Where to eat in South Beach that is good without breaking the bank?

the tgifriday's at the corner of 5th & ocean drive is always good.

Hey there, what do you like to eat, and what price range?

Let me know and I will give you a list. I am a foodie who knows Miami inside and out.

Richard

Thanks - and I don't want to sound like a snob but I was hoping for somewhere a little bit unusual - we've got TGIF in London (many, many!!) - but having flown X thousand miles I would like something more than a glorified MacDonalds.
I know that you didn't realise that I was coming from abroad' I should have made it clear that I wanted somewhere interesting -not a horrible chain store meal.
thanks anyway

Reply to Richard - my husband and I (god I sound like the queen!) have been in Miami before - we tried to get into Joe's Stone Crabs (??) but ended up in an a very interesting restaurant nearby - Robin William's brother Todd was doing a presentation of food and wine - and we had a great night. Don't remember the name, but somewhere out of the ordinary would be great. thanks m

Our favorite place is Grillfish at 1444 Collins. Great seafood and definitely will not break the bank.

Margaret,

I think were on the same wavelength.

I will e-mail you my personal list of clubs and restaurants in SOBE.

I started compiling this because I entertain a lot, and I got tired of the many SOBE/Miami ripoffs!

The food scene is progrssively getting better in Miami, but it is still very variable, and there are few consistant restaurants.

Joe's is allright but there are much better. If you do like the stone crabs though, you can pass all the hassles and get them at their next door take out...Joes Take Away! that way you don't have to "grease" the slimy palm of the doorman!

Anyway, my top 5 consistent are:

China Grill - Washington Ave. & 5th ?
Pacific Times - Lincoln Road
Tantra - Pensylvania Ave
Joie - Collins
Davids Cafe - Lincoln Rd (upscale Cuban)

Dinner at the Delano hotel is exotic to say the least, great experience but the food is NOT worth the prices. Best go there to the Rose Bar for drinks, and then you can say hi to Shawn the bartender for me!

If it is food you travel for (as do I) then you really need to go to New Orleans where the food is considered TOP 10 cities in the world. For New Oleans I could come up with a top 50 list !

We spend two weeks in New Orleans in April 2001 - and it was one of the best holidays of our life. We ate out every night - and most lunchtimes - and I would recommend NO as one of the most interesting, most exciting and most unusual cities in the world.

Richard, agree that the Blue Door is not worth the prices.

Had a really bad experience with a surly waiter at Tantra and would never go back.

I'll bet your clothing was a bit tighter when you left too!!

Those Poboys and Beignets have a way of creeping up on you!

Hey DeeDee,

But that is kinda Miami though, even the China Grill where I am a regular, I have had that experiece...really bugs you when you spend that kind of money!

If you want I can give you the owners name at Tantra if you want to complain?

PS - Do you live in Miami, I met someone there onetime by the name DeeDee?

Richard, I am in Boca but visitors always want to go to South Beach.

The manager was part of the problem. After spending the better part of $500 on dinner and wine for 4, they wanted our table for another party. This happened about 18 months ago.

Who in their right mind would spend $500 on a meal!!!

South Beach restaurants have New York City prices. They are expensive.

We spent $1200 one night in The Forge for 5 people.

Hey Marg,

Welcome to Southbeach! Want to go to a club and sit down? You'll be lucky if you get out under a $1000 for 4 people.

For 2 people in South Beach dinner, wine cocktails....your looking easily $200.00. Thats why I don't mind helping out people, because there is a lot of BAD restaurants for big bucks.

Especially Blue Door (right DeeDee?) which can set you back 300-400 buck for a truly forgetable meal!

DeeDee, you should talk to the owner of Tantra his name is Dave. The mangers are basically useless anywhere on SOBE.

I don't know when this happened to you, but if it is reently and you paid by AMEX, then you can call them and have them lop off 25 or 50% of the bill, I have done that a few times. The restaurant rarely contests it.

That is why I NEVER leave home without it!

What gives, Helen, Margaret, Susan, Penny, etc. You've started at leat 6-7 threads all about coming to Miami from the UK. Why not ask all questions in one thread? And what's with the different names? And how about that obsession with tiny & tinyworld? Did you really think us dumb Americans wouldn't figure this out???

Osteria de Teatro on Washington in South Beach. Had a very memorable meal there in Oct. 2002. Family run, kinda noisy, but food is very good.

Also ate at Nemo in South Beach. Very pleasant, ate outside.

My vote goes to Osteria de Teatro.

Personally, I like Joe's Stone Crab (their Manhattan clam chowder is awesome) however, it is the type of place that can definitely break the bank: five of us ate LUNCH there and our tab came to $700!

And not one of us even had a drink! No bull.

Davidcs

We had one nite in South Beach and my wife wanted Stone Crabs and we were advised to go to Monty's. There are two next to each other, one upscale and one VERY casual where you sit in an outdoor atmosphere (although there's a cover, it's more like you're on a porch) by the marina. We sat outside and really enjoyed ourselves, although the service was a bit poor.