So it's late in the evening and I was craving something delicious, fresh, and healthy. I didn't want to eat alone so I texted my endearing friend, since I find her company pleasing and delightful. I had a good meal here a couple of months before so I thought it would be a nice place to share with her. FOOD: -My beautiful friend ordered A Grilled Salmon with a side of salad and sweet plantains (maduro) -I ordered a natural fresh squeezed Orange Juice, Small Fish Ceviche and a Tuna Wasabi dish with a side of Salad and Sweet Plantains. We also had a Glass of Sangria and for desert a delicious Chocolate Volcano with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. ATMOSPHERE: Parking was easy and we got our table right away without waiting. As we waited for our meal a family across from us were celebrating a birthday with a Cuban style Salsa song playing for all of us to sign along with them. The ambiance for good Conversation was great and the decor was like a fisherman's wharf. SERVICE: I am a foodie and the service here I would have to say, next to the Delicious meal the Waitress was very Attentive, Cordial, and as she waited other tables she made sure we were taken care of the right way. HIGHLIGHTS: -Well, besides the great company I had I would have to say it was the Delicious Chocolate Volcano oozing more warm, soft, mouth watering darker chocolate from in it. -The great service from "LORENA" our waitress. She gave us great suggestions and her demeanor was very welcoming. I have to say that tipping her was satisfying because she kept a smile and she checked on us the whole night. Service like hers are what makes a meal memorable. RATING: 4 STARS only because the Staff of 6 should of came to the birthday table and sang along. I only saw LORENA celebrating as the birthday song played. Overall I will visit again read more

Cayo Esquivel - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

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I have been coming to this restaurant for years and I recommend them. The food is exquisite, fresh, with a lot of flavor. If you want to eat the best seafood come here. Marinero soups are really good. Also I like the arroz con mariscos and the ceviches. Try the chocolate bourbon, one of the best desserts I've tried. read more

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Very mediocre ceviche. I ordered the one with Leche de Tigre to go and it was conspicuously absent. That was disappointing, as was the blah-ness of the ceviche. It said mixed seafood, but contained no fish, as you'd expect. The mussels were boring, underseasoned and served without bread, contrary to what one would expect. The sauce was too sweet and tomato-ee, blandly seasoned and unremarkable. I will not be returning. There are many other seafood places that serve better tasting seafood. read more

Themis Mahi sandwich was delicious, next time you visit please order this you will not be disappointed at all, customer service was top class as usual! read more

Cayo Esquivel - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

This is my second visit here and I must admit it was not as pleasant as the first. Maybe it was an off night but it was just a little fishy tonight... my carpaccio the first night was stupendous which was last week and you can see the significant change in pink color. The avocado salad is delicious and cod critters are also very nice! On my first visit the prices seemed very reasonable but my bill this time was slightly higher than menu prices. The oysters were not very good at all thick and when removing from shell would leave a grey film, not happy. The octopus was a bit rubbery but taste was nice. Then we ordered the seafood pasta. Smallest lobster tail ever! It's not worth the $20 in my opinion. The shrimp was a combination of salad and regular. Idk kind of lost my liking of the place but again maybe it was a bad night.:: mahi Marsala last week was on point! read more

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Best value for fresh seafood. Nice portions well executed. Good service and family ambiance. If you want fresh good seafood without the fluff, this is the place to come read more

Same as what others are saying about slow service and mediocre food. I ordered the grilled octopus appetizer which came out soggy and anything but grilled. It was flavorless and drowned in olive oil. The mahi sandwich I ordered came out raw. When I pointed it out to the server, she asked if I would like it cooked? Asked them to take both items off the bill and left hungry. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Raw Mahi sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Our server told us to "leave her more tip because it was embarrassing not to leave as much" , even though we told her we would tip in cash , and she didn't know we would leave her even more than suggested. she came up to Us saying that the bill had been split and the amount of tip is not what was suggested. I have never heard of such a thing of asking for tips ????? We did have enough to tip , but what if it would've been someone without enough to tip taking their father to lunch for Father's Day , is it okay to embarrass them like that ??? Worst experience we've ever had, and On Father's Day on top of that... read more

I liked this place for many reasons: Nice service, our waiter was very attentive. Excellent decoration, I felt like inside a boat. It reminded me the restaurants in the keys. I loved it. The food was made fresh and we had: As he house white bread with home made garlic butter. - Conch fritters, delicious with great flavor - Tuna Tartare, surprisingly accompanied with pita chips. The tuna's color was beautiful as you can see in my picture. The flavor was on point with a hint of spicy sauce. I liked it very much! - Fried Hog Fish, it was scrumptious. Hot even after 7 minutes eating it. White fish meat inside, crunchy on the outside, cooked as I requested with out salt and accompanied with the house side salad. Thanks to Yelp I got a free wine glass with my check in. They also have 7% cash back offer in here too. Thank you for a wonderful meal on a Saturday night! Me gustó este lugar por muchas razones: Buen servicio, nuestra mesonera era muy atenta. Excelente decoración, me sentí como dentro de un barco. Me recordó los restaurantes en los Cayos. Me encantó. La comida estuvo muy fresca y comimos: - El pan blanco decon mantequilla casera de ajo. - Buñuelos de Concha, deliciosos con gran sabor - Tartar de atún, sorprendentemente acompañado con pita chips. El color de la tuna era hermoso como se puede ver en mi foto. El sabor estaba en punto con un toque de salsa picante. Me gusto mucho! - Fried Hog Fish, estaba delicioso. Caliente incluso después de 7 minutos comiendo. Carne de pescado blanco por dentro, crujiente por fuera, cocinado como pedí sin sal y acompañado con la ensalada de la casa. Gracias a Yelp me dieron una copa de vino gratis con mi registro. También tienen 7% oferta de dinero en efectivo aquí también. Gracias por una comida maravillosa este Sábado por la noche! read more

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Great place, great food, great service! We had great family time at Cayo Esquivel, our server Lisandra made us feel like at home! read more

I like this place quite a bit but if I had to choose one word to describe it that word would be uneven. The atmosphere is petty cool with old boards on the wall. A corrugated tin roof, tvs and nice big bar. The service is always spotty and a bit slow and the food can be great or ok depending in what you order. Today for appetizers we ordered the dozen oysters. They were obviously frozen and lacking in flavor. Not great and after getting fresh oysters in New Orleans for $16 that were way better than these the $19 seems like a rip off. The fish eggs took a while to arrive but are always really good. They are the main reason I come here since not many places serve them. My wife had the fried whole snapper. That is always excellent. It's a fresh snapper deep fried so it's crispy on the outside and flaky white fish inside. I had the grouper Chardonnay which was just blah. No flavor at all. So as usual one great appetizer and entry one of each not so much. read more

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Pleasantly surprised. Very cute seafood decor, makes you feel like you're on a pier. Food was great. Only comes with one side dish but comes garnished with a tasty salad I've never tried anywhere else. Fish and shrimp were fresh. And the mud pie dessert was TO DIE FOR. Plus, you get yelp cashback at this place! Hellooooo savings! read more

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Excelente Servicio, Bien Agradable Lugar y la Comida Exquisita. . Lo recomiendo para Toda la Familia. Gracias

I have been coming here for years, i keep loving the fried platter even though every time i go prices go up as well lol

I've been wanting to try this place for years. Finally, on a Sunday afternoon I got my wish. The ambience is okish, dark wood everywhere and not too shabby. Service was just ok, not great. I was not too happy that they don't have a bar and the Pinot Grigio we got tasted like vinegar, yuk. Food was meh. We ordered the volcano ceviche which at 25 bucks was a disappointment. Consisted of 3 small plates: one with only shrimp (the pink sauce was good), another with fish (it was tasty but the fish was in strips not chunks and there were too few), the 3rd was a mix of shrimp, scallops and onions, and although tasty, most of it consisted of tiny over cooked shrimp). We also got another 25+ appetizer with 4 fish croquetas, 4 bacalao balls, a few random calamari, and 4 empanada halves. Overpriced and over cooked. My main meal was the grilled seafood platter which was almost a mirror image of the appetizer except that I got 2 tiny fish pieces that were so over cooked they were not edible. So, unfortunately, I was not happy with the appetizers or main meal. Desert was pretty good: chocolate bourbon and flan were tasty. So, bottom line? I don't think I'll return. Not sure what was going on in the kitchen to over cook seafood so badly. And I do not recommend the ceviche here at all. read more

We have been coming here for years and after a while of not coming by we decided to celebrate Mother's Day early here. It was a great disappointment to say the least. We waited over an hour to receive our food, but still had to wait even longer for ONE last plate to come out. The waitress was not attentive at all. She would disappear for long periods of time and we even had to ask her to remove the used plates and food from the table after it was sitting there for half an hour. The food was mediocre at best. Will not be coming back. read more

Eating here was an absolute pleasure. The food was presented well with generous portions. The service was great and our waitress Shelley was patient and kind and very attentive with our table. The ambiance was also very pleasant, overall I would recommend coming here and look forward to coming here again in the near future! read more

If I could give this place no stars I would WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!!! They pick up hang up don't want to work. I have called over 18 times to place an order for pick up the guy "Ivaldo" screams and says there's only 2 people working!! That doesn't excuse why you need to hang up on people and not answer the phone. I asked to speak to a supervisor and they say he's "busy". Son unas personas groseras, vagas y sin ningún tipo de servicio al cliente. Personalmente me daria pena que representen mi negocio. read more

Cayo Esquivel - HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!! - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Worst food poisoning ever . To be a seafood restaurant, the food tasted frozen. The attention was horrible, we have to be looking for the waiter for water read more

My parents and I enjoyed a delicious meal together yesterday evening. Delicious, fresh, seafood for us all. Friendly, informed, waitress helped my mom choose the fresh local catch: red snapper it was. Outstanding experience. Definitely coming back again soon. read more

Me and my wife woke up wanting to go out and eat some Great Sea Food we though of Cayo Esquivel due to everything one wants when going out to eat pleasant place great service great food with price to accommodate Thank you for being there. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Frituras de bacalao y sopa de cherna - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Under the sea Under the sea Nobody beat us Fry us and eat us In fricassee We what the land folks loves to cook.... I loved The Little Mermaid, and that song was popping in between my ears as I was watching the plates of fried fish, cod and conch fritters, shrimp cocktails, and oysters on the half shell parade right by my eyes. I could have ordered it all! With a menu of 8 pages you will have plenty to choose from. The most popular entrees are whole fried snapper and grouper steaks or "ruedas". Served with two sides, the fish entrees are healthy portions and may leave you with leftovers. The rices are next in popularity. You can order the regular "Arroz con Mariscos" or the "Especial" What's the difference? Lobster and more seafood in the "Especial"! (it's only a couple of dollars more, so a better bargain) If you order the fritters or "frituras" you better be prepared for large portions. Cod or "Bacalao" and Conch or "Cobo" are the two best ones on the menu. I would recommend you keep the order small, say three or four or two of each. These fritters are huge and can easily fill you up. Deserts are delicious and your options run from Flan to Chocolate Mousse Cake with Whipped Cream! If you're not too picky about the wine, the house carries some decent red and white table wine. I recommend you stick with beer or soda. But hey, that's my preference here. The weekends are their busiest times, so call ahead and make a reservation if you can. Large parties are welcome, but will experience a longer wait for a table. If you're not too picky, the bar is always an option for couples and single people. When you walk in you'll be greeted by a Pirate, which brings me to my other Disney movie song.... We kindle and char, inflame and ignite Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho We burn up the city, we're really a fright Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me Tip: If you check in with Yelp, you'll get a coupon redeemable for a free glass of wine or beer.. read more

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A classic Miami spot, fresh and delicious seafood. Fish fillets are available to choose, grilled, pan fry, blackened you choose the way, and adding sauces is optional but recommended my favorite is almond and buttery sauce, also the tangy Lemon worth a try. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Grilled Covina with almond sauce on the side - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Took my parents to this place for the first time to eat some seafood. Ordered some conch fritters. A whole fried snapper and a chipotle sautéed, calamari in rice and garlic shrimp. So far so good. Service is great. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Bar area of the restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Pedí sentarme a comer en las mesas que están pegadas a la pared y los camareros que están trabajando este día Domingo 12 de febrero me dijeron que no porque éramos dos personas y la mesa es de 4 . Pero estábamos sentados en una de 4 también en el medio del restaurante y no me sentía bien ahí y mi esposo y yo somos clientes del restaurante que vamos a almorzar casi todos los fines de semana y nunca nos había pasado eso .yo hubiera entendido esa razón si hubiera habido más personas esperando pero habían unas cuantas mesas vacías y yo soy clienta de años por lo que me parece que fue un mal servicio de ellos.Eso no fue justo. read more

I enjoyed the Corvina with garlic and parmesan cheese topping yesterday for lunch. The marine theme is well expressed in the decor and cuisine. This corvina had a light coconut breaded topping with lime and butter. Delicious, light and healthy, it was a perfect lunch on the run. Service was good. Ambience was a bit quiet as there was only one other client in the entire restaurant for lunch. Good news, no waiting for a table and the food arrived quickly. I wish I could take Kareen O. there to get her feedback. She offers keen insights, being an excellent chef herself. But seafood lovers will enjoy this place. Ample parking, immediately accessible from Hwy 826. I highly recommend this restaurant and will return. Very reasonably priced too! read more

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Food was delicious. La parrillada de mariscos was fresh and very generous portions. Topped it with the coconut flan which was delicious as well. Service was excellent. read more

This Restaurant reminds me of my childhood, where our trips to a restaurant were to either a Cuban or Spanish spot. That being said, I'm not a fan of the fritters, but the rest of the items I've tried have been tasty. I love the garlic butter(although they should toast the bread, the oysters and shrimp cocktail have been on point, and I love the almond sauce on pretty much any fish. The only real downside is that as many have mentioned, service is shockingly bad. It is typical to see 5-8 employees standing around chatting while you're waiting for a menu, only to be told to wait for your designated server if you make a request. I'll give it 4 stars anyway since I've been lucky most times read more

After a few visits to Cayo Esquivel we are saying goodbye to this restaurant. The restaurant is very duty, the service is very bad, one of the waitress was cleaning a chair with the cleaning floor brush in front of us. You can see in the picture how duty the tray for the salt and oil are. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

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It's so interesting reading the reviews and wondering what others have experienced. We went for lunch on a very rainy Sunday. We were greeted and seated quickly. I thought the place was very cute, rustic, looking like an old fish camp. The menu is pretty extensive, though I'd looked at it on-line before we went. I ordered the sopon marisco. My husband had the snapper filet with shrimp. We were both very satisfied with our meals. The service was very attentive, helpful and friendly. When next in South Miami we'll give it another try. read more

I was looking forward to having a yummy whole fried hog snapper. After waiting.a long 30 minutes, I got an inedible overcooked fish. I might as well have been eating cardboard. So disappointed. What a waste of a fish. read more

I am a very picky eater... if the quality of the food isn't good, you can bet your ass I'm going to let the world know and never return. This is NOT the case with Cayo Esquivel. The seafood is always fresh and so deliciously prepared. The service is amazing... my glass was never empty and the waiter passed by our table several times to make sure everything was good. I highly suggest ordering a pitcher of the sangria... it's equal parts tasty and intoxicating! Also highly recommend the fish croquettes, the cod fritters and the stuffed tostones... omg and the crab cakes have so much crab... not like those places that make them 80% breading. These are so yummy! The atmosphere is chill and the place is very clean. Definitely recommend this place and coming back very soon!! read more

Cayo Esquivel - I love this place!!! - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

If any of you yelpers haven't been, Cayo Esquivel is a must go for seafood. We ordered the tostones relleno de camarones and it was amazing! This is our third time here and we haven't had a bad experience yet. Great food, great service! This is part of our monthly rotation for sure. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

We went for dinner and I had the best Seafood Bisque in town, an the Pan con Minuta was fresh and delish. Fast service,

This was my second time here and the last one. The waitress had an unfriendly aptitude, I ordered Fried Fish and let her know that I'm allergic to Shellfish, and she said that everything in there is fried in the same place, that it will depend on HOW ALLERGIC I AM. This makes no sense, I eat out several times a week and no place have ever refuse to cook my dish in a shellfish free zone. We left the place and ate at Casa Paco! read more

I've driven by this place many many times and always caught my attention because of the name "cayo Esquivel" which used to be a little tourist retreat not far away from this little fsherman town in Cuba many many years ago (which is where I'm from) but I never actually stopped in.That is why you'll notice the decor of the place is this "old/sea water damaged" look on the outside. & the inside it's very typical of the town, all fisherman, rustic, handmade stuff. (the other location in hialeah is diff but i've never been to that one) The other day my parents & I were in Miami and they were in the mood for some seafood & they know that the place is family owned & operated by some old friends from the town, so we decided to go & a check it out & maybe we get to see some old neighbors :-) well we got there, around 4pm or so about 3 people in the restaurant(customers), it was a weekday & rush hour! well we sat down had some drinks, my dad & i had a beer & my mom pink wine. I ordered some oisters to beging with & my dad ordered some "hueva frita", the oiseters were good but the huevas were bad I didnt try them myself but my husband said they were too salty. For dinner we had the lobster in a creol sauce with rice & beans & maduros. The lobster was DELICIOUS, just the way I liked it the "cuban way" with lots of sauce to spread all over your rice & beans...umm yum!! the beans however as told by my husband, "mine are better". he said they lacked on flavor. to me they were ine, maybe just a tad more flavor wouldve been great, but I'm a bean lover & I didnt find anything wrong with them specially with the lobster sauce all over them.... oh btw we all had the same plate! Lobster tail cut in a creole sauce. we didnt try any dessert, we were so full but i'm sure a little freshly brewed cuban coffee would've been great at the time! The wait on the food was average, the service was great (maybe because we kinda knew the owner & the manager is my moms cousin). The only thing is bring your spanish/english dictionary because everyone that works there is spanish & i really dont know if they speak any english...but you are in MIAMI, so just make it part of the experience and you'll have a great time! Oh & the bill wasnt so bad... $150 for 3 people, about 6 beers, 3 glasses of wine, 2 appetizers & 2 meals & tip! cant beat it! not even red lobster can give you such great sea food, big portions at such a low price..... will definetly be going back!!!!!! read more

Cayo Esquivel - @ Cayo Esquivel having some oisters & brews with the fam. - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

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Very nice staff. Waitress name shelly She is Super nice and very good attention. Great food great service. Well recommended

Great food, great service and reasonable prices. My husband likes fried fish but he likes it fresh & never overcooked. Bingo! Large, fresh, tasty & fried to perfection. Everything else was just as good. Will definitely go back!!! read more

Fresh fish at very good prices. I specially like their snapper sandwhich. If you like whole fried fish you can't go wrong here.

Such Wonderful tasty food and service was great. We had the seafood grilled platter that feeds 2. Ceviche was in a tall lime filled glass. Breads were so warm and buttery. The location was close to my home but so many shoppers and folks attending Santa Enchanted Forest .. well, someone chose to break into my car. It was scary when I walked out and saw my car with an open door right in front of entrance. I had left no gifts in my car from the nearby Target store. Watch out! read more