MIAGuide
18 Great Restaurants That Are Actually Open On Mondays
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Mondays are the restaurant industry’s weekend, which means a lot of places tend to be closed. Since you don’t need to start the week working overtime, we’ve done some digging for you and found a bunch of our favorite spots where you can actually eat on a Monday.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Macchialina is the best Italian restaurant in Miami. The straightforward dishes here aren’t needlessly complicated, but still taste like every crumb on the plate has been carefully considered. They make some of the city’s best versions of lasagna and veal parmigiana, and walk that tricky tightrope between formal and casual. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, looking for something that’ll make fighting for South Beach parking worth it, or just want incredible pasta, this is where you should end up. And if it’s nice out, you should specifically end up outside on the converted hostel that’s now Macchialina’s lovely outdoor patio, one of the best places to eat outside in Miami.
It’s worth visiting Blue Collar a dozen times throughout the year because you’ll want to try everything on the menu. It’s a delicious mix of food, some of which makes sense in Miami, like latkes, Cuban sandwich spring rolls, and crispy skin snapper. And then there’s other randomness that does not, like pot roast, jambalaya, and something called the big ragout, which is basically an entire Italian deli stuffed inside a hoagie. But the one thing Blue Collar's menu does have in common is that it's so, so, so good. Tragically, on your quest to try it all, you’ll end up falling in love with one dish (like their perfect cheeseburger on a Portuguese muffin) and never be able to order anything else.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Not only does North Miami Beach’s Farofa make great Brazilian food, but it also provides incredible value. The narrow, casual spot has a short menu that revolves around meat: picanha, chicken, linguiça, and more cuts of beef cooked on slow-turning skewers. You can order all of the above as a platter with sides like some of the best yuca fries we’ve ever tasted, fried bananas, rice, potato salad, and more. Or, you can elect to get your meat in sandwich form. It’s all delicious, served in generous portions, and just about the entire menu is under $15.
Yes, the food, cocktails, and service are always outstanding at Downtown's Jaguar Sun—but its greatest quality also happens to be that rarest of things in a Miami social life: a guaranteed good time. Jaguar Sun is fun, and not conditionally so. You don’t have to be at the right table or order the right cocktail or entree to enjoy yourself here. Everything (both in liquid and solid form) is delicious, and the staff is a small team of extroverts hell-bent on making sure your glass is never empty. You're coming here for outstanding pasta, oysters, a cold martini, and because you need a dinner that'll make you completely forget why you woke up in a bad mood today.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
The next time someone whines about Miami's lack of Thai restaurants, shove them in a cab and send them to Panya Thai. The casual, windowless restaurant on 163rd St (one of Miami's tastiest streets) makes the city's best Thai food—and not just the usual suspects. This is one of the only places in town where you can get big bowls of boat noodle soup, which features rice noodles floating in a mahogany-colored, sweet and savory pork broth. Yen ta fo is another dish that rarely pops up on local Thai menus. This soup features a tart/sweet reddish/pink broth, wide rice noodles, fish balls, and veggies. But even if you are craving a simple pad Thai or green curry, they have Miami's best version of that too.
You’ll find some of the best casual Mexican food in Miami at this spot on Calle Ocho, where piñatas hang from the ceiling and there’s almost always a crowd. They have solid tacos, but there are also more exciting things on the menu—like the gorditas, which you should order with pork. There’s plenty more on the incredibly large menu, and you should keep coming back until you’ve tried the bulk of it. Don't forget to check out the Mexican bakery in the back before you leave.
If you are even in the slightest mood for Jamaican, all roads in Miami lead to Clive’s. This classic Little Haiti spot makes our favorite versions of so many Jamaican dishes, like their excellent jerk chicken. But there are more phenomenal staples worth ordering: curry goat, oxtail, ackee and saltfish, and conch served steamed, fried, or in a curry. Needless to say, making a decision here can be a difficult thing. But whatever you get will probably fall right off the bone and come with a side of rice and peas big enough to use as a pillow.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
There are a lot of occasions that justify going to Over Under, a narrow cocktail bar and restaurant in the heart of Downtown. It’s a good place to bring a date or catch up with a few friends over some strong (and delicious) cocktails. Stop by literally any time you happen to be craving a cheeseburger or fried chicken sandwich (both of which are great here). The menu changes a lot, but you can generally expect excellent bar food and great weekly specials. This place really has the DNA of a dive bar, upscale cocktail bar, and a very good restaurant all rolled into one.
Xixón is one of the best places in Miami to get traditional Spanish food. You'll find no modernist gels or foams here. This restaurant has a massive menu that reads like Spain’s greatest culinary hits, from smooth as silk Andalusian gazpacho to pulpo a la gallega. If you love lechón, order the cochinillo a la segoviana, a roasted suckling pig leg served with panadera potatoes and caramelized apples. The one complaint we have about this place is that there are too many good things to order in one sitting, so definitely bring friends. But if you do happen to be here on your own and only have room for a few bites, the croquetas will give any Miami bakery’s versions a run for their money.
photo credit: Tasty Planet
As the name implies, this incredibly bright Calle Ocho diner is home to the best fritas in Miami. They have eight versions of the Cuban hamburger here, which come with everything from a fried egg to plantains and fried cheese. But we prefer to keep it simple with the original: spiced meat, onions, a Cuban bun, and enough potato sticks to create a tiny replica of the Eiffel Tower.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
It’s very hard to get into Boia De—even on a Monday. So try their sister restaurant, the slightly easier to book Walrus Rodeo. It’s a fun spot serving a menu that defies categorization but does not defy deliciousness. Vegetables, pizza, and pasta are the move here. Get the carrot tartare, mustard green lasagna with lamb ragu, anchovy pizza, and you’ll be so happy you won’t even find yourself staring out the window at Boia De like some kind of jealous ex.
Fiorito is a great Argentinian restaurant in Little Haiti, and almost always the right answer for a laidback dinner involving wine, red meat, and murals of Argentine fútbol gods. Fiorito has indoor seating and an outdoor patio—both firmly within the realm of “super cute.” The dishes mostly cost $20 or less, except for some of the bigger steaks (which you can split anyway). And bottles of wine go for as low as $40. Start off with the mollejas crocantes, sausage sampler platter, and—if you’re not in the mood for a big hunk of red meat—one of the pasta options, like the lamb pappardelle.
photo credit: Tasty Planet
This is definitely the place to get great char siu and Peking duck, along with crispy pork belly and soy sauce chicken. However, if you’re looking for more than just an endless supply of roast meats, the drunken chicken or jellyfish salad (both served cold) is an ideal way to start the meal. The stir-fried scallops with lily bulbs and sliced lotus root with Cantonese sausage, bacon, and ham are also two excellent things to order alongside your barbecue feast.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings
Basilic is a North Miami Beach spot that should be in everyone’s rotation of Miami Vietnamese options. It’s a casual, walk-in-friendly restaurant with tall ceilings, comfortable booths, and a fish tank you can stare at if you’re eating alone. But food is the big reason why you’re here. They have a long menu full of Vietnamese dishes like spring rolls, bánh xèo (a massive savory crepe), vermicelli bowls, and (the main event of the menu) about ten types of really good pho. Portion sizes here (even some of the appetizers) are huge enough to ensure you'll be finishing your dinner for the next several days. And with the way everything tastes, that is a very good thing.
If you can't get a table at Mandolin (or just want something more casual) try El Turco, a Turkish restaurant in Upper Buena Vista. Though the food is pretty solid, this place is more about ambiance. Sitting outside is basically your only option, but it’s where you should be regardless. The best seats are in the little tiki hut next to a pretty spectacular banyan tree. There aren’t any big misses on the menu, but definitely get one (or several) of the borek options. They don’t serve beer or wine, but you can buy a bottle from one of the cafes next door and they’ll give you a few glasses with no corkage fee.
Tropezón is an Andalusian gin and tapas bar on Española Way. And it's very worth weaving through the street’s omnipresent crowd of tourists. The space—a 50/50 split between a bar and dining room—has a snug interior featuring lots of wood and legs of jamón hanging from the ceiling. In other words: exactly the kind of spot where you can spend a couple hours grazing on small plates and sipping gin. They have a selection of infused gin, with infusions ranging from mango to nori and shio kombu. The food menu is mostly tapas, like a pan con tomate and gambas al ajillo—but there are also larger entrees like a duck confit paella. Whether you come to drink or eat (or, ideally, both) this is the reservation to make next time you need a fun night out.
Pastamarket is the Italian restaurant equivalent of a Choose Your Own Adventure book. You get to customize your noodle and preferred sauce from an almost overwhelming amount of options. There are so many that you may think to yourself, “This can’t all be good.” But the slightly remarkable thing about Pastamarket is that it is all good. Plus, if you’re feeling indecisive, they have menu items that don’t require filling out a pasta questionnaire, like an excellent strozzapreti with pistachio and mascarpone. Pastamarket is a perfect lowkey option when you just want a simple bowl of noodles—and they really make the most out of their small outdoor patio too.
What do Paul Rudd, the theory of relativity, and Caffe Abbracci have in common? They’re timeless. This classic Italian restaurant in Coral Gables is probably where your parents went on their first date, so if you’re looking for a hot new restaurant, this isn’t it. But if you like nostalgia, generous portions of linguine with clams, or homemade agnolotti with spinach and ricotta, look no further. And once you try their veal parmesan (it’s off-menu, but ask for it), you’ll crave it like a late-night pizza. Abbracci is a delightful time warp—they still free-pour drinks and price their menu like it’s 2019—but 34 years later, it’s still one of the best Italian spots in Miami.
