Bourbon Steak Miami by Michael Mina — Restaurant in Aventura

Cordially greeted upon driving up to the valet area and happily welcomed by the hostess at the entrance, my first experience started on the right foot from the get go. Minutes later, I found myself sitting in a posh booth inside their magnificent dining room ready for an early dinner. As much as the restaurant exuded grandeur and luxury, the accompanying service remained warm, accommodating, and professional. Everything about Bourbon Steak impressed me that night. Since then, I've returned often.

This Michael Mina restaurant concept first arrived at the Turnberry Isle Miami in 2007. Almost a decade later, quietly and steadily, our Bourbon Steak continues to cement their spot in South Florida's culinary history. Executive chef Gabriel Fenton victoriously leads the kitchen. When he's not executing Mina's staple dishes, he's meticulously and proudly adding new dishes, using as many fresh and seasonal ingredients as possible.

The extensive wine list has something for everyone. An equally spectacular handmade cocktails & spirits list is available. A clever signature starter (a trio of duck-fat french fries served each with a respective dipping sauce) arrives promptly, once seated, as the official welcome. If you still prefer to start dinner with bread over fries, you can try Bourbon's made-to-order buttery focaccia. Appetizers abound. My order almost always includes whichever version of foie gras is offered that day, the kurobuta pork belly, spicy Thai coconut soup, and/or the American wagyu beef tartare. As expected, Bourbon shows off their classic American menu with a fierce wood-burning grill steak selection. My go-to order is usually the Certified Angus Rib Cap. Or the Florida Grass-Fed Filet Mignon. Or the Rib Eye American Wagyu Filet. Or the...deep breath. It's so hard to choose. Never overcooked. Never undercooked. Always just right. While the dessert list offers some Mina classics, such as the glorious Beignets, I love trying the newer additions. Last summer's Pastelito y Café infused a little local flavor and exemplified Bourbon's commitment to keeping an interesting menu.

Bourbon Steak's dedication to excellence sets them apart from the rest. Besides the obvious commitment to the food served, the overall experience for the guest must be as close to perfect as humanly possible and it's something they take very seriously. Don't be surprised to find the staff kept a close eye the first time you dined, took notes of your preferences, and implemented details that fine-tuned a second visit. When I once voiced my dislike for broccoli in my truffle mac & cheese, I never saw it again in my future orders. After wondering aloud just why I'd never been offered the first taste of a newly opened bottle of wine (an honor that always went to my husband), it never happened again. Ever. Whether for parties of two, twelve, or more, a dizzying amount of staff glides around refilling glasses, picking up tables, and refolding napkins. Wine is decanted masterfully nearby and refilled promptly. I can't help but always notice and admire the graceful and arduous work it takes to serve everyone as skillfully as the Bourbon team does. Kudos to everyone involved, impeccable hospitality at work!

The entire staff works nonstop to showcase Bourbon at its best regardless of seasons. One of the best times to visit is during Miami Spice. While other restaurants get by with just offering mediocre options (seriously folks, get it together!), chef Fenton and crew create a couple of menus just for those two months. But honestly, special events or not, anytime is a good time to visit Bourbon Steak.

In a city so preoccupied with the latest trends, looks, and never enough attention to customer service, it's nice to know a magical place such as Bourbon Steak exists: a modern steakhouse with classic roots, skills, and great panache.

Cheers to another 10...

We went as a big group to celebrate a family member's birthday. The place is beautiful, service was good but nothing memorable, and the food, which at this price point it should have been nothing less of phenomenal, was barely average. Since we were so many people, we ordered a lot of the menu items. Starting with the drinks, traditional old fashioned was disappointing, I could have made it better at home. It didn't feel like it had simple syrup nor angostura bitters. The nicest part of it was the clear ice cube, but no cherry. I honestly was expecting more from a place that has Bourbon in its name. For appetizers we had the tuna tartare, gnocchi cacio e pepe, and classic Caesar salad. At $27, $32, and $22 respectively, these were not worth it. Nothing wrong with the taste, but nothing great either and the serving portion was minuscule to be considered "shareable". We got the bone marrow and it was great, but it is definitely small. We got two tea/coffee spoons worth of the delicious marrow. For main dish we had the scallops, rib caps, filet mignon, rack of lamb, delmonico rib eyes, skirt steak and tomahawk. The scallops had a great taste but at $54 for 4 tiny pieces, felt like an single person appetizer than a main entree. The rib caps were cooked great, no complaints there. Filet mignon were cooked good and very tender as they should, but it was over seasoned, the crust was excessively salty. Rack of lambs were nice. The delmonico while it was cooked to a good temperature inside, it was charred a bit too much, maybe it was seared for 30 seconds too long. Skirt steak was as memorable as a steak from La Carreta, which is not bad, but remember the restaurant caliber we are supposed to be in. Lastly, the Tomahawk... good, but not nearly $300 good. As far as side dishes baked potatoes were good, asparagus were crispy and tasty, truffle Mac and cheese were actually bland! Onion rings were oil sponges (this was the worst single item), and the creamed spinach was good as it should. For dessert we didn't really explored much. We did try the orange creamsicle, which had a beautiful presentation, but no clue why it was called orange anything because the only orange-like flavor were 4 small tangerine wedges that were part of the decoration.

This is not the first time I come here this is the first time I did not find it worth it. We spent over $2500 and honestly would have preferred do do it all at home in the confort of my grill and kitchen. It was not a terrible experience but not to my expectations from a very highly...

I want to share this experience to help others make an informed decision about dining here. My friends and I, all from Texas, decided to escape the cold front by heading to Miami for the weekend. The weather there wasn’t much better, but we made the best of it by playing golf and trying out different restaurants. Most of the places we dined at were great, but someone suggested we try Bourbon Steak, part of Michael Mina’s franchise.

We made a reservation for 9 PM and arrived to find the place extremely busy. After a wait, we got seated and ordered. Being from Texas, we know good steak—we’ve had it at some of the best steakhouses in the world, from Dubai to Europe, Argentina, and, of course, Texas. We ordered the bone-in dry-aged ribeye, expecting a top-tier experience, but it was a disaster. The steak was chewy and tough, nowhere near the quality we expected.

We also ordered sides, including a baked potato, which was equally disappointing. The service, overall, was underwhelming. It was slow, and even getting water took longer than it should have. For a high-class establishment, the pace and attentiveness were not up to par. While the staff wasn’t rude, the level of service simply didn’t match the premium prices we were paying.

We let the manager know what happened, hoping for a reasonable explanation. Unfortunately, the manager couldn’t provide a logical or satisfactory explanation for the poor experience. While they did offer a small discount on the bill, it didn’t make a difference. We had already played 18 holes at West Palm Beach Golf Club, were tired, and were looking forward to a great steak and a satisfying meal. Instead, half of my buddies left hungry.

The experience was incredibly disappointing. A couple of my friends didn’t even bother finishing their meals—they left their plates untouched. For a high-end restaurant with such steep prices, you expect exceptional quality in both food and service. This fell far short.

Take a look at the photos we’ve shared, and you’ll see for yourself. Whether it was due to how busy they were or not, it’s no excuse. For the reputation Michael Mina’s restaurants carry, this was an utter letdown. No matter the explanation, this simply wasn’t supposed to happen.

Terrible, terrible, terrible experience—one I wouldn’t...