Several Miami restaurants shut down over the holiday season, with some well-known favorites saying goodbye.
A Miami Beach Seafood Staple Says Goodbye
Stiltsville Fish Bar, Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth’s charming seafood restaurant on Miami Beach, has long been a staple for fresh-caught fish and a touch of Southern hospitality. On Sunday, December 21, it served its last raw bar tackle box. The restaurant, operated by Grove Bay Restaurant Group, posted the following message on its website: “With heartfelt appreciation for our community, we share the news about the closure of Stiltsville Fish Bar in Miami Beach. After a successful run and extensive negotiations with our landlord, we were unable to come to an agreement and will not be renewing the lease at this location. Our final day of service was this past Sunday, December 21st. Stiltsville Fish Bar has been an incredibly special chapter for Grove Bay Hospitality Group. Opening this restaurant in collaboration with Chefs Janine Booth and Jeff McInnis was a true honor, and we are proud to have helped bring their vision — and love story — to life through a concept that celebrated Florida flavors, hospitality, and community.”
A Time-Honored Sushi Restaurant
Long before Miami had an upscale omakase lounge on nearly every corner, there was Sushi Rock Suniland. The Pinecrest restaurant appears to have quietly closed after more than two decades on South Dixie Highway. Although the restaurant’s website is up, it’s static, and you cannot place an order. Additionally, Yelp has marked the restaurant as closed, and the listed phone number is not working. Note: Only the Suniland location at 11293 South Dixie Highway has closed.
A Beloved Wynwood Staple Closes
In 2012, Gramps opened, bringing cheap drinks, good vibes, and great music to Wynwood. In 2017, Pizza Tropical opened, allowing customers to soak up their beers and bourbons with red sauce and cheese. This bright red-and-yellow pizza, “ventanita” (little window in Spanish), offered sustenance in the form of cheese, dough, and red sauce. The pizza window’s closure on December 10 was anticipated but heartbreaking. Gramps owner, Adam Gersten, posted a tribute to the beloved no-frills pizza shop on Instagram, saying, “Come get your final slices this week. You’ll really be able to taste the tears. Maybe bring some flowers to place on top of the pizza window. Thank you all for your patronage of our pizza over the years. Not a pepperoni will be forgotten.” Gramps closed January 4, but not without a surprise announcement that Pizza Tropical plans to reopen in February 2026, though details have not been released.
Smorgasburg wil reopen in Fort Lauderdale. Smorgasburg
An Outdoor Food Market Closes But Pops Up in Little River
Smorgasburg, the Wynwood outdoor food and craft market, closed on December 7 to make room for a residential building. There is good news, however. Smorgasburg will pop up monthly as a Little River Night Market, located at 7200 NW Second Avenue. Smorgasburg also plans to open in Fort Lauderdale in the coming months. In a statement, Smorgasburg’s owner, Gaston Becherano, said, “Wynwood will always hold a special place in our hearts as it was where we built our community. The closing of this location was bittersweet, but it opens the door to new experiences. Little River is an exciting next chapter where we’ll continue to bring people together around great food, supporting local talent, and celebrating South Florida’s culture in fresh ways.”
A Longstanding Piece of Downtown Miami’s Fabric Shuts Down
Since 1980, Las Palmas served cafecitos and hearty lunches to downtown Miami’s community of college students, office workers, and port employees. In November, the Cuban cafeteria closed, putting a heartfelt message on Instagram: “THANK YOU for sharing with us your stories, your ups and downs, the successes, the failures, the births, the deaths, the engagements, the marriages, everything. We loved being part of your lives all these years! “
Four Decades of Fort Lauderdale Barbecue
For four decades, Tom Jenkin’s BBQ has served Fort Lauderdale, with the scent of smoked meats wafting down South Federal Highway. After years of service, its owners decided it was time to shut down the smoker, leaving the following message on its website: “After two years of careful planning, effective December 21, 2025, we have decided to retire and close the doors of Tom Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q. We want to thank all our customers for all these years of loyal support. It has been an honor to serve you and the community. This has been a journey full of love blessed by God, and we are certainly grateful. Thank you again, and may God continue to bless you and your families.”