Having trouble keeping up with all the new establishments popping up? Here are some noteworthy restaurants opening around Miami this January.
A Smash Burger Sensation Finds a Home
Apocalypse BBQ’s Jeff and Laura “Lala” Budnechky started Lala’s Burgers as a weekly pop-up. The smash burgers proved to be so popular that Jeff and Laura announced they were opening a dedicated Lala’s, serving its famous “Lala” with American cheese, grilled onions, house pickles, and sauce, the “Bacon” with bacon jam and onion tanglers, and more.
Lala’s Burgers. 13750 SW 88th St., Kendall
Steaks and Martinis, With a Zhuzh
Roberta’s owners, Brandon Ho and chef Carlo Mirarchi, opened Ezio’s in Miami Beach, trading wood-fired pizzas for steaks, raw bar items, and tableside martinis, where your libation of choice can be “zhuzh’d up” with oysters, caviar, or an entire garnish tray — for those of us never satisfied with just a few olives.
Ezio’s. 580 72nd St., Retail A, Miami Beach
From Keys Fishing Boats to Doral
Landlocked Doral residents can now have fresh seafood without driving to the Keys at FreshCo Fish Market & Grill. The Kendall fishermonger and restaurant has opened a second location in Downtown Doral. Customers can choose their fish from a choice of grouper, snapper, hogfish, corvina, mahi, and more, along with how it’s prepared: in a bowl, salad, sandwich, ceviche, or platter. There’s also conch fritters, crab cakes, and key lime pie. The restaurant doubles as a market, so you can take some fresh seafood home for tomorrow.
FreshCo Fish Market & Grill. 8455 NW 53rd St., G103. Doral
Pacific Coastal Mexican in Wynwood
The Pacific coast of Mexico’s fare takes inspiration from the sea, and Cha Cha Cha’s menu channels an afternoon meal on Puerto Vallarta’s famed Malecon. Think: lobster tacos, ceviches made from snapper or shrimp and octopus, and tuna tostadas.
Cha Cha Cha. 2637 N. Miami Ave., Miami
One Dish Wonder Opens in SoBe
Cotoletta, the Miami restaurant specializing in veal Milanese, has opened an additional location in South Beach. The restaurant’s philosophy is simple: when you don’t have to peruse a large menu, you have more time to enjoy your food and the people you’re dining with — and the kitchen has the opportunity to perfect its technique.
Cotoletta. 840 First St., Miami Beach
Cotoletta now has a new location in South Beach. Cotoletta
Your Neighborhood Watering Hole by Chef Danny Grant
Danny Grant has opened Eight Bar, the chef’s version of a low-key neighborhood bar. The bar, located at Maple & Ash, serves sushi, salads, steaks, and a solid burger.
Eight Bar. 699 NE First Ave., Miami
The Gold Standard of Sushi
Gold Standard Sushi has taken up residence in the back room of Le Basilic, offering its fresh fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market. This 16-course omakase meal of nigiri, sashimi, and more offers several seatings per evening.
Gold Standard Sushi. 1801 West Ave., Miami Beach
A New York Plant-Based Mexican Sensation Opens in Wynwood
New York City’s JaJaJa Mexicana offers the rich, flavorful dishes of Mexican cuisine: pozole, barbacoa, chorizo, and birria — all plant-based and seed oil-free. The restaurant creatively uses squash, mushrooms, cabbage, and more to create colorful meals that are memorable. The only thing you will forget is that there’s no meat on your plate.
JaJaJa Mexicana. 2775 NW Third Ave., Wynwood
An Argentine Sandwich Shop and Market by Fiorito
Longstanding Argentine favorite, Fiorito, has just opened Fiorito Almacén, a fast-casual market and sandwich shop where Miamians can shop for meat, empanadas, wine, and sandwiches. Order to go or dine in.
Fiorito Almacén. 5650 NE Second Ave., Ste. E, Miami
A Beloved Smash Burger Pop-Up Gets a Home
Ted’s Burgers, the much-loved smash burger pop-up, has opened a permanent space in Wynwood. The casual space offers its South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash-winning smash burgers and fries cooked in beef tallow.
Ted’s Burgers. 315 NW 25th St., Miami
Cocktails and Pizza for the Win
The Gibson Room, chef Michael Beltran’s sophisticated little cocktail hideaway, reopened quietly with craft cocktails and a new bar menu that includes burgers, buffalo cauliflower, and Miami Slice pizza.
Gibson Room. 2224 Coral Way, Miami
Head to the Gibson Room for fantastic pizza slices and cocktails. The Gibson Room
A Miami Cocktail Palace Pops-Up on Fort Lauderdale Beach
Vice Versa isn’t just one of Miami’s best bars — it’s named one of North America’s Best Bars. Founded by Valentino Longo, the bar has been a James Beard Award finalist and has now popped up at the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale for a residency until May 2026. Expect both classics and some new creations masterfully led by bartender Rosy Villanova.
Vice Versa pop-up. 525 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
A Beloved Ice Cream Shop Transforms into an Ice Cream Truck
When Wall’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream closed its original location, families were crushed (even though another location was just a stone’s throw away). Now, Walls’s has opened a new ice cream truck outside the Big Cheese pizza parlor, serving cones, sundaes, shakes, and to-go pints.
Wall’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream. 8080 SW 67th Ave., Miami