Low Key Miami

Editor's note: Low Key is no longer serving food. Instead, they will host pop-ups like Tam Tam on Friday and Saturday.

There are certain things Miami’s restaurant scene always seems to be lacking, no matter when you survey our hospitality landscape. There are almost never enough places to watch live music. Casual walk-in options that can still be incredibly fun are constantly endangered. And good luck finding a restaurant that doesn’t even particularly care whether you order anything, and welcomes you to just hang out underneath a beautiful tree.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings

That’s what makes Low Key so significant. The Little River seafood spot is cool if viewed in a vacuum. But in the context of Miami’s restaurant scene, it’s the kind of gap-filler the city so badly needs.

Low Key doesn’t really look like a restaurant. There’s no host corralling guests at the entrance and the kitchen is hidden from sight. The outdoor space consists of tables and picnic benches scattered beneath a big banyan tree that’s all lit up with string lights. To place an order, you visit the white pop-up canopy and then grab a seat wherever you like.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings

Unless you’ve just come to have a couple drinks and head-bob to one of the live bands or DJs that play under the tree, you are most likely going to be eating seafood. Low Key serves the kind of fried fish and raw bar dishes that demand to be consumed alongside a frozen cocktail (which you can also order here). Don’t expect big, elaborate presentations. Most menu items, like the wonderful fish sandwich or Mexican shrimp cocktail, can be eaten with your hands and are served in a little cardboard container. But don’t mistake the unpretentious attitude for a lack of effort.

Low Key cares about the details, from the little plastic swordfish sticking out of your cocktail to the finger lime pulp sprinkled over one of the best slices of key lime pie in Miami. It might not feel like the kind of restaurant we’re used to—but that’s a good thing. There should be more Low Keys in this city, but we’re thrilled there’s at least one.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings

Market Fish Sandwich

This might be our favorite thing on the menu. You can get it blackened or fried—both excellent options. It comes with tangy pikliz, herbs, and a special sauce on a soft potato bun. You will probably consider ordering two in a row, a decision we support.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings

Clam Frites

The clams in this dish sit atop a little mountain of fries, which start out crispy but slowly soak up the calabrian chili butter sauce like delicious sponges. This is a great thing to get on the table and split with one or two people. It proves that soggy fries can be wonderful too.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings

Fish & Chips

You may have noticed already, but it’s really hard to find good fish and chips in Miami. Low Key’s version remedies that issue. The fish is fried in a way that produces that puffy-yet-crisp outer shell that’s essential in a proper fish and chips, and the crinkle-cut fries are crispier than we thought it was possible for crinkle-cut fries to be.

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings

Key Lime Pie

Low Key’s Key Lime Pie is pretty classic and not too tart. But the most genius aspect is the addition of finger lime pulp sprinkled over the top. It adds little pops of lime flavor and excellent texture to each bite.