3 South Florida restaurants put twist on peanut butter and jelly
There are some pairings that are just meant to be. Milk and cookies, South Florida and humidity, but perhaps the most classic duo is peanut butter and jelly. While it might be a simple sandwich, Deco’s checking out a few local spots that are taking this flavor combo to the next level.
This ain’t your mama’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich or burger.
Thank You Miami Cocina & Beer House has set up shot in Little Havana.
Johanna Caserta: “It’s a little bit of a hidden gem. It’s really nice. It’s kind of by locals for locals.”
And they’re putting a fresh spin on a childhood staple.
Alex Valle: “I used to own Mr. PB&J food truck for eight years, from 2012 to 2020, so I wanted to bring back some of my customer favorites from the food truck.”
One of those dishes is the Havana Nights sandwich.
It’s Cuban bread with peanut butter, cream cheese, guava, and croquetas all smashed together to create the perfect bite.
Alex Vale: “Everybody always tells me, ‘Oh, man, that’s kind of crazy,’ and then they try it, and they’re like, ‘OK, this is a life-changing sandwich.’”
You also can’t go wrong with the Don’t be Jelly Burger.
This one’s got Swiss cheese and bacon with peanut butter and pepper jelly on the buns.
Now that’s a mouthful.
JoBob McGinney: “The burger I had here today was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. There’s peanut butter and jelly on the same burger, and it’s absolutely delicious.”
At Finka Table and Tap in Miami, you’re not eating PB and J, you’re drinking it.
Jasmin Pacheco: “One of our most popular cocktails from our new menu is called Daddy Packed Lunch. It is inspired by a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
Think of it kind of like an old fashioned with a twist.
Jasmin Pacheco: “We infuse our bourbon with peanut butter, all natural, and then we add concord syrup and a little bit of rhubarb bitters, just to get that fruity flavor to it.”
And to stay on theme, a bite-sized toast with a dollop of jelly. Bottoms up!
Linette Cairo: “It’s like peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a cup. You really taste the peanut butter right at the beginning and then a nice little hint of the concord jelly at the end.”
It doesn’t get more Miami than this! Chug’s Diner in Coconut Grove has PB and J in pastelito form.
Giovanni Fesser: “We sell craft pastelitos. We try to reinvent the wheel of pastelitos here in Miami.”
Instead of cream cheese, Pastelito Papi aka, Gio Fesser, fills these pastries with peanut butter and seasonal jellies like…
Giovanni Fesser: “Now we’re in the summer. We have a lot of mangoes in the community, so we started doing mango and PB and J pastelitos. We sometimes do it with guava.”
These pastelitos go in the oven and come out flaky and golden. Now all that’s left to do it take a bite.
Muriel Villera: “It was delicious. It was like all of my childhood dreams in like one delicious pastelito, which is just unreal. It was so fresh. It was so nice. I’m a fan.”
For More Info:
Thank you Miami Cocina & Beer House
1701 W Flagler St., Suite 101, Miami, FL 33135
305-342-1208
Finka Table and Tap in Miami
14690 SW 26th St., Miami, FL 33175
305-227-8818
finkarestaurant.com
Chug’s Diner
3444 Main Highway, Suite 21, Miami, FL 33133
786-353-2940
chugsdiner.com
