Living in the city has gotten more expensive in recent years, but everyone needs to eat (and maybe go on a dinner date once in a while). Fortunately, Miami provides a diverse and often healthy range of spots to dine like royalty, even for the young and hungry.
La Sandwicherie
South Beach
Known far and wide for its creative French-style sandwiches on fresh-baked baguettes or croissants, the cafe's salad selection and smoothie/shake/juice bar should also not to be overlooked. Almost every menu item is under $10—most well under—despite being just a few blocks from the beach, the boardwalk, and premier resorts. It's also open for almost 24 hours every day, in case you're looking for an inexpensive meal to end a big night on. Consider the second location in Brickell if you're on the other side of the bay.
Sweet Dogs
Flagami
These are not your basic hot dogs (although that's an option). You'll get quarter-pound beef dogs with additions like fried eggs, bacon, plantains, pineapple, la choy noodles, papitas and much more, almost all for under $10. Don't miss the desserts, including soft-serve ice cream cones and sundaes, shakes and swirls. Sweet Dogs opens at 11am and closes around 10pm most days, but stays open until 3am for those out late in the popular neighborhood.
Tinta y Café
Coral Gables
This cozy coffee shop specializes in Cuban-style sandwiches and drinks, croquetas and pastelitos and daily specials. The sandwiches come in large or small, and are are mostly under $10 either way. The signature one, that shares the establishment's name, includes prosciutto, pork, manchego, roasted red peppers and caramelized onions although the options range all the way to vegetarian. There's a drive-up window for those on the move, and it's open from 7:30am to 9pm most days. (Note that this location is fairly new, and the older one at 268 SW 8th closed as part of a property redevelopment.) One more thing: laptops are strongly discouraged.
El Palacio De Los Jugos
Multiple Locations
A sort of buffet-style supermarket for Cuban food, each of the nine locations of this local favorite has stations for prepared meat dishes, seafood, sandwiches, juices, desserts and a lot more. Not as obscure as it used to be, El Palacio is now a destination for food writers and has appeared on national lists—but the prices haven't caught up. You can get most of the sandwiches on the menu for right around $5, and a fresh juice for just a few bucks. You might also find yourself leaving with, say, a pound of ropa vieja or a big bag of chicharrones. Open from 8am to 9pm every day.
El Mago De Las Fritas
Flagami
One of the leading creators of the Cuban frita—beef and pork patty on Cuban bread with thin-sliced potato fries on top—Mago has become a destination over the decades. While the burger-like sandwich dish can be greasy, here it somehow avoids that issue and also includes a hit secret sauce. Options now include chicken and vegetarian patties, fried eggs, bread-free versions, and other types of Cuban-style sandwiches.
