Situated in the bustling Treats Food Hall in the Aventura Mall, Jrk serves chef Wayne Sharpe’s mod Caribbean cuisine. The food is fragrant, boasting a straightforward menu of Jamaican patties and crispy cassava sticks, along with inventive vegan and meat-based bowls of jerk, oxtail, Jamrock pepper steak, and Blue Mountain curry. Add the baked pineapple plantains and (rum-laced, of course) chocolate cake to your order.

This Bahamian joint’s fare is both addictively tasty and unwilling to bend to American tastes. The menu opens with a breakfast options of corn beef and grits, boiled fish, and pig feet souse, followed by a deeply-flavored feast of cracked lobster, curry chicken, and fried crab. The island’s favorite sea treat, conch, is served scorched, grilled and stewed, and in a burger. Dessert of guava duffs is a great cap to the meal. 

Manjay, which takes its name from the Haitian Creole word for food, serves diners at the Citadel food hall a lil’ somtin menu of grilled cornish hen, jerk chicken bites, braised pork, and other starters that are like a Caribbean festival in your mouth. Conceived by husband-and-wife team Christian and Sabrina Dominique, the concept also dishes out neo cubano and vegan sandwiches, along with mofongo, a savory Puerto Rican staple of mashed plantains and meat. Don’t leave without trying Haitian style beignet with dulce de leche and nutella. 

After more than three decades of serving Jamaican comfort food at its best in Wynwood, in 2013 Pearline “Miss Pearl” Murray moved her charming eatery from Wynwood to Little Haiti, which is just as much of a Jamaican comfort food haven. Whether the sun is shining or not, there’s always soul-soothing jerk chicken that is the perfect balance of smoky and sweet, luscious curry goat, and oxtail falling off the bone, served with sides macaroni and cheese and steamed cabbage to rival any of others you’ve had. Take a seat and enjoy a priced-right meal with reggae beats pulsing on the background or, if in a hurry, grab a couple of patties from the takeout window. 

Wilkinson “Ken” Sejour has been celebrating his Bahamian and Creole roots for years at his original Chef Creole restaurant, which Anthony Bourdain visited for one of the episodes of No Reservations. The eatery now has several locations all over the Magic City serving plenty of the steamed, stewed, and fried seafood offerings that have made it famous, including shrimp, conch, and fish, accompanied by generous sides of the traditional rice, beans, and plantains. Succulent wings, barbecue ribs, and fried kitchen, are also on the menu, available daily for takeout. 

Chef Emanuel Jimenez is the soul of this South Beach restaurant, packed with life, tasteful Puerto Rican food, and dangerously drinkable mojitos. Situated just north of Fifth Street on West Avenue, 100X35 takes its name the measurements of the island it pays homage to — Puerto Rico measures 100 miles east to west and 35 miles north to south — and celebrates its varied cuisine with a variety of mofongo dishes, alcapurrias, and salted cod. There’s also plenty to share, including bolitas de queso to dip in guayaba sauce, mariscada, and baby back ribs cooked in whiskey sauce. On Fridays, sit at the bar to enjoy the live music show.

A high-spirited Dominican spot on Calle Ocho, Milly’s offers generous traditional mangú-based (mashed plantains) lunch specials, large-sized stewed tripe, and sancocho in a homey, Old-World atmosphere, where cheerful staff greets diners on karaoke nights. The menu also includes other Caribbean specialities, such as creole-style goat, arroz con pollo, and lechón asado. 

Chef Niven Patel’s eatery the Thesis Hotel showcases the vibrancy of the Caribbean islands via a tapas-style menu of Jamaican short rib empanadas, Bahamian conch fritters, and mojo roasted pork belly, made with produce and herbs grown at the chef’s own Rancho Patel. For dessert, dig into key lime cheesecake flan, topped with luscious coconut whipped cream. The rooftop is the perfect setting for bites and Miami’s Bar Lab strong and wonderful cocktails.