The Ultimate Miami Picnic Guide
Presented by
Tate's Bake Shop
When the summer rain finally clears and a day trip to the beach is too much effort, picnics are the best solution to enjoy the nice weather and relax. We’ve put together this guide with a few of our favorite spots in the city to eat lunch on a blanket, along with the best places to pick up food nearby.
No picnic is complete without dessert, and Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect way to finish your outdoor meal. Dunk them in your coffee, make a DIY ice cream sandwich, or just eat them pure and simple. Grab your blanket, a cooler, and some Tate’s Bake Shop cookies on the way - you’ll find everything else you need below.
Morningside Park
Morningside Park is a green, nature-filled oasis that offers bayfront views and an escape from the city vibe. There’s a playground, baseball field, walking trails, but for a relaxing afternoon, we suggest perching under one of the many trees - set up your picnic blanket, read a book, and enjoy the view.
Below Zero is an Italian/Argentinian scoop shop. They have classic flavors like rum raisin and mint chocolate chip as well as more interesting options like stracciatella, cannoli, and a perfectly balanced banana dulce de leche. Combine it with your favorite Tate’s Bake Shop cookies and win the picnic with ice cream sandwiches for dessert.
At El Bagel, we often struggle to decide between the King Guava, a salty/savory work of bagel art that includes guava jam, crispy potato sticks, and a fried egg - or the the EB Original with scallion, bacon, and a roasted jalapeno that gives off the perfect amount of heat. But whatever you get is going to be the best bagel in Miami, hands down.
When large groups meet in parks, odds are there’s going to be pizza involved. Andiamo’s is your best option on the way to Morningside Park. Its pizza is on the thicker side of the thin-crust spectrum and comes with a lot of topping options. Our favorite is the very heavy Sunday pie with meatballs, ricotta, pepperoncini, parmesan, and basil.
South Pointe Park
South Pointe Park has everything you can ask for - impressive panoramic views of the South Beach shoreline, beach access, walking trails, picnic areas, and a mini water playground to cool off.
The more casual conjoined twin to South Beach’s famous Joe’s Stone Crab serves the same stuff you’ll find in the fancy dining room next door. Except you won’t have to wait nearly as long for your food and can easily pick up their signature stone crabs and instantly be the most impressive person at the picnic.
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Started as a pandemic pop-up, Benh Mi now stands on Española Way as both a testament to the power of a good sandwich, and the home of the best bánh mì in Miami. Everything about the bánh mì is just perfect - the bread is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the sliced veggies and herbs play their role without overwhelming the favor of the main ingredient. While you’re there, get a coffee for some Tate’s Bake Shop cookie dunking too.
Peacock Park
Peacock Park is an ideal location for a family picnic. It has a basketball court, a soccer field, a playground, and a multi-purpose field for a light family game of kickball. Plus, a small pier that looks onto Biscayne Bay.
Burgers are normally the kind of thing we’d advise against for a picnic. But Lokal is different - it’s where Miami’s burger compass points. It’s all about the meat here. The patties are a perfect (and local) blend with the ideal fat ratio. You can’t go wrong with any of the burgers here - or the very good sides like the chili and alligator strips.
This place is part restaurant, part market and specializes in very good Middle Eastern food - it’s your one-stop shop before your day at Peacock Park. Once you claim your spot in the cafeteria-style line, you can pick a salad, platter, or pita wrap, which you can order with things like falafel, kafta, shawarma, and sides including stuffed grape leaves and za’atar fries.
The pizza at Mister 01 is similar to those nights where you just go crazy with whatever you have in your fridge, except it’s actually delicious. Our favorite, the star luca, has ricotta stuffed inside a crust folded like origami precision. Or (our second favorite) the claudio is a white pizza served at room temperature with a swirl of white truffle oil.