A hole in the wall Mexi-Cali surf shack taco joint in Hollywood right next to 'the tracks'.
What we had:
My DH and I both ordered taco platters--2 tacos with rice & beans.
The portions were large for the price ($5.95 for land meat & $6.95 for seafood). The table chips were greasy & old-ish, but the salsa was nice and fresh.
I had a South Bay grilled Mahi Mahi taco with shredded green cabbage, pico and cilantro lime sour cream & a Big Spender taco with shredded pork, lettuce, tomato and guacamole. The Mahi was tender and well-seasoned and the accompaniments gave a nice taste to the taco. The pork was moist, if a bit under-seasoned, and the accompaniments worked well.
I also had black beans, which were cooked from dried and were nicely seasoned. The rice was lightly seasoned and fluffy. If edible rice in a Mexican restaurant is a new trend, I would like to request from the trend-setter powers that be that it continue.
My DH had the Big Spender & the Frube--shredded chicken with lettuce, cheese, pico & sour cream. He enjoyed the pork taco, but said the chicken was nothing special and aggressively drowned in sour cream.
My DH also had the refried beans, which were not good at all. They were oddly spiced & tin-canny with a lingering bizarre metallic taste. They made me shudder.
All tacos come with flour tortillas. Corn is available upon request. We stuck with flour, and they were decent.
Décor:
Run-down surf shack. To be fair, the building itself is old & run-down.
Service:
We were the only patrons for most of our meal, and the small staff was friendly & accommodating.
Overall impressions:
Overall, the tastes weren't bad.
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
El Santo Coyote
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This Mexican restaurant/seafood grill was voted the Best of Miami 2010 for tacos. Located on Dixie Highway in Homestead.
What we had:
Tacos al Pastor & Tacos Carne Asada with rice & beans.
The tacos were true Mexican-style with fresh corn tortillas, cilantro & white onion, and they were fabulous. The beans were fresh and I could've eaten about 10 more tacos & a pint of beans. And wonder of all wonders, I even loved the rice. I hate Mexican rice.
Décor:
An interesting mish-mash of all things Mexican, from brightly-colored pottery on the table, to whole dining sections done up in aged wood and iron.
Service:
The day we went was short-staffed due to the Wings Over Homestead Air Show, so the service we received isn't necessarily indicative of the level of service generally provided. That said, we watched our waiter and the food runners frantically rush around to cover all the directions in which they were being torn. Our waiter was gracious and welcoming and, if not the best, at least in the top three waiters we've had in Miami.
Overall impressions:
This place looks like a Miccosukee Indian Reservation level tourist trap from the outside, with it's jumble of Mexican pottery and handicrafts. They're smart, too in placing the women's bathroom such that you walk through a room stacked with richly-painted terra cotta frogs and the like.
Ignore that. For the price, El Santo is tied with Ernestos in Cutler Bay for the best true Mexican-style tacos around. Talavera technically tastes better, but they are also twice the price and a gourmet operation.
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
Tacos al Pastor & Tacos Carne Asada with rice & beans.
The tacos were true Mexican-style with fresh corn tortillas, cilantro & white onion, and they were fabulous. The beans were fresh and I could've eaten about 10 more tacos & a pint of beans. And wonder of all wonders, I even loved the rice. I hate Mexican rice.
Décor:
An interesting mish-mash of all things Mexican, from brightly-colored pottery on the table, to whole dining sections done up in aged wood and iron.
Service:
The day we went was short-staffed due to the Wings Over Homestead Air Show, so the service we received isn't necessarily indicative of the level of service generally provided. That said, we watched our waiter and the food runners frantically rush around to cover all the directions in which they were being torn. Our waiter was gracious and welcoming and, if not the best, at least in the top three waiters we've had in Miami.
Overall impressions:
This place looks like a Miccosukee Indian Reservation level tourist trap from the outside, with it's jumble of Mexican pottery and handicrafts. They're smart, too in placing the women's bathroom such that you walk through a room stacked with richly-painted terra cotta frogs and the like.
Ignore that. For the price, El Santo is tied with Ernestos in Cutler Bay for the best true Mexican-style tacos around. Talavera technically tastes better, but they are also twice the price and a gourmet operation.
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
American Noodle Bar
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Long anticipated Asian-influenced gourmet noodle bar based out of a motel in the Upper East Side.
What we had:
I had a bowl of noodles with honey shallot sauce, 3-hr duck & mixed veggies. The sauce was very light--I only tasted the first bite or two, but the duck was amazing. The veggies were nice, if a bit sparse for my taste.
My DH had the bacon sauce with garlicky pork meatballs. The bacon sauce was smoky perfection that covered each noodle well. The meatballs were good, garlicky as advertised, and moist.
The jury is out as to whether the thick spaghetti-style noodles are fresh or not. They're good either way.
Décor:
Decor is cute--one long, low black table with little stools and a half bar against the wall. Black woods & chalkboard wall. Siracha on the table with tiny bonsai trees. Asian without being tacky. You also can't go wrong with Bruce Lee on the flat screen & The Beastie Boys on the radio.
Service:
Quick serve style with a friendly and efficient staff.
Overall impressions:
We will definitely go back many times for lunching search of the perfect sauce/topping mix.
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had a bowl of noodles with honey shallot sauce, 3-hr duck & mixed veggies. The sauce was very light--I only tasted the first bite or two, but the duck was amazing. The veggies were nice, if a bit sparse for my taste.
My DH had the bacon sauce with garlicky pork meatballs. The bacon sauce was smoky perfection that covered each noodle well. The meatballs were good, garlicky as advertised, and moist.
The jury is out as to whether the thick spaghetti-style noodles are fresh or not. They're good either way.
Décor:
Decor is cute--one long, low black table with little stools and a half bar against the wall. Black woods & chalkboard wall. Siracha on the table with tiny bonsai trees. Asian without being tacky. You also can't go wrong with Bruce Lee on the flat screen & The Beastie Boys on the radio.
Service:
Quick serve style with a friendly and efficient staff.
Overall impressions:
We will definitely go back many times for lunching search of the perfect sauce/topping mix.
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
La Bamba Spanish & Mexican Restaurant
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We happened to be in Lauderhill and decided to visit this place on a suggestion from Yelp. Yelp gives it a high orange rating, and the reviews were mainly glowing.
What we had:
The table chips were greasy and flat; the salsa was watery and fairly tasteless.
I had the shredded beef burrito with mushrooms and refried beans in a brown sauce and my DH had the chicken burrito with green sauce & cheese.
The meat was so-so, with the same seasoning used for both. My mushrooms were nearly non-existent, but I was starving so could have missed them. I wasn't stopping to savor. My DH said his wasn't terrible.
The beans were canned.
Décor:
Interesting richly-detailed dwirlt Mayan-esque paint accents with natural colors and adobe home arch shapes.
Service:
Quick.
Overall impressions:
Wtf is wrong with Yelp? Our first clue should have been the unexciting menu. Boring American Mexican (think Mexican restaurants in the midwest or in the South in the 90s; cheese and sauce-covered dishes with the same 3 ingredients configured multiple Taco Bell Menu ways) with "Spanish" dishes that have little to do with the Spanish cuisine I know. The menu also has a distinct lack of pork.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
The table chips were greasy and flat; the salsa was watery and fairly tasteless.
I had the shredded beef burrito with mushrooms and refried beans in a brown sauce and my DH had the chicken burrito with green sauce & cheese.
The meat was so-so, with the same seasoning used for both. My mushrooms were nearly non-existent, but I was starving so could have missed them. I wasn't stopping to savor. My DH said his wasn't terrible.
The beans were canned.
Décor:
Interesting richly-detailed dwirlt Mayan-esque paint accents with natural colors and adobe home arch shapes.
Service:
Quick.
Overall impressions:
Wtf is wrong with Yelp? Our first clue should have been the unexciting menu. Boring American Mexican (think Mexican restaurants in the midwest or in the South in the 90s; cheese and sauce-covered dishes with the same 3 ingredients configured multiple Taco Bell Menu ways) with "Spanish" dishes that have little to do with the Spanish cuisine I know. The menu also has a distinct lack of pork.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Mangos on Las Olas
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I think this place is some kind of holdover Fort Lauderdale standard. Every time we're on Las Olas, it seems to be fairly busy and I could picture Blanche Deveraux lunching here.
What we had:
I had the chipotle chicken sandwich--moist chicken, nice balance with crispy applewood smoked bacon, not terribly present charred onions, and a chipotle BBQ sauce that leant a nice tang but no chipotle taste at all. Good ciabatta bun. Smashed potatoes were nice but bland.
My DH had the burger-- perfect mid rare, nice quality beef, bun could have been beefier.
Décor:
I don't think it has been redecorated since the early 90s. We ate in some sort of sunny lenai, which is an improvement over the cave-like interior seating area. The place looked on first glance like it was going to smell of mildew, but thankfully did not.
Service:
The food took forever to come out and our server needed a helmet.
Overall impressions:
Odd pricing structure, with sandwiches only about a dollar cheaper than entrees. Surprising lack of mango on the menu. Menu needs copy re-vamping. You'd think the tea would be tropical.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders, mostly for the service
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had the chipotle chicken sandwich--moist chicken, nice balance with crispy applewood smoked bacon, not terribly present charred onions, and a chipotle BBQ sauce that leant a nice tang but no chipotle taste at all. Good ciabatta bun. Smashed potatoes were nice but bland.
My DH had the burger-- perfect mid rare, nice quality beef, bun could have been beefier.
Décor:
I don't think it has been redecorated since the early 90s. We ate in some sort of sunny lenai, which is an improvement over the cave-like interior seating area. The place looked on first glance like it was going to smell of mildew, but thankfully did not.
Service:
The food took forever to come out and our server needed a helmet.
Overall impressions:
Odd pricing structure, with sandwiches only about a dollar cheaper than entrees. Surprising lack of mango on the menu. Menu needs copy re-vamping. You'd think the tea would be tropical.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders, mostly for the service
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Boteco
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Brazilian steak & other food joint/ex-pat hangout.
What we had:
Chix croquettes w catupiry cheese--nice but rich toward the last bite. Our favorite of the meal.
Mixed basket of fried turnovers-shrimp--very shrimpy (which I loved, but my DH not so much) and on the dry side, ground beef with an olive--ok, and cheese--can't remember the name, but it was light in taste and creamy.
Chopped filet & fries--the fries were pretty great. The meat wasn't bad. Could use some seasoning, but not bad.
Overall, the meal wasn't bad, but it needed seasoning.
Décor:
Very open. The bar area is open to the outdoor seating area. Total shade, with a nice amount of fan breeze. Very comfy.
Service:
Decent.
Overall impressions:
If you're from South America, this would be a great hangout. We saw families getting together, mingling after meals and greeting friends as they walked in. As outsiders, we felt welcomed into the relaxed atmosphere and were even greeted with the offer of a shared French fry by the toddler many tables were fawning over. To their credit, he was freakin adorable and a happy little sparkly personality.
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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