Miami suffers from a bad BBQ reputation that is fairly unwarranted. Sure, we can’t (yet) compete with BBQ hot spots like Kansas City, Memphis, or Austin, but we can hold our own. We are, after all, a Southern city and we have a large population of meat-loving Caribbeans whose black and indigenous ancestors actually inspired many of the United States’ BBQ traditions. We also have our own nascent but growing signature BBQ style that deserves more recognition for its inventive use of tropical flavors and Latin American-inspired side dishes. Cafecito-rubbed pulled pork with a side of Mexican corn of the cob? Sign me up any day.
The problem is that outsiders typically keep to the city’s main tourist centers like South Beach, Wynwood, and Little Havana. Though these areas have some great food, our best BBQ spots are in the more local neighborhoods that few tourists know about — and even fewer visit. As a BBQ lover who grew up in the city (and who has traveled to many other states just to eat BBQ), it irks me when people who’ve never left the beach try to claim that Miamians can’t smoke meat.
Meat lovers willing to venture out of the tourist hubs will find plenty of quality BBQ joints. But for those specifically looking for Miami’s best smoked chicken, there is no better place than Shiver’s BBQ. This legacy restaurant has been filling up bellies since 1960. And while everything on the menu is delicious, its charred smoked chicken is simply unbeatable.
Why Shiver’s rules the chicken coop
To get to Shiver’s, you’ll have to drive to Homestead, an hour south from Downtown Miami. The drive is definitely worth it but it keeps this laid-back, family-owned joint a beloved local secret for committed BBQ lovers. Within the log cabin-style restaurant, you sit at long, communal picnic tables that transport you into a cozy family gathering. Once the food arrives, you feel even more at home as you bite into dishes clearly made with love…