MIAGuide
Where To Eat On Lincoln Road, If You Absolutely Have To
If you have to eat on Lincoln Road, go to one of these places.
The conventional knowledge about eating on Lincoln Road is simply, “don’t do it.” But sometimes you don’t have a choice. Maybe returning those pants at Zara took way longer than you expected and now you’re starving. Perhaps a semi-truck carrying rare sea turtles flipped on Alton Road and the cops aren’t letting anyone off the island. Either way, you’re hungry, and the good news is there are some spots nearby that range from good to great. These places fit into that spectrum—and won’t require you to walk more than one block from the strange concrete of Lincoln Road.
THE SPOTS
Mister 01 is right behind the Lincoln Road Apple store, and it’s the perfect place to hide from people who are furious at their malfunctioning iPads. It’s located inside a random office building on Michigan Ave, and an employee standing outside has to let you into the lobby. After that, you should hear the tiny, consistently-packed pizzeria (a reservation isn’t a terrible idea). This place serves some of Miami's most oddly delicious pies. Focus on the “extraordinary pizza” section of the menu. The very popular Star Luca has a folded crust stuffed with ricotta, and the delicious Claudio pizza is served at room temperature with a very generous amount of white truffle oil on top.
Tacombi is a block from Lincoln Road and the perfect alternative to display-window pizzas or sucking on a hookah. This place is a casual taqueria that runs like the well-oiled national chain it's trying to become. The floor is purposely unfinished and you sit on red folding chairs. But salsa bottles all face the same direction, service is friendly, and tacos overflow with meat. We like the baja crispy fresh taco—with cod that’s crunchy outside and juicy inside. The amount of meat in each taco is more impressive than the flavor of the meat. But that’s where those bottles of salsa come in handy. Try the sierras verdes on the baja crispy fish and the smoky tierra norte on the al pastor. Just don’t forget to order the corn esquites.
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Yardbird serves those big, heavy Southern dishes you know will put you out for the next six hours, but you happily eat anyway because they’re good. Fried chicken is the main attraction here (and the best thing on the menu by far). The best way to get it is in the chicken and waffles. Brunch here is also a good option if you want to get way too full on a lazy Sunday morning. This place can get a bit touristy and has the personality of a chain restaurant, but it's not as chaotic as most of the surrounding Lincoln Road restaurants, the service is good, and they have lots of whiskey and bourbon.
Frieze has been serving ice cream since Miami Vice was on the air. It’s that kind of charming neighborhood scoop shop with bright fluorescent lights, hypothermia-inducing AC, and a staff exclusively made up of teenagers. The ice cream is kosher and they have non-dairy sorbet too. There are no ridiculous flavors or sundae monstrosities that exist only to be photographed—just cups and cones you can take with you down Lincoln Road, which should help aggressive hosts get the hint that you’re not interested in their four-for-one chicken tender Happy Hour.
You’ll notice that just about everywhere on this guide is pretty casual. That’s because Lincoln Road’s pricier restaurants tend to be terrible. But Mila, an untz-untz see-and-be-seen rooftop restaurant, stands out from the rest of the upscale Lincoln Road options—for mostly good reasons. It is, like its peers, pricier than it ought to be. But unlike those peers, the food isn’t an afterthought. Some of it’s actually tasty (although the portions are quite tiny). Plus, the restaurant has a sleek design that’s not aesthetically chaotic and some pretty outdoor patio seating too. This is definitely a place worth picking over Juvia, in case you were trying to make that decision.
Only a block south of the western tip of Lincoln Road, Bodega is a very manageable walk for anyone craving solid tacos and a frozen margarita. The al pastor here is the kind of straightforward but tasty taco you could potentially eat five of—especially after a few of those frozen margaritas. At night, the club attached to the back of Bodega draws big crowds, but things are a lot more chill during the day.
Harry’s is a pizza spot from the Michael’s Genuine team with a couple locations in Miami—and it’s always a reliable choice for a good meal. The Lincoln Road location also sits in that sweet spot—it’s not too fancy but still nice enough to sit down with a couple friends or share a bottle of wine with a date. You definitely want to get one of the really solid Neapolitan pizzas on the table. But there are appetizers worth ordering too, like the crispy polenta fries or one of the seasonal salads. It’s very walk-in friendly, so keep it in mind if Mister 01 is too slammed.
Sure, it’s a chain—but it’s still one of the best South Beach burger options if you’re into smash burgers. Shake Shack’s are excellent little handheld versions with thin, crispy patties, melted American cheese, and more toppings like lettuce, tomato, and bacon if you want them. The ’Shroom Burger—with a fried, cheese-filled portobello mushroom—is also a very good reason to go meatless. The Lincoln Road location is never empty, but even with a big crowd the line usually moves quickly, which is also how you’ll consume their reliably delicious burger.
No matter which location you’re at, SuViche is always a safe bet for a solid, casual, and affordable meal. It's not Miami's best Peruvian food, but the local chain serves a filling lomo saltado and decent ceviche. There are sushi rolls too, which are probably better than anything you’ll find on Lincoln Road. The portions are more than enough and we’re really into their marathon Happy Hour, which happens every day from 3-7pm and features specials on food as well as cheap beer, wine, and sake.
Time Out Market is a big food hall on the eastern end of Lincoln Road that’s good for groups suffering from shopping exhaustion or people who aren’t quite sure what they want to eat. Inside there are counters from over a dozen vendors—stuff like fried chicken, burgers, pho, baked goods, vegan options, and more. Vendors rotate a lot, but (at the time of this writing) include at least a couple spots we like: Dale Street Food (Cuban fusion dishes) and Maiz Project (Venezuelan arepas). The seating inside is communal—and there's a lot of it, so you should be able to find a seat. There’s also a full bar in the center of the space.
