Tourists might flock to La Sanguich and Versailles, but locals (and their abuelitos) are endeared to Bella Cuba, a longtime, family-owned establishment in South Beach. The first Bella Cuba opened in Ireland, but when owner Omar Jimenez's family relocated to Miami when he was a kid, they brought their restaurant with them and opened it a stone's throw from Lincoln Road and the Miami Beach Convention Center. Since 2005, the kitchen has consistently churned out some of the city's best Cuban fare, a perfect union of Afro-Caribbean and Spanish dishes from tender ropa vieja and indulgent crema de malanga soup to frita sliders and seafood paella. But you're here for their generously portioned Cuban sandwich. It starts with fresh-baked Cuban bread pressed to perfection and layered with slices of salty ham, a mountainous pile of fragrant house-roasted pork, and the requisite trio of Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. The result is a mouthwatering combination of savory, sweet, and tangy. If you're feeling adventurous, it's also available as a wrap that's equally loaded with all the ingredients and delivers a burrito-style Cubano experience with everything but the bread.

With a name like Le Chick, this Wynwood eatery has essentially declared itself the reigning ruler of Miami poultry. Fortunately, the restaurant's chicken sandwich is as close to perfection as you can get for golden-fried goodness. There's nothing fancy about this sandwich, and it starts with the basics: The buttermilk fried chicken breast is crunchy on the outside, and plump, juicy, and flavorful on the inside. It's topped with homemade ranch, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles and rests on a brioche bun that won't deflate into a soggy mess during the meal. The sandwich can be gussied up with add-ons like applewood smoked bacon, avocado, and truffle aioli. (A fried egg on the sandwich is divisive but ultimately rewarding for those who love a runny yolk.) Le Chick also has a great cocktail program and a robust selection of wines by the glass. Dine on the garden patio for an elevated chicken sammie experience.

Miami-born chef Jeremiah Bullfrog has an impressive culinary resume. He's worked in some of the most prestigious restaurants in the world, towed one of Miami's first food trucks with Gastropod, and created two popular food events with Duck Duck Goose and P.I.G. He even starred in the Complex Networks reality series Jeremiah Bullfrog Forks It!, eating and cooking his way through U.S. cities. These days, however, Bullfrog has discovered a new passion for pizza, channeling his own riff on one of Detroit's most iconic foodstuffs, the deep-dish square pie. Earlier this year, his pop-up turned permanent restaurant opened in the Design District, where pizza lovers can find Bullfrog's most popular red and white pies with the option for vegan or gluten-free substitutes. Prepared using the chef's 72-hour, double-fermented dough, the thick base is first topped with cheese before it's smothered in a layer of sauce and baked to form the style's quintessential crispy edges. You can't go wrong with the "Classix," a combination of mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan beneath a layer of Bullfrog's proprietary marinara "dat sauce." If you like it spicy, go for the "Red in the Head, Fire in the Bed," which gets its heat from the chef's Calabrian chili-infused oil. Thin crust pies are a new addition to the menu, available during dinner service and sold as whole pies for dine-in or takeout. They're made using a malt-kissed, low-hydration dough that cooks into a flavorful, crispy crust thanks to the high temperature of the in-house wood-burning oven and are a must for any thin-crust lover. But the best part of Square Pie City might be the ambiance, with its casual slice shop vibe and walk-up counter, making it easy to grab and go with some of the area's best slices for lunch or dinner.

FatBoy's Wings & Tings founder Sean Burke began cooking out of his home in 2012, and more than a decade later, his frying prowess has made his brick-and-mortar North Miami Beach establishment (opened in 2018) a fixture on the South Florida chicken-wing map. The secret is a unique blend of spices, seasonings, and cooked-to-order freshness, making these wings perfectly crisp and succulent with tender meat that falls from the bone. More than 20 exclusive FatBoy sauces are available, including the usual barbecue, teriyaki, and garlic Parmesan. But it's the Caribbean-flavored sauces that harken back to Burke's native Jamaican roots, with top sellers like the pineapple jerk, honey orange, and mango habanero. But it's the lemon pepper you can't miss — a butter-infused sauce that combines creamy, tangy, and sweet with each bite.

Coney Burger's recent ascent from a humble pop-up tent at Smorgasburg Miami to a standalone brick-and-mortar restaurant is a testament to the brand's burger prowess. The powerhouse couple behind this culinary sensation, Pedro and Vanessa Lara, emerged from the pandemic eager to showcase their combined culinary creativity in a way that could satisfy both omnivorous and plant-based patrons alike. While the menu has expanded to include a smash burger, their pride and joy remains the two top sellers: the eponymous "Coney" burger, a made-from-scratch, mushroom-based patty that combines Japanese maitake and oyster varieties with sweet potato, black beans, carrot, and a special seasoning blend before it's outfitted with vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, vegan cilantro aioli and Coney sauce, and "magic" fried onions. The "Champ" is the go-to for the meat-eating crowd, a beyond-juicy Wagyu patty procured from a local, family-run ranch in Homestead. Each seven-ounce, hand-shaped patty is seared to perfection, oozing with fatty goodness before it's topped with a thick-cut slice of tarragon-seasoned, pickled green heirloom tomato, a schmear of the chef's egg yolk-based "happy sauce" (a tangy-sweet housemade yuzu mayo), and a sprinkling of chopped chives. While both burgers offer different flavor profiles, they share a vegan brioche bun that's made from scratch and comes from a recipe fashioned after Japanese milk bread that's squishy and buttery, like a brioche bao, creating the perfect carby bookends to contain an unforgettable juicy patty.

There's no denying that the hot dog is an all-American treat. Lots of folks think that only applies to the United States of America. But those of us in Miami — the hinge that swings wide open the multicultural door — know that means all of the Americas. You can find delicious proof of that at Mr. Pancho in the International Mall (with a second location in Cutler Bay's Southland Mall). Here, these huge all-beef dogs are designed as everything from Cuban sandwiches to tacos to nachos. Enjoy them Venezuelan- or Colombian-style. Or try them with high-end ingredients like truffle oil or creamy spinach and mushroom dressing.

Don't let the "stone crabs" in Joe's Stone Crab overshadow one of the true stars of this historic, 100-year-old restaurant. At under $10, the fried half-chicken is one of the cheaper menu items, but don't assume the price point justifies a dish that'll come out too salty or dry. The fried chicken is drool-worthy, with crispy skin and juicy meat that melts right off the drumstick.

Don't dismiss this common barbecue side. A successful mac & cheese requires the perfect ratio of cheese-pull, tender pasta, and a thick, creamy sauce to tie it all together. At her MiMo eatery, Chica, chef Lorena Garcia checks all these boxes with her poblano mac & cheese. This indulgent dish is baked (and served) in a cast-iron dish, combining a classic Mornay sauce infused with poblano peppers and topped with a crisp chorizo crumble.

As one of the first on the taqueria scene with birria tacos (stuffed with stewed meat and served with its braising liquid for dipping), El Primo debuted during the pandemic and spent the first two years of its life as a pop-up. Then, much to local taco aficionados' collective delight, it became a permanent fixture last fall. With its trademark red color and a choice of soft or crisp corn, flour, or even keto-friendly cheese tortillas, these birria tacos are crunchy, juicy, drippy, and messy. In short, they're delightful chaos for the palate, simultaneously satisfying all textural and taste requirements. Signature menu items include the ultra-rich huesitaco (birria taco with bone marrow) and the super-fun birriamen (birria, ramen noodles, and birria broth). If you're still hungry after indulging in the taco offerings, round out your meal with a birria smash burger (birria, beef patty, cheese, and consommé) and birria fries (birria, cheese, guacamole, onion, cilantro, and morita aioli). Some of these might sound like missteps, but trust us — you can't order wrong here.

Every year we try to ignore the 800-pound croqueta in the room. While others have tried to claim the title of best croqueta, only one has reigned supreme in this city since 1977. In the heart of Tamiami, Islas Canarias boasts a golden nugget of deep-fried heaven filled with a proprietary blend of ham and cheese. The Cuban Andrade family founded the restaurant in Little Havana, but it's been in its current spot since 1987. It's become so beloved by the community that the Miami-Dade Commission even proclaimed that corner of Southwest 137th Avenue and 26th Street "Islas Canarias Way."