Best Wine Shop 2023 | Mendez Fuel | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Miami | Miami New Times
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File under the category of "if you know, you know": From the looks of this unassuming Mobil gas station on Coral Way, you might suspect the nicest bottle of wine you'd find inside would come with bare feet or a yellow tail (as it were). But in addition to being a bona fide gas station, Mendez Fuel, owned by brothers Michael and Andrew Mendez, is a sleeper boutique, stocking a range of offerings from organic wineries and makers of natural wine, including unfiltered skin contacts like Sfera's Macerato and the cult-favorite orange wine from Gulp/Hablo. The shop, which doubles as the classiest of convenience stores, also delivers locally and offers a monthly wine subscription through its app. Keep an eye on its Instagram account (@mendezfuel) for details on happy-hour events and wine tastings. The location at 3201 Coral Way is the flagship; there are two others — one on Coral Terrace and the other just off Milam Dairy Road south of the SR 836 interchange. (If gourmet Mobil stations are your jam, check out our pick for "Best Gas Station" elsewhere in this section.)

Jensen’s Liquors

We're spotlighting the original location, Jensen's Liquors #1, here, but with five other numbered outposts across Miami-Dade, a Jensen's is never too far away. Nostalgic neon signage lures curious customers off the street, but once inside, it's clear this liquor chain is forward-thinking, with aisles stocked with the latest and most in-demand beer, booze, and wine.

In a town where you swear you can smell the pure cigar smoke from Cuba wafting across the Florida Straits, Miami residents have never been able to settle for generic tobacco sticks. The Little Havana Cigar Factory lives up to its name, offering a selection of premium cigars from renowned manufacturers that is so impressive you'd be forgiven for thinking you were 90 miles away in the Cuban capital. Catering to every palate, the shop offers classic Cuban blends alongside bold Dominican and Nicaraguan flavors.

Miami Vapor Shop offers an impressive array of flavors that range from fruity delights like strawberry, mango, and watermelon to creamy indulgences like vanilla custard and caramel latte. Whether you've strolled in for a new flavor or an accessory, these folks cover every base of the vape scene, along with some bases you probably had no idea existed. The wide variety isn't the only thing that distinguishes Miami Vapor Shop from your average strip-mall vape store. Prices here are fair, and the staff is knowledgeable, making deciding between juicy fruit and mocha juice much easier.

Walking into Herbin Living Smoke Shop is like stepping into one big cannabidiol candy store. Located on Biscayne Boulevard in MiMo, the small shop is teeming with all sorts of fascinating products to silently contemplate (intricate glass pipes and rigs, space-age grinders, and top-of-the-line vaping gadgets). But narrow your eyes to the back left corner to find the shop's extensive CBD collection, which boasts the popular phytocannabinoid in all its mediums — oils, lotions, extracts, terpenes, edibles, dabables, and vapeables — and from top brands like Bhang, Provida, Infinite, and Greenroads. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and can rattle off facts about CBD's benefits and how its bioavailability differentiates in its various forms.

Not even the fact that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency task force busted Clyde "Bill" Cobb in 1983 for operating the largest marijuana smuggling ring ever prosecuted by the federal government could deter his son, Brady Cobb, from continuing the family legacy: providing Floridians with great weed. Of course, as CEO of Sunburn Cannabis, Brady Cobb's operation is totally legal. After opening Sunburn's first outpost in Fort Lauderdale last November, Cobb has made sure that each of the company's ten dispensaries celebrates the state's smuggler spirit. Sunburn ditches the fluorescent lighting and minute-clinic vibe in favor of pool tables, rock 'n' roll playlists, and collages of babes, boats, and bikinis. The company's logo — a shrimp boat — is a nod to the vessel in which Bill Cobb smuggled kilos across the Gulf of Mexico, and the name a tip of the cap to Operation Sunburn, the DEA task force that nabbed the old man in '83.

It doesn't matter whether you're riding a Ducati, a Kawasaki, a Triumph, or a Harley-Davidson, Miami Motostop is the place to go, offering parts and accessories from all major and specialist manufacturers. Since 2009, the Miami shop has been every local rider's go-to spot for upgrades, be it tracking down hard-to-find parts, boosting speed, customizing appearances, or picking up reasonably priced riding gear. It's a shop for motorcycle enthusiasts by motorcycle enthusiasts.

Kendall Toyota photo

For 54 years, Kendall Toyota has serviced greater Miami with new and used vehicles. To put that into perspective, Kendall Toyota has been ensuring that customers drive off the lot happy since 1969 — a mere three years after the Miami Dolphins became a team, four years after Florida International University was established, and four years after Cuban exiles fled to the U.S. on the first Freedom Flights. From helping new customers find their dream car to assisting existing ones who've come for maintenance or repairs to contributing to local charitable organizations, the dealership is an institution whose name locals recognize instantly and whose jingles they can sing on command.

Few cities take car pampering as seriously as Miami. Envision, if you will, the over-the-top ridiculousness of those people who stroll around Aventura Mall with their pets in baby carriages. Now imagine the car version. Don't worry; the knowledgeable and kind folks at Miami Auto Spa aren't looking to shame you for the meticulous attention to detail that you crave. They just want to send your car home sparkling. The spa lives up to its name, offering a menu of services and packages so extensive you almost expect cucumber slices over your vehicle's headlights. Regardless of your budget and needs, the Miami Auto Spa will exceed your expectations, even if those expectations for car cleanliness are higher than most Miamians have for themselves.

George Martinez

A Spaniard's epicurean dream is disguised as an unassuming Mobil gas station near the intersection at SW 17th Avenue and U.S. 1. Whereas other gas station convenience marts are stocked with candy, air fresheners, and cigarettes, El Carajo International Tapas & Wines elevates the experience with an assortment of wines, a Cuban coffee bar with croquetas and pastelitos, and a full-service restaurant that offers charcuterie, seafood, tapas, and paella so good you'll think you've been transported to Madrid. A climate-controlled cellar features globally sourced wines available for purchase whether you're dining in or out. (Are gourmet Mobil gas stations a thing in Miami? Check out "Best Wine Store" elsewhere in this section and decide for yourself.)

Best Of Miami®

Best Of Miami®