I Didn't Think Sunny's Could Get Better... Until It Did

The pandemic era steakhouse pop-up continues to wow

The dreamy courtyard at Sunny’s Steakhouse (Photo courtesy of Sunny’s Steakhouse)

I've watched Will Thompson and Carey Hynes grow their pandemic pop-up into Miami's next big thing, trading their downtown spot Jaguar Sun for a 13,000-square-foot playground in Little River. When I walked in to Sunny’s Steakhouse for the first time, I was relieved to see they kept the soul of their operation intact - that massive banyan tree from the pop-up days still anchors a dreamy courtyard, while indoors brings white-tablecloth polish with Murano glass chandeliers and mid-century flair.

Can a pop-up darling survive the jump to the big leagues?

After several visits since opening, I'm convinced this spot's got legs. The steaks have leveled up, the pasta game is stronger, and they've managed to scale up their intima…