5 Underrated Miami Spots That Only Locals Know About (And I Keep Going Back To)

When you grow up in Miami, you quickly learn that, just like not all that glitters is gold, not every trendy restaurant is good. Of course, there are plenty of places that have earned their stellar reputation. (I personally love the Anthony Bourdain-approved Mac's Club Deuce and applaud the idea behind the popular single-plate-menu at Cotoletta.) But there are also many tourist traps that focus on flashy design more than the quality of their food and drink. Like most Miamians, I avoid these traps like the plague and typically head to one of the city's many hidden gems only locals know. 

The magic of these local secrets is that they're usually reasonably priced but have excellent food. They cater to repeat customers rather than people who'll visit once and never come back, so they have to be on top of their game. As a bonus, there's typically less traffic and more parking spots. If they have one downside for people who are visiting Miami, it's that most of them are in residential neighborhoods away from the tourist hubs.

I strongly believe that anyone who loves food enough to head out into the suburbs deserves to know where Miami locals go out to eat. Which is why I'm willing to spill the beans and invite committed tourists to come dine in some beloved restaurants where I've never seen a non-Miamian. This is where I go for brunches, birthdays, or just to avoid cooking.

Miami has a few places that offer high tea, but none can compare to The Tea Room. With a maze-like interior that takes you from one large dining room to the other, this restaurant is a maximalist's fever dream. I love walking in here and seeing large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, mismatched vintage chairs gathering around tables, ornate cabinets filled with tea cups, and fine China plates adorning the walls. 

But although the decor is charming, it's really the food that makes The Tea Room a go-to spot for my friend group. Most of the dishes  are made in-house, so whatever you order will taste fresh. High tea (which requires reservations at least 24 hours in advance) is highly coveted, but you can also come in for a regular brunch or lunch. Some stand-out dishes include the lobster bisque, the cranberry walnut chicken salad, and the baked salmon (made with honey, strawberries, almonds, and brie).

Tourists rarely make it to The Tea Room because it's fairly far south. The irony is that the restaurant is located in one of the city's most interesting shopping destinations: Cauley Square. Once a railroad village established in 1903, the square was saved from demolition, restored, and declared a historic landmark in the 1990s. It's now an outdoor mall with boutique shops and green spaces, so you can spend the entire afternoon here eating, shopping, and looking at the resident peacocks.

While many of the best places to eat in Miami are outside of the main tourist areas, there are some hidden gems within the city's more popular districts. Case in point: Lung Yai Thai Tapas. This tiny, tiny spot boasts prime real estate in Little Havana's bustling Calle 8 street. Even so, the entrance is so small and unassuming you'll miss it if you blink or get distracted by the packs of semi-wild roosters that roam the neighborhood. The restaurant is locally beloved because it's affordable, something that's increasingly rare in Miami. It also happens to serve some of the best Thai food in the city.

Lung Yai seats diners in communal tables as dishes are churned out of the kitchen at the speed of light. The atmosphere is wonderfully chaotic yet laidback. It almost feels like a large family event. You can usually talk to the owner, who hails from Northern Thailand and who serves dishes from the region that you usually don't find in the Western Hemisphere, like larb muang. This ground pork salad is described as Thai spicy (read: not apt for untrained palates). After living in South Korea, I consider myself pretty good at handling spice (for Miami standards), but this dish always makes me tear up. It's absolutely amazing. Of course, you can also get more well-known dishes like pad Thai, curry, and som tham (papaya salad). The food here is so good, the restaurant's included in the Michelin Guide.

When I want craft cocktails without dealing with South Beach or Brickell traffic, I go to Amelia's 1931. This is the kind of place you won't find unless you know where it is since it's located in a generic strip mall. Before learning about it, I drove past it many times without even noticing it. And yet for those in the known, Amelia's is a true Kendall treasure.

Part of the bar used to be a dry cleaner, so the entrance playfully recreates this scene before opening up to a large, vintage-inspired dining room with a beautiful wooden bar. There isn't a single era represented here, but rather a mix-and-match of styles across different time periods and cultures. The main room hosts live music on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and serves as the bar's beating heart. Those looking for a more private vibe can go past an arched doorway into a tiny "living room" area which has an old, dinner-style bar. If Amelia's feels homely, it's probably because it was conceived as a tribute to chef-owner Eileen Andrade's grandmother. The couch area certainly feels like you're visiting your grandma — if your grandma served creative cocktails and Latin-Asian fusion dishes.

Get the refreshing Caprese cocktail with deliciously greasy croquetas, or the Cuban pork catsu with a smokey Mezcal You Later. For dessert, skip the usual suspects and go for a Cereal Killer cocktail made with whiskey, honey, and Cheerios.

For all its talk about the diversity of its dining scene, Miami has very few good options for Portuguese food. You'd think the seafood- and olive oil-heavy cuisine would be a bigger hit amongst the city's beach dwellers, but it somehow continues to be neglected. Thankfully, Old Lisbon Restaurants have been filling this gap since 1991. Whenever I'm craving some Portuguese-style octopus or perfectly made codfish, I go straight to one of the restaurant's three locations (in Coral Gables, South Miami, and Aventura).

Each location has its own personality. The Coral Gables one, for instance, feels like a traditional Portuguese spot while the Aventura one is more luxurious and wows with its interior design, which includes a large, 120-year-old olive tree imported from Portugal. What remains constant is the authenticity of the food, as both the owner and the chef are Portuguese natives. Coming here always feels to me like a tiny trip to Lisbon or the Portuguese coast, so it's a way to "revisit" one of my favorite countries.

Besides the octopus and codfish, I like the grilled snapper, the roasted eggplant, and the grilled lamb chops. But, really, every dish I've ever ordered here has been great. The restaurant also offers a good selection of Portuguese wines, including affordable but high-quality house wines. The restaurant manages to bring something special to Miami without falling into the common trap of trying too hard to be trendy.

If Little Havana is the Cuban capital of Miami, Hialeah is its embassy in the suburbs. This Cuban enclave is more strip malls and beige houses than anything else, but it does have some great spots if you know where to look. For me, La Fresa Francesa is worth the drive to the neighborhood, and is another one of my favorite brunch places. The restaurant's name means "The French Strawberry" in Spanish, and perfectly captures its essence: a Cuban take on French cuisine.

Don't expect authenticity here. The concept is loose enough to allow for creative freedom in the menu. For instance, you can get a pastelito (a traditional Florida pastry) with foie gras and guayaba, order a dulce de leche crepe, or get duck fat gnocchi. While I love traditional restaurants, I also applaud those who come up with Miami spins on multicultural dishes. That said, La Fresa Francesa does have some outstanding real French dishes. The Bourgogne escargots are decadently buttery, and the Dijon mustard rabbit makes me daydream about buying a ticket to Paris.

Whenever I come here for brunch, I take the opportunity to indulge in French cocktails that are hard to find in Miami. My favorite is the Kir Royal, which takes me back to my time living in Bordeaux. Of course, you'll also find more tropical drinks like the guava Bellini, as well as classics like mimosa and sangria.