Food trucks in the Keys and Kendall are named among the best in the country
Yelp recently released its annual list of the Top 100 Food Trucks in the U.S., and Mike's BBQ 101 in Key Largo was ranked no. 9, the only Florida food truck to crack the top 10.
The barbecue served there by Mike Porcari, who co-owns the truck with his wife Aparecida De Souza, is traditional Texas barbecue, with an emphasis on brisket and ribs (but don't sleep on the pulled pork, according to the Yelpers).
He's pleased with the ranking, if a little surprised.
'This whole Yelp thing came out of nowhere,' says Porcari, who is a veteran of the Broward barbecue spots Blue Willy's and Smoke BBQ and calls himself a barbecue purist. 'It's so cool. I do a really good business here. It's all built on hard work, but there's also a little bit of luck and magic involved.'
Porcari, who also operates the smashburger truck Dani and Mike's 102 in the General Store parking lot at 102700 Overseas Hwy., has been at the same spot — the parking lot of the Key Largo attraction Dolphins Plus — for eight and a half years. The early years involved a lot of commuting: He and his wife, who lived in Deerfield Beach, had to drive to the Keys daily. After two years, they had enough money to rent an efficiency in Homestead and slept there when they needed to. Now, they have a place in the Keys and one in Broward and split their time between them.
The meat at Mike's is smoked with a 500-gallon custom-built stick burner, and his customers love it, which is how the food truck has earned 95 percent 5-star reviews on Yelp. This also means locals in the Keys know to order ahead: Mike's is so popular it often sells out by 3 p.m.
Porcari, who goes through about 1,000 pounds of meat a week, says he's passionate about Texas barbecue, so much so that despite the food truck's success, he'll still watch YouTube videos of new smoking methods and try them out. He's considering making a move to a brick and mortar space — 'it's getting close to that time' — but for now is grateful to be where he is.
'It's beautiful here,' he says. 'If I drop dead at the smoker, I've lived a happy life. I am a guy who's found my passion.'
Other top trucks
Also making the list at no. 35 was Acqua e Farina by Ciro Esposito, which specializes in Neapolitan Pizza. It also serves pasta dishes like homemade gnocchi, spaghetti, lasagna and eggplant.
Acqua e Farina is no stranger to Yelp honors: In 2023, the modest pizza truck parked in a warehouse district in Kendall was named one of the top 10 pizza restaurants in the country.
The third South Florida spot on the list was One Grind in Key Largo, which serves various coffees as well as breakfast items like bagels, avocado toast, crunch wraps and biscuit tacos. One grind was no. 41 on Yelp's list.
Three other restaurants around the state made the top 100 list: Ragga Surf Cafe in St. Augustine (17); LaurieCue in Weeki Wachee (67); and Hot Asian Buns in Maitland (89).
South Florida food trucks on the 2025 list
Mike's BBQ 101: 101900 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo; mikesbbq101.com; @mikesbbq101
Acqua e Farina by Ciro Esposito: 12070 SW 131st Ave., Miami; www.waterandflour2017.com; @acquaefarinabyciroesposito
One Grind: Mile Marker 98, Overseas Hwy., Key Largo; www.onegrindkl.com; @one.grind.kl
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