Apocalypse BBQ
Restaurant · Westwood Lake
8695 SW 124th Ave., Miami, FL 33183
Highlights
Skull cornbread, cafecito ribs, and brisket bacon
Skull cornbread, cafecito ribs, and brisket bacon
"Founded by Chef Jeffrey Budnechky (Jeff Bud) as a pandemic-era side hustle that has become a Miami barbecue sensation, this spot fuses Latin heritage with Southern smoke and open-fire technique. Signature moves include brisket transformed into croquetas, smoked and caramelized maduros, and ribs rubbed with cafecito then lacquered in a housemade Oro Negro sauce — a molasses-dark, Cuban-coffee-forward glaze. Sides like sofrito-baked beans and mojo-mustard sauces reinforce the mashup of Argentine, Brazilian and Cuban influences, while the focus on wood-fired embers, long afternoons, and communal cooking gives the food a bold, distinctly Miami attitude." - Carrie Honaker
"Apocalypse is a Kendall house party that revolves around smoked meats. Like a proper barbecue restaurant, it’s easy to get a preposterous amount of meat on the table. Start with empanadas filled with beef ribs. Then, move on to brisket and more ribs, and an entire pile of wings if you’re here on a Wednesday (that’s when they’re a dollar a piece). The only chunk of the menu where meat is not an option is dessert. That's probably for the best. Wednesdays are when they have the shortest wait time, so come then." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
"Apocalypse is the metaphorical backyard grill all of Kendall comes to gather around. The line outside at 2pm on a Saturday looks like the line outside Club Space at 2am on a Saturday. Every bearded dad within a ten mile radius gathers to fist bump each other and proudly declare how many wings they plan on “tearing up.” After a long wait, they walk over to their table with a sense of accomplishment akin to a graduation walk. Everyone orders more than they can physically handle because they all want to be revered as Kendall’s manliest meat men. A bushy beard and a snapback" - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino, julia malave
"Apocalypse BBQ is like Smoke & Dough’s chaotic younger sibling. Both spots love to rub cafecito on things before shoving it into a smoker. Both also Miamify their sauces—Apocalypse’s oro negro sauce has a faint whisper of a sugar from the colada. Food aside, there is no denying that Apocalypse is the most Miami of all the barbecue spots in spirit. It feels like a Kendall house party. Back when it was operating out of a golf shack, they’d give free beers to people in line, until someone had one too many (how Miami) and they had to stop. The line may be a tad more sober these days, but the energy inside is still operating at a Miami volume. Servers call you bro and talk about the mojo mustard with the same enthusiasm as a Disney World employee talks about Mickey Mouse." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino
"Apocalypse is seriously smoking — 24 hours in 2,000-gallon smokers. Now at its new location in the Kendall Village Center, Apocalyspe is seating more than four times the number of customers. The smoked then fried, Cuban coffee-rubbed wings tossed in oro negro sauce (which are on special every Wednesday for $1 each) are a must-order, along with the empanadas, brisket, ribs, and chocolate chip cookies. Happy hour is Wednesday through Friday, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., with $10 sandwiches and buy-one-get-one mixed drinks. Beer and burger lovers can also take advantage of $1 beers and $10 burgers all day on Fridays." - Stacy Moya
