Miami Spice & Dine Out Lauderdale 2026: Your Guide to Eating Your Way Through South Florida
- Key2MIA
- Jul 28
- 4 min read
One of my favorite times of year in South Florida has arrived. Not because the temperatures are dropping. Let’s not get carried away. It's restaurant month season!!
Every August and September, two of South Florida’s biggest culinary programs give us an excellent excuse to finally make that reservation, revisit an old favorite or venture into a neighborhood we may not normally explore.
In Miami-Dade, there’s Miami Spice Restaurant Months.
Head north into Broward, and you’ll find Dine Out Lauderdale.
Both programs run from August 1 through September 30, 2026, which means for two full months, you essentially have South Florida’s dining scene at your fingertips.
And yes, I fully support planning accordingly.
What Is Miami Spice?
Celebrating its 25th year in 2026, Miami Spice is the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s annual restaurant program featuring specially priced three-course menus at participating restaurants throughout Greater Miami and Miami Beach.
This year’s pricing includes:
Lunch and Brunch: $40
Dinner: $50 or $65
Miami Spice Reserve: Starting at $95
The Reserve tier is new for 2026 and adds more elevated culinary experiences to the traditional Miami Spice lineup.
Hundreds of participating restaurants span neighborhoods throughout Miami-Dade, from Aventura and Miami Beach to Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Downtown, Brickell, Wynwood and beyond.
And this is exactly why I love Miami Spice. It gives you a reason to move around the city.
Instead of automatically booking dinner at the same three places, choose a neighborhood you haven’t explored in a while and let the restaurant become part of the adventure.
How to Get the Most Out of Miami Spice
My first rule? Look at the menu before you make the reservation.
Not every Miami Spice menu offers the same value. Take a look at what the restaurant normally charges and compare it to the prix-fixe menu. Miami Spice is especially useful when it gives you an opportunity to experience a restaurant that may normally be reserved for a special occasion.
Also pay attention to when the Spice menu is offered. Some restaurants participate only on certain days or for certain meal periods.
And don’t sleep on lunch. A $40 lunch at a restaurant you’ve been wanting to experience can be one of the best ways to take advantage of the program without turning dinner into an entire production.
What Is Dine Out Lauderdale?
Broward County foodies, you are not being left out. Dine Out Lauderdale also runs August 1 through September 30 throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale, offering three-course prix-fixe menus at participating restaurants. For 2026, the pricing is:
Lunch: $35
Dinner: $45 or $60
Lux Dining Experiences: $75
But Dine Out Lauderdale has increasingly become more than restaurant specials.
This year’s programming also includes culinary events and hands-on experiences, including cooking classes, dumpling-making, cake decorating and other food-focused activities throughout August and September.
So if sitting down for dinner isn’t enough for you, there are opportunities to get your hands dirty, too.
Miami Spice or Dine Out Lauderdale?
My answer? Why choose?
One of the perks of living in South Florida is having two very different dining destinations within driving distance. Miami brings its incredible mix of Caribbean, Latin American, Mediterranean, Asian and globally influenced dining alongside some of the country’s most talked-about restaurants.
Greater Fort Lauderdale has quietly developed a culinary scene of its own, from waterfront dining and neighborhood favorites to restaurants recognized by the MICHELIN Guide.
Use these two months to explore both.
Pick a night for Miami.
Pick another for Fort Lauderdale.
Make the drive.
Try somewhere new.
THE KEY2MIA GUIDE TO RESTAURANT MONTHS
🍴Miami Spice + Dine Out Lauderdale
FOR THE CULTURE
Miami: Café La Trova Broward: Steelpan
FOR THE VIEWS
Miami: Amara at Paraiso Broward: Boatyard
FOR DATE NIGHT
Miami: LPM Restaurant & Bar Broward: Steak 954
FOR THE FOODIE SPLURGE
Miami: Estiatorio Milos Broward: MAASS
Turn Dinner Into an Experience
This is where I’m going to put my Key2MIA hat on. Don’t just drive to a restaurant, eat and immediately drive home. Explore the neighborhood.
If your Miami Spice reservation is in Coconut Grove, give yourself time to walk around one of Miami’s oldest communities.
Heading to Little Havana? Get there early.
Dining in Overtown, Little River, Las Olas or Hallendale Beach? Find out what else is happening nearby.
A reservation can be the anchor for an entire afternoon or evening. That’s one of the things I love most about food and travel: sometimes a restaurant gives you the reason to discover a completely different part of a destination.
A Few Things to Know Before You Go
Restaurant participation, menus and availability can vary, so always check the official program websites and confirm the restaurant’s current offering before making plans.
Prices are generally per person, and tax, gratuity, beverages and optional upgrades may be additional.
Reservations are also a very good idea, particularly for popular restaurants and weekend dining.
Most importantly, don’t assume “restaurant month” automatically means “great deal.”
Look at the menu. Choose restaurants you’re genuinely excited about.
And use the program as an excuse to try something you probably wouldn’t order, visit a neighborhood you’ve neglected or finally make that reservation you’ve been talking about for six months.
You know who you are.
Ready to Eat Your Way Through South Florida?
Miami Spice Restaurant Months
August 1–September 30, 2026
Lunch/Brunch: $40
Dinner: $50 or $65
Reserve experiences: Starting at $95
Dine Out Lauderdale
August 1–September 30, 2026
Lunch: $35
Dinner: $45 or $60
Lux experiences: $75
Now the hard part:
Where are we eating first?
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