Maria's Greek Restaurant - Miami

Taste: *****

Cost: $$

The best greek food I've ever had. period. You have to try the saganaki... its perfection on a plate. Perfectly baked cheese set on fire. No seriously, I have dreams about it. The grape leaves, hummus, and gyro platters are amazing too. But yeah, saganaki... you've been warned b/c this stuff is addicting like crack. Portions are plentiful, cost is pretty low considering its the gables area. This place has been recently decorated and is a rare gem. Even small nuances like the feta cheese, and the crispy fries. This is probably the one place I will break from my diet to eat at. 5 stars easy. Best Greek Food. EVER.

2359 SW 22nd St
Coral Gables, FL 33145-3510
(305) 856-0938

Area 31 - Miami

Taste: ***

Cost: $$$$

Decent food, but you're paying for the view. Appetizers are pretty average. This place is probably a plus if you're on an atkins diet, bc all the fish and steak are served with salad. The yellow tail snapper was tasty enough, if not a little over seasoned. The flat iron steak was cooked well and tender enough, and well seasoned. The rapini was a bit of a throw away. Sauteed brocolini with some olive oil.

The view and atmosphere, however, is what elevates everything. If you're trying to impress someone, they will be visually, but just sated with their appetite. The menu evokes mostly latin flavors with some italian influece. Heavy emphasis on seafood.

270 Biscayne Blvd. Way
Miami, FL 33131
(305) 424-5234

Moon Thai - Miami

Taste: ***

Cost: $$$

I was really ready to write them off with 2 stars, but their pad thai won me over in the end. The sushi here is pretty average, not bad, but not great. They have a big focus on cooked rolls with lots of tempura flakes. Their pad thai is tasty, a bit heavy for my tastes and I prefer a bit more sweet. After I squeezed a bit of lime into it, it opened up and was a very nice savory pad thai. Everything is a bit pricey but not unreasonable. A good place for someone not too into asian food as the menu seems very Pan-Asian inspired and more suited for an american palate.

Tel: (305) 668 - 9890
1118 S Dixie Hwy, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Matsuri (Miami)

Taste: ****

Cost: $$

Went here for lunch and instead of splurging, I just decided to order a lunch box. I'll voice my dissappointments first. They do not have an all sushi lunch special. I was forced to split my lunch between sashimi and some sauteed beef, teryaki, or tempura. Ok, thats out of the way. The fish here is insanely fresh. The sashimi lunch box had cuts of buttery salmon, tasty tuna, and hamachi that tasted like it just came off my fishing pole. Even the california rolls tasted good (must of been the real crab meat and fresh avocado). The quality here is really top notch. Though their roll selection is a bit limited (even more limited since there some of them contain cooked rolls... eww), it is very modestly priced. Before I can declare this the best sushi joint in miami, it definitely needs a dinner time review.

5759 Bird Rd

Miami, FL

305-663-1615

Power Pizza (Miami)

Taste: *
Cost: $$

This might not be a fair review as I just had the calzone, but I was generally dissappointed with my calzone. I had always wanted to try this place, but never got around to it. I should of just went to Ernesto's for some Mexican next door. The dough was ok, but it costs a buck per toppping (base calzone does not include any toppings, just ricotta cheese and moz). The calzone was a nice size, but was stuffed with tons of moz. I'm not joking, I'd be happy with this, but there was barely any of the mushrooms and sausage i had ordered in there. The moz was also low fat and generally bland... I would of expected some parmesean or some flavor hard cheese to be in there to give it some flavor. I don't know if I have the heart to go back and try a pizza...

8825 SW 107th Ave Miami, FL 33176
(305) 270-3319

Alta Cocina (Miami)

Taste: ***
Cost: $$

Went here for lunch, very nice decor inside. Definitely a nice place to take a date. The menu and name evoke Latin Flavors, but the menu suggests a more global fusion type cuisine. I had the Yellowtail Tuna Salad. Expecting some chopped ahi tuna on a bed of greens, I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent sized Tuna Steak on plate waiting for me next to their side salad. The Tuna was cooked rare as per my request, but the soy/ginger sauce it was served with was a tad too sweet and detracted a bit too much from the flavor of the Tuna. The side salad was luckily dressed with a vineagrette so that provided some much needed acid. With the obvious asian influence on this dish, I would of appreciated a wasabi rub on the fish. The french fries were very light and crispy; they had a nice starch to them. My co-workers enjoyed their various Panini's, and had no complaints. At a glance on their dinner menu, 33 bucks for a choice (non-prime) filet, is a bit steep. The food was solid food though in a nice atmosphere, its definitely worth a try.

www.altacocinarestaurant.com
5837 Sunset Dr
South Miami, FL 33143
(305) 662-7435

Levi Kelly's BBQ (Miami)

Taste: *****
Cost: $

Do you live within 40 miles from the University of Miami? Is it Friday or Saturday? Go visit Levi Kelly... NOW!

On my drive into work, I see this man setting up, but unfortunately I always take the train up to West Palm on Fridays so I've been unable to try out his BBQ. I've finally had an opportunity and it is hands down THE BEST BBQ IN SOUTH FLORIDA. The ribs are in a word.... PERFECT. Succulent, tender, but not shreds in your teeth tender, they have a nice snap to the meat, great smokiness with no charred bitter undertone. The meat is just incredible and Mr. Kelly does not trim the rib membrane, you het all the meat. For 8 bucks you get a huge half slab.

The sauce is best described as the crossroads of the big 4 of BBQ: Memphis, Carolinas, Texas and KC. Actually its very St Louis-style. It is sweet, but not overly sweet; its has a nice touch of tang but not too acidic. Its just right, although maybe a bit more spiciness might work too.

I transcend into a little pork induced heaven after biting in and the only thing that made the ribs better was sharing the bones and some fat with my best friend; my dog Halo.

The neighborhood Mr. Kelly serves his excellent bbq might be perceived as a bit "tough". It is actually not like that at all. Its a charming little area, where the people are extraordinarily nice and make due the best they can with their means. Trust me, you'll forget about where you are, as soon as you bite in. They have officially overthrown Tom's in West Palm Beach (now under new management) as the best BBQ in florida.

Corner of SW 59th Place and 62nd Street
On the Gravel Lot behind the church

Kyojin (Miami, Palm Beach)

Taste: ***
Cost: $$

I've been to both the Kyojins in Boca and Miami and I've always walked away... barely able to walk away. I eat myself stupid here. The Boca location has a great hibachi station and grill station. The meat is actually very good, while the sushi quality, is edible, its not super fresh tasting. The Miami location, has an ok grill (a bit bland), but the sushi here is surprisingly edible. I mean tasty. I ventured to eat rolls like eel, rainbow, and edo style with good results. So if you have a big appetite, definitely you'll get your money's worth here one way or another.

Sports Grill (Miami)

Taste: ****
Cost: $

The place to go for wings and a beer in Miami. Hooligans, Keg South, the Pub only wished they had wings as good as Sports Grill. Me and my friend Eddie actually refer to this place as the Holy Grill. No seriously, they actually use old church pews as benches. The wings are great, even when its almost midnight and the kitchen is about to close. Nicely grilled, no batter, clean sauce. I wish the medium heat wings had a bit more kick to them. The next notch up (the Miami Heat) uses a blazing scotch bonnet pepper which is a bit too much for me to handle. Aside from wings, everything else here is pretty good too. The burgers are solid, albeit a tad forgettable. Fries are actually crisp, not soggy like most bar type places. If you're thinking about picking up some wings to go, skip the wing specialist places and go here. Have a beer while you wait, it'll be worth it.

14617 sw 104th St
Miami, Fl

Wing Stop (Various Locations)

Taste: **
Cost: $

Hmm they weren't horrible and not too expensive. The flavors of the wigns are pretty run of the mill and don't really stand out. My biggest pet peeve was that they didn't give us blue cheese or ranch and forgot to tell us that they wouldn't be included. Who eats wings without bleu cheese or ranch? The wings were on the small side but you get 20 for lke 11 bucks. If I had to cater on the cheap and I didn't like my friends too much I might order again.

12528 SW 120th St
Miami, FL 33186

5 Guys Burger and Fries (Miami)

Taste: *** (revised from** (revised from ***))
Cost: $

Last chance Review

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I want to like 5 guys. I really do. They have this whole grassroots campaign similar to in and out and shake shack. I decided to give it one last whirl at the south miami location. Of the 3 tries, this was the best. While cooked well done (over cooked in my opinion) the patty was loose packed and had a tender texture. This location also correctly placed the mushrooms and grilled onions on the bottom. It was ok. Actually, it was good, but nothing spectacular. The fries we nice, but not crisp (come on guys... twice fry already!). I bumped you guys back up to 3 stars. But for a 5 buck burger... you're much better off going to charm city. In fact the patties seemed smaller this time... Don't know if they're downsizing due to their popularity?

Updated Review
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So I had to try it again. The burger this time was just too dry for my tastes as I've observed a disturbing practice in the kitchen... they press their burgers. The fries are still good, but I'm pretty much done with the well done burgers. They probably use all ground sirloin, while although tastey, will be very dry after cooking to well done, no less pressing the meat. Dissappointing.
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The newest burger joint to open in Miami, and of course you know I had to try it. Everything here is about simplicity. Only a handful of burgers with unlimited free toppings, fries seasoned 2 ways (cajun or regular), and a hotdog. My first major complaint was the cooking of the burgers. I personally like my burger Medium, with a pink center, but all burgers here are cooked the same way, well done, but its is still juicy to their credit. Their basic burger is a double patty burger. I'd estimate it to be around just over half a pound. So their regular burger is really the little burger. Confusing I know... The burger itself is a very meaty burger. Not much seasoning to overpower the taste of the beef and it was pretty tasty. No options in cheese either, but it also was tasty. I was expecting fresh mushroons but their just canned ones, thats ok I use canned mushrooms on burgers I cook at home too. The fries were great. Hand cut, fried in peanut oil which you can really taste. They're definitely cut ther day, as you can taste the starchiness of potato and the skin is left on which is a nice home cooked feeling. Actually the regular fries is enough for 2. They're crammed into a styrofoam cup and spilling out with another serving in the bag. In fact the fries are probably what would probably keep me coming back here. I'm still a Fuddruckers fan (more burger options, cheese sauce with fries, variable doneness of burgers) but if I didn't want to trek out to North Miami, I wouldn't mind stopping by here.

10471 N Kendall Dr
Miami, FL 33176

Taco Rico (Miami)

Taste: ***
Cost: $

Update:

I realized why the food isn't great, I haven't been adding the spinach sauce. The food is good now.

Its all a bit too greasy and just not fresh tasting enough. I had the Chimichanga, Fajita and Taco all to unimpressive results. I'm a forgiving person, especially if the food is cheap... but the food shouldn't have to taste cheap. The Chimichanga was soaked through the paper with oil and just left a bad taste in my mouth after eating. I then moved onto the Fajita, thinking that the peppers would lighten things up... wrong. Just bland and mushy veggies inside. The Taco's shell disintegrated in my hands while eating... Not very good at all... go across the street to Chipotle or something...

473 S Dixie Hwy
Coral Gables, FL 33146

Ruth's Chris (Miami, West Palm)

Taste: ****
Cost: $$$

As far as consistency goes, this place always produces. They have their broiler times down to a science and you can expect the same quality of steak every time. Some might consider their steaks a tad on the salty side, but thats how I like mine. Get the filet, bone in rib-eye, or porterhouse without any fancy sauces like au poivre. The "famous" potatoes au gratin aren't so famous in my opinion; go with the lyonnaise potatoes for an excellent side. Nothing really jumped out at me when it came to appetizers, so don't fret, you're already spending 30+ bucks for an entre' already, WITHOUT a side.

Various locations

1909 Cafe (Miami)

Taste: ***
Cost: $

Good sandwiches here, particularly the eggplant sandwich. Most of their offerings are tasty if not run of the mill. I could do without the mini bean sprouts in my sandwich though. It should be noted that I have a vehement hatred of eggplant and yet I like their eggplant sandwich. I'd give it more stars but its not one of those, I have to eat there places. Solid sandwiches though.

5710 SW 40th St
Miami, FL 33155

Texas de Brazil (Miami)

Taste: **
Cost: $$$

I come from a long line of large eaters. My resume' includes 50+ pieces of sushi, a 2 lb burger. 8 slabs of prime rib, 2 large pizzas, 24 hotdogs, 3 racks of ribs, 8 baked potatos, etc... in fact my lineage includes a cousin who once got kicked out of an all you can eat restaurant. Texas de Brazil serves up some tasty brazilian meats ala cart, nonstop. The first few pieces were great and I looked forward into slipping into a meat induced coma. After the 4th piece it hit me. Yes their food is a bit salty but I love salty food (I was the kid who ate bread dipped in soy sauce). Its some kind of special salt they must use that his this incredible cumulative effect. A half hour in my whole family had tapped out but I kept chugging along, although difficultly. I was not full, in fact I could eat more but my tastebuds were on salt overload. I resorted to alternating plates of salad with balsamic vinegar to shock my buds back to normal with limited success. I've had real guacho brazial bbq from my brazilian friends and there i could eat for hours. Alas I finally threw in the towel and must of drank gallons of water in the aftermath. Long story short, yes its tasty, yes you can eat all you want, but can you? From an empirical standpoint, the food was good but the price is better spent on something else in my opinion.

11401 NW 12th St
Miami, FL 33172

Mojitos (Miami)

Taste: ***
Cost: $

No this isn't the one in Dolphin mall, its the small pan con bistec shop on red road by Sunset Place. On a whim after getting some new tennis strings, I decided to stop in. I've had my fair share of pan con bistec in my life, from the roach coaches to other hole in the wall joints. After my first bite, I was ready to dismiss it, but on the second bite I changed my tune. Lets be honest, its cheap meat, seasoned and thrown between bread with papa fritas. I was never a fan of them bc of the tough meat, but also bc the meat jsut wasn't seasoned enough. It always left a slightly sour after taste in my mouth. Whether it was from a lemon marinade to tenderize the meat, or just bad meat... i was never a fan. Mojito's thank fully omits the overly acidic overtone and accentuates what cuban cuisine is known for: onions. The sauteed onions light up the sandwich and makes me forget about the tough meat. In fact on a 2nd bite the meat is well seasoned and compliments well with the freshly baked cuban bread. They get 3 stars for making me like the pan con bistec.

7318 Red Road
Miami, FL

Rincon Argentino (Miami)

Taste: ****
cost: $$$

I base my own churrasco recipe from this place. It is a bit pricey and thats why I never come here for dinner. However, at lunch time they offer their same flap steak that sells for $26 for 7 bucks. Thats a great deal and a tasty piece of meat. The chinichurri is not so chunky, but they've allowed the olive oil base to emulsify adequately which results in a great smooth consistency.

7744 N. Kendall Drive
Miami, FL 33156

Joffrey's (Miami)

Taste: ***
Cost: $

This is actually a really great little place. The food is good, maybe not spectacular, but its solid, consistent and the portions are large. I've had most of the salads which are massive, and the burgers here are not too shabby. The main draw is the free unencrypted wi-fi. I come in and order the mango bean salsa and chips (cheap and tasty) and leach off their free internet all day.

11531 North Kendall
Miami, FL 33176-1002

Titanic Brewery (Miami)

Taste: **
Cost: $

Nothing really jumped out at me about this place except that it was inexpensive and located close to UM's campus. The novelty of the inhouse microbrewery quickly wears away when the beer tastes no different from stock ales and pilsners. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I'd rather come here than the Ratheskellar located at UM so thats why I gave it the extra star.

5813 Ponce De Leon Blvd
Coral Gables, Florida 33146

Siam Palace (Miami)

Taste: *
Cost: $$

The environment was nice, I just wished the food was better. The shrimp wasn't deveined, and the food was sloppy. Although not entirely horrible, nothing left an impression on my palate which is a bad sign. I usually can find something redeeming about a place. I'm sure people not keen on real thai cuisine will be happy, but for me my money's better spent at Bangkok Bangkok.

9999 SW 72nd St # 109
Miami, FL 33173