Larios On The Beach
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Valet
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
38 Reviews for Larios On The Beach
This place was pretty good. It has a great south beach feel to it. I'd definitely take newcomers there. Live music and a cute little bar/lounge area make it inviting and very not San jose-ish. :)
This place used to be so great. Sadly, it's gone a bit down-hill in the recent year or so. i tried to attached photos i took in 2004 when it was out of sight. They still know how to do Ceviche and boiled yucca. The Mojito glasses bug me now. You can still buy a cigar on the sidewalk which is nice for my boyfriend who loves a good cigar. I believe there is a chance one could still have a good experience here- sort of hit or miss place. Eat outside for sure.
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Gloria Estefan definitely opened up a great Cuban restaurant.
Try their Cuban skirt steak, the lamb and the quatro leches cake. Their mojitos pack a punch as well so beware. They also do have some good live music on weekends. If you're driving it's best to just fork over the $20 and valet; you'll never find paking on your own.
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When in Rome...I guess when in South Beach! Cubans galore and when we visited South Beach we just lived the live. Gloria Estefan's Lario's is a terrific place for a great meal.
The service is OK, but the food was great. Of course, I had the ropa vieja. It was so great. The rice was tasty, as were the plaintains. No complaints here! Food serving sizes were generous. Too bad my margie wasn't so big. My frozen strawberry marg was the best drink I've had in a while. I guess down in South Beach they know how to do frozen alcohol. Darn it, should have had a Miami Beach while I was there! What was I thinking!?
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You could do better. You could do worse. Its hard to hear, and the ceviche was lip searing spicy.
blah blah. like everywhere else on this strip, this place lacks anything special. (es: you can take the glass home from your mojito! look honey, i get a glass that says "Lario's" on it!)
At least it was very affordable. $40 a person, entrees, apps, a drink or two a person.
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cuban! meat! their menu is really extensive. make sure to order one of the entres marked with the icon noting, "lario's favorites." all entrees come with a choice of regular rice or rice w/bean (get this one). you also get fried plantains .... fried or sweet. get the sweet ones. the patio was really busy at 7:00pm when we went. fortunately, we took the last table outside in the corner of the patio. try to come early if you want a prime seat outside. this is a GREAT place to get dinner before heading to the bar/clubs on ocean drive.
My dish here was absolutely to die for!
Churrasco
skirt steak "churrasco"grilled to perfection based with "chimi-churri" sauce
it was absolutely cooked to perfection (medium rare, very tender) and the sauce was so damn good! My friends all ordered the chicken but kept raving about my steak (They did say their chicken was good though)! Everything tasted so delicious (rice, bananas, everything!).
The ambiance is terrific with the Cuban band playing while you enjoy your meal. Its a really fun must go to place on ocean dr.
We sat inside because there was no wait. The wait for outside seating was 20 to 30 min on a Sat. night. Service was excellent. Mojitos were VERY STRONG...if you like that sort of thing. I prefer not to yack on my first drink of the night =)
This is a must go place for anyone visiting miami
This place was amazing. Their menu is HUGE and their mojitos and sangria is really good. You MUST order the fried plaintain cups filled with shrimp AND beef (order it half and half!!!)... my Shrimp in mango sauce was AMAZING it was this velvety yogurty mango sauce and my dinner date ordered the cuban steak - you should get it down medium rare because it's a very thin flank/skirt steak. The service was great and they have so many different kinds of flan to choose from. I got the tres leches cake (they also have a quatro leches haha) and it was really good..
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The food was alright....nothing to oogle over. I ordered the fish...i believe it was pescado plancha. Kinda dry, but good. Rice was ok...I was really bummed that I didn't get any beans with it. What kind of latin place serves rice with no beans??? and it's Cuban too!!! well, the big question is will i have come here? The answer.....NO!! I just have to say...NEXT!!!
One of my favorite dishes is bistec empenizado steak (kinda like a pounded, breaded, fried thin steak), and Larios' empenizado is among the best I've had. The rice and fried plantains are also great.
However, they lose a star on service. Sometimes the service is decent, other times it's terrible, but rarely, if ever, is it great.
But, wow, great food and great location!
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Food was not as good this year. Steak was not as tender, black beans were too soupy. Maybe it was because we did not get to dine outside near the sidewalk. Maybe the ambiance had something to do with the taste? The mojitos are still very good.
Ambiance and music is very miami. Sat very close to the band which is pleasure and a what?!? i can't hear my thoughts i forgot what else i had cuban but had an enjoyable meal and it wasn't too pricey for Miami Beach. In my eyes, i judge cuban food by the taste of the plantains and these were pretty damn good. Had the steak and liked the flavors. Service was fast. Pretty authentic and worth a visit if it's your first time to South Beach.
MMM MMM Good! I love cuban food and not only was the food incredible but the ambiance, the beach, palm trees, live band just made it all the better. Sangra is delicious!
Yummmmm!!!! I never knew how much I liked Cuban food until I went to this place! I felt like I should be in Scarface, the ambiance is so classic. GREAT mojitos, there is nothing like it!
The portions are great and filling. I love the plantains and cuban black beans. The shredded lime chicken is great too (sad that I went here more then 8 months ago and still remember what I ate!)
Defo hit it up if you're lucky enough to be in Miami!! I think I had some potato thing too that was really good....
Just make sure you dont plan on having a huge drinking night after (which is hard to do) because you will be way full when you leave!!
I think that people just like to dislike things that others love just to be different. First off, I'm not going to say that I know or understand Cuban food. I can only go off my taste buds. After being disappointed with several mediocre and over priced restaurants w/ TERRIBLE service, Larios was by far the best in Miami Beach. My girlfriend and I shared a pitcher of Sangria for $20 and the food was delicious! With disappointment surrounding us, we were starting to lose faith in Miami Beach. All we were looking for was a nice restaurant w/ good food and Larios def hit the spot! We were in heaven! It was a great end to our trip with a belly full of yummy food!
Cuban??? Or just a tacky touristy all american eatery?
Me thinks its the latter.
There is nothing Cuban about the stuff they offer.
The huge fried red snapper was a good deal but I've had better fried fish before.
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Super cute atmosphere.
Live band inside.
Very good funky flan!
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I think it gets extra stars because of its location. Loud live music, upstairs and downstairs areas. Food is fine for a touristy destination. Use the street garage parking lots for this area--i.e. 7th and Collins, 13 and Collins, 12th and Drexel.
Besides the beach, the only other thing that mattered to me on this trip to Miami was awesome Cuban food. We stumbled upon Lario's and it was pretty good. Our server wasn't particularly bright or responsive and when we asked him questions about the menu, he had a hard time coming up with answers. Picadillo is always my fave Cuban dish and it was pretty tasty, although a little simple compared to others I've tried. We also ordered the steak with chimichuri sauce which was a very small portion. The sangria was definitely sub-par and I think this may be the first time ever that I didn't finish the carafe. Prices were fair, especially compared to many of the other restaurants along Ocean Dr. There was great live music and a very sexy couple dancing salsa which provided some great eye candy as we completed our meal.
Larios on the Beach is a Cuban experience. This restaurant features live music, Island ambiance and some of the best Cuban food in Miami. The plantains, and rice and black beans are amazing meats and fish off the grill are mouth watering and inspired with flavorful unique spices that have not yet crept into the mainstream American dining palate. The coconut flan is out of this world and a great way to finish an amazing dinner. Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is polished yet festive.
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Great Cuban music, ambiance, crowded, great mojito. Not particularly THAT memorable, except for the fact that it's in front of the beach in South Beach. After a while the places are pretty interchangeable, but the food makes this worth waiting for. Like eating from abuela's (grandma') kitchen.
Larios, oh larios, I dream of their churrasco dish while I am in SF. Went there 2 days in a row when I visited Miami since I couldn't get enough of the churrasco dish. For those of you who don't know, churrasco is a skirt steak medium rare (my pref), with a chimmichurri sauce (garlic vinegar sauce) on the side, then with a side of flavored rice, and fried crispy plaintains. Tried recreating this dish at home since I can't find a restaurant who does it well.
SF needs a good cuban restaurant. Would love it if we could have a Versailles or Larios here.
Lario's has an interesting mix of Latin and Chinese-influenced dishes. We tried the paella (which was fantastic, but rather expensive at 35$/person with a minimum of two people ordering), one of the fried rice dishes, and the steak. The paella was overwhelming... Admittedly very good, but we should have ordered two portions for three or four people. The steak was so-so. The ceviche appetizer we ordered was close to disgusting.
Decor and service were good, but overall, the dining experience was very average.
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Heaven only knows! Heaven only knowssss!
I'm all about the dining experience, quality of service, and quality of food. Haven't had too much experience with Cuban Food, but I must admit that this is the best place that I've had by far out of the 4 places I've been to for cuban food.
Mouth watering Vaca Frita coupled with cuatro pitchers of Sangria amongst beautiful company of friends right next to the beach, life couldn't get any better right?!
I give it 4 1/2 stars for the simple fact that the entertainment was missing! If the band was there, 5 stars without a doubt!
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A must go when I'm in Miami . Good anytime breakfast, lunch, dinner, or stopping in to sip mojitos, and listen to live salsa, or merengue .
Super yummy with great service! It was a great place to sit outside, have a drink and a good meal. The inside is really cute and loungey, and they had space set up for a live band (though no one was playing when I was there). I would love to come here again when I return to South Beach.
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True Story:
I was alone in South Beach. My friends got caught in a snow storm out of ORD (that's why I live in L.A.) and I found myself alone at the bar at Larios. I'm throwing back a few mojitos and who walks in and sits down next to me? Gloria Estefan. I sang to her (damn mojitos) and she smiled, told me to let her do the singing. Then she got up on stage and sang with the salsa band.
After that, my food and drinks were comped.
Thanks Gloria!
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were all these people eating at the same place i ate! this place was horrible... the service was the worst i ever had probly cause they already added there tip and didnt care how they treated there people...our food took forever we got no bread not even water. i would never recommend this place to anyone
The food at all the Larios locations is excellent, treading the fine line between down-home-goodness and gourmet, but the atmosphere at the others is more family and this (obviously) is more Beach-nightlife-ish.
It's crowded, loud, and the service is harried and impersonal at best - but I like it that way! It's energetic and crazy, and it works with the food, the clientele, the sponteneity, all of it.
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Ok, so when I made up my mind to buy a place in Miami FL, having never lived there and only visited once in my life, I came out with a friend and we whiled away 10 days. They included wandering with my real estate agent, picking my condo, and 3 meals, particularly desserts, at Lario's. This place is forever a sweet memory.
It's not awesome but it's evocative. It's the essence that gives it the 4th star. And the fact Gloria owns it and sometimes shows up to sing/eat in it.
The food is not amazing. Sometimes the meat is dry or not as flavorful as it can be.
Our first night was loud (in a good way) with a singer up not with a band but with a pre-recorded CD. She was good. However, in the 7 songs I think we heard, 3 were repeats. Honestly, I can sing better. So alas, no sign of Gloria singing.
But, the food is ok. The service isn't amazing. But the desserts, my god, the desserts. And the plantanos ... and the mood ... and the location ... and the mood ...
Something about it is sexy. I don't know why, it just is. Dark wood, terra cotta colors, loud music, hard drinks, a band, the palm trees outside and the great wide ocean and beach and breeze. You come with a big group and laugh and chat. We did that when I threw a big dinner to have friends come out and party with me. You come with a lover and you seduce each other over the desserts and walk the beach and get it on ...
Whatever. Just get your sexyback.
I HIGHLY reccommend getting some key items:
- plantanos
- flan con queso (it's richer than traditional flan)
- shredded coconut. i don't know what it's called, can't remember, but you put that with the flan and you are frickin having orgasms right there with your mojito or whatever else it is you're trying to drink and sit up straight with.
stay away from the guava unless you're cuban or you know what you're doing. that mess will give you a diabetic attack.
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Great atmosphere! Celling fans, dim lighting, and a live salsa band. I had the grouper which was not the best. The platanos, balck beans and rice were to die for. I'm a huge mojitos lover and I must say theirs were a little too sweet. Overall it was a festive experience and I would go back agan.
After eating at Cha Cha Chas in SF or Versailles in LA, this Cuban restaurant wasn't at all what I expected it to be. Maybe I don't know Cuban. Anyways, I felt like the portions weren't that large and I left hungry.
I like the venue. There is seating out doors and its a great place to have dinner and people watch. The service is okay, nothing to write a postcard home to mom about. The girl who waited on us looked and acted as if we were waisting her time. Sorry I just wanted a bottle of Tabasco sauce. No tip for you!
Although I wasn't to impressed with the food, I thought the atmosphere was super fun. I'd go back and try something else. Maybe it'll be different.
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This place will always be a favorite of mine no matter what, because it is here that I was first introduced to the toasty, porky, melty-cheesy deliciousness that is a Cuban sandwich. After tromping around in the South Beach humidity and then spending a couple hours sprawled on the beach, we decided to come here as there were those of us not acquainted with Cuban food and wanting to give it a try, and we were all so very glad we did. Plantains, black beans, and rice were delish, but the sandwich really did it for me: ham, pork, Swiss cheese, a touch of mustard, on Cuban bread, toasted in a sandwich press until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted...so yummy! Dunno if I was just damned hungry that day or what, but I do believe that was the best sandwich I've ever eaten! Hubby says the mojitos are good too (I don't like mojitos, though, so you'll have to take his word for it). Sometimes there's a band and the place is packed to the rafters, sometimes it's nearly empty, but either way, try the food, it's great!
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Overpriced. You pay to see and be seen by the other tourists. Versailes is a better deal.
So the place is owned by Gloria Estefan. I wouldn't really recommend going there if there is no band playing, because it was empty. But if there is a band, its definitely worth it and fun. Their ceviche was good!
This place is a MUST if you are visiting Miami. It's the ultimate Cuban South Beach experience. The food is pretty good, but not amazing (well, with the exception of the mojitos, platanos, black beans and rice. The pork dishes looked pretty good, but I didn't try them. I ordered the lobster, which was a big mistake. It was incredibly expensive but it was only mediocre. The star foods of my dinner were definitely the simpler things I tried (the things I already mentioned, such as plantains, etc).
You are probably asking yourself, by this point, why I am rating this place five stars if the food wasn't THAT great. Well, because the food was definitely good, but more importantly, the ambiance was UNBEATABLE. Simply eating at this place and breathing in the festive atmosphere while listening to an amazing salsa band (and I'm dead serious when I say that these musicians were amazing) and watching people dance salsa like they've been dancing it since the womb was enough to make me just want to come back to the Bay Area, pack up my bags and move to Miami. It was THAT great.
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The mojitos here are the BEST!!!. Just the right amount of everything in those things. The watermelon and razz mojitos are the drinks to have at this place. I can usually drink about 2 because they don't water down the drinks!!! I'm convinced the owners of this place want you to get super buzzed so you have a good time. I just moved from Miami and I'm really gonna miss this place. When you're able to catch the band it'll be a really fun night. They say that Gloria Estefan makes a visit every once in a while to sing with the band but unfortunatley I was never able to catch her when we had dinner there. This place is one of the most mellowest spots on South Beach. We're always able to get a table right away, this place has great service and the waiters and waitresses are friendly. The food is good, not mind blowing good - but good. They make a good cubano (cuban sandwhich) and they have excellent plantanos, beans and rice. Try the cod fritters and the cuban spring rolls as appetizers. For dinner have a steak or the roasted chicken - or any other dish that you wanna try. But don't go to South Beach without stopping at Larios.
Salsa diva Gloria Estefan is one of the owners of this place-to-be-seen, and her success on the music charts has crossed over to the restaurant business as well. The decor in the spacious dining room is vibrantly alive with color - day-glow orange on the walls - and kitschy details - starburst chandeliers are suspended from the 'sky' above - and a couple of walls are papered with Latino news clippings. A mountain of outstanding Cuban food, some with Creole touches, overflows on the plates here. Lomo de puerco, roast pork loin with rice and beans, is spectacular. Add a side of tostones con mojo, fried plantains with a garlic-infused dipping sauce. Portions are huge; clearly the petite owner never cleans her plate when she eats here. Live music Thursday through Sunday nights and, while it didn't happen when I was there, Gloria is known occasionally to drop in and put on an impromptu show.
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