What’s good, what’s bad, what’s new: The only guide you need to Miami food halls

Some food halls are destinations. Others aren’t much more than a quick place to grab lunch when you’re out and about.

How do you know which is which? Here, let us guide you from the rooftop of Little River to the cool aesthetic of the Design District, from Miami Beach to Wynwood and all the way to Doral.

Here’s your guide to the food halls of Miami.

How Miami food halls are helping local chefs thrive and giving diners new flavors

Shoma Bazaar

This large, elegant food hall in Doral is not a spot for a cheap, quick meal or drink. It’s a destination, the place you go for a leisurely Friday lunch with co-workers to celebrate the end of the work week or to meet up with friends on the weekend. With 16 vendors offering a wide variety of options, including ramen, sushi, Asian tapas, Mexican-Cuban fusion, chicken sandwiches, pasta, poke bowls, delicious desserts and coffee roasted on-site and much more, everybody can find something to eat. There’s an upscale vibe — gold chandeliers, marble counters, leather banquets, architectural woodwork and murals — but the space is not intimidating. There’s a long, gorgeous, curving bar that cries out for you to sit, sip and watch the world — or at least Doral — go by. On weekends, you’ll hear live music or a DJ spinning, and there are kid-friendly activities, too.

The number of vendors to recommend is mind-boggling, but we’ll try to narrow it down for you. Don’t miss the Persian street food from Shahs of Kebob, which excels at steak, chicken and shrimp kebabs — and just about everything else, including the creamy hummus and basmati rice with berries. Come with a group and order the mixed grill ($54.99), which comes with four kebobs (one steak, one chicken, two lamb/beef combos), a crispy salad with feta and walnuts plus basmati rice. You can add a shrimp skewer for $15.99. Be sure to slather the homemade sumac sauce on as many things as you possibly can. Doce Provisions, which also has a restaurant in Little Havana, brings a Mexican twist to its Latin-friendly offerings, like shrimp tacos served in fried shells ($17) and vaca frita tostones ($15). But there are so many good options — In Ramen, BFF Burgers, Pubbelly Sushi, Trattoria Dal Plin, among them — exploring Shoma will keep you busy for awhile. And you need to save room for dessert. The Key lime pan de bono ($4.99) at Tintto by Tributto is one of the best sweet things we’ve had in awhile, especially paired with coffee roasted right in the booth.

Who should go: Co-workers celebrating the end of a busy week, casual dates, work or going-away lunches, groups of friends meeting up for a laugh and a drink.

9420 NW 41st St., Doral; www.shomabazaar.com

The Citadel

There are two ways to experience this fun spot in Miami’s Little River neighborhood: Sit inside the cavernous hall amid the vendors or make an online reservation at the popular rooftop bar, where you can order food delivered to your table. You definitely need the reservation, though — things get crowded up there on the weekend, especially as the weather turns cooler.

Either way, there are plenty of good things to try, whether you want to try something new or stay basic and grab a simple burger from USBS Burgers or a slice of Ash! pizza (we don’t care what anyone says, we will order a slice of the truffle pizza any time we feel like it). We can’t walk into The Citadel without hearing the siren song of Manjay and its delicious modern Caribbean cuisine (Manjay has also opened a separate restaurant in Wynwood). The jerk chicken bites served with fried plantains ($12) are a must, and the Coco Loco shrimp ($17) may also call out to you. Heed the call. Another must: The Dungeness crab dip at Miami Shores Fish Market ($20.95) makes a perfect appetizer to share (just order some chips with it — for some reason, it doesn’t come with any). Borti Pasta Bar serves a hearty tagliatelle Bolognese ($15) that will soothe your carb fever dreams and fill you up.

Who should go: Groups of friends and families with kids can enjoy the laid-back atmosphere downstairs, while those craving more of a bar scene should opt for a reservation for a table at The Rooftop.

8300 NE Second Ave., Miami; thecitadelmiami.com

MIA Market

This food hall in the Design District has gone through a couple of names since it opened as St. Roch Market in 2018. The good news is some of the original vendors are still here serving up their specialties (one of the original favorites, Itamae, has relocated across the Palm Court in its own space). The upscale neighborhood is known for its designer stores, but MIA Market makes lunch and dinner relatively affordable. Our favorites include the Lil Hottie chicken sandwich ($12) at Coop, hot enough to make your head sweat but not enough to blow out your taste buds. The chicken and waffles ($18), with the waffles acting as sandwich buns, is a little hard to eat, but well worth the effort. The pho ($15-$18) at Tran An is supremely fulfilling even on a hot day, and we have been addicted to the cheesy, peppery cacio e pepe ($24) at Dal Plin Italian restaurant since the market first opened. But then, we haven’t had a pasta here we haven’t enjoyed (it’s all handmade daily).

Also worthy of note is the falafel platter at Jaffa ($24), which comes with hummus, pita and Israeli salad (you can also order bowls and sandwiches). Led by Israeli chef Yaniv Cohen, the restaurant serves Israeli and Mediterranean cuisine and opened a standalone restaurant in Hallandale Beach. You can eat at tables scattered throughout the food hall or at the busy bar in the center of the hall, where lively and friendly bartenders keep you entertained and topped off as needed.

Who should go: Anyone who wants a quick, less expensive option to pricey Design District restaurants for lunch or before downtown Miami events like an Arsht Center performance or a Miami Heat game.

140 NE 39th St., Miami; www.miamarket.com

1-800-Lucky

This funky Asian-themed food hall in the heart of Wynwood is anything but fancy in design, but you can still have a great meal here. One of the best-kept secrets is Jeepney from Manhattan restaurateur Nicole Ponseca, who opened this small outpost at the end of 2020, not necessarily the best year to open any sort of restaurant anywhere. Ponseca, however, forged ahead. She wanted to test the market for Filipino fare in Miami because of the crossover between Latin and Filipino cuisine (see: pork). You can taste it in the umami-rich pork sisig, a traditional dish with triple cooked pork belly, red onion, ginger, garlic, chillies and an egg ($17). A generous portion comes in a sizzling skillet with rice; squeeze some lemon on top and you’re good to go. The restaurant added a chicken sandwich (called Thicc-Fil-A Sandwich, $15), if pork is not your thing. Also notable at 1-800-Lucky is B-Side Sushi from Itamae, the Design District Peruvian restaurant that was designated a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide earlier this year. Order traditional rolls ($11-$18) or signature rolls ($18) like the Totora (spicy tuna, avocado and shiitake mushroom) and Ghost in the Shell (kani, shrimp, Serrano pepper, cucumber).

Other good choices: Usagi Tokyo’s rich ramen ($16-$19) and the bao buns ($9,35-$10.28) at Gold Marquess (where you can also order a whole Peking duck for $65.33 if you’re feeling bold). And for your socials, hit up Taiyaki New York for the adorable ice cream fish cones for dessert ($5-$8). If you’re into karaoke, bring your friends and book the karoake room (21 and up only after 8 p.m.)

Who should go: Fans of Asian food and karaoke lovers; anybody who misses the old vibe of the ever-gentrifying Wynwood.

143 NW 23rd St., Miami; www.1800lucky.com

Time Out Market Miami

When it opened in 2019, this food hall — sister to the popular Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal — touted the names of some of Miami’s most famous chefs: Jeremy Ford, Norman van Aken, Michael Beltran and Giorgio Rapicavoli. Most are gone now, though Ford has opened a new seafood bar concept called Crew-Do in the revised Market, which reopened after the COVID pandemic in 2021.

A few old favorites remain, like Pho Mo from the proprietors of Phuc Yea in MiMo, still serving bowls of steaming soup and made-in-Miami ice cream vendor Azucar. Our favorites include the hot honey crispy chicken sandwich ($15) at Chick’N Jones. Look, we know there are a lot of chicken sandwiches out there, but this one is sweet, spicy and totally legit. You can also order hot honey wings if you so desire, but then you’re going to miss that brioche piled with slaw and pickles. And don’t be shy about trying the shareable tapas from Lur: the restaurant, which also offers a Basque eight-course dinner at night for $65, springs from the versatile mind of Chef Aitor Garate Berasaluze, whose first solo restaurant is Leku at the Rubell Museum in Allapattah. We liked everything we tried: the spinach croquetas ($18); the codfish buñuelos ($10); the patatas bravas ($8). For dessert, try the cookies ($6 apiece) at The Blakery (we were extremely fond of the S’mores and cinnamon roll versions, but they all look good). With every cookie you get a free shot of whole, almond or oat milk.

Who should go: Anyone looking for an unfussy meal on South Beach that won’t break the bank.

1601 Drexel Ave, Miami Beach; www.timeout.com/miami/time-out-market

Lincoln Eatery

Aside from XO Espresso Bar, which offers a good alternative to the long lines at Starbucks on Lincoln Road, there isn’t much to make this food hall worth a special trip unless you’re in the area and not in the mood for a complicated sit-down dinner. One new vendor to try is BBQ & Craft Company, which has another location in Brickell. Other vendors include Ai Sushi, Cilantro 27, Fresh Garden Bowls, Plant Theory and Stephanie’s Crepes.

Who should go: People spending the day at the convention center who want a quick bite to eat or families with kids in tow who want something easy like pizza or tacos and don’t want to spend the time at a full-service restaurant.

723 Lincoln Lane North, Miami Beach: www.thelincolneatery.com

Alton Food Hall

There are some local concepts here, but the ghost kitchens and national chains at this Alton Road establishment make this food hall more of a neighborhood delivery service option than a destination. Live nearby and long for Popeyes fried chicken? Hosting a game day party and need a few dozen wings from Wingstop? Get out your phone and order. If you do decide to stop by in person, your best bet is to order a couple of tacos from Tacos and Tattoos ($3.50 apiece), which also has locations in Kendall and at the University of Miami.

Who should go: Passersby and people in the neighborhood.

955 Alton Rd, Miami Beach; altoneats.com

Not quite food halls — but close

Oasis

This outdoor venue in Wynwood with the shipping container Tower Bar and several good vendors is home to live performances and other events on the weekend. You can come here, however, just to hang out and eat. We like the sandwiches at Alidoro ($12.50-$16.50) and the tacos at Los Buenos ($8-$9). Our favorite spot, though, comes from the creators of Poke OG: Miss Crispy Rice, an omakase-style crispy rice bar that requires reservations. Even better, it’s indoors in a mini-food hall with Papi Churro, a churro-and-ice cream spot.

Who should go: Anyone dedicated enough to outdoor lounging to brave Wynwood parking, traffic and heat.

2335 N. Miami Ave., Miami; www.oasiswynwood.com

Doral Yard

Anchored by the full-service restaurant Barbakoa by Finka from Chef Eileen Andrade, this outdoor Downtown Doral venue recently lost della bowls, one of its original vendors, earlier this summer. But it still features a bar, Los Buenos, Pokekai poke bowls and dessert kings Paletas Morelias and Santo Dulce churros. Expect live music and DJs on the weekend.

Who should go: Doral residents who don’t want to drive to hang out.

8455 NW 53rd St Suite 106, Doral; thedoralyard.com