Brunch time. Awesome place to chill on Sunday mornings. The people watching here is always in full effect. Had the eggs Benedict. The hollandaise was very good. The service was good also. The mimosas must be good cause everyone was having them. Â I had a rough night before, so no drinking for me.
Keep it up Balans.
This place definitely deserves 4 stars! Why? Well, for me it was the following;
We came here for brunch; sitting under a big parasol and enjoying the warm Miami weather. I checked the menu and wasn't feeling super hungry / the need for greasy food. And, let's face it, you lovely US folk do love to fry your food... Or stuff it into a breakfast burrito. Nothing wrong with that, I love me a good breakfast burrito; but I just wasn't up for it this day... One quick glance at the menu and there it was: a fresh fruit bowl and Granola with orange / honey yoghurt. Thank you Balans! Oh hey, have I just discovered a title explanation for the venue here? Â
I was thrilled with the fruits; freshly chopped mango / pineapple / kiwi (superfruit yeey) and melon. The Granola was a a fresh blend of several nuts / granola (duh obviously) and light yoghurt. The coffee was OK, not bad - not the best roasted beans ever, but fine to start you day with. Service was good and you can smoke on the terrace. Yup, I'm one of those... All and all a nice experience and the Mimosas that passed by looked like I really - really - really wanted to drink them. Sad thing that I had to drive. Care for a light breakfast / brunch? Balans was the way go for me!
This is my regular breakfast haunt on Lincoln Road. The food is always pretty good and the staff accommodating enough. Compared to most of the tourist traps on Lincoln, this place stands out and is actually somewhere that as a local I can feel at ease on a Saturday/Sunday morning. They also have a healthy selection of "breakfast drinks" like mimosas, bellinis, and or course bloody Marys. of course the real reason you have breakfast on Lincoln Road is the people watching, and this place has one of the best locations for that.
Review Source:Got the recommendation from the concierge. Came here way early in the morning thank you for being open.
There was both outdoor and indoor seating (bar inside.) Very sleek and trendy place. We got a booth by the stairs which was very decorative.
Ordered the salmon, cream cheese, capers, bread with onions, lettuce and tomato. It was pretty good a little too salty for my liking though. Also had fresh squeezed orange juice.
My friend had the jumbo breakfast. Which had everything: eggs, sausage, potatoes, even pancakes!
The food was very filling.
One thing I loved was the mango, coconut, pineapple smoothie. It was delicious. You can taste all three in its wonderful smoothie glory. I am craving one right now.
Our waiter was friendly and helpful.
Came here for lunch / brunch on Friday
Ambiance: 5/5
Great location on Lincoln road - like others said great place to relax and people watch, make sure to get patio seating!
- Seating is far away enough from the walking path that pedestrians are not brushing up by your table.
Food: 4/5
No complaints here, they have a decent brunch selection and all of the dishes we ordered were good.
I had the Smoked salmon eggs benedict, cooked to perfection, yolks were good and runny. Smoked salmon portion was generous (see photo)
Service: 3/5
Service was great until it got a little busy, the waiter forgot my coffee refill, we had to ask twice, and then we didn't see him again until he gave us the bill.
TIP: Coffee and Soda pop refills are bottomless
Came here for dinner before bar hopping.
Great place to sit outside, enjoy the weather, and people watch.
The food was pretty good with generous portions.
We tried their crab cakes, salmon salad, and Chilean sea bass. Â All were good.
The restaurant is in a great location. Â Lincoln street is a great place to walk around and window shop. Â It's surrounded by a lot of stores, bars, and clubs. Very lively area.
Had a long lunch with a girlfriend here!! the atomosphere was wonderful miami  south beach outdoor  eating with comfortable couches. We had friendly service and we were not rushed which I liked! They serve breakfast all the way to 5 pm and I saw others around us eating  some delicious brunch plates beautifully served even when we left at 2 pm so I am assuming they are known for amazing breakfasts. They serve this bread with an olive spread that was nice while we waited for our meals.  We chose to have lunch  and ordered THai curry dish. I had the shrimp and my friend the chicken curry. they were both hot flavorable and substantial. the shrimp were BIG . A lil spice but not the hot kind and I really enjoyed the curry! I would definately go here again. since the food was good  adn the atomosphere was nice and great for people watching.  Glueten Free options on menu.
Review Source:WE LOVE BALANS!
DID YOU KNOW?
-- Balans is the absolute best spot for people watching in Miami Beach. Â
-- Balans has a great breakfast menu - great food, coffee and not so many tourists  early in the morning so you can wake up and not have to look at all that fluorescent clothing. Yes, a big plus.  Great lunch and dinner menus also. Â
-- It's best to arrive at Balans at any hour of the day and spend all of your waking hours there. Â
-- Balans Mojitos are to die for. Â Yes, if you don't consume several, you will in fact, die. Â -- Smoking a cigarette while at Balans instantly makes you cooler, richer and more fabulous collectively than all other cool, rich, fabulous people. Â
Aren't you glad someone finally figured all of this out for you?
It was my mothers birthday so naturally I had to take her somewhere where she could have a drink (or three!) and be able to enjoy good cuisine. Balans to the rescue!
We started with the Chicken Quesadilla which was absolutely delicious- I loved that it have a baked feel and not a greasy, fried feel to it. If in doubt and you want to order something relatively small but big with flavor, go with the Chicken Sandwich. I know.. but don't question it. Just do it. I ordered the US1 Prime Burger- great quality of meat but nothing ever compares to Pincho Factory when it comes to burger so I should just give up trying to find an equal or better. The birthday girl had the Crab Linguine and she could not stop raving about it. She LOVED it!
The service was great- our server went above and beyond. It's great for people watching too if you like that (don't lie cuz everyone likes that!). Be warned: they charge 15% gratuity already on your check!!! If you follow my reviews you know that's a pet peeve of mine but here, they earned that and more. Thank you for making my mother's birthday one to remember!
Dinner and a movie night started at Balans with drinks. The MaiTai was pretty tasty, it really hit the spot. The seared scallops & roasted pork belly gets the GET IN MY BELLY! award for the night. I have had the lobster spegetti here before yet tonight it was much creamier. I really did enjoyed the entire dnner.
The service was typical MiBeach service. But th pork bellies made up for it.
As a rule, I stay away from Lincoln Road. Sooo not a fan. In fact, one of the ways I've survived relocating from Brooklyn to South Beach is by maintaining that rule. It's like Times Square with sun. Sososo corny. Poserville, Touristville, Fakebodypartsville...Nightmare. But alas, relationships are about compromise(you'd think moving from NYC to here was enough!)and bf is so super, I indulged him last weekend.
Had breakfast at Balans. Now, I do dig the seating on a nice hot sunny morning-the space is great. Lots of seating. So the host(from West Virginia and here to model. Of course.)was cool and sat us immediately. The waiter was adorbs and took our order promptly.
Now, we waited WAYYYYYY to long for our food. It didn't matter on this day as we were easy breezy with no plan. If time had mattered, no good. We easily waited 25 minutes for an omelette and poached egg.
The waiter was super pleasant and when he looked over, seemed surprised that our food hadn't been brought out. By this time, I noted that many tables had left and were empty so its not as if the kitchen was in the weeds. But maybe so. Who knows.
Food was fine when it arrived. I'd def go again for a salad or whatev-but you know that'll be a while from now. Unless bf does something verrrrrry special to convince me to hit Lincoln Road more than once on a month.
So we ventured out to Balans during a rainy Miami afternoon. And the place was packed with the usual South Beach Hipsters. Music selection and ambiance was just the way I like it. Â The restaurant was filled with locals and some touristy folks, always a good combination in my book. Â The restaurant conviniently had their flat screens tuned into to the Oscar's preview show, so while we waited for our food, we enjoyed critiquing the many different gowns parading across the red carpet.
Well, needless to say, I felt snugged as bug in rug and ready to scan the menu.
I ordered the Seabass with herb cream sauce, rustic style mashed potato and spinach. Â It was absolutly delicious! The Seabass was well cooked, flaky and tender. All the side ingredients complimented the Seabass wonderfully. My wine selection was a Riesling wine, very fruity but not too sweet. It was a recommendation from our server...a very good choice. This selection turned out to be the perfect pairing to my meal. Â
As for the service....it was exceptional... our server was very attentive. Always arrived at our table at the right moment to check if we needed anything else to make our dining experience even more pleasureable. All in all, if you are ever in the South Beach area,I highly recommend you visit Balan.
Got the Eggs Benedict.. Nothing spectacular.. but the poached eggs looked more like white out than the soft smooth texture they're supposed to have.. i've had better eggs benedict before. Service was ok. Had to ask for utensils though. Probably won't be coming back here again.
Interesting artwork around the place.. i think there was one of a naked lady.
Food was really good, but we waited for an hour for it to come out. It wasn't really that busy... I ordered the bacon benedict, and really enjoyed it, but maybe it was because i was famished by the time it arrived.
Sit outside, the people watching is amazing!! Drinks are expensive, but they are EVERYWHERE in South Beach.
Snatched up a CoupTessa for Brunch at Balan's on Lincoln Rd. Nice outdoor seating but way too hot for that during peak Miami summer so we opted to sit inside. I liked the open feeling to the inside, interesting art on the walls and decent music playing, the whole place felt very laid back, perfect for a Saturday Brunch.
A pitcher of sangria was included in our CoupTessa and although we were excited about that, we found it to be watered down and lifeless. Even the fruit swimming in the sangria wasn't tasty. The Brunch menu offers much in the way of variety with crepes, salads, pancakes, etc. Next up was the Poached Salmon Nicoise Salad in which the salmon was nicely cooked but the dressing totally lacked in flavor. Hubby loves anything benedict for brunch so he had the Ham Benedict which he reported was just alright.
I was sadly disappointed in our experience at Balan's. Maybe its a nice place to take out of towners that don't like too much flavor or alcohol?
Our most favorite spot in all of South Beach - we never miss a chance to have brunch or lunch when we are over in SoBe. Terrific food! Excellent People watching! Delish Drinks! The only time it falls a bit short is 1) service (as with both Balans locations) is spotty to say the least, i dont know if they are over worked or just dont care, but we ALWAYS have to ask for things multiple times, takes forever to get a drink, etc) - but the food is so yummy, that is the ONLY downside. And once you learn that that is the way - you learn to deal. 2) need better umbrellas - when it downpours there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide - and your food get soaked (as do you). Maybe a canopy would be a good investment as some other establishments have along Lincoln Road?
All in all - we love this place, and the people who work there (they are slow sometimes, but always friendly) - cant wait for my next Crab Linguine!
Yum yum yum :)
Balans on Lincoln is the perfect people-watching spot to enjoy delicious food. I have come here several times over the years for breakfast/brunch and just recently I ate dinner here for the first time.
We ordered salads to keep it light since we had plans after, and I actually had to box up half my salad because it was so huge! I ordered the cobb salad, no bleu cheese. Everything was fresh and tasty and the dressing was light.
Note that because it's on Lincoln, like most places in South Beach, gratuity is automatically included.
If you're going to have a three-day bender on South Beach, you're going to need to do some afternoon drinking.
The fact that we chose this place all three days should be all you need to know.
These boys and girls can make some serious cocktails!
You'll probably start with the Porn Star because of the cheeky name and the slight blush on the women when they order it, but trust me - the whole cocktail menu works out just fine. For me, the Red Lotus is what I'll go back for.
Can't tell you a thing about the food, other than the steady stream of customers walking by our barstools those three days all seemed quite pleased.
I do know that I can't wait to plan the next trip to the other coast.
SOLID. Â My spouse and I have been to Balans dozens of times over the years, and it remains a go-to spot when we're doing dinner and a movie on the Beach. Â It's just steps from the Regal and it provides consistently good food in a fun people-watching environment. Â
One of the reasons it remains a perennial favorite with Mr. Wonderful is the no-nonsense menu. Â Balans has English roots, so what they lack in panache is made up for in wholesomeness and generous portions. Â Last time we were there he had a pasta with lobster, I got a veggie Thai curry, and for dessert, we shared a flourless pecan brownie with pistachio ice cream. Â Delish! Â Considering the Lincoln Road location, prices at Balans have remained quite reasonable, too.
Seating is comfy at Balans, and with the pedestrians passing by, it's never boring. Â That's important because food service can be slow. Â I think their kitchen is too small for the number of tables they added outside. Â Plan to eat after the movie and you're all set!
3.5 stars
I like the location - can't beat Lincoln Road for alfresco dining!
I love the happy hour here! The drinks are really creative and refreshing! And STRONG!
The food is fine - nothing spectacular, but the portions are good and it's reasonably priced.
I have also never had bad service here, but the caveat is that I have never come for brunch or when it's super crowded, so that could be the trick to a satisfying experience.
The bathrooms are also pretty cool!
Ok food, great location for people watching....
We happen to be walking around Lincoln Rd, which you all know is the main tourist strip of SoBe. Â Fun place to walk around but I'd recommend getting real eats somewhere off this strip. Â Anyways, we were hungry and stopped by Balans for breakfast since our hotel concierge recommended it.
There's a patio and indoor seating. Â We sat inside on a busy sunday since the small patio was already packed. Â The patio has a great view for people watching and seems like a fun place to just chill and enjoy your drinks. Â Service was quick to seat us but then kinda slow when it came to taking our orders and bringing out the food.
The food is mediocre, nothing to write home about. Â We all ordered simple things- salmon and lox, mozzarella and tomato salad, and a grilled chicken sandwich. Â My sister said her chicken was dry and it would have been nice if my bagel for the lox was toasted but maybe I should've specified? Â They have a pretty decent array on their menus. Â I saw they also have daily happy hours too which is cool. Â
I think this is only good for chilling with your drinks on a lazy afternoon, maybe even HH. Â Skip eating a meal here.
This is really more like a 3.5 (for location, service, and menu variety), but I'm rounding down (because of my bland food) instead of up on this one.
Balans is located in a prime spot on the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall, and is perfect for people watching! Â We met a friend here for brunch after he arrived back in Miami from a cruise, and really enjoyed the ambiance and vibe, and the simple ability to just relax under an umbrella and take in the sights and sounds around us.
As for the food...hmm...mediocre is probably the best way to describe. Â I ordered the breakfast burrito -- mistake. Â Booooring and bland. Â The weirdest part is that the pepper jack cheese wasn't INSIDE the burrito. Â They stuck 2 cheese slices on top of the burrito and melted it. Â I'm not kidding. Â It just cheapened it and made it appear to be thrown together. Â For the price, I expected a nicer presentation and some flavor. Â It was such a bland meal. Â I paid the extra $1.50 for them to add spinach. Â What a waste. Â My tasteless $9.50 burrito turned into an $11 burrito that tasted like air. Â The drizzle of sour cream zig zagged on the top of it added SOME flavor, but not much.
My husband ordered eggs benedict florentine and said it was great. Â He devoured it before I was 1/4 of the way through my boring meal.
The menu here is HUGE! Â Because it's in such a great location, and the service was good, I will come back and just order something different next time. Â There are SO MANY options, so I guess I just picked a bad one.
3-7pm happy hour everyday...well hello!! Â Â Ducked in here to get out of the rain on a Sunday afternoon and had a very nice time. Â Sat in one of the comfy covered, outdoor couches and watched everyone else getting soaked on Lincoln Road.
Had a few $3 Peronis and shared the pot stickers, calamari and crabcakes with some out of town friends. Â Food was tasty and our server, Lana couldn't have been more attentive. Â Â
Inside is nice too with one wall lined with crescent shaped banquettes. Â Music was chill too.
Forget hello, you had me at British magazines.
I'm an Anglo-mag-phile so when I strolled in for a Sunday brunch with one of my favorite coworkers I was excited to see a small newstand in the back corner. I didn't even sit, instead, I excused myself and sped to the magazines.
I pulled British Elle and Vogue down and the new Vanity Fair just to be fair.
That my friends is the high point of my meal.
The rest was well, slow. Slow and forgettable. The wonderful Chef Michelle Bernstein was mentioned to me that if you can't remember what you ate then it wasn't good. And that's exactly what happened here. I ordered a Croque Madame and Pancakes with Bananas and Dulce De Leche. Neither of the dishes stood out. The one thing I remember thinking is that it was rather bland, nothing popped. The pancakes were the worse of the two with the pancakes themselves feeling heavy, the bananas weren't ripe, and the dulce de leche was great as dulce de leche was actually stolen from the gods but still I'd have liked more of a sauce-like version.
Oh Balans, you have a prime location, pleasant servers, cool magazines, if only your kitchen could pull it together.
Balan's is a great Lincoln Road dining spot with a lovely ambiance that affords seating both indoors and out.
The service is above average and generally friendly and attentive. The food is good and in some cases great (home made corned beef hash, prosciutto salad).
Balan's for breakfast and lunch definitely earns four stars. For dinner, I find the value to misalign with the quality of the food and service just slightly. That is to say, for the price of the entrees I expect a bit more pizzazz across the board. That doesn't mean I have any love lost for Balan's, though. They have been one of my go-to staples for years.
In short, Balan's is a consistent, must-try for a lovely daytime dining experience.
I was disappointed to find Balans at the very end of Lincoln road. Â It was so hard to resist all the other restaurants that we passed but was so glad we were able to avoid all other temptations because Balans was so worth it.
It's BBB = Bueno, Bonito and Barato!
The manager greeted us at the door when we arrived early for our dinner reservation for 14. Â Hostess and waitress were very sweet and pliable. Â
We started off with some amazing mojitoes, sangria (both red and rose) and margaritas. Â Appetizers hit the spot with the greek platter, calamari, tomato basil & mozzarella (was missing the basil, what the heck), Â and the most unbelievable dish EVA Clams soffrito with the wine and butter sauce. Â It was so delectable that we used up all the bread to mop up the mouth-watering juices.
I had the rib eye with tamarine sauce. Â It was as good as expectable but not anything like them clams saffrito. Â I kick myself just thinking about that dish. Â I should have just ask them for some pasta and made it into a clams saffrito pasta dish. Â Man, did I mention that they were THAT good.
For dessert I pick at some fruits and sorbet. Â Someone ordered the flourless chocolate pecan brownie and claimed it was amazing.. I wanted to try it but remember that sad looking party dress I have waiting for me to put on in a couple of hours. Â I had to make a sad decision and kept my hands busy by nibbling on the fruits....
Like any Lincoln Road eatery, Balans boasts a great opportunity to experience dinning outdoors with plenty of passersby satisfy the people-watcher in you.
We stopped in for dinner one Saturday night. Â The menu was extensive enough. Â They offer pasta, sea food, a couple of Asian inspired dishes, and even a burger.
I had the Pumpkin Tortellini and shared the cappuccino brulee for desert. Â Both were delicious.
I'm looking forward to their new location on Biscayne and 67th, under construction.
I'm shocked that I haven't written about Balan's. Â Since I moved to the beach 2 years ago, it's been one of my consistent places to grab a great leisurely and affordable bite along Lincoln, and do some great people-watching.
I'm a big fan of their weekend brunch, and they definitely make a strong bloody mary! Â I'm a big fan of eggs benedict, and at Balans, you can get yours made with a choice of the traditional canadian bacon, real bacon, or even fresh spinach. Â Each are equally tasty. Â The french toast is delicious too.
When I don't go for brunch, I usually end up getting one of their daily specials, which are conveniently listed on the chalkboard that's propped against the hostess station. Â Definitely check these out!
On the weekends, there can be a long wait and huge crowds, especially during prime brunching hours. Â But if you want to sit inside, or have a smaller party, you'll likely get seated faster.
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