Miami is gearing up for the busy season, with restaurants that survived the tough summer months hoping for a better period ahead. Still, September saw some closures \u2014 including a few that locals have loved for decades.<\/p>\n
A beloved 50-year-old favorite for Chinese food closes<\/p>\n
For more than half a century, Miamians have been savoring the Chinese cuisine at Christine Lee\u2019s<\/a>. According to Michael Mayo\u2019s post on the Facebook Group, Let\u2019s Eat, South Florida<\/a>, \u201cA recorded message on the restaurant\u2019s telephone number says that second-generation owner Mary Lee has decided to retire and the restaurant is closed effective immediately.\u201d A call to the restaurant confirms the news. Christine Lee first opened the restaurant in New Jersey. In 1970, she relocated both her family and business to Sunny Isles Beach. The restaurant had several homes over its lifetime, before landing at Gulfstream Racetrack in Hallandale in 2018 under the care of Christine\u2019s daughter, Mary. The restaurant was considered a go-to for Chinese favorites, but a slow summer season that included reduced race days at the track may have been the catalyst for Lee\u2019s retirement announcement.<\/p>\n A Michelin-recommended Cuban restaurant shutters<\/p>\n For nearly a decade, Doce Provisions<\/a> served Cuban favorites with a modern twist. The eatery\u2019s ropa vieja, lechon asado buns, and vaca frita tostones earned the intimate Little Havana spot a place in the Florida Michelin Guide. Alas, the restaurant has closed abruptly: The website is down, the phone number is disconnected, and the Michelin Guide\u2019s page<\/a> simply says, \u201crestaurant not found.\u201d<\/p>\n A taco shop and speakeasy on Calle Ocho closes<\/p>\n A Calle Ocho staple for tacos since 1985, Taquerias El Mexicano<\/a> has closed \u2014 as has its upstairs Dia de los Muertos-themed speakeasy, Los Altos<\/a>, according to @lifestyle_miami<\/a>. The neon-bathed restaurant downstairs had the vibe of a well-loved taco shop. Beyond a candy shop facade, however, lurked Los Altos \u2014 a speakeasy filled with sugar skulls that specialized in mezcal cocktails.<\/p>\n A Hollywood seafood and oyster restaurant hits pause<\/p>\n In Spring 2024, chef Raheem Sealey (Kyu and Drinking Pig BBQ) opened J&C Oyster<\/a> in Hollywood. The Asian-inspired, seafood-forward menu drew instant raves for its fresh fish, (of course) oysters, and fried chicken. Though fairly new, the restaurant has closed temporarily, noting on its Instagram page<\/a> that it will \u201copen November 2025\u201d \u2014 as if it had never been open before. Both Sealey and J&C Oyster chef, Monika Dominguez, are collaborating at Shiso<\/a> in Wynwood \u2014 presumably while taking a sabbatical from J&C.<\/p>\n A burger with a side of history closes<\/p>\n