Pubbelly in Miami Beach

Anyone been?

http://pubbelly.com/
1418 20th St
Miami Beach, FL 33139

(305) 532-7555

Significant buzz associated with this new spot, started by three Puerto Rican guys who have worked in a variety of fine and not-so-fine dining restaurants in South Florida. The menu looks massively creative, and so far they have 5 stars on Yelp. I'm stopping by this week.

Five stars on Yelp? Some sales rep got a little extra on his commission check last month I bet.

mmm... I'll be dreaming about those pork belly dumplings for weeks!

You must go into this place knowing they use very bold flavors. Some things work beautifully, where some would benefit from a little tweaking. Note although the prices are low on each item, you should expect to spend about $75 per person if you want to order freely and have a drink with the meal. The beverage list follows the creative vibe of the food menu, which may be good for some but was a little frustrating for us as we just wanted a simple beer we knew we would enjoy. I did like very much the Siesta Malbec as a match with the food.

The service was great. We were greeted by one of the owners, who was a bit stressed but gave us his undivided attention and personal recommendations as he seated us after a brief wait. Our server(s) were attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. The venue itself is decidedly trendy but not in an obnoxious way. The communal table in the middle makes for a friendly, neighborhood feel that is quite lovely.

What they do right, they do perfectly. Pork belly (with butterscotch & pumpkin), dumplings, home made olives, stuffed mussels (and I don't like mussels) all were phenomenal. Pork belly is their specialty, so I recommend focusing mainly on the dishes that include it. It truly is the best I've ever had: perfectly cooked with a pin point accurate balance of fat and meat. The duck dumplings were good, but I have to reiterate how amazing the pork belly dumplings were. The combination of flavors and textures blew my mind. I can't remember the last time I tasted something so memorable, unique and perfectly delicious.

Some stuff missed the mark for me. The "country ham" was not prepared properly (traditionally). Country Ham was a staple in my southern home growing up, and it's served warm and thickly cut. Pubbelly served it cold and sliced thin, like lunch meat. It was ok, but should be called something else because anyone who knows what Country Ham is will expect a different product.

I didn't care for the Short rib Carpaccio. The sauce was made with boquerones, which are like anchovies, so there was an overwhelmingly fishy taste to the dish. I tried to isolate the actual meat to get a feel for its flavor, but the other ingredients lingered and still overpowered the taste. Salt & Pepper Squid was good; the meat was tasty and well cooked but the breading was lacking a certain crunch I was hoping for. We also tried the dates with chorizo, which were tasty, but not a must-have (more chorizo, perhaps?). I was disappointed in the brownie with bacon. Soft serve vanilla ice cream with small pieces of brownie on top and a miniscule crumble of bacon does not an intriguing dish make. I couldn't taste the bacon at all, even when I isolated it. The pieces were too small and the flavor of the bacon itself was simply weak.

I shall return to Pubbelly now that I know what to order. I'll take fellow pig product aficionados with me and celebrate in all that is pork belly.

Great write up T! You should have your own newspaper column....

Great write up T! You should have your own newspaper column....

Thanks so much Danny! You guys' kind words inspired me to start working with James on his site. I'm going to be updating it over the holidays, but here's my corner of the world for now: http://www.soulofmiami.org/category/talmage/

Yes, and we are excited to have her! (Wait, did that sound inappropriate?) http://www.soulofmiami.org/talmage

Pubbelly sounds good, but $75 for dinner at a pub? I'm not sure about that. Maybe if they do a Groupon...

Yes, and we are excited to have her! (Wait, did that sound inappropriate?) http://www.soulofmiami.org/talmage

Pubbelly sounds good, but $75 for dinner at a pub? I'm not sure about that. Maybe if they do a Groupon...

Thanks James! And yes, the price can climb quickly if you order freely. I was with two big guys so the small plates, which are quite little, didn't satisfy their hunger. You and Annette would probably be fine for more like $30 p/p. The drinks are on the expensive side, too, so not having a beer helps.

I went this past weekend with the gf and split the following. We shall go again for sure.

Ordered:

Dates + Chorizo + wrapped in bacon. Loved it.

salt & pepper squid. Simple, good, liked it. Had a good crispness on the outside, I thought they got it perfect.

Duck & pumpkin dumplings - OMG. I want to go back and order this for a main. I was floored.

pork belly + butterscotch - pretty good, I like how they put things together that seemed odd to me, but it just worked.

short rib + creamed spinach - good dish for a main, but I'd love more creamed spinach next time - it was actually a highlight for me

I liked the variation in the food, smaller portions so you can try different things, the atmosphere, and the decent selection of beer the have.

For Delicious, I actually think some of the things you mentioned you didn't like were not on the menu - I don't recall seeing country ham or short rib carpaccio.