Fox’s has been part of Miami’s culinary bedrock since 1946. After changing hands and closing in 2015, it was reopened in 2022 by current owners Chris Hudnall and Randy Alonso. Photo courtesy of Fox’s Lounge Fox’s has been part of Miami’s culinary bedrock since 1946. After changing hands and closing in 2015, it was reopened in 2022 by current owners Chris Hudnall and Randy Alonso. Photo courtesy of Fox’s Lounge
Why the name “thumb bits”? No one really knows — and that only adds to their mystique. What’s certain is that the dish has been a Fox’s staple for decades.
Today’s version mirrors the original: seared beef on toasted sourdough with that sacred au jus. “We use all the drippings from prime rib night,” Alonso explained. “That’s not something you make in minutes. It needs hours, patience.”
While the classic remains the go-to, the kitchen occasionally experiments. A recent chef’s special layered blue cheese, caramelized onions and bourbon barbecue sauce over the traditional toast and steak, adding an interesting twist to the bite.
So what makes the dish so enduring? For Alonso, it’s about getting straight to the good part.
“It’s one of those things where there is the best bite,” he said. “Like the bottom of an ice cream cone or the perfect Thanksgiving forkful with all the fixings. It’s the perfect bite of steak without committing to a whole dinner.”
People don’t just eat here. They’re touching their past.
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Randy Alonso, Co-owner
The full ritual demands a proper drink pairing. “The martini with the sidecar,” Alonso insisted. “That cold glass in your hand, the salty-savory first sip cutting through as your eyes adjust to the darkness… then the thumb bits arrive. It’s a sequence as choreographed as any fine dining experience.”
For many locals, thumb bits aren’t food — they’re time machines. Parents who had their first date at Fox’s now bring their grown children. Grandparents tell stories of Miami’s past while a new generation dips toast into au jus.
“People don’t just eat here,” Alonso said. “They’re touching their past. Every table has someone pointing to a corner booth saying, ‘That’s where I proposed,’ or ‘My dad used to sit right there every Friday.’ And every story involves thumb bits.”
In the low-lit lounge, where time feels suspended and stories spill more freely, the dish is more than just a perfect bite. It’s a perfect piece of Miami, served one plate at a time.
A fourth-generation Miamian, Olee Fowler knows every corner of the city. She spent a decade as the editor of Eater Miami, and now as a freelance writer, she captures the stories that make Miami unique. When she’s not exploring Miami’s newest restaurants and bars, you can find her at home with her dogs, Foster and Peanut, or cheering on her beloved Florida Gators. And yes, that’s probably a Coke Zero on her desk.
