Where to Find the Best Latin Food in Miami

Finding a great Latin American restaurant in Miami is easy. As the heart of Latin culture in the U.S., you'll find restaurants running the gamut from Mexican to Argentinian. 

So whether you’re looking for fine Peruvian dining or a multicourse MICHELIN-starred Colombian tasting menu, Greater Miami & Miami Beach has plenty of delicious choices.

Savor A Brazilian Feast at Fogo de Chão

Common in Brazilian steakhouses, “rodizio” is a style of dining in which servers roam the dining room carrying skewers of savory, grilled meats and stop to carve portions whenever guests flag them down. It’s a true feast for the eyes and the stomach, and it’s best experienced at Fogo de Chão's flagship restaurant in Coral Gables or the location in South Beach.

The waiters – or gauchos, as they’re called – are all specially trained in preparing, cooking and cutting meat, bringing an exquisite level of service to the rodizio experience. 

You’ll also be treated to a full salad bar that could be a meal on its own plus plenty of traditional Brazilian sides, including rice, beans, polenta and farofa. 

Feel The Heat at Los Fuegos

“Chef’s Table” star Francis Mallmann operates his signature steakhouse inside the opulent Faena Miami Beach hotel in Mid Beach. You’ll know you’ve found Los Fuegos By Francis Mallman when you smell the distinct aroma of its wood-burning grill, which fills the luxurious red and gold dining room. 

The steaks absorb the smoke of the grill, resulting in delicious servings of prime beef with flavors unlike any other grilled meat in Miami. 

The balance of the menu features a tasty sampling of Argentine plancha cuisine (high-temperature searing with a small amount of smoking), with dishes such as wood-fired prawns, artichokes and beef empanadas.

Savor Venezuelan Arepas at La Latina

It shouldn’t be a huge surprise that a place called La Latina is putting out great Latin food. This small neighborhood spot in the shadow of Midtown Miami’s high-rises consistently makes some of the best arepas in Miami. 

The corn-based, pocket-like stuffed sandwiches come filled with everything from spicy shredded chicken to rice and beans. They’re big enough to be a meal on their own, but to get the full flavors of Venezuelan cuisine, grab an order of tequenos too. 

Whatever you decide on, be sure to ask for a squeeze bottle of guasacaca, an avocado-based vinegar sauce that makes every flavor pop.

Great Guatemalan at Antigua Guatemala Restaurant

Named after one of the most-stunning architectural cities in Central America, Antigua Guatemala Restaurant is a perfect place to try food from the city it’s named after. Step under the green awnings along West Flagler Street in Little Havana and you’ll find a simple, family-run restaurant where the owners serve dishes from their home country at affordable prices. 

Start with a selection of fresh ceviches or pressed juices, then move on to grilled beef or chicken fajitas that offer a Guatemalan take on what you’ve probably had in Mexican restaurants. 

Finish with a creamy tres leches for dessert and you’ll still be out the door for under $30.

Experience Cuban Food & Culture at Versailles

If one Cuban restaurant in Miami can call itself a landmark, it’s venerable Versailles on Calle Ocho in Little Havana. 

This massive restaurant has become a gathering place for Miami’s Cuban American community, where abuelos and abuelas gather to sip coffee and talk about the old country, and families fill the mirrored dining room for arroz imperial, ropa vieja and pollo a la plancha. 

Waiters wear dress shirts and ties, and the place is somehow elegant and casual at the same time. It’s a must on any visit to Miami, though locals love it too.

Dominican Cuisine & Dancing at Club Tipico Dominicano

To immerse yourself in Dominican food and culture, head to the longstanding Club Tipico Dominicano in Allapattah. 

This restaurant-club has been the go-to for Miami’s Dominican community since the mid-1980s, offering up classic dishes like stewed goat and fish in coconut sauce by day then transforming into a Latin music club by night. 

It’s won the Miami New Times’ “Best Latin Club” award, but Club Típico is family friendly and a perfect place to kick back and enjoy delicious food and the warmth of Dominican hospitality.

A True Colombian Dining Adventure at Elcielo Miami

Chef and owner Juan Manuel Barrientos earned a MICHELIN star for his modern take on Colombian cuisine at Elcielo Miami, a waterside beauty in Brickell. 

The restaurant’s 18-course tasting menu provides a dining experience in which each dish outdoes the next, starting with exotic drinks, like passion fruit Mistella and soursop champagne, then heading into a slew of delicious dishes, including crab empanadas, seasonal soups, cumin rice with duck and lobster rolls.

The menu is for those who want a dining adventure like no other, as the experience also includes the Tree of Life, a yucca bread served to look like a bonsai tree, and Chocotherapy, in which the server pours chocolate directly into your hands. 

Special occasion dining at its finest, Elcielo will leave you with a memory you’ll talk about for years.

Smoky, Juicy Roast Chicken at Dando La Brasa

In many Latin American countries, especially ones near the Caribbean, roadside rotisserie chicken is a way of life. Families pick up a whole chicken on the way home, and it’s dinner for everyone. 

On Coral Way just outside Brickell, Dando La Brasa brings a little of that culture to Miami. 

Each chicken is marinated in a secret blend of spices for 48 hours then roasted in a rotating oven. For pollo purists, a whole, half or quarter chicken is the obvious order. The deep, smoky flavor of Dando’s roasting process lends itself well to other dishes, like the rotisserie chicken lasagna, empanadas and croquetas.

Peruvian Ceviche and More at El Chalán

If you’re craving Peruvian specialties, El Chalán in Westchester has been putting out top-tier ceviche since 1985.

It’s an unassuming, family-run spot specializing in Peruvian seafood, where the citrusy ceviche draws people in, but they come back for the creative fish dishes, like Pescado al Chalan with seafood bechamel and shrimp. 

For the meat-inclined, the lomo saltado is also a great option. 

Visitors to South Beach can find the same menu at Chalan on the Beach on 16th Street and Washington Ave.

Ecuadorian Food Comes to Miami at La Pata Gorda

Long under-represented in Miami, Ecuadorian food is having a moment. A big factor in its recent popularity is the food at La Pata Gorda, set along Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. 

The wood-lined interior brings to mind rustic restaurants in Guayaquil, while the long menu of over 40 traditional dishes showcases the best of the county’s cuisine. 

La Pata Gorda is big on seafood, starting with mangrove crab croquettes and crab chopsue, served with rice and fried plantains. There’s also an entire seafood parrillada, where the usual steak and sausage are replaced with grilled octopus, prawns and the catch of the day.

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