One Florida Steakhouse Lands Spot On NY Times 50 Best Restaurants 2025

Every year since 2021, the New York Times has tasked a dedicated team of reporters with the enviable job of scouring the country for the 50 best places to chow down. The annual restaurant list doesn't just look to highlight prestigious high-end eateries serving up the classics, bur rather aims to render a "rich mosaic of American dining." This year– among an L.A. omakase bar and a Middle-Eastern pizza joint in D.C. — a popular Miami-based pop-up turned contemporary steakhouse found itself on the list. 

Located in the artsy Little River neighborhood on the Northeast side of Miami, Sunny's Steakhouse (formerly known as the COVID-era pop-up Sunny's Someday Steakhouse) opened with a bang in October 2024. It was known about town as the sister restaurant of the now-closed cocktail bar Jaguar Sun, which was tucked away amongst an apartment building's luxury apartments and served world class pasta. 

The only restaurant in Florida to make the 2025 list, Sunny's is celebrated by its fans and the New York Times for being a reflection of Miami's dualistic nature. Much like the culture of the city, Sunny's menu readily embraces the bold and the new, while remaining firmly rooted by a deep respect for tradition. With classic steakhouse salads, impressive cuts of beef, a raw bar to brag about (Omakase style sushi included), and the acclaimed pasta dishes carried over from Jaguar Sun, long established dishes are elevated with a contemporary Miami twist.

If you're wondering if you can actually trust a New York Times restaurant review, in the case of Sunny's Steakhouse, you don't necessarily have to. According to a Reddit thread about Miami restaurants that are worth the hype, a comment suggesting Sunny's received more up-votes than any other, and one commenter who claims to have helped open the restaurant called it an "institution in the making." It has a 4.6 rating on Google, and 4.5 stars on Yelp with hundreds of comments gushing about the food and the ambiance. At this rate, perhaps it will join Mashed's distinguished list of the the absolute best steakhouses in America.

As the New York Times Best Restaurant List doesn't just take food into consideration but the experience as a whole, Sunny's stellar atmosphere also played a role in its recognition. Using the same courtyard it did in it's pop-up days as the outdoor dining space — beloved for it's stunning Banyan tree center piece — the inside of Sunny's Steakhouse is still new but hails to another time with emerald green and gold decor and a mid century modern flare that screams old Miami. But just because the food and the vibes are next level doesn't mean the restaurant is out of reach. "One of the best steaks I have ever had and if you avoid drinks and appetizers, the bill is on par with just about any other half decent restaurant in Miami," one supporter of the restaurant wrote on Reddit.