MIAGuide
The Best Restaurants In Hialeah
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
Hialeah, commonly known as the Amelia Earhart District to clueless developers trying to make Hialeah trendy, is enormous. And in between the auto shops and questionable insurance boutiques, there are a lot of places to eat. Hialeah obviously has no shortage of Cuban options, but it can also satisfy a craving outside the vaca frita and cortadito realm. In this guide, you’ll find casual sushi you pluck off boats, burgers, soft serve, and a vegan ventanita—all in this beautifully loud and unpredictable neighborhood. Just don’t forget to buy yourself some flowers and mamoncillos from street vendors somewhere along the way.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
La Fresa Francesa looks like a whimsical Parisian souvenir shop designed by a Hialeah abuela. With its old-timey French music and floral tablecloths, it’s one of the most romantic restaurants in Miami. Dinner here is very French—buttery and rich—but it’s also simultaneously Hialeah. The menu has a foie gras pastelito that feels historically significant. And on weekends, they do a great brunch with a delicious “quack” madame sandwich. La Fresa Francesa isn’t just one of the best restaurants in Hialeah, it’s one the best restaurants in Miami.
photo credit: Tasty Planet
You need two very important things to eat at this Cuban restaurant. First, cash—they don’t accept cards. Second, bring a monstrous appetite. Portions here feed you for days. Everything is large and excellent, but our favorite dish is the vaca frita. La Viña is also great for breakfast. You’ll notice a giant bottle of vinegar and peppers on your table—pour it on your eggs (or anything). But this place also stands out for its attention to detail and warm hospitality. Even in a city as packed with Cuban restaurants as Hialeah, this is our favorite.
photo credit: Tasty Planet
Breadman sounds like a local superhero that makes Miami a safer place by taming its angry citizens with delicious Cuban classics. In actuality, it’s a Cuban bakery that does staples like ham croquetas, pastelitos, and cuban sandwiches really well. But what makes this morning spot a standout is its creative riffs on said classics. They make a Nutella pastelito that’s so flaky, bits of puff pastry somehow end up in your hair. The pastel preparado is a revolutionary pastel version of a croqueta preparada. And on the topic of croquetas, they make corn and cheese croquetas that taste like a cachapa. Thanks to Breadman, this city is still afloat (or at least too full to cause trouble).
photo credit: Tasty Planet
Located on Hialeah’s most Hialeah street (49th street), this diner makes really good cuban sandwiches and serves the best croquetas in Miami (because they get them from Islas Canarias). A meal here can be as delightfully simple as cafe con leche with a tostada and croquetas. But it can also be a nice piece of churrasco and a glass of wine from their wine and tapas bar right next door. You can count on this place and its evening alter ego for when you need a good plate of croquetas with your Cuban breakfast, or your Spanish dinner.
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
This ice cream shop was once a Dairy Queen, but it’s now our favorite place to get soft serve in Miami. It has a drive-thru, a couple of shaded tables in the back, and the absolute nicest people working the windows. You have three soft serve choices: vanilla, chocolate, or a twist of the two—plus 29 different toppings. About half the menu is dedicated to soft serve, and our favorite order is a small vanilla cone dipped in butterscotch. It kind of tastes like pancakes and it’s just over $3 with tax.
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
La Bodeguita is a Spanish tapas restaurant and bar. They play live music almost every night and you might catch flamenco dancers on Saturday nights. Though they have larger plates, focus on the tapas. The yuca fries come with a side of lobster sauce that’s thick and creamy like a good clam chowder. The patatas bravas are sliced thin and unlike standard patatas, they drizzle a housemade pink sauce on them. Anything breaded and fried is a safe bet here too. The spinach croquetas and mahi mahi fish sticks are crispy and delicious. Reserve this place for a Tuesday when tapas are half off.
photo credit: Tasty Planet
Shima is the (twin) sister of Katana in North Beach. Exactly like Katana, you sit around a lazy stream and the sushi arrives on small boats. Prices correspond to varying plate colors and they don’t take reservations. Unlike Katana, the wait time won't have you fall into an existential spiral about how most of your life is wasted on waiting for things. Order the spider roll with the server because it won’t appear via boat travel, and it’s too good to miss. Shima is a reliable and casual sushi spot to come with your favorite group chat of two other people. But it also works great for eating alone while contemplating the physics of buoyancy as salmon nigiri floats your way.
This is the only exclusively vegan Cuban ventanita in Hialeah (but not in Miami). And it’s making delicious bakery classics like croquetas made with chickpeas and incredibly flaky guava and “cheeze” pastelitos. Aside from the bakery items, their lunch menu (available from 11am-2pm) is what you should really come for. They make an excellent frita burger and an impressive selection of completas with vegan lechon, chik’n, and steak. Once you order from the ventanita, make your way next door, where you can sit and eat. And when you’re done, you can shop for vegan groceries from local vendors.
photo credit: Justin Namon
Kush Hialeah was formerly known as Stephen’s, a classic spot for Jewish deli staples. Now, you can expect the same good burgers found in other Kush restaurants—but you’re still coming here for the dishes this place served back when it opened in 1954. The menu has latkes, matzo ball soup, and hot pastrami sandwiches. A meal here is incomplete without trying some cheesy “goy-ish” croquetas made with corned beef and pastrami that are deliciously Hialeah. And in the back, they have a little bar called La Cocina that's packed with Hialeah clichés and drinks with names like “ay que feo” and “mucho mucho mezcal.”
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
Mi Fondita is a casual Colombian spot where servers call you “mi amor” and you can have a filling meal for under $15. Sauces come in cafecito cups and the staff smiles at you with the same genuinity of a golden retriever. For a quick and filling meal, get the arepa rellena mi fondita. It's generously stuffed with steak, chicken, chicharron, and comes with a hefty side of fries for only about $13. We understand why lunch here might lead you to ponder spending the rest of your weekday afternoons at Mi Fondita, jobless yet full of vim.
photo credit: Tasty Planet
Franky’s Deli feels like the kind of place you’d find in Brooklyn. Until you realize their Italian sub is made with cuban bread, and then you remember you’re in Hialeah. The family-owned sandwich shop has been around for decades and they’re actual wizards in sandwich sorcery. Ruler-sized sandwiches are just under $10 and they give you a hole-punch card for a free sandwich after your 10th visit—a goal you will quickly accomplish once you try their tuna salad sandwich (say yes to all toppings offered).
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
You’re going to this casual spot for a massive plate of mofongo. The Puerto Rican restaurant’s mofongo is topped with crispy pork rinds and pairs well with any meat. But if you can tolerate double servings of pork, get the one with a side of fried pork chunks. It’s juicy, tender, and with a generous lime squeeze, it makes you dance in your seat a little. Like most restaurants in Hialeah, El Rinconcito is open for 14 hours straight (from 8am to 10pm), but the place mainly fills up for lunch. It’s the kind of afternoon meal that is immediately followed by a two-hour nap.
photo credit: Tasty Planet
For 30+ years, S&N has been a go-to ventanita in Hialeah. The cash-only spot serves up some of the best pan con lechon and pan con bistec sandwiches in Hialeah. Prioritize those over the cuban sandwich. But definitely don’t leave without ordering a batido (specifically trigo, mango, and strawberry). This place runs a serious takeout operation. There’s minimal counter seating inside, but no chairs in sight. And we recommend rehearsing your order before you go because they’re always busy and if you hesitate, they may skip over you—but that’s sort of the tough love charm of this place.
photo credit: Tasty Planet
There are tons of great Cuban restaurants in Hialeah, and this is one of them. Morro Castle is known for their fritas and churros, which are good, but we really love their vaca frita and elena ruz. You just have to know how to order here, because your choice of side makes all the difference. Order the vaca frita with yuca and mojo. Then dip that fried flank steak in the mojo sauce and enjoy it with a piece of yuca in one bite. And if you order the elena ruz, ask for it with ham instead of turkey. Is it still technically an elena ruz? We bet its namesake (a fan of making up sandwiches) would say so.
photo credit: Mariana Trabanino
You can buy every Goya product known to man at this Hialeah supermarket, but if you don’t feel like dealing with your own stove, walk in and turn left. That’s where you’ll find Presidente’s cafeteria. Every location of this local chain has one, but this particular Presidente makes the best food. The chicken drumsticks are tender and the massive strips of chicharron should intimidate someone with dental issues, but still contain juicy meat inside. This is just the kind of affordable, easy, and delicious meal everyone loves, which is probably why it's also in the top five of Miami's most chaotic parking lots.
