MIAGuide
7 Miami Restaurants With Live Music
photo credit: Tasty Planet
The list of things we miss about pre-pandemic life is long and sad, like an anaconda that didn’t get asked to prom. And on that list in big bold letters is the words “live music.” It’s going to be a while before we can get sweaty together in the Fillmore again, but there are some restaurants around town where you can listen to live music while you eat. This will simply have to do until the next III Points.
The Spots
Live music is now a part of Zak the Baker’s new falafel pop-up. The excellent Wynwood bakery recently opened for dinner for the first time ever (Sun-Thu from 5-9pm), debuting a new menu with delicious things like falafel pitas and babka custard. And you can also enjoy some live music while you eat. Zak the Baker will have a band outside every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 7-10pm, playing everything from jazz and funk to bluegrass.
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This cute, incredibly date-appropriate wine and tapas spot on west Calle Ocho has live music Wed-Sat every week. Expect a person with an acoustic guitar to sing to you while you eat Spanish tortilla, crispy paninis, and debate whether or not to have that third glass of wine. You have had a pretty long day. We think you deserve it.
Sala’o is an Ernest Hemingway-themed restaurant on the busiest part of Calle Ocho. Thankfully the entertainment here is live music, rather than a grumpy old man reading you his short story about fist-fighting a panther. They do it daily here, from 1pm to close (which is the 11pm curfew at the time of this writing). The house bands here play mostly Latin music, so you can tap your toes to “Chan Chan” while eating things like fried snapper, swordfish carpaccio, and sardine croquettes.
The Wynwood food hall 1-800-Lucky just announced a new weekly music residency. Every Wednesday from 6-10pm, local DJ Mr. Pauer will be playing on Lucky’s outdoor patio. In addition to finally listening to music that doesn’t come from your Spotify account, there are also some very good things to eat at 1-800-Lucky right now - like Vietnamese from Tam Tam and sushi from B-Side.
Fish House is a South Miami seafood restaurant with a huge menu, a lovely raw bar selection, and some of the most consistent live music programming in the city. They’ve thankfully adapted through the pandemic and are still putting on shows - they’ve moved it from the their indoor stage to the parking lot where they have some covered outdoor seating. You can see a schedule of their upcoming performances online.
Garcia’s does live music on their back patio every Friday from 6-9pm. It’s a casual set-up - generally just a pair of musicians playing to background noise of clanking forks and casual chatter. But there’s nothing wrong with an acoustic guitar, fried shrimp, and a waterfront seat. In fact, it’s a proud South Florida pastime, one we were perfecting long before Jimmy Buffett came to town.
