A beloved Miami-born slice bar opens its fourth location today in the Grove, with a flagship dine-in room, booths for groups, and a wood-fired oven turning out dishes you can’t get anywhere else in the mini-empire. 

There’s a particular kind of excitement that hums through a neighborhood when a place it’s been quietly rooting for finally opens its doors. Today, that place is Miami Slice, and that neighborhood is Coconut Grove. Today, Wednesday, August 12, the Miami Slice Hospitality team swings open the doors to its newest flagship, tucked into the heart of the Grove, next to the Mr. C Hotel at the historic Engle Building, and from the sound of it, they’re bracing for a crowd. 

“We open on Wednesday, and we’re expecting to be slammed,” a member of the Grove team said during a walk-through ahead of opening. “We’re looking forward to it.” 

A cult favorite, leveled up 

If you’ve lived in Miami for any stretch of the last few years, you already know the name. Miami Slice started as a pandemic-era “pizza lab,” tinkering with New York–style slices until the lines made the tinkering official. Since then, it’s grown into a small but serious operation: the “OG” slice bar in Downtown Miami, a takeout spot in Key Biscayne, and a slice shop inside the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The Grove is the group’s fourth official location, and, by design, its most ambitious. 

The pedigree backs up the hype. Miami Slice was recently ranked the #3 best pizza slice in the United States by 50 Top Pizza, the respected international pizza guide, the top-ranked slice spot in Florida and third nationwide. 

What makes the Grove different 

Here’s the thing that actually matters to anyone who’s already a regular at the other spots: the Grove location has something none of them do – a wood-fired oven, exclusive to this address. 

It’s the engine behind a small, Grove-only menu of dishes crafted by culinary director Jose “Chema” Cardenas. “We have some of our Grove exclusives that come out of that wood-fired oven,” the team explained. “They’re exclusive here in the Grove, the other Miami Slice locations don’t have them.” 

The result is a slice bar that feels familiar but cooks like somewhere new. 

What to order 

Start with the starters, the kind of thing you order while you’re figuring out how many slices you really need. The team’s recommendations: 

• The Beef Carpaccio — a starter that sets the tone while you settle in. 

• Wood-fired cabbage — charred and smoky off the oven, the sort of side that quietly steals the show. 

• Watercress Caesar — a peppery, fresh counterpoint to the richness of the pies. 

• Caprese —heirloom tomatoes and stracciatella, the creamy cousin of mozzarella, kept simple and let to shine. 

Then, the main event: the slices. Miami Slice keeps five “OG” slice flavors in rotation, and the team suggests two per person — “or three, if you’re really hungry.” The signatures the brand is known for all make the trip south: 

• Pepperoni Proper — the one people make the trip for. 

• Mushroom Truffle 

• Leeks on Bacon 

The slice itself 

So what makes a Miami Slice worth going to the Grove for? Start with the amount of pepperoni. Where most places scatter a polite handful across the top, Miami Slice lays it on dense, edge to edge, curling into little cups of rendered fat and crisp in the oven’s heat. “Our pepperoni is very unique,” the team said. “Nobody does it like that. Anybody could put five pepperonis on a slice, but ours is very different.” 

The foundation underneath is a thin, carefully fermented, New York–style dough, foldable, with just enough chew, that the team has been refining since those early pizza-lab days. And the pro move, the one the regulars all know: get the Pepperoni Proper with all the kicks: hot honey, straciatella, fresh basil, olive oil, freshly ground pepper and shredded parm. The heat, the sweet, the salt, and the rendered pepperoni fat are exactly the reason this place developed a following in the first place. 

The vibe 

The Grove flagship is all about the vibe, while still delivering the signature Miami Slice experience. The room is dark, intimate, and layered in bold red tones that keep the energy, and of course your appetite going. The moody lighting, glowing wood-fired oven, and red accents create a space that feels energetic, sexy, and unmistakably Miami.

At the center is the signature slice bar, with chef’s-table-style seating where guests can watch the pies come straight from the oven. New booths make room for small groups and families, while curated wine and beer round out the experience.

The space is intentionally small and personal, designed to feel like a neighborhood hangout rather than a large dining room built for volume. Dark, red, intimate, and a little addictive, the kind of room that makes you want to stay for another slice and come back for more.

If you go 

• Where: Coconut Grove, next to the Mr. C Hotel at the Historic Engle Building 

• Opening: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 

• Summer hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 5–11 p.m. 

• Vibe: Walk-in slice bar with booths, family-friendly, beer and wine 

• More info: miamislicehospitality.com 

The people behind it 

Miami Slice was founded by Alejandro Diaz, who developed the original recipes and drove the culinary evolution from pizza lab to mini-empire. He’s joined by managing partner Manuel Peinado (finance and operations), culinary director Jose “Chema” Cardenas, and operating partner Santiago Huen. Miami Slice Hospitality’s broader portfolio includes La Latina Miami, Tina in the Gables, and The Gibson Room. 

The Grove has been waiting for this one. As of today, the wait is over, and the wood-fired oven is already lit.