Best Homestyle Restaurants in Miami

Founded in 1984 as a simple coffee shop making their own brews with high-end pastries, Roasters and Toasters has evolved to deli straight out of New York. Roasters' n Toasters is everything a New York style deli should be. Their generous portions, fresh deli platters, specialty sandwiches and desserts are without question, the best in town. But you won't just find egg salad, bagels with lox, and good pastrami here. Among the chef's specialties are a caribbean chicken pasta, a grilled skirt steak, beef stroganoff, even a smores french toast (on weekends only). Stop by one of their locations in Miami Beach, Aventura, or Kendall, or order online.

Some say the path to perfection is through simplicity and Crumb on Parchment aims to prove that point beyond a shadow of a doubt. This casual American cafe specializes in breakfast and lunch with deliciously creative soups, salads, sandwiches, and baked goods, all at affordable prices. Among their creations are the Crumb Turkey Sandwich, the Chicken Burger, Feather Light Meatballs, a daily Burrito special which includes different ingredients depending on the day. The main dining area is spacious and the venue also offers serve-yourself coffee, free WiFi for the tech crowd, and plenty of natural Miami sunlight to brighten your morning meal.

This style-conscious American diner offers upscale interpretations of classic comfort foods, including salads, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, and pizzas. The dining room is all imagination and whimsy, with colorful diner decor, an open kitchen and communal tables. The Big Pink TV Dinner is a nostalgic must, served on a six-compartment stainless steel plate. This is not your average Hungry Man dinner! It may include gourmet selections of fried chicken, meatloaf, or teriyaki salmon. Or try the Thanksgiving on a Roll, with turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy on a Kaiser roll at any time of the year. Casual attire. Free delivery.

The decor may be French, but Versailles's cooking is 100% Cuban. Patrons swoon over deliciously authentic food and the dining room's opulence, complete with candelabras, gilt-framed mirrors and tuxedo-clad waiters. Still, everything's not as upscale as it sounds; the vibe is relaxed and dishes are happily affordable. Ropa vieja, made with zesty shredded beef, is a fine introduction to the bold cuisine, and arroz con pollo may forever change your opinion of chicken and rice. Keep in mind that the restaurant stays open until very late, until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3:30 and 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights respectively, making it the Jersey diner of Little Havana. Want to know what's going on politically in the exilio community, or maybe just in your Latino teenager's life? Grab a cafe cubano (Cuban coffee), a guava pastellito (guava pastry) and have a seat, then keep both ears open.

Whisk is the type of place that keeps its patrons on their toes. Start your meal with the Pulled Pork Sliders (with honey cider slaw, mustard bbq sauce, and house pickles) or the Chicken' Biscuit (fried boneless thigh on a bacon-buttermilk biscuit and a clover honey gastrique...say what?), and you'll quickly realize Whisk is good southern cooking given a gourmet makeover. Their salad options range from broccoli kale caesar to buttermilk fried chicken and organic spinach. Their UN-Traditional B.L.T. (with thick cut pecanwood smoked bacon, hydroponic arugula, tomato, herb buttermilk spread, & sliced avocado) and Grilled NY Strip (with blanched jumbo asparagus, smashed potatoes, demi glace, and crispy shallots) are beyond comprehension. And vegetarians will be enamored by the Grilled Portabella Mushroom Hoagie (baby arugula, roasted roma tomatoes, crispy shallots & goat cheese spread). Complete with daily specials, you'll want to be whisked away here on a regular basis.

As the name suggests, Blue Collar doles out good, hearty food for the working class. But don't get confused. This isn't your average greasy spoon. Nothing of the sort. Instead, chef and owner Daniel Serfer aims to serve his patrons home-style cooking that will have them talking for days. We're not just talking macaroni and cheese. We're talking a Mac dish made with Cavatappi pasta and trugole, cheddar, and Parmesan cheese to which you can add bacon or rock shrimp. Serfer isn't just serving you a brisket sandwich. He's introducing you to the "Corben," an experience of braised brisket and Dijon on Portuguese muffin dipped into a an aus jus, accompanied by latkes and apple sauce. With influences from the Caribbean, New Orleans, and your Bubbe's kitchen, Serfer creates dishes like Cuban Sandwich Spring Rolls, year-round Chanukah Latkes, and a Shrimp Po' Boy that somehow tie in perfectly together.

Here's the piggy, piggy, piggy... At Swine, the guest of honor is the succulent, curly-tailed pig in all its glory: slow-smoked shoulder; swine burger featuring short rib, brisket, and a smoked pork blend; cut with veggies and a roasted pork sauce; as thick-cut house-smoked bacon. There are other foods to choose from at Swine, such as the lacinato kale sandwich, the wood-grilled atlantic swordfish, and those southern favorites like fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, and a killer brunch complete with chicken and waffles, sticky buns, and mimosas. However, these are all only prelude to what you'll surely feel is a palatable plate of porcine perfection.

Named after the eldest daughter of owner Barclay Graebner, this organic-meets-soul food restaurant serves up a marvelous mish-mash of feel-good comfort food, including one of the most unbelievable brunches in Miami. Although the menu does include some less familiar foods, like a Moroccan Style Stew and Beet & Goat Cheese Tacos, it's punctuated by their contemporary twists on true classics like eggs benedict turned Benedict Burger (a meat patty topped with poached egg, ham or spinach, and hollandaise sauce), their Meatloaf with Smoky Mashed Potatoes, and the unbelievably cheesy Voluptuous Grilled Cheese (a gooey concoction of brie, gruy–re, and white cheddar).

Chefs Kevin Kehoe and Hans Seitz know barbecue, and lucky for us, they're sharing it with the locals in Downtown Miami at Sparky's Roadside Barbecue. The pair opened Sparky's in 2010 and have successfully become a lunchtime staple for anyone working in downtown in need of a good pulled pork sandwich between meetings. The hole-in-the-wall joint serves up mouth-watering, St. Louis-style ribs, beef brisket, fried catfish, jerk chicken, and even a veggie burger, alongside corn nuggets, collard greens, hush puppies, coleslaw, and an out-of-this-world macaroni and cheese. Add to that a very nice selection of craft beer and friendly service, and you've got yourself a winner.

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar puts a sophisticated spin on classic Southern specialties without taking away their Dixie souls. Located in the heart of South Beach, Yardbird has grown a loyal following among foodies and chefs since its opening in Fall of 2011. Its success has been such that the owners have since opened a second joint out in Vegas. Despite the casual setting, scoring a spot for supper can prove daunting, but it is worth fighting for. Yardbird's chicken biscuits, sweet-tea brined ribs, and macaroni and cheese leave guests weak in the knees, but everyone knows they're most famous for their not-to-be-missed chicken and waffles (cheddar cheese-topped waffles and fried chicken served with bourbon maple syrup and a hot honey sauce, with a side of spiced fresh watermelon). To boot, the impressive bourbon selection reels in its own loyal sect of sipping connoisseurs.