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


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