Though we lost countless dining institutions in 2025, South Florida restaurants, like hope, spring eternal.
Yes, the 36-year-old Fort Lauderdale icon Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q is gone, but in short order we’ll have a smoked-meat smorgasbord in Drinking Pig BBQ in Delray Beach and the West Palm Cowboy Club, two places we’re eagerly anticipating. We said goodbye to Char-Hut Pembroke Pines, another stone-cold classic, but it’s hard to sulk knowing that Charm City Burger Co., coming this winter to Boca Raton, also crafts an exceptional patty. Are they true-blue successors? No, but it’s heartening to know these MVPs are coming.
Consider other reasons the state of our restaurant union remains strong: Mangos, the bygone tropical Las Olas lounge, and Pelican Landing, the beloved dockside bar at Pier Sixty-Six, both are making long-awaited comebacks. Fancy doughnut slinger Mojo Donuts is expanding.
So call us optimistic about South Florida’s new crop of 2026 restaurants, which are all vying to survive and thrive long enough to be called classics. Below are the 10 new eateries we’re anticipating in the new year.
Note on projected openings: These are hot-take projections based on what owners and developers expect at the time of publication, not gospel, so don’t be surprised if they open ahead or behind schedule.
BROWARD COUNTY
ICRAVE / Courtesy
This updated rendering gives an inside peek at the new Sweetwaters in Fort Lauderdale. (ICRAVE/Courtesy)
Sweetwaters
32 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; HuizengaPark.org/thingstodo
OPENING: Fall
The centerpiece of the multimillion-dollar revival of Fort Lauderdale’s Huizenga Park, this enormous sit-down (6,140 square feet, plus a 3,500-square-foot riverfront patio) comes from Specialty Restaurants Corp., operators of Miami icon Rusty Pelican. So we have high hopes for this two-story, glass-walled restaurant that broke ground in November after a two-year delay — even without any announced menu. The 291-seater is destined to become the big draw of Huizenga Park’s revival, along with a renovated park fountain, a dog run, new public seating and restrooms.
Ember & Vine / Courtesy
A rendering of the new Ember & Vine, a Napa Valley-inspired restaurant opening this summer in Coral Springs. (Ember & Vine/Courtesy)
Ember & Vine
5920 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs; EmberandVineFl.com
OPENING: Summer
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, power couple Eddie and Christina Pozzuoli have shaken up the west Broward ‘burbs with neighborhood sit-downs that radiate cozy comforts, from hand-rolled pasta under candlelight at Eddie & Vinny’s in Coral Springs to soul-warming brisket po’boys at sporty Parkland pub Dear Olivia. That trend will continue with this Napa Valley-esque restaurant from P Hospitality Group, inspired by a recent birthday outing in California wine country. “When we went to Napa, we were like, ‘How cool would it be to transport this feeling home, but without making it feel pretentious?’ ” Eddie Pozzuoli explains. Their answer, for now, is this rough-draft menu under chef Jeff Tunks, offering coffee and pastries by day and Mediterranean-leaning entrees cooked over an open hearth by night. Picture everything from wood-roasted oysters, diver scallops and garlic prawns to grilled Wagyu picanha, Roman-style pinsa and lamb chops, paired with uncommon California, French and Italian varietals. The Pozzuolis say Ember will repurpose the existing bar-adjacent open hearth left behind by Angelo Elia Pizza, Bar & Tapas, which closed here in early December.
Mojo Donuts Courtesy
A decadent selection from Mojo Donuts, which plans to open a Coral Springs location this spring. (Mojo Donuts/Courtesy)
Mojo Donuts
2810 N. University Drive, Coral Springs; MojoDonuts.com
OPENING: Spring
Yes, Broward is cluttered with more fancy doughnut rivals than when this tasty pastry pioneer opened its Pembroke Pines flagship in 2013. But owner Shawn Neifeld has always kept his head above the powdered-sugar fray, outlasting most with trays of accolades, among them appearances on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (for the short-lived but delicious Miami mashup Mojo Donuts & Fried Chicken) and a No. 4 ranking on Yelp’s “Top 100 U.S. Donut Shops 2022” list. After some growing pains, Mojo will rise at The Walk of Coral Springs with a raft of sinful flavors, including decadent Cuatro Leches, Guavecito, Oreo Speedragon, Salty Caramel Cheese and Log Cabin Bacon. Be still, my arteries.
Pelican Landing
2301 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale; PierSixtySix.com
OPENING: Spring/summer
We get it: Pier Top, with its lavish rotating lounge and stylish brunch, is reason enough to explore the $1 billion makeover of Pier Sixty-Six, the sprawling resort icon that reopened in January. But arguably the most beloved and relaxing of Pier Sixty-Six’s nine new restaurants (!) is the dockside Pelican Landing, a jewel of a bar on the Intracoastal Waterway framed by megayachts where carousers kick back with fruity tipples, conch fritters and PBR against a majestic fading sun. It’s a piece of quintessential Old Fort Lauderdale that we’re glad to see coming back.
Fettle Design / Ian Garraway for San Carlo / Courtesy
A watercolor rendering of the dining room at Signor Sassi, a London-based Italian restaurant and celebrity magnet that’s expected to open in Hallandale Beach’s Atlantic Village later this winter. (Fettle Design/Ian Garraway for San Carlo/Courtesy)
Signor Sassi
1006 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., SanCarlo.co.uk
OPENING: This winter
Never mind that Signor Sassi’s website calls this new location “Signor Sassi Miami” — out-of-towners mislabel our region so often it’s practically tradition — but this high-end London staple and celebrity magnet will actually occupy Hallandale Beach’s buzzy Atlantic Village district. No menu is available yet for this first U.S. location, but if it’s anything like the 41-year-old flagship, this Italian sit-down will offer a swanky see-and-be-scene, with no less than four black truffle dishes, occasional pop-ins from famous faces (Rihanna, The Rolling Stones and Mary J. Blige have all rolled through), creamy housemade ravioli, ossobuco with risotto and an unmissable tiramisu.
Mangos
9 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Opening: Late summer
South Floridians of a certain vintage — that is, anyone who remembers Las Olas pre-pandemic — may recall this beloved locals’ lounge with tropical motifs, live bands and cozy bar food that reigned for a quarter-century until closing in 2017. (They may also recall the short-lived, oddball Euro-Italian revival that replaced it a year later under the same name.) Now The Restaurant People’s Tim Petrillo (S3, Nubé, YOLO, Java & Jam), longtime landlord of the Mangos building, tells the Sun Sentinel he’s rebooting it himself. Details are slim for now, but after a recent teardown at 904 E. Las Olas Blvd., Petrillo says the new Mangos will retain the loungy vibes while adding a menu of health-conscious, Mediterranean-Asian cuisine.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
1 OAK STUDIOS for Slab Daddy BBQ / Courtesy
West Palm Cowboy Club is envisioned as a new country-western-themed restaurant and nightclub with barbecue and live music. (1 OAK STUDIOS for Slab Daddy BBQ/Courtesy)
West Palm Cowboy Club
200 Clematis St., West Palm Beach; WestPalmCowboyClub.com
OPENING: This winter
A country-western-themed restaurant and nightclub with live music programmed by … South Florida’s own DJ Diplo? If anyone can make the transition from dubstep to the Texas two-step, it’s Grammy-winning producer Thomas Wesley, who as “musical director” (the venue’s term) will preside over a two-story venue where “beer, barbecue and basslines collide,” as hyped in a news statement. (Translation: He’ll be in charge of live-music bookings, karaoke nights and special events.) The cowboy club’s other VIP is Adrian Ricouz (owner of Miami’s Slab Daddy BBQ, ex-chef of Allapattah’s Hometown BBQ), who’ll present a Latin-accented BBQ menu of brisket, ribs and pulled pork, plus dishes including cornbread and caviar, barbecue-inspired pizza and Southern-style brunch.
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel
The Emperor burger and fries from Charm City Burger Co., photographed at the Deerfield Beach flagship location. Charm City is expected to migrate to downtown Boca Raton in early 2026. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Charm City Burger Co.
201 NW First Ave., Boca Raton; CharmCityBurgerCo.com
OPENING: This winter
Evan David and Mike Saperstein’s 17-year-old joint is royalty in South Florida’s burgerdom, lauded for winning countless patty brawls (Riverwalk Burger Battle and Boca Burger Battle come to mind) and for the savory simplicity of its crowning handheld: The Emperor. Each one is made with ultrarich, perfectly salty American Wagyu, heaped with aged Gruyère, arugula and truffle aioli on brioche toast. And each burger is sourced from Sunshine Provisions, the high-end meat wholesaler that David and Saperstein run in Hallandale Beach. So it came as little surprise that, when the duo said they’d send their Deerfield Beach flagship north to Boca Raton back in August 2023, it stirred a carnivorous frenzy online. An opening date is finally imminent for its larger shop (2,200 square feet), for which they signed a five-year lease. It will carry a similar menu of deep-fried Oreos, sinful milkshakes and less-fancy-still-delicious burgers like the Good Ole (a juicy chuck-brisket-short rib-blend on a sesame bun). Their Deerfield Beach original, meanwhile, will be rebranded Charm City Sandwich Co. and specialize in smash burgers and hot and cold-cut subs.
Chris Casella for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants / Courtesy
An open-fire roasted shellfish platter from Del Mar, which is expected to debut in West Palm Beach’s NORA District this summer. (Chris Casella for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants/Courtesy)
Del Mar
1015 N. Railroad Ave., West Palm Beach; DelMarMediterranean.com
When: Summer
Ohio restaurateur Cameron Mitchell and his massive eponymous hospitality outfit are fairly untested in South Florida’s market. It has two Fort Lauderdale restaurants — surf-and-turf sit-down Ocean Prime debuted in April and Del Mar, inside the luxe Auberge Beach Residences, opened a month ago. But already we’re intrigued by its clout (Tampa oyster room The Pearl is Michelin-recommended) and by its sprawling menu of Mediterranean coastal delights, spanning lobster spaghetti with Calabrian chili, veal chops, lamb sausage Turkish flatbreads, swordfish and sea bass with tomato broth and fennel confit. Del Mar, when it opens this summer, should become an attention-grabbing draw in West Palm Beach’s rising NORA District.
Drinking Pig BBQ / Courtesy
A platter of various meats and sides including brisket, ribs, coleslaw and beans at Drinking Pig BBQ, coming to Delray Beach’s Sundy Village in fall 2026. (Drinking Pig BBQ/Courtesy)
Drinking Pig BBQ
22 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; DrinkingPigBBQ.com
OPENING: Fall
South Florida isn’t a barbecue town — yet — but the truest expression of ‘cue in our region may just be Raheem Sealey and Mark Wint’s marriage of oak-smoked meats, Caribbean jerk and Asian spices. Born a pandemic pop-up, Drinking Pig BBQ brought Caribbean-kissed Texas brisket, mac-and-cheese casserole and spare ribs to the locked-down masses with his Instagram-famous stand at the end of a North Miami cul-de-sac. Now, after the November debut of their first permanent location in Coconut Grove, the chefs are Delray-bound, shuffling into the 7-acre Sundy Village project. Though its new neighbors include Philly coffeehouse-sushi izakaya Double Knot and New York-based French hotspot Maman, Drinking Pig — judging from its Grove successes so far — is poised to be Sundy’s hottest new property.