MIAGuide
Miami’s Best Restaurant Resurrections
They’re back from the dead, like the snake plant that somehow survived your last vacation. Recently, we’ve noticed a restaurant trend in Miami: the resuscitation of closed classics. Chalk it up to nostalgia, or frustration with the perpetual development that demolishes so many of our favorite spots, but this is one trend we thoroughly endorse. Some of these places changed names, ownership, and location. But they are all restaurants we knew well and loved—back in our arms at last.
THE SPOTS
What It Was: The Wynwood restaurant. When it opened in 2016, Kyu quickly became the best restaurant in Wynwood, and one of the rare Miami restaurants that was packed year-round, even during summer. The wood-fired Asian menu was full of sharable crowd-pleasing dishes like fried chicken and roasted cauliflower. Then mysterious "storm damage" forced Kyu to close for over a year.
What It Is Now: The same Kyu, in terms of food. All the hits are still on the menu (and still really good). But the atmosphere is a bit more reflective of today's Wynwood: cramped, loud, a little chaotic. The redesigned space has more tables and a smaller dining room. And while we kind of miss Kyu’s old design, we’re still happy to have it back. And even happier the fried chicken is every bit as good as we remember.
What It Was: The darkest restaurant in Miami with a liquor store ventanita. Opened in 1946, Fox’s was a dive bar and restaurant known for prime rib, cold martinis, and shady politicians enjoying anonymity in pitch-black booths. The South Miami spot was a local favorite for multiple generations—from the jukebox era to the payphone and beeper days. But it ultimately closed in 2015.
What It Is Now: Still the darkest restaurant in Miami. The Lost Boy team did a really wonderful job of making sure Fox’s feels nostalgic for those who knew the old version and interesting for first-timers. Has it changed? Yes. Does the pay phone work? No. But it’s naturally evolving into a shinier version of what it used to be—a dive with good food, strong drinks, and all kinds of characters. The jukebox is still there, people have started carving their names in the panels again, and prime rib Thursdays live on.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
What It Was: A German restaurant in the Upper East Side that looked like a ‘70s throwback (non-ironically). String lights twinkled from the sky-painted ceiling, and a live piano often played in the background. They served sauerbraten with dumplings, bratwurst with sauerkraut, and beer in steins as big as your head. Sadly, it closed in 2018.
What It Is Now: The New Schnitzel House, a German restaurant with an intentional ‘80s throwback design. The Gramps team revived this place in 2023 by giving it an entirely new look. Plates filled with sausages and schnitzel sit on tabletops that remind us of composition notebooks. It looks like Beetlejuice’s benevolent twin brother decorated the dining room. It’s still in the same location, and there’s still outdoor seating too. But The New Schnitz is no longer just a place for a beer and sausages—it’s one of our favorite new restaurants in Miami.
What It Was: The kind of restaurant that celebrated April 20th. The first version of Eating House was a pop-up-turned-restaurant that served the kind of dishes one might attempt to create in a kitchen at 3am. It first opened in 2012—a time when chicken and waffles for dinner, peplum, and Grumpy Cat (R.I.P.) were all popular. But it closed in 2021.
What It Is Now: A more mature version of its old self. It relocated to Giralda Plaza at the end of 2022, ditched the graffiti art, and had the restaurant version of a glow-up. Comparing the old location to the new one is like pitting Parks-and-Rec-Chris-Pratt against action-hero-Chris-Pratt. Dishes on the new menu like buffalo carrots and biscuity Parker house rolls showcase its creativity without going over the top. Overall, things are more subtle now, and we like this new version better.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
What It Was: A Japanese restaurant in North Miami Beach that opened over 20 years ago, back when you couldn’t find Japanese food like this in Miami (it’s honestly still hard). Dishes like wafu pasta with angel hair, uni, and ikura were hits. And it was one of the few places you could find okonomiyaki. It was a true izakaya—a casual spot that served small plates and was popular with people looking to relax with a cold beer after work (especially those in the restaurant industry).
What It Is Now: Still—thank god—a true izakaya. It changed its name from Yakko-San to Yakko Bistro and reopened in 2023, but the restaurant also returned to its first location on West Dixie. The current menu is truer to the original, with less dishes and plenty of elusive ones like tsukune, okonomiyaki, and that uni pasta. It’s once again an affordable Japanese restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere and delicious, affordable food.
