Asserting once again that they know better about noodle soup, cocktail lounges and Italian food than you do, Yelp reviewers have decreed that four South Florida restaurants belong on the annual “Top 100 Places to Eat” list in 2026.
In an announcement this week, the review website gave props to:
Broward County
- Larb Thai-Isan in Fort Lauderdale, a Northeastern Thai staple (No. 42)
- Revelry in Pompano Beach, a gastropub and burlesque lounge (No. 64)
- Rosalia’s Kitchen in Miramar, a Mediterranean-Italian restaurant (No. 72)
Miami-Dade County
- COTE Miami, a Korean barbecue house (No. 20)
No Palm Beach County restaurant made the “Top 100” list.
In this edition, we’ll spare you our now-annual refrain about Yelp’s ranking system (like why a restaurant with a 4.5 rating charts higher than one with a 4.7), and stop asking why eateries that rank No. 3 in the whole country one year (as Archibalds Village Bakery in Fort Lauderdale did in 2023) magically fall off the list the next. Yelp will stay influential as long as people trust its algorithms and believe its rankings mean the same as a restaurant’s overall reputation, online and off.
So let’s move on, with one caveat: Yelp, for its part, says it ranked its 2026 list “using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews.”
Highest on the list in Broward is Larb Thai-Isan (No. 42; 4.7 rating with 1,000 reviews). It’s a repeat Top 100er (it ranked No. 11 in 2023) and a now Michelin-recommended Northeastern Thai eatery dishing savory larb, lemongrass Tom Kha Gai soup and spicy massaman curry out of an open kitchen in a strip mall in Fort Lauderdale’s Imperial Point neighborhood.
VHS movie screenings, weekend burlesque brunch and live bands are common at Revelry in Pompano Beach, which ranked No. 64 on Yelp’s 2026 list of “Top 100 Places to Eat” in the United States. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
One Yelp reviewer raved that its khao soi soup with beef and crispy duck curry was “bursting with bold and authentic flavors,” concluding that the restaurant serves “hands-down the best Thai food we’ve ever had, and we’ve had a lot of Thai food.”
At No. 64 is Revelry (4.7 rating with 225 reviews), a shamelessly nerdy lounge near Federal Highway and Atlantic Boulevard that owners Zena Tarantino and Brando Garcia have described as “inspired by your crazy aunt’s living room,” marrying eclectic mismatched furniture, 1980s movie screenings on VHS, weekend burlesque brunch and the joyful noise of local bands.
While some Yelpers dug the pub-style burgers, chicken sandwiches and smoked gouda grilled cheese, one commenter shouted out its “delicious… mahi sandwich with the Buffalo truffle cauliflower.”
Rosalia’s Kitchen in Miramar, a Mediterranean-Italian spot known for transforming its dining room and menu with whimsical themes (as it did during Christmastime), ranked No. 72 on Yelp’s list. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
And then there’s Rosalia’s Kitchen in Miramar at No. 72 (4.5 rating with 880 reviews), which arguably goes through as many costume changes in a year as Beyoncé does in one concert. Co-owner Rafael Brazon-Di Fatta brands the Mediterranean-Italian spot a “themed restaurant,” morphing into Christmas wonderlands, Halloween haunts and mermaid kingdoms every month or so.
It’s an idea that started, as some great ideas do, with an entry-level 3-D printer. Brazon-Di Fatta, whose day job is in tech, began 3-D printing whimsical drinkware and table decor in his spare time — a genie lamp with dry-ice smoke billowing out, dragon-shaped cocktail goblets, sea critters on the ceiling — to pair with seasonal drinks and Rosalia’s menu of sandwiches, salads, pastas and Roman-style pinsas.
A Mediterranean beef kebab with tahini at Rosalia’s Kitchen in Miramar. (Rosalia’s Kitchen via Yelp/Courtesy)
The result is a neighborhood place that’s “friendly and welcoming,” according to one Yelper, who added that “the food was good, and we really appreciated the creativity and charm of the décor.”
“We found this happy medium between crazy-kitschy decorations while also keeping the heritage of my family’s recipes and traditional flavors,” Brazon-Di Fatta told the Sun Sentinel in November. “We renew ourselves every few months to have fun and to stay competitive in this crazy restaurant market in South Florida.”
In Miami-Dade, meanwhile, Korean barbecue spot COTE Miami ranked highest on the list at No. 20.
For the full “Top 100 Places to Eat” in the U.S. 2026 restaurant rankings, go to Yelp.com/article.
Staff writer Phillip Valys can be reached at pvalys@sunsentinel.com or Twitter/X @philvalys.
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