{"id":304204,"date":"2026-06-11T19:02:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T19:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/304204\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T19:02:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T19:02:26","slug":"the-return-of-the-16-cocktail-sibling-restaurants-more-trends-on-our-radar-miami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/304204\/","title":{"rendered":"The Return Of The $16 Cocktail, Sibling Restaurants, & More Trends On Our Radar – Miami"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we enter the second lap of 2026, cocktails (unlike literally everything else) are somehow getting cheaper, while sandwiches go in the complete opposite direction. Also, fro-yo has mutated into something very weird in Brickell\u2014of course it\u2019s Brickell\u2014and we think we know what the next big cut of steak is. Let\u2019s dive into it all.<\/p>\n

THE TRENDS\"sandwich<\/p>\n

photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer<\/p>\n

\"TheSandwiches Cost $100 Now<\/p>\n

Who deserves to feel shame in this arrangement: the person who decides to charge $100 for a sandwich, or the person who decides to order it? Consider it a philosophical dilemma of the modern restaurant era. This year alone, we\u2019ve come across a $100 cheesesteak at Slim\u2019s<\/a> (fine), a $100 french dip at The Joyce<\/a> (deeply unnecessary), and, like the rest of you, been forced against our will to consume content about the Ch\u00e8vre<\/a> $100 hot dog that they roll out for rich people sporting events. Are any of them worth $100? Of course not<\/a>. It\u2019s silly and rage-inducing\u2014so, in other words, absolutely primed for social media engagement. Complain all you want about Frankie & Wally\u2019s<\/a> $20-ish sandwiches, but at least those are worth every penny.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Giant<\/p>\n

photo credit: Mariana Trabanino<\/p>\n

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video credit: Mariana Trabanino<\/p>\n

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video credit: Mariana Trabanino<\/p>\n

Brickell Has Club-ified Fro-yo<\/p>\n

Remember when going on a fro-yo run used to be wholesome and take place around 7pm (9pm at the latest)? Well, those days are gone. At least in Brickell, where places like Myka<\/a> are treating their tart swirls like bottle service. We recently went on an innocent dessert run to their Brickell truck (open till midnight) and discovered a scene cultural anthropologists will spend years dissecting: deep house music, a crowd in kitten heels, and tables harder to secure than the ones at La Victoria. Van Leeuwen\u2019s Brickell location (the only one serving frozen yogurt) is also open until midnight. And while Nude<\/a> isn\u2019t open late (yet), you have to walk past a bouncer and shout over a techno remix of \u201cStayin\u2019 Alive\u201d to order their frozen yogurt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Trio<\/p>\n

photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS \/ @EATTHECANVASLLC<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/p>\n

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings \/ @eatthecanvasllc<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

video credit: Virginia Otazo<\/p>\n

The Return Of The $16 Cocktail<\/p>\n

For a while there, it looked like $20 cocktails were the norm. But we\u2019ve noticed more and more spots lowering prices by using affordable spirits without cutting corners on flavor or technique. Casa MX\u2019<\/a>s $14 margarita gets the job done, and their La Pasion, a tequila and passionfruit cocktail with an impressive foam topper, is only $16. The entire Ariete<\/a> family tree (including Mae\u2019s Room<\/a>, Chug\u2019s<\/a>, Cafe Laurel<\/a>, The Gibson Room<\/a>, and Drinking Pig<\/a>) serves cocktails in the $14 to $16 range. Walrus Rodeo<\/a>, which just got its liquor license, is charging $17 to $18 for its cheffy cocktails, which, anywhere else, would probably cost $23. And Lovecat<\/a>, a new cocktail bar inside an Allapattah food hall, has great drinks between $15 and $16. While everything else seems to be getting more expensive, we\u2019re happy to see that the cost of a buzz is going down.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Exterior<\/p>\n

photo credit: Mariana Trabanino<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

video credit: Julia Malav\u00e9<\/p>\n

\"Iced<\/p>\n

photo credit: Mariana Trabanino<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings \/ @eatthecanvasllc<\/p>\n

The Sibling Restaurant<\/p>\n

Instead of pulling each other\u2019s hair or fighting over who\u2019s mom\u2019s favorite, Miami siblings are opening restaurants. And the people are loving it. The Honey Veil<\/a> sisters opened a brick and mortar in South Miami after developing a cult following on UM\u2019s campus. The brains behind Lucky Coffee<\/a>\u2019s maximalist lattes and matcha also share DNA. The four people riding the gator on Grove Grocer<\/a>\u2019s logo are siblings, too. Sisters are dominating the scene, but a trio of brothers have entered the chat with Bodega Ortega<\/a>. Whereas the sisters usually have a slick, aesthetic social media presence and a penchant for cold foam, the brothers are making sandwiches, selling beer, and took to Instagram<\/a> on opening week to confess that they\u2019re very much still learning how to do this (we were there on day one, and can confirm). But honestly, that just makes us root for them harder.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

photo credit: Virginia Otazo<\/p>\n

Vaca Vieja Is The Next Big Cut Of Steak<\/p>\n

Vaca vieja translates to old cow, but that\u2019s no insult. Most Americans are used to eating tender, mild meat from teenage bovines. The cows used for vaca vieja, though, are several years older. The flavor is much more intense and beefier, but the meat can be tough when cooked by the wrong hands. We found two places serving it in Miami: Ezio\u2019s<\/a> (they have bone-in strips and ribeyes) and Palma<\/a>, which has a 32-ounce vaca vieja txuleton<\/a> that\u2019s covered in the steak\u2019s own rendered fat. If you\u2019re a steak-lover and haven\u2019t tried one yet, you need to change that. And if you see any more old cows in Miami, let us know (the bovine kind, please).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer<\/p>\n

Miami\u2019s Cocktail Scene Is Leveling Up<\/p>\n

Bars never open at the same pace of restaurants in Miami, and when they do, it\u2019s very hit or miss. But 2026 has not only been a good year for new bars, but specifically a great year for new cocktail bars. You know the type: places who take their ice cubes very seriously, proudly work seasonal produce into their cocktails, and always find ways to make martinis just a little weirder. Newcomers so far include: Stormy Monday<\/a> in South Beach, Lovecat<\/a> in Allapattah, S\u00e9ptimo<\/a> in Brickell, Right Hand<\/a> in Downtown, and Mae\u2019s Room<\/a> in Coconut Grove. Cocktail nerds should add all of the above to their list.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Ezio's<\/p>\n

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings \/ @eatthecanvasllc<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

photo credit: Cleveland Jennings \/ @eatthecanvasllc<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

video credit: Virginia Otazo<\/p>\n

Miami Restaurant Shrinkage<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve talked before about how menus were getting smaller, but now it\u2019s dining rooms too. We won\u2019t bore you with the specifics, but anyone who\u2019s ever eaten a plate of french fries while squatting on a milk crate will tell you: labor and rent are usually a restaurant\u2019s highest costs. Having a smaller dining room helps with both. And so\u2014with rent prices skyrocketing around Miami\u2014restaurants are naturally shrinking. Stand<\/a>, a new Japanese spot in Coral Gables, seats about 30 people. Cafe Fenicia<\/a> only has a handful of tables in its dining room, and To Be Determined<\/a> has one of Miami\u2019s smallest menus and dining rooms. Even steakhouses like Ezio\u2019s<\/a> in North Beach and Slim\u2019s<\/a> in Bal Harbour have small footprints compared to most of their steakhouse kin. And we love it. These restaurants feel cozy and more personal. It lets their teams have more meaningful interactions with guests, which leads to more regulars. It\u2019s a win for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n