Randy's Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in North Miami

All around the Worst experience. Went there as it was highly recommended by a local of Haitian descent. It was about 11 am. We walked in, people walked by. Not sure if all of them were employees as they were setting up a part of the restaurant for some type of Anniversary celebration. I'm assuming a Wedding Anniversary. Anyway, we called out hello more than once. One of the people setting up for the event, walked toward us. Just looked and walked to what seemed to be the kitchen and about a minute later a young girl came up to us and I quote, said the following "What you want?" I asked if they were open for business and serving people as we wanted to be seated and eat there. She said "wait." She went back from where she'd been and a young man came up. He was much better. However he positioned himself at the register and asked what we would like to order. I then repeated the question, I had asked the young lady. He sat us, the same girl came back and took our order. From speaking with her, I could tell that English is not her first language and is very limited as we had to repeatedly ask the same questions and point at the menu for her to understand us. I ordered a simple breakfast that consisted of dry almost burnt super salty scrambled eggs and the only thing that helped with the saltiness was making sure to get a bite of the boiled plantain and eggs. Needless to say, I didn't finish my breakfast. I only picked at it, the way skinny girls pick at a side salad they order as their main course on a first date. I've only seen it cause I've never been skinny. Before leaving, I went to use the ladies room as I feel like I drank a gallon of water after eating all that salt. The restroom was disgustingly dirty. Urine on the toilet seat, it pretty much looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a week. The trash may of been taken out. But it was dusty, dirty and grimey. Luckily, I carry clorox wipes, wet ones and soap sheets with me, especially when I'm traveling. Needless to say, at first glance it is a beautiful venue inside. But once you look at the backs of the "velvet" bench booths and the dirty plastic tables that were wheeled in and covered up with the fancy table covers and had beautiful centerpieces placed on them, impressive. What's not impressive is the blatant disregard for cleanliness. Granted I've only worked in the fast food industry. But even then, when I used to work the graveyard shift, I would have the restrooms and dining area power washed. That's all this place needs. Some dusting, baseboard cleaning and a good scrub down. Especially in the restroom tiles. Had I needed to use the restroom before ordering the food, I would have insisted on leaving. I didn't bother taking any pictures. Maybe I should have, but it was too dark where we were sat and they were so slow 🐌 with everything that I just wanted to get out of there. Btw, I just remembered. We were only given one napkin. Which was pretty much used up to soak up the run off from our water glasses. I had to pull out my tissues and use them...

For a haitian restaurant they had pretty much everything on their menu that we ordered, which is rare for our haitian restaurants. I'm haitian, so I'm going to be a bit harsh but reasonably so, so buckle up!

I didn't like how they were charging for the snapper. They can't give me a straight answer for how they determine what size fish is considered $30 vs the up to the $55 fish so that was a deal breaker for me. Our haitian restaurants need to have standards for how they price their fish and know what size range gets a lower price vs middle price vs higher price range.

Another note, we need to work on bettering customer service and actually pay attention to in coming customers and not just ignoring them until it's convenient to pay attention, or, at least communicate that you acknowledge me as a customer and that you'll be right with me in a moment and actually come back to me.

One of the guys did finally acknowledge us (my brother and me) and he did his best to explain the menu and all that was included so that, I greatly appreciated, but I didn't like the avoidance giving the standard size per price range for fish or for other ingredients I asked about, so I could make a decision on what I would be willing to spend on. because of that, plus the time they said it would take to prep the fish which was over 30 minutes, I was disinterested and just bought the basic foods I already know Haitians can prepare faster and are more common to eat.

The embiance of the restaurant has improved, they renovated some things so it looked nicer but could work on some finesse still. I didn't like the table blocking the entrance to the restaurant. It was awkward and uncomfortable. I liked it better when the 1st door leading to the bar was opened for taking orders because it felt more welcoming that way and easier to get attention.

The food was good, the boulettes (meatballs ) were regular, not bad but not that exciting either. The piklis was too vinegary too much vinegar so I didn't like it much. The djondjon rice (mushroom rice) really good, zepina ( spinach) ! And macaroni was ok but not as exciting as I'm used to haitian style macaroni to be. The salmon was ok, a little overcooked ( I would suggest grilling it for a short time so it's crispy outside and juicy inside then pour the sauce on top rather than steam it, or steam it for very little so its not dry on the inside because salmon doesn't take too long to cook when done right) .

What else, at the end, they were nice but I just felt the beginning intro could have been better in terms of acknowledgement.

I know this was a lot of info but I truly believe in the potential of the restaurant and being that haitian restaurants don't get a good reputation in service, these are some pointers that can be worked on to attract more attention and be busier and...

Fresh off a cruise from Port of Miami, we headed straight to RANDY’S (Haitian Sports Bar & Restaurant) for lunch—and wow, what a welcome!

I apologize for not thinking about taking pictures, but the fish tacos and meat patties were absolutely delicious—new-to-me dishes that were bursting with flavor and freshness. I added a nostalgic touch with their spicy pikliz (I might be spelling that wrong!), which I usually enjoy with rice and chicken tenders. It paired perfectly with everything.

This place is the real deal when it comes to authentic Haitian cuisine. If you’re new to it, don’t hold back—try everything. You won’t regret it.

There was a bit of a language barrier with the hostess, who also served us, but it didn’t stop us from feeling right at home. The owners bridged that gap and were incredibly warm and welcoming. Lee crafted us some amazing specialty cocktails, and Jeff even sat down and chatted one-on-one with my parents, friend and I during our visit (I got to introduce them all, for the first time). That personal touch meant so much and made the experience even more memorable like family!

Bonus points: we had our luggage with us, and they kindly let us tuck it away so we could relax and enjoy a long lunch before heading to our lodging. That kind of hospitality is rare and so appreciated.

Support this family-owned gem—you’ll leave full, happy, and already planning...