Jaguar Restaurant
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
11 Reviews for Jaguar Restaurant
This would get maybe a 3.5 from me. I don't think it's the best restaurant in Coconut Grove (or everyone in the Grove would seriously be in trouble). I had the ceviche sampler, and out of 7 ceviches, I think I would only be willing to try three flavors again. I am not in the rush to try the others. The sangria, however, was good.
Other than that, it's a nice casual and modern atmosphere (with somewhat loud music), patio seating, and a decent menu listing with emphasis leaning toward Mexican cuisine. Foodwise, though, I probably would want to go somewhere else until I can find more consistent reviews for this place over a particular dish. I'm thinking I should have stick with the steaks but the steaks were a bit pricey compared to what I can get elsewhere for the same cut. I didn't think it was worth it for the price.
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I would stick to the seafood when you eat here. The steak is somewhat bland compared to the fish. Try the ceviche sampler to find the one you like. You'll quickly realize the differences in each as some are quite good while others may not suit your palate.
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Although I might be biased, as I got food poisoning here once, I really think that the food tastes soul-less. Fancy chips that are cold, stale and oily. South-american-tasting bland salsa. Probably because I hear people talking about how it is their favorite restaurant ever it makes me like it even less. You get a good overflow of cocwalk customers too, bonus!
The ceviche is ok, but not worth the price.
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I had a fantastic dinner here recently when I was nostalgic for real Tex-Mex food, and this place delivered. The menu consists of ceviches, grilled meats Latin-American style with a choice of different sauces, fish dishes, and a Tex-Mex (I think they call it Mexican) corner.
We stuck with the ceviches, trying a spoonful of each of its 7 kinds. And we stuck with the Tex-Mex, because that is what we were craving.
Ok, before I continue, we were greated cheerfully by the owner at the hostess stand, and our waiter Marvin was attentive and great. He could recite the ingredients of everything on the menu without missing a beat, including each of the ceviches. And he brought a bowl of their homemade tasty mustard-based aji hot sauce on the side when we requested hot sauce. And also, this is the BEST Tex-Mex dinner fare I've had outside of Texas. No lie. It's like a menu I'd find at an upscale Tex-Mex restaurant in Austin. Except I'm in Florida.
Our favorite ceviches were the more traditional ones. The Peruvian one ("Peruano") made with corvina, or Chilean sea bass. The "Vuelva a la Vida", or Mexican/Tex-Mex version famous for its hangover-helping properties down southwest. And the "Black Market" ceviche, which is the Peruvian one mixed with the aji amarillo (yellow Peruvian pepper sauce). The only cevice we didn't care for, because we weren't in a Japanese food mood, was the "Oriental" - it was straight up Japanese tuna sunomono.
We ordered two main dishes to share: the Taquitos Yucatan, which were the typical interior Mexican cochinita pibil pulled pork tacos in a row of 5 small corn tortillas, topped with pickled red onion. This dish is popular on both sides of the border -- but this version was served with freshly-made guacamole on the side, and the pulled pork had a slightly sweet (hints of cinnamon) bbq taste. However, the guac and the slight sweet bbq flavor of the meat made this dish Tex-Mex, and hence kicked up that nostalgic factor for me.
The Tamale Duo, consisting of 2 huge tamales -- one with shrimp in guajillo & ancho chile adobo sauce, and one with salsa verde pulled chicken. This was definitely Tex-Mex fusion, and the shrimp one had amazing savory flavors that went well with the slightly sweet corn tamale. The tamale to filling ratio is quite high, and at first I was wishing for more filling...until I tasted the black bean puree that they were swimming in. The dish turned out to be a complex blend of sweet and savory flavors, and very filling.
Drinks-wise, we tried the passion fruit caiparinhas, which were strong and really good. Don't order their mojitos though; they use a rum that has mint flavor in it that is reminiscent of toothpaste.
I'll definitely make the drive here again in the future. I just noticed that they have snapper veracruz, under the name "Snapper Jarocho" in the seafood section of their menu. Now that's a ubiquitous Mexican dish that you can find at any authentic Tex-Mex seafood restaurant in Houston.
Mmmm.
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More ceviche please!
The most amazing selection of ceviche i have ever had! I had a fabulous dinner with friends. Margaritas were delightful! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. A must-do in Cocunut grove!
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I had the most fantastic lunch here.
I got the ceviche sampler - they were all very good (pricey though).
White sangria (very yummy)
A salad.
I sat in the sun outside and took my time. Jorge my server was very nice and made suggestions and let me enjoy my time.
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Overpriced, noisy, overdone.
I have been to Jaguar more than a few times, once even with one of the owners, Eduardo del Rivero, who also owns an ad agency nearby.
I find the cevices, especially, way way way overdone. The extra picante only serves to hide the fish taste. I also found the portions miniscule, especially when considering the price.
One comes to expect noise in a Grove restaurant, it goes with the territory. But the complete lack of textiles anywhere bounces noise off the walls continuously and, coupled with loud music every time I was there, it made conversation nary impossible.
All in all, I'd rather pass.
nice weekend brunch.
had the open faced cuban bread, kind of like a pizza but with beans instead of tomato sauce, bread is tasty.
also a reliable house omelet.
shoestring fries too salty but thin tasty onion rings.
plan to return for the ceviche spoon bar.
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I went to Jaguar for a business dinner last month, and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. It's located right in the heart of the Coconut Grove shopping district, and because the nearby restaurants include Johnny Rockets and The Cheesecake Factory, I wasn't expecting much. However, the wide Latin-American menu offers something for everyone. The selection of ceviche spoons is great, and I especially enjoyed the array of inventive salads. There are tables out front for diners and a lively bar inside. Jaguar is definitely one of the nicer restaurant options in its corner of Coconut Grove.
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Jaguar has a really great ceviche selection aside from other delightful menu items (my favorite being the crispy blue corn chicken tacos). Pair that up with a ceviche spoon sampler and you've had a great lunch or dinner!
The location makes it perfect for a walk around coconut grove before or after eating. It's very nicely decorated and the service is great.
For original review with many nice photos, please visit http://www.guiyanggal....
Coconut Grove is a well-known tourist shopping district with a bunch of cute little shops, similar to University Avenue in Palo Alto, or Laguna Beach in Orange County. With some coconut trees, it feels different, but not very different. So, if you really want to go take a look, you may want to consider going there at night.
With street lights turning on and party-people flooding in, the place feels more inviting and lively in the evening
Jaguar - A Cute/Fun Hang-out for Locals
Tim and I decided to do some bar hopping. Hey, since we are on vacation, why not just go crazy. The first stop is at Jaguar, a Latam Grill (yes, that is an abbreviation for 'Latin-American') that offers the comfort level available from neighborhood bars and tastes usually only found in exotic locales. It’s an excellent choice for those tourists who want to try a cute and fun hang-out frequented by the locals.
'Taste and Decide' is the restaurant's motto, and we would be remiss not to take up that offer and ordered colorful ceviches samples. Every spoon offers different type of fish or shrimp with unique and exotic flavor. The spicy shrimp is our favorite. Although Tim thinks the texture of the squid is 'rubbery', I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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