ingredients.

Today, that legacy lives on in restaurants that pair tropical fruits and Afro-Caribbean spices with European techniques, creating a truly modern Miami flavor. It’s not unusual to find a high-end Latin-Asian fusion menu – imagine fresh snapper sushi topped with tart passionfruit sauce or churrasco steak served alongside wasabi mojo yucca mash.

Floribbean cuisine highlights indigenous ingredients and healthful, vibrant combinations: for example, a dish might feature local seafood (grouper, Key West shrimp) in a citrusy curry, or a grilled fish taco topped with mango salsa and avocado crema.

Upscale dining in Miami is also distinctly international. The city boasts Michelin-starred spots offering everything from avant-garde Colombian tasting menus to elegant Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei cuisine. Many of these restaurants embrace Miami’s cultural mix – you might dine on Italian dishes with Latin flair or Pan-Asian plates with a South Florida twist, as globally renowned chefs have set up outposts here.

What ties the fusion and fine-dining scene together is an emphasis on presentation, fresh local produce (you’ll see plenty of citrus, plantains, and seafood), and a willingness to marry the familiar with the unfamiliar in pursuit of bold new tastes.

Whether it’s a trendy rooftop restaurant in South Beach putting a Korean spin on Cuban pork or a chic Wynwood bistro blending Mediterranean and Miami flavors, the city’s upscale eateries invite diners to experience innovation grounded in the area’s diverse culinary roots.

Little Havana

Calle Ocho in Little Havana is the cultural and culinary heart of Miami’s Cuban community. This vibrant neighborhood centers around Southwest 8th Street – Calle Ocho – which is lined with Cuban restaurants, cafés, fruit stands, and cigar shops.

The atmosphere here is rich with Cuban aromas and rhythms: walk past the open-air domino tables of Máximo Gómez Park and you’ll smell Cuban coffee brewing and pork roasting for lechón asado. Food is integral to Little Havana’s identity. Ventanitas dot the street, where patrons chat in Spanish while ordering coladas (shared Cuban coffee) or cortaditos (espresso with a splash of milk) served in small styrofoam cups.

At these windows and casual lunch counters you can grab a quick croqueta or medianoche sandwich and be on your way, just as locals have for decades. Little Havana is home to famed old-school eateries known for authentic Cuban cooking – think plates of ropa vieja (stewed shredded beef) with black beans and rice, or yuca frita with garlic sauce.

Bakeries along Calle Ocho display cases of pastelitos (try the guava and cheese) and tostones sandwiches, and ventanitas churn out fresh guarapo (sugarcane juice) and cafecitos morning till night. The neighborhood’s most legendary spot for a Cubano sandwich might be tucked inside an unassuming cafeteria or even a converted laundromat, but you’ll know it by the line out the door.

In Little Havana, food is community – whether you’re sipping a sweet café Cubano or biting into a toasty Cuban sandwich, you’re experiencing a living heritage. This neighborhood offers visitors a delicious immersion into Cuba’s culinary soul, right in the middle of Miami.

Wynwood

Wynwood, Miami’s famed arts district, offers a dining scene as colorful and creative as its mural-splashed streets. Just as the Wynwood Walls showcase vivid street art, the neighborhood’s restaurants celebrate creativity on the plate. Here you’ll find everything from trendy food halls to cozy cafes, all catering to a youthful, artistic vibe.

Wynwood’s industrial-warehouse past has given way to craft breweries, taco trucks, and fusion diners that draw hungry crowds day and night. It’s easy to make an evening of wandering and snacking: you might start with a gourmet taco from a graffiti-adorned food truck, then step into a chic bistro serving Korean-inspired Latin dishes.

Many Wynwood eateries blur culinary boundaries – think artisanal doughnut shops next to Latin-Asian BBQ joints, or a Venezuelan arepa stand across from a modern Mexican cantina. The neighborhood is also known for its experimental food concepts.

Shared dining spaces and food markets house multiple vendors, allowing visitors to sample poke bowls, Jamaican jerk tacos, and vegan burgers all in one stop. Street art isn’t only on the walls; some cafés have chefs who plate dishes as artfully as the murals outside, garnishing cocktails and entrees with a flair that’s very Wynwood.

In the evenings, the area comes alive with music and energy – it’s common to find a local DJ spinning tunes in a restaurant courtyard while people enjoy ceviche and craft cocktails under fairy lights.

Wynwood perfectly encapsulates Miami’s modern, eclectic spirit: bold flavors, inventive mash-ups, and a casual, come-as-you-are atmosphere amid world-class art. It’s a must-visit neighborhood for those who want their food with a side of creative inspiration.

Brickell

Brickell, Downtown Miami’s upscale urban core, is a sleek neighborhood where high-rise luxury meets mouthwatering global dishes. Often dubbed the “Manhattan of the South,” Brickell has attracted a cosmopolitan crowd – and the restaurants to feed them.

In this financial district of glittering towers, you’ll find casual cafés coexisting with fine-dining temples. By day, power lunches happen at chic eateries serving everything from sushi to South American ceviches; by night, rooftop lounges and waterfront steakhouses fill with diners enjoying panoramic skyline views. International cuisine thrives in Brickell.

One block might offer high-end Italian and contemporary Peruvian (complete with ceviche and Pisco Sours), while another boasts authentic Thai or a modern Mexican cocina – reflecting both Miami’s diverse population and Brickell’s status as a global business hub.

The neighborhood has also become a stage for celebrity chefs and avant-garde dining. You can indulge in a multi-course tasting menu of progressive Latin cuisine, or savor Spanish tapas reinvented with Florida ingredients, all within a few streets of each other.

Despite the upscale ambiance, Brickell’s food scene remains welcoming: a trendy gastro-pub or brunch spot sits comfortably amid the luxury condos, and food halls in Brickell City Centre offer quick bites for workers and shoppers.

What unites Brickell’s dining options is a dedication to quality and style – expect meticulously crafted cocktails, stylish interiors, and menus that often fuse flavors from around the world to cater to its international clientele.

In Brickell, you can start your evening with a classic mojito at a Cuban-inspired bar, dine on a Colombian-Colonial fusion feast, and end with dessert at a French patisserie, all within walking distance. It’s this mix of culinary sophistication and cultural variety that solidifies Brickell as one of Miami’s top dining destinations.

Street Food and Casual Bites

For all its fine restaurants, Miami equally excels in street food and casual eats that give a true taste of local life. Many of the city’s most iconic foods – empanadas, croquetas, pastelitos – are meant to be enjoyed on the move, wrapped in paper and packed with flavor.

Across the city you’ll spot modest ventanita windows and food carts offering inexpensive, satisfying bites. Early morning might mean a Cuban toast and café con leche from a bakery window; late at night, perhaps a Colombian hot dog loaded with pineapple sauce or a Cuban frita (a spicy chorizo-seasoned hamburger topped with shoestring fries).

In Little Haiti, you can snag a Haitian patty (pâte) – a flaky pastry filled with spiced beef or salt cod – for a dollar or two, a perfect quick snack. Over in Allapattah (Miami’s Dominican enclave), the street food scene stars the Dominican chimichurri burger.

Sold from food trucks that come alive at dusk, these burgers feature a juicy, seasoned patty on a crispy roll with lettuce, tomato, and a drizzle of pink sauce, and are hailed as one of Miami’s best late-night bites. Crowds gather around these trucks for a taste of home and a bit of bachata music as a backdrop.

Miami’s street eats also reflect its wider Latino influence: Mexican taco stands serve al pastor tacos with shaved rotisserie pork, Nicaraguan vendors grill queso frito (fried cheese) and carne asada skewers in Wynwood on weekends, and food festivals might bring Cuban tamales, Venezuelan arepas, and Argentine choripán sandwiches all to one park.

Even the beaches have their treats – don’t be surprised to see someone selling coconut water straight from the coconut or a cart with churros and hot Cuban coffee near a pier. Eating in Miami doesn’t always mean sitting down; often it’s leaning against a counter or strolling with food in hand.

These unpretentious, delicious bites capture the city’s mix of cultures and its love of bold flavors. Whether it’s a devil crab croqueta from a corner shop or a slice of key lime pie from a farmers’ market, Miami’s casual food scene invites you to taste the city’s diversity one quick bite at a time.

Food in Miami isn’t just about eating, it’s about experiencing the destination. A cafecito, a plate of stone crabs, or a late-night street burger all carry the flavors of the communities that make up this vibrant region.