Ask Eater: Is Miami Spice Still Worth It?

Welcome to Ask Eater, a column from Eater Miami where the site’s editors answer specific or baffling restaurant requests from readers. Have a question for us? Submit your questions via email to miami@eater.com with the subject line “Ask Eater Question.”

Dear Eater,

Is it just me or have prices for this year’s Miami Spice been really high? I got sticker shock at my Miami Spice meal when it was $150+ for the two of us. It used to be my favorite time to go try out new restaurants, but with the rising prices do you think Miami Spice menus are still worth it?

Sincerely,

Desperately Seeking Discounts

Short answer: Yes, but you need to know when and where to go.

Just like everything in this world as of late, the prices for the menus for this year’s Miami Spice, the city’s annual two-month-long restaurant week that runs every August and September, have gone up. Way up. In 2021, three-course dinner menus came in at $42 across the board (excluding tax, tip, and drinks). This year, restaurants can choose between offering a $45 dinner menu or a $60 dinner menu, and, well, unfortunately most spots worth a visit are offering the latter.

I get it. The restaurant industry has been through hell and back over the past two years. Food costs are wild. Staffing shortages are widespread. Inflation is at historic levels.

But when the “discounted” menu is not much cheaper than what your average non-Spice bill would be, what’s the advantage of ordering from a pre-selected menu? Not to mention, most of these Spice dinner menus are only offered on certain days of the week, and rarely available on the weekend when most diners are eating out.

So how does one take the best advantage of Miami Spice this year? By heading to a Miami Spice brunch where you can score a three-course meal for just $28 — plus you can actually enjoy the meal on the weekend.

While only 24 restaurants offer a Spice brunch menu, there are still plenty of great options to choose from. Top on my list is Fiola’s brunch (hello, Delmonico steak and eggs), seafood-centric Nave, David Grutman’s super-buzzy Key Club, and Mediterranean stunner Issabella’s. Most of these restaurants entrees alone are more than $30, so to snag three dishes at that Spice price is a heck of a deal. Better yet, many offer discounted mimosa and beverage packages if you wish to imbibe at the meal.

If brunch isn’t your thing (which, I don't believe anyone falls in this category, but let’s pretend for a second) then Miami Spice lunch isn’t a bad back-up option, you just need to know where to look. But don’t worry, Eater Miami has you covered with this guide.

Happy Spice-ing!

Have questions about the Miami dining scene? Send questions via email to miami@eater.com with the subject line “Ask Eater Question.” Eater will feature the answer to one or more questions each month, providing guidance to the questions that plague Miami diners (be sure to specify a part of town, if relevant). People who write in with questions remain anonymous, so go wild.