10 September 4-10, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ FORT LAUDERDALE SKINNY LOUIE FATTENS UP After debuting in Wynwood in 2023, Skinny Louie quickly found success thanks to its de- licious smash burgers and milkshakes. Since then, it has opened more locations across Mi- ami-Dade, including Coral Gables, Aventura, Little Havana, and South Miami, and ex- panded into the New York City market with five locales so far. Now, the Broward Scene reports that Skinny Louie is planning a Fort Lauderdale outpost. The expansion is confirmed on Skinny Louie’s website, which lists Fort Lau- derdale as “coming soon.” There’s no word yet on where exactly in Fort Lauderdale Skinny Louie will open, but according to the Broward Scene, Las Olas Boulevard is a likely contender. This will be the restaurant’s second location in Broward County. It’s opening soon in Dania Beach at 23 S. Pointe Dr. as part of the Dania Pointe development. Beyond Broward County, Skinny Louie’s South Florida dominance also extends into West Palm Beach, where it opened a spot on Clematis Street in June. The restaurant’s success was really ce- mented during this year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival, when the judges crowned it the best burger during Burger Bash. (It won the Schweid & Sons Very Best Burger Judges Award and a $2,500 check.) Owners Gonzalo Rubino, originally from Argentina, and Ma- tias Palloni wowed the judges with the now- famous “Wagyu Louie,” a double-smashed wagyu beef burger layered with melted smoked gouda, truffle aioli, and pickled jala- peños, all hugged by a soft brioche bun. It was Rubino’s first Burger Bash win, and it solidi- fied Skinny Louie’s place in Miami’s burger hall of fame. Before that, Skinny Louie seemingly found success overnight thanks to its strong social media following. Its offerings went viral and helped promote the then-fledgling Wynwood spot. The restaurant currently has 64,000 fol- lowers on Instagram and 5,000 followers on TikTok. The classic menu doesn’t serve this wagyu burger, but it does whip out the “Skinny Louie Cheeseburger” with grilled onions, double American cheese, pickles, and “Louie Sauce,” the “Classic Burger” made with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, onions, ketchup, and mustard, and the “Applewood Bacon Burger” made of applewood-smoked bacon, American cheese, and “Louie Sauce.” Skinny Louie Fort Lauderdale. Coming soon to Las Olas Boulevard; skinnylouie.com. JOSE D. DURAN ▼ WESTCHESTER BRAIN FREEZE WARNING A decade after serving its first swirl of soft- serve, Charlie’s Ice Cream — a family-run, walk-up shop on Hialeah Drive — is officially expanding. What began in 2015 as a neigh- borhood favorite tucked into a former Dairy Queen has grown into one of Miami’s sweet- est success stories, and now it’s heading west. Owner Charles Sauer, who has spent the past ten years building his brand one cone at a time, announced that a second Charlie’s Ice Cream will debut this fall in Westchester, near the intersection of Coral Way and SW 97th Avenue. “After 10 years of success and continuous growth at our current shop, and hearing all the time that people drive from all over to buy our ice cream, I figured it was time to ex- pand,” Sauer shared on Instagram. “I secured a great long-term lease last year that I couldn’t pass up. We are very excited to serve the great community of Westchester! We hope to be open and ready to serve you all great tasting treats by October or November of this year.” The original Hialeah location is beloved for its straightforward menu of cones, shakes, floats, and sundaes, all made with soft-serve or traditional ice cream. Sauer has also made a point to push boundaries, introducing playful concoctions like “ice cream nachos,” which have become social media darlings in their own right. That blend of nostalgic simplicity and Instagram-worthy creativity has made Charlie’s Ice Cream a rare breed: a mom-and- pop shop that thrives in the digital age. | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Café Skinny Louie photo Smash burger spot Skinny Louie is opening all across South Florida
