In our quarterly trend reports, we dissect the patterns we’ve noticed while visiting upwards of 15 Miami restaurants per week. But as we round the corner on 2025, we wanted to take a more forward-looking approach. Based on shreds of evidence and strong hunches, we’re forecasting trends to look for in 2026. We think this year is going to be a big one for burgers, the clubstaurant will finally go the way of the dodo, and parents of screaming toddlers might just have more opportunities to socialize outside of preschool parking lots.
THE TRENDS
photo credit: Amazónico
The Glamstaurant Is Swallowing The Clubstaurant
In one of our trends reports this year, we predicted DJs were slowly going extinct in favor of live bands. Next year, we’re ready to officially pronounce the death of the clubstaurant. Or, rather, the evolution of it into something else: The glamstaurant. There are key differences. The glamstaurant has a live band playing jazzy covers of modern hits, not a DJ playing incessant deep house. It doesn’t do bottle service, it does $24 martinis. And it is not dark and moody, but screamingly loud with acres of crushed velvet and a color palette that makes a rainbow look boring. Similarities include snobby dress codes, irrationally hot customers, and being overcharged for simply breathing air. Recent glamstaurant specimens include Amazónico, Claudie, Sparrow, and Maple & Ash—and they show no signs of slowing down.
photo credit: Chuggie’s
2025 Was A Pizza Year, 2026 Will Be A Burger Year
Miami has burger years, and it has pizza years, but never at the same time. Allow us to present some data: 2023 saw the rise of Miami Slice, the debut of Walrus Rodeo’s fluffy pies, and Vice City Pizza’s Detroit-style squares. In 2024, we got Cowy Burger, Skinny Louie, Louie’s at Palm House (big year for guys named Louie), and too many new smashburgers to name here. And in 2025, a whopping three new pizza spots landed on our list of the year’s Best New Restaurants (and not a single burger). It’s not that a burger spot can’t open in a pizza year or vice versa (ViceVersa actually did open during a burger year), but there’s only room for one of those foods to dominate the annual hype cycle. 2026 is already shaping up to be a big burger year with the opening of Chuggie’s and Ted’s Burgers on the horizon.
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
Parents Are Getting A Scene Of Their Own
Something funny happened in Little River this year. On repeat visits to Bar Bucce, we noticed the courtyard filling with less first dates, and more Doona strollers. Parents have turned to the Little River spot for an (early) fun night out where their child can do laps and eat pizza, while they do the same (but with a martini). Miami millennials have children now, and they’re looking for more than just daytime hangs at breweries. More spots will rise up to meet this demand in 2026. It’s already starting: A new spot called The Triangle opened next to ZeyZey (another occasional parent scene) in late November, inviting folks to “bring the kids and unwind” in an open-air venue with food, drinks, and plenty of space for toddlers to drain their batteries, including an arcade.
photo credit: Tasty Planet
New Grove Is Eclipsing Old Grove
The battle between old Grove and new Grove has reached a tipping point, and in 2026, it will tip towards the salivating developers who love using the word “transform.” A new restaurant from the South Beach see-and-be-seen specialists over at Mila is opening soon, as is a luxury residential tower that’ll displace The Last Carrot. And whatever the hell is happening to Coconut Grove Playhouse, we have a feeling it’ll involve an $18 bowl of overnight oats. Of course, not everything new is bad. We’re fans of the fritas from Chuggie’s, already love Mae’s Room, and are excited for the new Drinking Pig. But it’s more important than ever to support and protect old Grove classics, like A.C’s Icees, Shore To Door, and Barracuda.
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
Broward’s Excellent Thai Scene Is Leaking Into Miami-Dade
For the last couple of years, if you asked us about Thai food, we’d beg you to drive to Broward, where places like Larb Thai-Isan, Nour Thai Kitchen, and Bok Bok Baby Buriram were proving that people will show up for Thai restaurants with fiery flavors and menus that showcase regional dishes beyond the typical pad thai and red curry. We’re finally starting to see whisperings of that movement in Miami, too, with the opening of Soi Thai Street Food and Sticky Rice. Here’s hoping Miami-Dade County is soon flooded with sinus-clearing papaya salads.
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
Restaurants Aren’t Waiting For Miami Spice To Give Locals A Deal
Summer 2025 was brutal for Miami restaurants, and they aren’t going to wait until August 1 to give locals motivation to leave the house next summer. In September, Uchi launched a $25 lunch prix fixe menu that sure felt like the glory days of Miami Spice. La Fresa Francesa also debuted a $30 dinner this year, Walrus Rodeo’s $12 Monday pizza deal is still trucking, and Zitz Sum lowered the price of their tasting menu over the summer, too. Does this mean Miami Spice’s days are numbered? No (their list of partnering restaurants is the length of an entire toilet paper roll). However, restaurants aren’t going to sit around waiting for Miami Spice to get the ball rolling on good deals—or undercut the Miami Spice price point entirely.
photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC
The Pork Chop Is The New Ribeye
With beef prices showing the economic stability of a seesaw on a yacht in the middle of a monsoon, chefs are getting creative with protein, seeking to turn cheaper cuts into special occasion dishes. We’re already seeing pork chops creep into the menu territory once occupied by ribeyes. Walrus Rodeo just slapped a bone-in pork chop on their menu (the biggest meat dish they offer). Recoveco’s pork collar with mamey sweet and sour sauce, despite being the cheapest entree on the menu, is now our favorite one. And Dojo Izakaya’s tonkatsu pork chop is the entree to revolve your order around. You’ll see more subtle meat substitutes like this—lamb ribs over a full rack, the proliferation of hanger steaks, etc.—in 2026.