Miami Restaurants Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Miami is one of the great food cities in the world, teeming with MICHELIN-rated restaurants and James Beard Award winners. But the backbone of the destination’s culinary scene is the little neighborhood gems: independent, family-run spots serving home-cooked food from around the world.

Restaurateur and TV personality Guy Fieri made his way here several times to discover these hidden gems for Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Many area restaurants have appeared on the show. These are some of the best and why they’re worth the visit.

11th Street Diner

Season 3, Episode 7, American Classics

What Guy Liked: Pork chops with apples and raisins

Why You Should Visit: The historic 11th Street Diner is a late-night South Beach institution, the kind of place you’ll see people wandering in for hearty helpings of comfort food after a night out. 

The people-watching is first rate, but the old dining car is an Art Deco gem, dating back to the restaurant’s original 1948 location in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. It was restored and brought to Miami Beach in 1992 and has been an icon ever since.

Blue Collar

Season 19, Episode 8, Cross Country Comfort Food

What Guy Liked: The Big Ragout, a meat lover’s dream with pork shoulder, brisket, pancetta, provolone and San Marzano tomatoes.

Why You Should Visit: Chef Danny Serfer has gained a loyal local following at Blue Collar in the Upper East Side’s MiMo District with his big menu packed with generous portions of inventive comfort food. Dishes like shrimp and grits, potato latkes and spicy oxtail (another Fieri favorite) have been bringing diners to the restaurant for over a decade. 

It’s the kind of place where servers know customers by name and everyone seems genuinely happy to be there. You’ll never leave hungry, and you’ll still be thinking about the food days later.

 Jamaica Kitchen

Season 4, Episode 7, A Taste of Everywhere

What Guy Liked: Beef patties and Chinese-Jamaican pork belly with mustard greens 

Why you should visit: Jamaica Kitchen is one of those hidden gems that’s been popular with Kendall residents for years but few outside the neighborhood know about. 

The local legend has been putting out some of Miami’s best Jamaican food for nearly 50 years, with classics like curry goat, oxtail and Jamaican patties bringing a non-stop parade of take-out customers. Try any of their traditional patties inside coco bread, a Jamaican take on the hamburger that makes for a perfect quick lunch.

La Camaronera

Season 6, Episode 11, Old Time Favorites

What Guy Liked: Pan con minuta sandwich, Camaronera’s fritos

Why You Should Visit: La Camaronera is a landmark Little Havana seafood spot that’s appeared on numerous TV shows profiling food in Miami. Why? It’s the best place to get a pan con minuta sandwich – whole fried snapper on a Cuban roll with onions, tartar sauce, lime and, sometimes, a little lettuce and ketchup. 

The family-run seafood market is a no-frills place with great food and is an authentic way to experience Cuban seafood.

Milly’s Empanada Factory

Season 28, Episode 6, International Intrigue

What Guy Liked: The Pabe-yoyo, an arepa-style sandwich of fried batter filled with fried sweet plantains, shredded cheese, black beans, cilantro sauce and pabellon – shredded beef in creole sauce that’s Venezuela’s national dish.

Why You Should Visit: Though it’s set out in West Kendall, Milly’s Empanada Factory is a fun, affordable place to delve into the world of Venezuelan street food. 

You can explore traditional stuff like tequenos and deep-fried cornmeal empanadas. Or venture into some of Milly’s more creative offerings, like the toston sandwich, where meat and veggies are stuck between two crispy-fried smashed plantains.

Mr. and Mrs. Bun

Season 28, Episode 10, Lights Out Latin

What Guy Liked: Asado con palta: slow-cooked eye of round roast with avocado, crispy onions and mayo on a bun.

Why You Should Visit: Mr. and Mrs. Bun is a Kendall West discovery that’s always worth the drive. The menu is a long list of Peruvian-style sandwiches, a casual concept rarely found outside the area. 

In addition to the TV-famous asado con palta, other intriguing offerings include bacon-wrapped tamales with pork belly; the Butifarra sandwich with cured ham, sliced red onions and creole sauce; and the short rib sandwich, piled high with beef, chimichurri and horseradish mayo.

Taquiza

Season 24, Episode 9, South Beach Sizzle

What Guy Liked: Totopos, fluffy blue corn tortilla chips

Why You Should Visit: Taquiza has moved since its 2016 appearance on DDD and now does its sizzling in North Beach. Going to Taquiza is an ideal excuse to check out this laid-back, local section of Miami Beach, plus Taquiza might be the most unique taqueria in Miami. The restaurant wraps its tacos in thick, blue corn masa shells that are as much a part of the attraction as the stuff inside.

Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering

Season 19, Episode 5, Dynamite Duos

What Guy Liked: Cornmeal-fried okra and beer-braised baby back ribs

Why You Should Visit: Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering in South Miami was ahead of Miami’s chef-driven restaurant curve; it was among the first to put out authentic Southern food in a neighborhood setting. 

This small restaurant in a strip mall is always filled with food-savvy locals who swear by the bourbon and brown sugar-glazed salmon, BBQ brisket sandwich and homestyle meat loaf with creamy smashed potatoes and green beans. Sadly, the beer-braised ribs are no longer on the menu.