Welcome — or as we'd say back home, swagatham. If you've just landed in South Florida from Kerala (or New Jersey, Dubai, or Toronto), this is the guide we wish someone had handed us on day one: where to pray, where to buy curry leaves, and where to find your people.
Where Malayalees live
Malayalee families are spread across the tri-county area, with strong clusters in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach (Palm Beach County), Sunrise, Lauderhill, and Plantation (Broward), and Kendall and South Miami (Miami-Dade). House-hunting? These are the neighborhoods where you'll hear Malayalam at the park.
Places of worship
- Shiva Vishnu Temple of South Florida — 5661 Dykes Rd, Southwest Ranches · (954) 689-0471. Open Mon–Fri 9 AM–noon and 6–9 PM; Sat–Sun 9 AM–2 PM and 5–9 PM. Don't miss the Ayyappa shrine, built in traditional Kerala style.
- South Florida Hindu Temple — 13010 W Griffin Rd, Southwest Ranches · (954) 438-3675. Call ahead for timings and classes.
- St. Luke's Marthoma Church — Margate. During the church's renovation, Sunday service meets at 2 PM at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 3900 Jog Rd, Boca Raton.
Groceries: where to find curry leaves
Skip the sad spice aisle at Publix. These are our verified picks — the list updates automatically as we verify more stores:
Patel Brothers
Groceries✓ Verified Oct 16, 2026
Large Indian grocery — produce, spices, snacks and samosas. Inexpensive.
3428 N University Dr, Sunrise, FL 33351 · Daily 10 AM–8 PM
Two more reader favorites in Palm Beach we're still checking out: Little India Grocery (Boca Raton) and Deshi Bazar (Delray Beach).
Restaurants for your first weekend
Verified and local — new additions appear here automatically:
Ghee
Restaurants✓ Verified Oct 16, 2026
Modern Indian, Michelin Bib Gourmand — wood-fired tandoor, samosa chaat. A date-night spot.
8965 SW 72nd Pl, Miami, FL 33156 · Mon–Thu & Sun 12–9 PM · Fri–Sat till 9:30 PM
Maya Flavors of India
Restaurants✓ Verified Oct 16, 2026
Indian fusion, North and South — signature goat biryani, full bar, private events.
21200 St Andrews Blvd, Boca Raton, FL · Daily 11:30 AM–9 PM
Nirala Sweets Restaurant
Restaurants✓ Verified Oct 16, 2026
Pakistani/Indian restaurant and sweet shop (est. 2001) — nihari, biryani, halal BBQ, kulfi.
8913 W Oakland Park Blvd, Sunrise, FL · Sun–Thu 10 AM–10 PM · Fri–Sat till 11 PM
Urban Rasoi
Restaurants✓ Verified Oct 16, 2026
Family-run Indian kitchen in West Kendall — butter chicken, garlic naan. Strong takeout game.
13720 SW 88th St, Miami, FL 33186 · Mon–Thu 11:30 AM–9:30 PM · Fri–Sun from 12 PM
Woodlands Express
Restaurants✓ Verified Oct 16, 2026
100% vegetarian South Indian — onion rava masala dosa, Mysore Royal Thali. Casual, budget-friendly.
4816 N University Dr, Lauderhill, FL · Sun–Thu 11:30 AM–9:30 PM · Fri–Sat till 10 PM
Community events
Onam, Vishu, Christmas, Easter — South Florida's Malayalee and Indian associations celebrate all of them, loudly. Here's what's coming up (updates automatically):
Friday, November 06, 2026 · 9 PM
Verified Oct 29, 2026
Miami Hurricanes Men's Basketball vs. Wagner Seahwaks
Basketball at Watsco Center at the University of Miami in Coral Gables.
Watsco Center at the University of Miami, 1245 Dauer Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Friday, November 06, 2026 · 7:30 PM
Verified Oct 29, 2026
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship
Motorsports/Racing at Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead.
Homestead Miami Speedway, 1 Speedway Blvd, Homestead, FL 33035
Friday, November 06, 2026 · 7 PM
Verified Oct 29, 2026
Soulpax, Mid-Day Moon, Vania Junco, and Ceci Leon in Miami
Alternative concert at Churchill's Pub in Miami.
Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE 2nd Ave Miami, FL 33137, Miami, FL 33137
Friday, November 06, 2026 · 6 PM
Verified Oct 29, 2026
Strawberry Girls & Andres in Miami
Rock concert at The Boombox Miami in Miami.
The Boombox Miami, 4447 SW 75th Ave, Miami, FL 33155
See everything on our events page. New here? Showing up is the fastest way to stop feeling new.
Movies in your language
Malayalam and Hindi films play at South Florida theaters every week — currently showing:
Ramayana
HindiRegal Royal Palm Beach, Royal Palm Beach — next: Wed Nov 4 — RPX 3:00 PM; RPX 3D 7:10 PM; Standard 4:00 PM, 8:10 PM
Showtimes, ticket links, and directions are on our movies page.
Practical essentials
- Taxes with India ties? Sanjay Gupta & Associates, CPA — 1776 N Pine Island Rd, Suite 309, Plantation · (954) 727-3777. Thirty-plus years handling domestic and international tax with an India focus.
- Buying a home? Jyoti Laungani, Realtor (Coldwell Banker) — 15971 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines · (305) 801-7890. Speaks Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, and Spanish.
- Schools: Florida's school choice programs let you apply beyond your zoned school — research early at fldoe.org.
Stay connected
- This site — verified local news for our community, every day: southfloridamalayalees.com.
- WhatsApp channel — community updates as they happen: follow here.
- Spotted something we missed? A better grocery store, a congregation we should list? Tell us — this guide gets better every time a newcomer shares a find.
Last verified October 17, 2026. Know a gem we missed? Let us know.
Frequently asked questions
I just moved to South Florida. Where do Malayalees live?
There is no single Malayalee neighborhood — families are spread across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, with active community organizations in Coral Springs, Davie, Weston, Boca Raton and Wellington. The community directory on this site lists the regional organizations that anchor each area. See the community directory ↗
Where can I buy Indian and Kerala groceries?
Patel Brothers is the largest Indian grocer serving the area, and independent Indian stores operate across Broward and Palm Beach. Our business directory lists hand-verified Indian grocers with addresses, hours and directions. Browse the business directory ↗
Are there Hindu temples and Malayalee churches in South Florida?
Yes. South Florida has several Hindu temples, and Malayalee congregations including St. Luke's Mar Thoma Church — during its Margate renovation, its Sunday service is held at 2 p.m. at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Boca Raton. This guide lists temples and congregations with official links.
How do I watch Malayalam movies in theaters here?
Malayalam films screen regularly at theaters in Davie, Boca Raton and Aventura, usually with English subtitles. Our movies page lists current Malayalam and Hindi showtimes, verified against theater listings every Friday. See what's showing ↗
How can I meet other Malayalees and hear about events?
Follow the South Florida Malayalees WhatsApp channel for new stories and event alerts, and check the events page for festivals, cultural programs and community gatherings across the three counties. See upcoming events ↗
Who runs this website?
South Florida Malayalees is an independent community news hub presented by BSJJ Management Inc. Stories and listings are verified against official sources, and corrections are published openly on the site. More about us ↗
