Pubbelly Sushi is Time Out Miami’s Love Local Award winner for 2021

There’s so much to love about Miami—the food, the people, the weather. We can go on forever, and apparently so can you. Last year, we asked you to nominate all of your favorite spots in Miami and many of you came in hot, singing the praises of your local coffee shops, bars, restaurants and more. Everything from Instagram chefs to independent shops to niche bars, you shared it all.

Then, it was time to vote. Time Out Miami’s Love Local Award nominees received nearly 2,000 votes! Talk about an incredible response. And, after tallying all of the votes we amassed, we can say that our city came through with a clear winner: Pubbelly Sushi.

The local restaurant chain has been a beloved part of Miami’s culinary scene for nearly 12 years now. Chef/co-owner José Mendín conceived the forward-thinking Japanese gastropub back in 2010, when no one thought to make rolls with serrano peppers or truffles, do something called a tuna pizza or make a Puerto Rican-style ceviche set atop a tostón. Here we are more than a decade later and we couldn’t imagine a sushi meal that didn’t include Pubbelly’s craveworthy butter krab roll—dunked in warm clarified butter, of course—or an order of the lobster dynamite or salt and pepper squid. The list is endless. 

Pubbelly Sushi’s first location in Miami Beach’s Sunset Harbour neighborhood remains while the local chain has expanded to include restaurants at Brickell City Centre, Aventura Mall and Dadeland Mall. What food court? As far as we’re concerned, every shopping trip needs a stop at Pubbelly Sushi. Congrats to this year’s winner!