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The food was good. I had their #2 (Taco, Quesadilla, and a Tamal). We also ordered a queso fundido for the table. They also bring complimentary chips and salsa.
Everyone left super full and satisfied. AND, it's cheap.
The only thing I was a little disappointed with was the slow service.
There is additional parking in the back (NOT metered!).
This is the most authentic Mexican restaurant I have been to so far in Miami. The food is really, really good and you can enjoy it in a great atmosphere. Their prices are very good you can eat a very full meal under $10. The service was a little slow but when you take that first bite it was worth the wait.
They also have a little sales area that you can purchase spices, salsa and a varity of other stuff . This place is so cute, I will be going back for sure.
Bottom Line: Great Bang for your buck, authentic, but really greasy.
Pros: Great tasting food; good price; authentic divey decor.
Cons: Service is slow; parking on the street is metered. Almost got a ticket from the meter maid.
forgot what i had because it was such a long time ago. I just remember it was good but greasy.
Went for lunch today, and will come come back again to try other dishes.
Had the Pollo en Mole, very tasty and authentic (yellow rice was not very good - not hot enough and to dry). I also had a Taco - Roasted Pork Yucatan style... awesome! and the chips and salsa are so fresh (a little more salt is needed).
Service is good, I think our server only spoke spanish.
Resto is very clean.
We got metered parking on the street.
Lunch for 2:
2 Pollo en mole (lunch special)
1 Taco
1 side beans
--------------------------
$15 plus tip
It is so difficult to find a good Tex-Mex/Mexican restaurant in Miami. I am so glad to have found this little gem. If I am so glad, why did I give it 4 stars instead of 5? Their salsa is really not that great. They have red (mild), green (piquant), and tomatillo salsas, and none of them really taste that great. The red tastes like watered down tomato puree. The green is just pure piquancy with a slight bitter flavor. And the tomatillo tasted very much like the green, but had small tomatillo seeds in it. Moving beyond that, though, the dinner was rather good. There were three of us at dinner this night, hence the reason for the copious amounts of food:
Queso fundido con chorizo
Quesadilla de pollo
Tamale
Burrito de Carne Asada
Soft Tacos de Carne Asada
Hard Ground Beef Taco
Soft Steamed Beef Taco
While in North Florida, I became used to the Cheese Dips that the restaurants made - a smooth, creamy cheese sauce with a touch of piquancy that did not clump together as it cooled. I am loath to say that I have still not found that composition in South Florida. I am happy to say that the Queso Fundido with Chorizo is the closest thing I have found to satisfying the cheesy goodness that I so hunger for. The only issue I have with the Queso Fundido is that as it cools, it becomes more difficult to remove from the bowl. It is purely a technical issue as the flavor is wonderful.
I have been craving tamales -- good tamales -- for quite some time. I have continued ordering them in hopes of actually finding some that taste good. When I ordered, I prepared myself for the worst - a soggy corn mash with unseasoned meat and slathered in a Mexican reinterpretation of gravy. I was pleasantly surprised to see my tamale arrive in its corn husk. My expectations immediately went up. While the tamale wasn't very hot, the corn meal was firm and the meat was properly seasoned with pureed peppers, tamatoes and onions. The subtle flavors danced across my tongue as I enjoyed the tamale with rapture. I might be embelishing a bid due to my lack of good tamales in recent months; but I wont know until I find another restaurant that makes good tamales.
The tacos and burrito all came at the same time. While we ordered four different items, the basic flavors were all the same; not a lot of complex differentiation. The flavor was of a basic marinated meat (not over done) that had then been baked, roasted, or steamed. The soft tacos came on a soft-corn tortilla; this in many places is a bad thing, in my mind, as the cooks don't cook them. Major mistake as they soft corn tortillas do not have the appropriate flavor, texture, or malleability. At Taqueria, the soft corn tortillas are properly warmed/cooked so that their full flavor is intrinic to the entire meal.
I would definitely return to this restaurant. The amount of food that we ordered was gargantuan, and it amounted to about $15 per person AFTER tip. If I can stuff myself to the point of absurdity for $15, then I know I can return and eat comfortably for less than $10. The food is DEFINITELY commensurate to the price. Now if only they could fix that cheese dip.
Love the Chips & Salsa, if you like if hot, ask them to bring out the Mole sauce. The chips are the actual fried tortilla, not the store bought tostitos knock off. Everything was really good, and the prices were very reasonable. The enchilidas, were really good and they came with a side of refried beans and rice, very filling. Keep in mind the place is very very casual.
This is a great place to get your taco fix. The food is authentic Mexican and always delicious. It's very affordable and a great pick for lunch or dinner. If you come for lunch, be sure to order quickly because service is a little slow. Enjoy the yummy chips and salsa while you wait.
The staff is not very friendly, but always polite.
Que rico!!!!!!!
It had been so long since I had un-Americanized Mexican food, I am so glad we rediscovered this little place with big flavor. I hadn't been here in the longest time, so much so that I had almost forgotten about it. Thankfully, some awesome friends who love Mexican decided to come here last Friday night and we joined them. 10 o'clock at night and this place was packed!!! The staff moved quickly to set up a table for the ten of us, and we were seated in no time.
mmmm. mmmm. mmmm. Everything in the menu sounded so delicious; I had the hardest time choosing what to order - so, being the pig that I am I ordered everything that looked good (almost the entire menu). I had Tacos al pastor - good but too much onion for my taste; Tortilla with beans and cheese and sour cream - put that cheese all over my nose, I don't care, every bite was crunchy and delicious; a Chicken enchilada which was really, really good - my hubs had the cheese enchilada and I think I liked that one better, but the chicken was delicious nonetheless; and I finished off with a bite from a chicken flauta that I was too stuffed to eat, so it was quickly devoured by others in seconds.
All that, and double it with my husband's order, plus two beers, all for $25 - no kidding - this place is depression-economy heaven for hungry people!
Writing this review is making my mouth water just thinking of all the food, don't be surprised if you find me there on my way home tonight - mmmm!
Did take-out tonight and came home to dine. Had this place bookmarked and I have to agree with fellow yelpette Ivonne Marie, this place is so gooood!
Tacos Al Pastor, were filling, nice seasoning on the staek, cut up into small bites, which I really enjoyed, and oh yummy the onions finished it off. Came with rice and beans, which were both very good.
Hubby had a burrito which he enjoyed. Nice size, nice flavor, lots of beans and meat stuffed inside a large tortilla.
Got an extra star for their guacamole. I thought other places that make it fresh at your table were good, no way this place was so much better.
One of the best guacamole's I ever had!! It came in a plastic tub that I promise must have been 10 oz. wheeewww.......I am stuffed, in a very good way though....
The chips were a little to thick but they were o.k.
Enjoyed our dinner, and am so glad to have found a place close and reasonable with awesome food.......
Not tex-mex, just good old mexican......
Very happy yelper!!
See you very soon, my new favorite!
I can't say whether this place is authentic Mexican food or not. What I can say is that I have yet to be disappointed. Well, maybe once. But I went today again and the food was money.
I found this place on Yelp of course, while I was driving around the area looking for a place to eat lunch. Since that day, this has been my go to restaurant for Mexican food (whether authentic or not).
That day I ordered the Cheese Enchilada (I had just gotten my braces on) with the 'salsa verde' and Menudo (tripe) soup. Everything was fantastic.
Now, I go for lunch with a co-worker. We order the combination platter for 3. Make sure you order the one for 3 because the one for 2 is not as good (the one time I was disappointed). Not only is this dish extraordinarily tasty, it's worth only $15.95. It brings 3 flautas, 3 tostadas, 3 enchiladas, and another yummy treat that I don't know the name of.
One thing, the place is mostly inexpensive. However, a side order of guacamole will cost you an excessive $5.50.
So check it out and eat a jalapeño.
Cheers!
I had the number 1 combo. It was a chicken taco, quesadilla, rice and beans, with guacamole, at least I think that's what it was.
It was delicious! The chicken was moist and perfectly cooked. I was expecting it to be hard and dry. Wow! Everything tasted fresh and great, it might be one of the few places in Brickell with decent food. My only gripe was that it wasn't hot enough. Gordon Ramsey would go on a cursing rampage after poking his finger in this dish. I only have 2 weeks left in Brickell so I'm regreting not taking advantage of all the food. (btw, Baja Fresh and Rosa Mexicano are not Mexican food)
Note: They close at 11pm, 10pm on Mondays
Came here the other day for lunch with a group of co-workers, normally I am not a huge fan of Mexican food (authentic or not) but you only live once right? So what the heck lets do this... ordered one of their combination platters which was like $8 and was defiantly plenty of food... I was pleasantly surprised that everything was as tasty as Mexican should be and everything tasted really fresh (lettuce and such)...
Service was good, waitress was friendly and everything came out in a timely manner. She was attentive and dealt with our 4 credit cards without issue.
My one disappointment was their bottles of Coke were bottled in Honduras... which uses high fructose corn syrup... as opposed to Coke bottled in Mexico which contains real sugar... but oh well it was good enough =)
As you head down the great 8th Street towards Brickel , you come across the many wonderful restaurants and diversity that truly makes Miami unique - As you approach the end of this wonderful trail, you come across this unlikely place - A mexican Taco place in Calle Ocho-
Make sure you stop, here you will find as close to authentic as you can within the Miami city limits -
Definitely dive into a variety plate and try their tacos, flautas and quesadillas - the flavors are rich and if your palate can take ... do ask for some pretty hot stuff - it totally makes the plate.
I would tend to favor the tacos al pastor for their flavor and texture and wash those down with a refreshing Mexican Coke ... there is a huge difference of flavor with the American version.
All in all simply put a good mexican taqueria in Miami.
This place is a hole-in-wall Mexican restaurant/taco-shop.
Walking in, the atmosphere is pretty authentic, down to spices/leaves for sale displayed on the wall.
The carne asada was delicious. All of the taco options (we tried most of them) were very tasty. The tamales were good, not great. The combo plates were a great option to try all of their offerings.
They lose major points for the salsa (and the chips, and the quac). Mexican goodness to me includes awesome chips, salsa, and guac. And all three at Taqueria El Mexicano were simply adequate.
But definitely a great find suitable for a culinary lunch adventure (our choice) or maybe even a celebration necessitating Mexican comida.
Everything I had tasted awesome (queso, enchiladas with mole), and they serve Mexican Coke here. For people who do not know, all Cokes made outside of America are superior because they don't use corn syrup.
I have been told by two Mexican people that Taqueria is not as "authentic" as people give it credit for, but we all really like the food and the prices.
I am shocked to see that people prefer El Ranch Grande to this place. I'd prefer driving down here to the slightly sketchy neighborhood (I don't want to buy your undersized mangos as I get in my car) than eat the Mexican on South Beach any day. I have to also warn of the very slow service. It might not be such a bad thing though, because it gives you time to digest the vast amounts of cheese that you will be consuming.
Taste was good and the portions were a good size for the price.
Service was poor...
Best taco/authentic Mexican in Miami. Great to take friends from out of town and the spot to satisfy munchies. If you are hungry, try the gringa or any of its combos. For more daring, try the tripitas tacos. Sketchy parking in back, but worth it
I love this place. I go there for lunch, breakfast or dinner from time to time. The beef soup is very good. The chilaquiles for breakfast are also very tasty. The salsa tastes homemade and the margaritas are not bad either. I would recommend this place to anyone who is down to earth and can eat at fancy places, but can also appreciate the little mom and pop shops... as I do. I love these kind of restaurants and the food is very flavorful.... loooove.
In all honesty, I must first say that true AUTHENTIC mexican food is extremely hard to find in Miami.
No, Chipotle, Qdoba, Baja Fresh and Lime are NOT authentic Mexican.
This is a real taqueria, with authentic mexican flavor, the tacos are as close to the real deal as it is possible, try the Tacos Al Pastor, they are good. They even have Jarritos (Mexican Soft Drinks), and many other local products.
The decor is simple, maybe too simple, and also the bathrooms could be a little cleaner.
Service is slow, even more so during the weekend and for dinner. And I agree, that area at night can be a little scary.
Prices are very reasonable and according to value.
Bottom line is, if you are looking for a cheap and good taco, this is the place.
In other parts of the country (think Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico) quality authentic Mexican restaurants are a dime a dozen. But in a place where Lime, Baja Fresh, and Chipotle (like two out of the three, but...) are considered Mexican eateries, Taqueria El Mexicano stands out like Benito Juarez on his first day of school.
The garnachas (think nachos - but much better - topped with refried beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and a touch of freshly diced tomatoes) to start served as the perfect introduction to the carne asada burrito I scarfed while sitting at the window table overlooking the pedestrian traffic of Calle Ocho.
Not a whole lot gets in the way of the carne asada. I enjoyed the simplicity of the burrito. It was garnished lightly with lettuce, onions, sour cream, and refried beans. The meat, cooked to perfection (nice and pink in the middle), had the right amount of seasoning - it wasn't overbearing, just right. I topped the burrito with a side order of cotija cheese (aged to perfection) and pico de gallo just to add a little more emphasis - not necessary, but it adds that umph.
Definitely a place to check out if you're looking for an authentic Mexican experience without having to drive out to Homestead.
Ridiculously great Food at a great price! In Miami thats hard to find. Try tacos al Pastor with a squirt of lime accompanied by a modelo especial.
I really like this place, the food is good, it's clean, everything looks fine. The service is not too bad, for the high demand of visitor that they have , but They need to work on that. Since I lived in Mexico, i know what is a real Mexican food is, and this restaurant goes close, but it's not real authentic. Anyways, I recomend it
The good: Tacos were freakin delicious. Tacos were freakin cheap. $8 or $9 for a full meal. Try the carnitas and the asado tacos. I tend to judge a place based on their rice and beans, and the rice and beans here were pretty good. I would have given this place 5 stars (because its cheap and delicious) but the reasons below knocked it down, almost to 3 stars.
The bad: don't go there late at night, it can be dangerous at this part of calle ocho. Parking is street parking only. Service was also a bit slow, but not too slow that it pisses you off.
One of the few taqueria's around. True there's gringo spots like Baja Fresh and Chipotle, but this is more traditional than commercial.
Food is good, not outstanding; but taqueria's like these are few and far between. It's on Calle Ocho, but at the very East end of it. Not far from Brickell and spots like Tobacco Road, Transit lounge etc.
I'll definitely be coming back soon!
Oops, I got this place mixed up with the one nearby.
I can't speak for the tacos here but the other dishes I've had and forgot about weren't too exciting.
Is it a bad place? No.. is it great? No.
Mi Rinconcito Mexicana is much better IMHO.
Fairly good, authentic mexican....very cheap. The place and area might be a bit of a turnoff, thus the three stars, but it is made up with the AWESOME Tacos Al Pastor. They also have the Mexican music blaring, so if u have one to many margaritas (which they do not sell here) you may find yourself doing the mexican hat dance....
i like this place. its close to my place, its good and its cheap. i was here last weekend. got some queso fundido con chorizo (melted cheese with chorizo) and a bistec oaxaca (Steak Oaxaca) ... great stuff, a medium well steak topped with sauteed onions, green pepers and melted oaxaca cheese.
hell yes
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Authentic Mexican food but nothing out of this world.
Food items are very well priced and the service is excellent. The food is good, but not the best authentic Mexican food.
I would recommend it for a quick lunch with friends.
One word... "GUACAMOLE" - this place is the real deal!!!!
I come to this place just for the Guacamole and chips!!! After two servings, I will usually go for a Quesadilla "El Gringo" which is full of meaty goodness (beef and mexican sausage) with cheese. Prices are nice and they are very close to downtown.
Seating and parking is very limited, but well worth the wait.
If you're looking to eat cheap and authentic Mexican food, this is the place to go. Located just a couple of blocks away from the Brickell area the restaurant is a great choice if you do not want to pay the ridiculous prices that are within the financial district area but still want a good Mexican meal. The place has a great variety of real Mexican tacos (carnitas, al pastor, pollo and more) along with some tasteful guacamole and three dollar beer's. Decoration is in a way kind of funny and very simple with some "piñatas" hanging from the ceiling, which I really do not know if are there mainly for decorative reasons, or if they are for sale. =S
I'll start by saying, I love Mexican food. I assumed that the location of the restaurant would lend it some authenticity and that special hole-in-a-wall quality. Unfortunately, I was mistaken. Once we walked in, it was at least five minutes until we were greeted. Once we were seated it took over twenty five minutes to get our appetizer. I'll admit the nachos topped with refried beans, sour cream, cheese and guacamole were quite good; but, the rest of the meal was downright nasty. The meats used in the tacos and burrito were very poor quality, so much so it made me sick to look at it. The service is the worst i've experienced in a very long time and the patrons made me fear for my safety. The location is convenient and the prices are great, but i'd rather drive to South Beach and deal with the hassle of parking to get quality Mexican at El Rancho Grande. Actually, i'd take Chipotle or Lime any day of the week over the stuff this place serves. I definitely won't be visiting them again...EVER!
hmm... I'm surprised it got such bad reviews.
Here's why I give it 4 stars:
-The place is not cool, not pretty, not swanky... but you get what you are looking for... it's a simple, pretty typical Mexican taqueria, so they get 4 stars for being true to themselves... no additives needed.
-The food is good and there's a lot of variety in the menu! I know a couple of real, 100% imported from Mexico people that love eating here because they say the food tastes authentic.
-The prices are unbeatable.
-It's just perfect for when you are craving Mexican food... the whole enchilada!
For being a hole in the wall and in a ok location it sure serves some authentic mexican good food. The chips and salsa to start with are the best. Also the guacamole appetizer is great. I had the small tacos with steak- delicious. I can't complain the food is good and the prices are awesome. I tried the 3 steak tacos which comes with rice and refried beans for like $8.00. I also had platter with 1 tostada, 1 soft taco and 1 taco enchilado with the rice and refried beans for $7-8. Again if you are not scared of a hole in the wall then give it a try- otherwise order for pick up.
Somewhat ironically, mexican food isn't that great in Miami. Granted, it is fast and cheap and open till 11, so it can draw a crowd based on those factors. Had chicken burrito and carne asada taco. Rice tastes like they use frozen carrots and peas. Flavor is lacking.
On the back wall across from the countertop, there is a myriad of cooking spices for sale.
Ok.. the first time I went in here, I was so happy to find Taquitos Barbacoa...they were tasty. Second time I went in, service was horrible. and food was so so...i dont think i'll be going back.
If anyone knows of good mexican/southwestern food...pleaseeeeee let me know. I'm jonesing for authentic food!!!!
i'm giving it 3 stars for what it is. a regular taqueria. we don't have regular taqueria's in miami so i'm just happy it's here. it's really more like a 3.5 but it hit all the basics i.e. cheap, unpretentious, fast, and tasty. i tried a tamale, a chicken enchilada in green sauce, and a taco al carbon for about $6. all were pretty good, but the taco didn't hold up much to the other two. we also had extreeeeemely tasty $4 margaritas which complimented (and possibly even enhanced) the food perfectly. the complimentary chips and salsa were also very tasty and fresh. all in all reliable and real.
NO. Who makes a burrito by piling all the things that should go inside on top of a meat tortilla? NO. NO. NO. I like my burritos wrapped up tight like an obese man in 80's pants... w/ the salsa, guacamole, lettuce, cheese, beans, and sour cream INSIDE.
Go figure... a decent Mexican taqueria on Calle Ocho, a cuban stronghold of Miami (although it really has gotten to be a diverse area as of late). Prices are low, the meal are standard as in any taquerias known in Mexican communities elsewhere.
Miami, FL
Category: Mexican
Coral Gables, FL
Category: Bakeries
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