Is Miami the Best Steak City in the World?

These 8 restaurants make a compelling case

September 22, 2023 6:26 am
Steak being cooked over an open flame with spices and sides, Korean barbecue-style
Where to get the best steaks in Miami
Gary He for The New York Times

When you think of world-class steakhouses, Miami isn’t necessarily the city that first comes to mind — but it should be. Not only is Miami home to plenty of outposts of top-notch steak spots imported straight from elsewhere, but the diverse culinary landscape here means that steakhouses often embrace international styles. Grilling traditions from Argentina, Peru and Korea join the all-American luxury most steakhouses are known for. (And if there’s something Miami restaurateurs know well, it’s luxury.)

From star-studded special occasion offerings to secret patios serving up fuss-free churrasco that will transport you to the Pampas, from French-accented offerings perfectly cloaked in exquisite sauces to a beef bar serving up a no-nonsense menu of over 30 sumptuous cuts from around the world, here are the must-try Miami restaurants for any steak lover.

Varieties of steak on plates
The Wagyu Bar has over 30 kinds of steak
The Wagyu Bar

The Wagyu Bar

Coral Gables

The Wagyu Bar by Meat N’ Bone prides itself on divorcing top-notch steaks from high-stakes luxury. Instead of the “smoke and mirrors” and “multi-million dollar build-outs” of many of its competitors, this spot is all about the meat, sourced exclusively by Meat N’ Bone from some of the best programs in the U.S., Australia, Japan and Spain. Appetizers may include wagyu picanha crostini, torched tableside and served with chimichurri and avocado, or exquisitely marbled Colorado wagyu carpaccio with Parmigiano and pesto. Sink your teeth into sandwiches like a half-pound ribeye baguette with Spanish olive oil and Maldon flaked salt, or a dry-aged brisket cheeseburger with Benton’s bacon, garlic sauce and cheese. As for the steaks, take your pick: The menu features over 30 of them, organized by cut. If you’re a filet fan, consider a wagyu-Angus cross or splurge for the Japanese A5 Miyazaki-Gyu. If New York strip is more your style, sample a G1-certified USDA Prime or luxuriate in the bliss of an A5 Sanuki olive-fed wagyu. A handful of steaks are dry-aged for over 45 days, and if you’re coming with a crowd, large sharing plates offer an assortment of different cuts to sample.

2257 Coral Way, Coral Gables (map)

Steak dish on a plate
Papi Steak’s wagyu pastrami
Papi Steak

Papi Steak

South of Fifth

Miami’s see-and-be-seen vibe can lead to spots that are all show and no substance, but such is not the case at Papi Steak, David Grutman and David “Papi” Einhorn’s South of Fifth steakhouse. In a dining room accented with red velvet, dig into a strange but happy marriage of prime and wagyu steaks and zhuzhed Jewish comfort food classics like latkes with house-made applesauce or wagyu pastrami. For the main event, take your pick of prime porterhouse, Australian wagyu strip, Creekstone Farm boneless ribeye and more.

736 1st St., Miami Beach (map)

Steak being cooked over a flame with varieties of spices and sides
Cote Miami is a high-end steakhouse experience with the ambiance of Korean barbecue
Cote Miami

Cote Miami

Design District

Cote got its start in New York, but Miami has had its own outpost of this, the only Korean steakhouse in the world with a coveted Michelin star, since 2021. Uniting all of the codes of the high-end steakhouse experience with the ambiance of Korean barbecue in one vast space, Cote is known above all for its 45-day dry-aged beef, which holds place of pride in the red-hued dry-aging room. Lean into executive chef David Shim’s savoir faire by eschewing à la carte options in favor of the Butcher’s Feast, where four of Shim’s favorite prime and American wagyu cuts are paired with Korean accompaniments, preserved on-site in the restaurant’s fermentation lab, in lieu of heavier steakhouse sides. Or dive into the Steak Omakase: a parade of 10 different cuts, sure to tantalize any meat lover. Whichever steaks you choose are cooked to order atop a state-of-the-art tabletop grill for a dinner experience as theatrical as it is flavorful.

3900 NE 2nd Ave (map)

Platea

Pinecrest

The Peruvian flavor and flair of Platea’s “remastered” steakhouse certainly makes this one of the most enticing locales to enjoy not just prime steak but also exquisite seafood like handcrafted ceviches from the ceviche bar or tasty sous-vide octopus with choclo. But let’s be honest — you’re here for the steak. And oh, what a steak. Whether you’re digging into filet mignon, tomahawk or the aptly named 38-ounce “Dino-Rib,” your steak is first seasoned with a signature rub of Peruvian spices and rubbed with zingy anticuchera before being cooked to perfection. Don’t miss the wagyu picanha, which features in the fried rice chaufa, as well as atop a tasty tostone starter.

12175 S Dixie Hwy, Pinecrest (map)

Plate of meat, seafood and vegetables
Los Fuegos showcases the delicacy of Argentinean steak
Los Fuegos

Los Fuegos

Miami Beach

If you ever questioned the Argentinian mastery of steak, Los Fuegos will douse any doubts. Here, Argentine grillmaster Francis Mallman marries the tradition of open flame asados with the sophistication innate in this luxe dining room within the Faena Hotel. After a prime beef tenderloin tartare with black truffle hollandaise or an empanada stuffed with hand-cut prime filet kissed by the wood-fired oven, sink your teeth into prime angus skirt steak with grilled onion rings and chimichurri or a prime New York strip with crispy potato millefeuille and black truffle aioli. If you’ve got plant-based diners in your party, they’ll be more than tended to, thanks to eggplant milanesa with San Marzano tomato chutney or wood-fire-roasted cauliflower with almond and caper vinaigrette.

3201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach (map)

Fiorito

Little Haiti

The casual appeal of this dining room in Little Haiti does not reflect the serious work happening behind the scenes. The menu showcases a host of Argentinian specialties, with a particular accent on Italian immigrants’ influence on the local cuisine: Think ricotta and spinach-stuffed canelones or house-made pappardelle topped with slow-cooked lamb ragu. But if it’s steak you seek, zero in on the USDA Prime selections here. Skirt steak churrasco comes with home-cut fries and chimichurri, while the Bife de Chorizo sees a New York steak paired with grilled tomato, eggplant, salsa criolla and blue cheese. Enjoy your selections in the no-frills space or on the small outdoor patio with a glass of top-notch Malbec.

5555 NE 2nd Ave. (map)

LT Steak & Seafood

South Beach

Laurent Tourondel’s steakhouse within The Betsy Hotel in South Beach may be more understated than some, but the steaks here are just as succulent, with a variety of USDA Prime dry-aged offerings sourced from Allen Brothers in Chicago. Filet, New York strip, bone-in ribeye or wagyu skirt steak may be paired with one of six scrumptious sauces (the chef’s French heritage obliges!) Choose from jalapeño chimichurri, peppercorn Armagnac, green onion ranch, café de Paris bearnaise or shallot and red wine. And don’t miss chef Gabriela Amelunge’s house-made desserts, like her gluten-free chocolate cake with candied hazelnuts and whipped cream spiked with Frangelico.

1440 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach (map)

Steak, fries and a wine glass
Prime 54 in Fontainebleau Hotel has a 500-bottle wine tower and a wide selection of steak dishes
Fontainebleau Hotel

Prime 54

Miami Beach

Just off the lobby of Miami Beach’s landmark Fontainebleau Hotel, Prime 54’s design-driven dining room, complete with an open kitchen and glass-enclosed, 500-bottle-rich wine tower, is the perfect place to dig into some top-notch steak. Grain-fed American wagyu is a cornerstone of the menu; choose from among boneless ribeye, Angus New York strip or tenderloin. Or sink your teeth into a dry-aged, 36-ounce tomahawk, perfect for sharing. For something even more special, choose Snake River Farm’s Gold Label New York strip or Japanese olive-fed wagyu, with a high oleic acid content that lends it an over-the-top rich nuttiness. A classic wedge salad with garlic buttermilk ranch and Point Reyes blue is the perfect way to start, while steak fries with tarragon aioli make a lovely accompaniment. If you’ve saved room, double down on the double chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.


4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach (map)

EMAIL IS THE NEW HAPPY HOUR

Join America's Fastest Growing Spirits Newsletter THE SPILL. Unlock all the reviews, recipes and revelry — and get 15% off award-winning La Tierra de Acre Mezcal.