Joe's Stone Crab

Joe's, an old-time Miami Beach institution since 1913, is famous for stone crabs, a local delicacy that can often cost more than $50 a plate. So what is it doing on a budget dining list? Scan the menu closely, and you'll find something that may not have changed since 1913: fried chicken, a half of a bird, for only $5.95. It's not only one of the best bargains in town; it's some of the best fried chicken in town, too. And if you want to sample stone crabs without breaking the bank, here's another insider secret: the smaller-sized claws may be a bit more work than the jumbos, but they're much less expensive – and they taste better.
• 11 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, +1 305 673 0365, joesstonecrab.com. plates from $5.95. Open Tues-Sat 11.30am-2pm, Sun-Thu 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm (closed for lunch 15 May-28 July 2013)

El Mago de las Fritas

The sandwich cubano may be the first thing visitors think of to eat in Miami, but it is just one of Cuba's many contributions to Miami's sandwich universe. Another is the frita, a hamburger assertively spiced with Spanish paprika, sometimes with the addition of chorizo in the blend, topped with chopped onions and crispy shoestring potato fries. Possibly the best example can be found at El Mago de las Fritas, where El Mago (the Magician), Ortelio Cardenas, pictured, has been serving them since 1984. The base model will set you back just $3.50. Make it a frita caballo, with an egg on top, for just another dollar; or do as President Obama did when he visited, and get it with cheese for an extra 25 cents (now dubbed the frita presidencial con queso).
• 5828 SW 8th St, West Miami, +1 305 266 8486, elmagodelasfritas.com. Fritas and sandwiches from $3.75-$5.75. Open Mon-Sat from 8am-8pm

La Camaronera

For another variation on the Cuban sandwich theme, pay a visit to La Camaronera. The Garcia family opened a fish market in Miami in the 1960s; about 10 years later they added fryers to cook and serve some of their catch on site. You could only eat standing at a counter, but a few months ago they finally installed chairs and tables. A cup of the sopa de cherna (grouper soup) is fresh, hearty and flavourful. The fish in the pan con minuta (snapper sandwich) goes nearly straight from the boat to the bun, with its tail still intact. Or for an extra dollar, splurge on the camaronera sandwich with crispy breaded shrimp.
• + 1952 West Flagler St, 1 305 642 3322, garciabrothersseafood.com. Dishes around $3-$15. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm

El Rey del Chivito

Miami's Latin-American influences are not limited to Cuba: from Uruguay comes El Rey del Chivito, where the speciality is the chivito (little goat) sandwich. Actually, there's no goat in this mammoth sandwich, but there is just about everything else you could imagine: grilled steak, bacon, ham, cheese, a fried egg, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, all piled onto a lightly toasted bun. It's like breakfast, lunch and dinner all at once, plus a side of fries, all for under $10. For even heartier appetites, the parrillada, or mixed grill, "for two" – with three different cuts of grilled steak, short ribs, chorizo and blood sausages, sweetbreads, and chicken – can probably easily feed twice as many people ($31.90).
• 6987 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, +1 305 864 5566, elreydelchivito.com. Dishes $3-$20. Open Mon-Tue midday-11.30pm, Wed-Sat midday-1am, Sun midday-midnight

B&M Market

It's not in the greatest of neighbourhoods. And it's more of a take-out place than an actual restaurant, – unless you want to perch on a rickety stool and eat from a Styrofoam box precariously balanced on a shallow ledge along the wall. But if you want a real taste of the Caribbean in Miami, you can find it at B&M Market. Walk past the various canned goods and sundries and you'll stumble into the small open kitchen, where you can get plates of jerk chicken, tender braised oxtails, or aromatic curried goat, usually served with steamed cabbage and a helping of beans and rice.
• 219 NE 79th St, +1 305 757 2889, no website. Dishes $5-$10. Open daily 9.30am-8pm

Dairy Belle, Dania Beach

Journey just a bit out of Miami and you'll enter a different world, where the influences come from the north rather than the south. Snowbirds from Montreal make Dania beach their second home, and while they may not miss the cold weather, they do miss their food. Dairy Belle, a roadside shack with a covered awning over picnic tables, helps fill the void. Here, you'll find an authentic rendition of poutine, a Quebec speciality that features French fries topped with cheese curds and rich gravy ($5.95 for a small serving). It also makes a fine club sandwich that is perfect in its simplicity, plus delicious old-fashioned ice-cream and milkshakes.
• 118 North Federal Highway, Dania Beach, +1 954 920 3330, dairybelleicecream.com. Dishes from $2.50-$15. Open Tue-Sun 11am-10pm

Bulla

Ritzy Coral Gables is not usually the best neighbourhood to go deal-hunting, and the recently remodelled Bulla (pronounced BOO-ya) wouldn't seem a likely place to find a bargain. But this Spanish gastrobar, with a tapas-focused menu, is surprisingly reasonably priced. The small plates, such as croquetas with Iberico ham, codfish buñuelos, pintxos morunos (juicy grilled pork skewers drizzled with salsa verde and Greek yogurt), and its signature huevos Bulla (a fried egg served over crispy potato chips with Serrano ham and potato foam) are mostly under $10 an order. If small plates aren't enough to fill you up, split the arroz a banda with a friend; it's creamy bomba rice cooked with an assortment of fish and seafood ($36 for two).
• 2500 Ponce De Leon Boulevard, +1 305 441 0107, bullamiami.com. Tapas $4-$15. Open Sun-Thu midday-11pm, Fri-Sat midday-midnight

Sakaya Kitchen

Miami has not been immune to the "new Asian fusion" trend, and one of the city's best exponents is Sakaya Kitchen. The combination of bold flavours, local, organic ingredients and in-house preparations is a winning formula, while fast-food style counter service and minimalist decor help keep prices low. Don't miss the banh mi buns with kurobuta pork belly, pâté, house-made mayo and pickles; the chunk'd cheesy tater tots topped with chopped kalbi beef and spicy gochujang sauce; or the honey and orange glazed baby back ribs, served with gingered Brussels sprouts and jasmine rice.
• 3401 N Miami Ave (also at 125 SE 3rd Ave), + 1 305 576 8096, sakayakitchen.com. Dishes $5-15. Open Sun-Wed midday-10pm, Thu-Sat midday-11pm

Su Shin Izakaya

Izakayas – Japanese bars serving small plates that tend to go well with drinking – seem to be the latest trend. But Su Shin Izakaya, which opened in 1992, was way ahead of the curve. The lengthy menu ranges from sushi to ramen with lots of stops in between. One of the best is a dish called porque Mt Fuji? – incongruously listed among the sushi rolls, it's actually a rice bowl topped with grilled salmon, salmon roe, avocado, daikon sprouts, and shredded tamago (omelette) and nori (seaweed). Be sure to check the chalkboard on the wall opposite the sushi bar, where about a dozen daily specials are usually listed.
• 159 Aragon Avenue, +1 305 445 2584, izakayarestaurant.com. Dishes $4-$15. Open Mon-Fri 11.30am-3pm (lunch), Mon-Sat 6pm-11pm (dinner)

The River Seafood & Oyster Bar

Sometimes it's not just a question of where you dine, but when. The River Oyster Bar has one of the broadest selections of bivalves you can find in Miami, as many as a dozen varieties from both east and west coasts. It also has some of the freshest oysters around, as steady business ensures high turnover. So when you can sample them during the River's daily afternoon happy hour, when all oysters are half price, you're getting a real bargain. Put together an assortment of different types for about $15-18 a dozen, choose from several wine and beer specials for about $5-7 a glass, and feast like the Walrus and the Carpenter.
• 650 South Miami Avenue, +1 305 530 1915, therivermiami.com. Main meals from $22 (dinner menu). Open Mon-Thu midday-10.30pm, Fri midday-midnight, Sat 4.30pm-midnight, Sun 4.30pm-9.30pm

David Rosendorf writes for foodforthoughtmiami.com

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