Meat Market- Miami Beach

After hearing so many great reviews about the Meat Market, I decided to check it out for lunch. With so many delicious options, it was hard to decide. The food was so delicious! The ambiance is very inviting and the decor sets the mood for a perfect date or just a nice spot to stop in and rest your feet from shopping on Lincoln Road.

Slow Braised Shortrib Empanadas with Apple and Bleu Cheese Salad. The empanadas were very flavorful, I liked that they serve the Honey Chipotle BBQ sauce on the side, it avoids the sauce overpowering the delicious and tender meat. The Apple Bleu Cheese salad was perfect a balance of sweet and tart, it was a pleasant sidekick for the savory empanadas. Note: The menu mentioned fontana cheese however, I did not get any on my plate- had I not checked the description I would not have known something was missing. Even without the fontana cheese they were still amazing. 

Tomato Mozzarella Salad, this is not your ordinary cheese and tomato. They drizzled balsamic vinegar and basil oil over the top of a perfectly grilled slice of red onion, a slice of ripped tomato and a buttery fresh mozzarella slice. They topped it off with red sea salt and a Mediterranean relish. The relish had artichokes, capers, olives and sun dried tomatoes, which really helped spice up this dish. 

Meat Market Buffalo Burger, is hands down the best burger I've ever tasted! The brioche bread was so buttery soft it just melted on my tongue, the meat was juicy and flavorful. It came topped with delicious creamy melted gouda cheese, ripe tomato, thick cut chipotle pickles, caramelized onions and crispy onions. The fries served as the perfect utensil to pick up all the juicy goodness that I was leaving behind. 

One of my favorite cuts of meat is the rib-eye, so naturally this was my entree of choice, The Char-Grilled 12 Oz. Rib-Eye Steak. I asked for my steak, with just a hint of pink in the middle. The outside was cooked perfectly, and the marbled fat around the meat was charred and delicious. The meat was very tender and flavorful as it should be and I did not use the sauces. The Atomic Horseradish sauce was bold yet did not over power the steak, it was a very good sauce overall. The mushroom truffle sauce was actually very muted in flavor, the truffle was very aromatic however the taste fell short a bit. The crispy onions was a nice touch for plating however, they were just too greasy and in my opinion didn't go well with the steak so I tossed them to the side. I ordered mashed potatoes as a side (not pictured) it was so lightly whipped and airy, almost like a cloud of potato in every bite. It made the perfect pairing to my savory rib-eye steak- not a single charred piece of fat got left behind! Perfection!

The Chocolate Gazpacho was a very nice dessert, at the perfect ending to a great meal. The cinnamon sponge cake was airy, fluffy and it was very subtle floating in a pool of chocolate with vanilla crema, the berries added a nice tart kick to break the monotone of the chocolate flavors. It was good to the last drop, very good.

Overall, the experience was wonderful. The staff was very attentive, polite and knowledgeable of the menu items. It was a great experience and I am looking forward to returning soon, this time for their happy hour.