This post was originally published June 2021 and has been updated January 2022.
Over the long Pesach holiday, I was lucky enough to be down in South Florida to spend time with my fully vaccinated family who we hadn’t seen in a while. We got to dine out at kosher restaurants quite a bit and I wanted to provide an update to my ongoing recommendations list of places I enjoyed and personally recommend from this and previous trips to the area.
The following restaurants are located anywhere from as far south as Miami and as far north as Boca Raton. Their location will be posted next to the name.
Note: there may be excellent kosher restaurants and eateries not on this list. It could mean I went on an off day or I didn’t get to visit it at all. This is just from my experiences.
In geographic order (from south to north):
- Zak the Baker – one of the country’s best kosher bakery/cafes – spend a few hours exploring Wynwood too (Miami/Wynwood)
- The Frieze Ice Cream Factory – great ice cream spot open late (South Beach)
- Tasty Beach Cafe – busy Miami Beach cafe with great brunch dishes (Miami Beach)
- Street Kitchen* – excellent chef-run restaurant for those with refined palettes (Surfside)
- Mendel’s Backyard BBQ & Brew* – best kosher BBQ in Florida (Surfside)
- 26 Sushi & Tapas* – Peruvian / Japanese fusion – one of my fave dairy restaurants in the country (Surfside)
- Rustiko* – great dairy restaurant with an excellent vibe (Surfside)
- Morelia Paletas – some of the best frozen desserts you’ll ever try (Surfside)
- Hadekel1 – fun Israeli brunch spot that makes you feel like you’re in Tel Aviv (NMB)
- Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream – unique ice cream preperation makes for a fun experience (NMB)
- Bambu Pan Asian Kitchen – new Kosher Pan Asian Food by the same chef as Street Kitchen (NMB)
- Levy’s Shwarma – formerly in Hollywood, this great fleishig spot is smaller but centrally located (Aventura)
- Fuego – party like atmosphere, meaty flatbreads highlight this experience (Aventura)
- Asiatiko* – new & very popular Robata style restaurant with great service & decor (Aventura)
- Soho Asian Bar & Grill* – great pan-Asian food and service (Aventura)
- Ms. Dixie – happening nighttime Israeli burger joint (Aventura)
- Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse* – the original best kosher BBQ joint has a new shop down south (Aventura)
- Moran Patisserie – an amazing array of croissant-like pastries (Hollywood)
- Cafe Noir* – large and busy dairy spot near FLL airport (Hollywood)
- Naamah Sushi* – omakase style, high-end, best sushi experience in Florida (Boca Raton)
- Burnt Smokehouse* – come for the happy hour, wings, or BBQ (Boca Raton)
- Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream – the name says it all (Delray Beach)
*Reservations required / highly recommended
These are some of my personal faves, some I’ve just tried for the first time this past March / April (2021), and earlier this month (Jan 2022) / and some that come highly recommended from my trusted sources. Some I’ve been going to for years. For those who want a nice experience, I definitely recommend making reservations at the starred restaurants above as they tend to fill up days or weeks in advance, especially during prime times.
A note on reservations and expectations, especially during popular times like Yeshiva Week, Winter Vacation, and Pesach Vacation: the popular restaurants, and even less popular places, are completely slammed during this time. Many have completely booked up reservation lists and waiting lists, and are likely short-staffed as well. It is important to set expectations for yourself and your party as such. Reservations may require credit cards to reserve and will be charged in case of no-shows. Service may be hectic due to the vast amount of people hitting South Florida during these periods. The most important thing is to be patient, try new places that you may not have thought of before, and enjoy your time.
