Friends of Eater Miami Share Their Saddest Restaurant Closure of 2022

As we put a cap on 2022, Eater surveyed a group of friends, writers, and all-around experts for their take on the past year. We asked them six questions: from top standbys to top newcomers, from best meals to restaurants they’ve broken up with. All will be answered by the time we turn off the lights at the end of 2022. Responses are related in no particular order; all are cut, pasted, and (mostly) unedited herein. Responses do not necessarily reflect the views of Eater and Eater Miami.

Gretchen Schmidt (Edible South Florida): Dogfish Head Brewery – not a restaurant, but still a loss to our community. We loved their work with tropical fruit growers and TREC (UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead), to develop beers using locally grown fruits.

Amber Love Bond (Eater Miami contributor): I hadn’t been in years, but I was pretty sad about Las Rosas closing — it was always a good time and I made a lot of memories there.

Stacy Moya (Eater Miami Contributor): Sparky’s

David Rosendorf (Food For Thought): Can I switch things up a bit and tell you the closure I’ve been saddest about in 2022, even though it closed before 2022? Cake Thai. Man, do I miss Cake Thai, and have been pining for it a lot this year.

Lyssa Goldberg (Freelance food writer): First of all, let’s take a moment to be thankful that we’re in a place where I had to rack my brain for an answer to this for 2022, after the last couple years of devastating pandemic closures. For the nostalgia of it, I’m going with Doraku, which was one of the last local restaurants left on Lincoln Road. I grew up on Miami Beach and remember going there in high school for happy hour bites before I was old enough to even order happy hour drinks. When I saw the news about the closure, it really tugged at my heart strings.

Giovanny Gutierrez (Chat Chow TV/Eater Miami photographer): The Bazaar by José Andrés is closing soon and I’m already saddened by it.

Juliana Accioly (Eater Miami contributor): Doraku’s closure was a big loss to Lincoln Road.

Sara Liss (Author of Miami Cooks): I hadn’t been to Doraku in ages but their happy hour was always a great place to down cheap sake and totally-fine sushi. It was sad to hear that it was closing, and now that western stretch of Lincoln Road feels so desolate without it. And although it hasn’t happened yet, the announcement that The Bazaar by José Andrés is closing was a bit of a downer, and maybe further proof that the South Beach hotel dining scene is no longer the exciting destination it was ten (or twenty ?) years ago.

Kelly Blanco (NBC 6): The announcement of The Bazaar by Jose Andres closing in 2023.

George Arango (@Mr.Eats305): Luckily, this year there weren’t as many monumental closings. Rather, a plethora of brand new restaurants. However, I am bummed that the bars Las Rosas and Wood Tavern closed down.

Olee Fowler (Eater Miami): Honestly, I can’t think of one, which is sort of great?