Cuba's everyday weeknight dish: a savory-sweet hash of seasoned ground beef cooked with sofrito, capers, green olives, raisins and dry sherry, served over rice with plantains and black beans.
Picadillo evolved in Cuba from Spanish-Mediterranean origins, with the sweet-savoury contrast of raisins and olives an Iberian Sephardic touch that crossed to the Caribbean in the 17th century. The Cuban version codified through the 19th century and remained the everyday dish through the Republican era. After 1959 the Miami exile community made it the home-style benchmark of authentic Cuban cooking. Versailles and La Carreta both run versions; the canonical Miami version uses ground chuck, a generous sofrito, capers, sliced green olives, golden raisins and a splash of dry sherry.
4 editor picks for Picadillo in Miami, ranked by editorial score. All Miami signature dishes · Picadillo across every city.
Versailles ★ 4.5
little-havana · 3555 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135
Versailles in Miami is the Calle Ocho Cuban institution that has poured cafecito since 1971 and remains Little Havana's political water cooler at 3555 SW 8th.
Enriqueta's Sandwich Shop ★ 4.4
186 NE 29th St, Miami, FL 33137
Enriqueta's in Miami is the 1988 Cuban counter at 186 NE 29th Street on the Wynwood-Edgewater edge, pouring cafe con leche from 7am and pan con bistec.
La Carreta ★ 4.1
little-havana · 3632 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135
La Carreta in Miami is the Calle Ocho Cuban diner at 3632 SW 8th Street, a sister room to Versailles serving abuela-style plates and cafe con leche from 8am.
Sergio's ★ 4.0
coral-gables · 3252 SW 22nd St, Miami, FL 33145
Sergio's in Coral Gables is the original family Cuban diner at 3252 SW 22nd Street, serving abuela-style Miami plates since 1975 across South Florida.