Miami Beach Restaurant Inspections: The Cleanest and Dirtiest Spots in 2026

Millions of tourists descend on Miami Beach every year for the nightlife, the ocean, and the food. But how many of them check whether the restaurant they’re walking into actually passed its health inspection?

We pulled public inspection records for 748 restaurants across Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County, covering 1,319 inspections logged by DBPR (Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation). The results are worse than you’d expect from one of America’s most famous beach destinations.

By the Numbers

Only 33.8% of Miami Beach restaurants earned an A grade. That means two out of every three restaurants on the island have notable violations. And 61 restaurants are outright failing. For context, Clearwater Beach — another major Florida tourist destination — has 47% of its restaurants at an A. Miami Beach is significantly worse.

The Worst Restaurants in Miami Beach

These are the lowest-scoring restaurants in Miami Beach by InspectFL Health Score, ranked from worst to best. Every single one is currently failing with an F grade.

A Closer Look at the Worst

El Carnival holds the lowest InspectFL Health Score in all of Miami Beach at 23.3 out of 100 — a catastrophic F grade. Across its inspections, inspectors found 10 critical violations including management unable to prove food safety training, employees lacking food handler certifications, potentially hazardous food not from an approved source, improper cold holding temperatures, unclean food contact surfaces, and missing chemical sanitizer.

What’s alarming is that El Carnival isn’t alone anymore. Every single restaurant in the worst list is now F-graded. Cafe Americano / Mercato Di Mare scores just 31 out of 100, and Meraki Greek Gyro comes in at 33.5 out of 100 with 7 critical violations. Even Bar Habana, which previously held an A grade, has plummeted to 36.5 out of 100 — an F. These are textbook examples of the 5 most common critical violations.

Notable Recent Inspections

Marseilles Hotel Cafe now scores just 55.5 out of 100 (F grade) with 3 critical violations across its inspections. Inspectors found that management lacked proof of food safety training, toxic substances were improperly stored or labeled, and employees weren’t following proper handwashing procedures. For a hotel restaurant serving tourists who trust the brand name, an F grade is a serious red flag.

The Cleanest Restaurants in Miami Beach

These restaurants earned a perfect 100/100 InspectFL Health Score — zero violations across their inspections.

A caveat: some of these perfect scores come from restaurants with only one inspection on record. A single clean inspection is great, but it’s not the same as a track record of consistency. We’ll update these scores as more inspections come in.

South Beach vs. North Beach vs. Mid-Beach

Miami Beach isn’t one neighborhood — it’s several, and they eat differently.

South Beach (South of 23rd Street) has the highest concentration of restaurants and the most tourist traffic. It’s also where most of the worst offenders are clustered. The Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue corridors have a mix of everything from perfect scores to single-digit disasters. High turnover, high volume, and lots of tourists who won’t complain to the health department.

Mid-Beach (roughly 23rd to 63rd) tends to be quieter, more residential, and home to upscale hotel restaurants. Scores here trend slightly better on average — fewer fly-by-night operations.

North Beach (63rd and up) is the most local-feeling part of the island. Smaller restaurants, less tourist pressure, and generally more consistent (though not immune to violations).

The takeaway: if you’re eating on South Beach, check the score first. The density of failing restaurants is highest where tourist foot traffic is highest. Browse the best restaurants in Florida to find consistently clean spots.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Check before you eat. Learn how our scoring works so you know what to look for. Look up any Miami Beach restaurant on InspectFL’s Miami Beach page before you sit down. It takes 10 seconds.
2. Watch for the basics. If the bathroom doesn’t have soap or the dining area looks grimy, the kitchen is probably worse.
3. Don’t trust the vibe. Some of the worst-scoring restaurants in Miami Beach have beautiful facades and packed dining rooms. Instagram aesthetics have nothing to do with food safety.
4. Hotel restaurants aren’t exempt. As the Marseilles Hotel Cafe inspection shows, a hotel name doesn’t guarantee a clean kitchen.
5. Repeat offenders are the biggest red flags. A restaurant that fails once might have had a bad day. A restaurant like El Carnival that racks up 14 critical violations one month and 8 the next has a management problem.

The Bottom Line

Miami Beach has a food safety problem. With only a third of restaurants earning an A grade and 61 outright failing, the odds aren’t great if you’re picking a restaurant at random. Locals know which spots to avoid — tourists usually don’t.

Before you eat, check the score. Look up any restaurant in Miami Beach or anywhere in Miami-Dade County on InspectFL to see their full inspection history, violation details, and InspectFL Health Score.

Scores are calculated by InspectFL based on public DBPR inspection data. They are not official state ratings. Learn how our scoring works.