The Bib Gourmand category seems particularly suited for Florida and considers places where two courses and a glass of wine or dessert cost less than $49, before tax and tip.
That’s what they’ll find at Chug’s Diner, the “morning-noon-or-night eatery” of chef Michael Beltrán, whose nickname is Chug. Situated on a busy street in Coconut Grove, one of Miami’s oldest neighborhoods, it has a brightly hued interior that serves as a cool backdrop for an inventive menu of diner classics (burgers, patty melts and three-egg specials) complemented by sophisticated takes on Cuban classics such as pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken cutlet) and boliche (stuffed beef roast). Mr. Beltrán’s “Abuela’s Plate,” a triple-threat meat combo of suckling pig, grilled chicken and masita (sautéed pork) has the optional “eat more” addition of fried fish, so typical of what a grandmother might lovingly push on a hungry child.