305 HIVE’S BEST OF THE BEST SERIES
305 Hive took to the streets in search of the best tacos in Miami. We called it our Taco Tuesday Tour of Miami. We went to seven taco places in one day. Yes, you read that right, seven in one day! We hired a driver and hit the road! Our day began at 10 A.M. and ended at 10 P.M. Here is what we discovered.
Here we are fresh-faced and excited for what’s in store! We were armed with our schedule and our rating cards. We had our sign and costumes in the back along with a cooler. The Hunger Bees left the Coconut Grove area at 10:00 and headed to Homestead.
Our first stop was Rosita’s in Florida City. At Rosita’s we found an authentic experience and friendly service. The restaurant is unassuming but quaint. Our waitress Mimi was charming and glad to offer suggestions.
First, order a Michelada (nicknamed the Mexican Bloody Mary). Then, get an order of queso, which we found to be simple and delicious. They brought us chips and salsa which were fresh and refreshing. For your main course, a combo of beef tacos and chicken tacos is a must. We also tried the enchiladas, as they are known for those and they didn’t disappoint. Rosita’s is traditional Mexican food, so the portions are hearty, in a no-frills location, yet cozy, location. Nothing on the menu is over $13 so you won’t break the bank here. If you want an adventure and an authentic experience head to Rositas! Tip: the tortillas are made fresh in house, so take some to go and store them in your freezer for when you make your own tacos at home.
The Hungry Bees suggest: Michelada, queso, chicken tacos and beef tacos
Next stop, we headed to Tacos & Tattoos in West Kendall. Here we found a great vibe and experienced extremely friendly service.
This is Mexican food with a twist. Start with the Mama’s queso dip, it’s got beans and ground beef and the chips were nice and crispy. The watermelon margarita was so good that it didn’t matter that it was made with a tequila substitute. It is hard to go wrong here, so we suggest the 222 platter so that you get to try a bit of everything. We tried the jerk chicken tacos, the carnitas tostones, and the quesadillas. We didn’t see it on the menu but our quesadillas came with sweet maduros (plantains), who knew that would be such a delicious combination! For a lighter option, Tacos & Tattoos provides a lettuce wrap option, which we tried, they were awesome! This restaurant had the most exotic options such as jerk chicken, ginger soy tofu, and pork belly. They make their own salsas in house and if you like it spicy they have a salsa with a real kick! We hear the Patacon (a fried green plantain with the toppings of your choice) is a must but we will have to save that for another visit. There were so many things that we wanted to try so we will be back! Be sure to check out the hip art on the walls as some of it is for sale. They had a nice little lounge area where we wanted to stay all day but alas we had more tacos to try! Choose Tacos & Tattoos for a fun, family-friendly vibe, great food, and good service.
The Hungry Bees suggest: Watermelon margarita, queso, 222 platter.
For our third stop, we headed to Wynwood’s Caja Caliente, home of the original Cuban taco. The Wynwood location is an adorable food truck set in a quaint courtyard. This offers cute photo ops and is a fun place to gather, especially in nice weather.
At Caja Caliente try the lechon tacos or the mahi mahi tacos. The vaca frita taco is also amazing and here you can even get a tuna poke taco. They are also known for their Lupita’s Pan Con Lechon, it looked delicious but hey this is a Taco Tour so we have to save that one to try another time. There is definitely a lot of love put into the decor and in to making this courtyard totally adorable. This is a great place for a quick bite and to enjoy an outdoor experience. They also have a location in the Gables that opened earlier this year, that one is more of a traditional restaurant and offers an expanded menu including gator tacos.
The Hungry Bees suggest: Lechon Tacos
Next, we headed to El Santo Taqueria on Calle Ocho. It is notable that at 3:30 the restaurant was still buzzing!
We tried queso dip, the tacos al pastor, the carne asada tacos, and the short rib tacos. By now you must be saying to yourself “how are they still standing”? but we pushed through. The queso was delicious and we enjoyed twirling our fresh chips to catch the melted cheese. The short rib taco is a must, we just couldn’t get enough of it! They have a toppings bar (made out of the front of an old truck) where you can add all your own fixings. Try the salsa, it is delicious. We loved the ambiance and the décor. The waitresses wear cute prison uniforms and the bathrooms are confessionals. If you want to make a whole experience out of it you can start at the domino park next door, have some yummy tacos, and then head across the street to Azucar for their famous Abuela Maria ice cream.
The Hungry Bees suggest: queso, short rib tacos
Not far from El Santo is Mi Rinconcito Mexicano. So if you are looking to try more than one place and want to create your own mini taco tour you can start on 8th street and work your way in to the Gables. Mi Rinconcito is an authentic Mexican experience and the staff was very hospitable. It is a casual place with simple Mexican decor.
We tried the chicken tacos, beef tacos, and the tacos al pastor. They were all very simple but great and the tacos al pastor was our favorite. The chips are good and the salsa has a nice kick to it. The enchilada suiza looked on point but since this was a taco tour we will have to try that another time. This is a great place to take the family and they have Panaderia inside where you can get fresh bread and delicious desserts.
The Hungry Bees suggest: tacos al pastor
Our 6th stop, yes 6th, was Coyo Taco. They have a few locations but we chose the one in the Gables on Giralda’s restaurant row. There are tables outside in the courtyard, which we would recommend in nice weather.
Maybe because it was dinner time but we were actually feeling a little hungry. ha ha. While we waited for our food we took a little adventure through the employees only back door. What awaits you is a speakeasy with music and awesome drinks. We recommend the margaritas, they come with regular salt or with the traditional sal de gusano! The guacamole was on point! Chunky and fresh, just like we like it. The tacos al pastor are popular but we ordered the chicken tacos, cochinta pibil tacos, carne asada tacos, and fish tacos. We added tomatillo sauce to our chicken taco and that took it over the top. Everything we tried was delicious but what we actually ordered seconds of were the fish tacos. They are modelo beer battered florida grouper, roasted jalapeño aioli, and avocado. They were the bees knees! They also have duck tacos and beef tongue if you want to try something a little different. This place was a blast, the food was delicious and with that speakeasy in the back, it makes for a great night out.
The Hungry Bees suggest: Margarita with sal de gusano, guacamole, fish tacos
Our 7th and final stop was unplanned and by this point and somehow by then we gained a few fun followers. Our group headed over to El Taquito, they have three locations but we choose the one in Coconut Grove. This is Mexican fast food at its finest. This place is good for a quick bite and it is a great late-night stop as on weekends they are open until 3 am. There are only a few counter stools here so this is definitely a grab and go kinda place.
We tried the beef tacos and the chicken tacos and we have to say that both were really tasty. The guys behind the counter were nice and the patrons we ran in to were regulars. With great prices, quick service, and tasty tacos we couldn’t count out El Taquito.
The Hungry Bees suggest: chicken tacos and beef tacos
We found that each place had a little something special but most of all we enjoyed being together and the adventure of it all. It was truly a fun experience and we didn’t want it to end. We are buzzing around waiting to see where our next adventure will take us!
