Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    El Novillo Restaurant

    3.6 (357 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    El Novillo Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    EL NOVILLO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - El Novillo Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Outdoor seating
    Debbie N.

    We went to celebrate my hubby's birthday. I picked somewhere close to our hotel. We loved every bite!! We sat on the patio and it was lovely. We ordered drinks-Cadillac margarita and a modelo. We ordered the sampler platter of appetizers-plantain chips, tacos, cheese, ribs, sausage and beans. Then we ordered the churasco steak and the fried whole fish. As stated earlier every morsel was delicious!! Then we ordered chocolate cake and a coffee. The cake we both said is exactly what you want when you order chocolate cake. It was moist, had a layer or pudding (we think) great frosting, and chips. If we lived closer this would be a regular place. It was busy, people coming in constantly, and just yummy!!!

    Baby chimichurri steak meal
    Julie M.

    First off I just want to say that I was skeptical at first because I was in the mindset of Miami looks and "what's trending" but when my boyfriend told me this was a an authentic Nicaraguan restaurant I was ready to try it. He was born and raised here, but being that he lives in California now and I am a California native he wanted me to see authentic local cuisine. As we walked up, there was a cute little outdoor seating area. However, I wanted to sit inside so inside and the decor was very vibrant, and had a Central American vibe. From start to finish the service was amazing. They greeted us and smiled. They walked us to our table and sat down in a nice quiet booth. We passed by the corner. We noticed a man singing live inside, which gave it a pleasant ambiance. Our server came over and he was very friendly. We knew what we wanted to order right away. We ordered one chicken chimichurri and steak chimichurri. We sat maybe for about 10 minutes and then our server came out with our food. it was a good amount and so cool as they come with a tray that has rice and beans with planting chips! And what's the kicker here is you can have refills! The food was bursting with so many flavors. It was cooked perfectly. My steak and chicken had grill marks and the chimichurri sauce tasted so good. We were so delighted. I had so much food I was able to take my food with me back to our hotel. Afterwards, we were so excited so we both agreed to order two Café con leche and a tres Leche cake! Café con Leche came out with the Tres leches and let me tell you it was amazing bursting sweetness in your mouth. The tri leches was cooked to perfection with the amount of sauce. It was an overbearing. My boyfriend raved about this place and now I see why he loves it and every single time he comes to visit he stops by El Novillo! This definitely will be our go to restaurant when we come to Miami to visit family. we highly recommend it. We give it five stars. Everything was amazing. So when you are visiting Miami, do not forget to stop by Miami Springs and eat at El Novillos.

    Maria B.

    We find this lovely Nicaraguan restaurant in the Miami Lakes area, the venue has a beautiful colonial architecture . Upon we arrived we received water and bread, unfortunately the bread was hard as a rock but we ended up getting fresh bread after our waiter came to check on us. Hoping our experience turned better we ordered the Nicatizer Sampler this was served with fried cheese, black beans, sausage, meat and a cabbage/carrot salad. The beans and the cheese was delicious and the meat was very tender. As for main entrance I ordered the Novello churrasco, and this dish takes all the stars of my review, the meat was phenomenal, perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. I enjoyed every piece of my entree. My dish came with gallo pinto (rice and beans), plantain chips, house side salad and chimichurri sauce. They served the amount you desire so that was a big plus. As for the service, all the staff were very attentive and accommodating. There was a lot of parking available and we were able to get a table with very little waiting time. This is a restaurant that I will gladly like to turn and recommend if you enjoy a delightful churrasco!

    Baby churrasco, gallo pinto, platano maduro and mariquitas
    Victoria O.

    It had been years since I ate at El Novillo and so happy I decided to stop in for a late dinner. The staff was very welcoming and sat us immediately. The servers were quick and diligent and made sure to serve us delicious bread as we were starving ! The food came out in great timing, was cooked perfectly and was absolutely delicious. The restaurant was closing but the servers made sure we had everything we needed and offered us coffee along with our yummy tres leches dessert. Perfect meal with great service = a new go to neighborhood restaurant for any time of day!

    Honestly Y.

    Sadly, the food at this restaurant has drastically gone downhill. We have been coming to this restaurant for almost 30 years, but the significant decline in the last year or so is too hard to ignore at this point. This evening, the baby churassco was the slimmest, smallest piece of meat, and it was dried up and tasted awful. We have never complained before this evening, and pointed it out to the waitress who just laughed and said that is how it should be - and then laughed and when about her business. The manager was summoned over, and he proceeded to say that's how it should look, a small dried up piece of meat they charge almost $30 for - and then he laughed and walked away and didn't even try to make it right. He walked by a couple times, and this old smug man saw the steak was still off to the side untouched and he had a smile or enjoyment about it as if he thought it was humorous. When the waitress came back she saw the steak was essentially untouched and when told the steak was completely dried out and disgusting she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders and asked if we wanted desert. As a side note, the restaurant was quite empty even though it was still dinner time. We have had other less than perfect meals there in the last year or so, but this was by far the absolute worst experience and the only time we lodged any complaint. It was only out of a matter of orinciple but they had no class much less any interest in making it right. I have replaced my old review which has been rendered irrelevant and meaningless. El Novillo has become a complete joke and a disgrace to its former self. No more lunches, dinners, or yearly Christmas parties will ever take place here with me present. Look who is laughing now

    churrasco

    All things considered El Novillo is not only peak but my favorite restaurant. The appetizer platter is delicious and enough to feed families for generations. I've gotten the Churrasco with chimichurri at least once every single year since I was 5 years old and it has never disappointed. The inside is beautiful and super vibrant and service is always friendly and quick. Thank you El goat Novillo for making steak my favorite food

    See all

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 1
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Elayne D.
    29
    140
    217

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ana S.
    0
    32
    0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Love this place. Food is amazing. Family oriented. Spanish vibes inside . Service was excellent . Friendly

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Comida y servicio muy bueno ,un ambiente tranquilo excelente para poder compartir en familia

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sean S.
    0
    10
    14

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Sadly, not like it used to be. Food is ok and service could be better for the price you're paying.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ashley M.
    266
    75
    5

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Been going here since i was a kid. Portions are amazing and food tastes great. Service is good.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 9

    El Novillo Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Novillo Restaurant

    Ustedes hacen reservaciones?

    Call the restaurant for reservations.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Francisca Charcoal Chicken & Meats

    Francisca Charcoal Chicken & Meats

    4.2
    (151 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    7 years in business
    Happy hour specials

    First time trying Francisca's and it was delicious, fresh, and everything we tried was phenomenal…read morein flavors. The staff was accommodating and friendly helping us with all our needs. We were a group of ten and all the food came out pretty quickly. My favorite dish was their whole chicken with boiled yuca! Just wow the yuca was super smooth and they put a green sauce which was delicious and the way they cook the chicken they put a special marinade and it's perfection. The ambience feels bold and modern with some Venezuelan/Colombia flare. Highly recommend to anyone to check them out!

    We had such a wonderful experience here. The food was absolutely delicious and full of authentic…read moreVenezuelan flavor. Every dish tasted fresh, homemade, and beautifully prepared. It's the kind of place where you can tell a lot of heart goes into the cooking. What made the evening even more special was our server, Crisel. She was incredibly kind, attentive, and welcoming from the moment we arrived. She took the time to explain the dishes, made great recommendations, and checked in on us just the right amount. Her warmth and professionalism really elevated the entire experience. Great food, great service, and such a lovely atmosphere. We'll definitely be coming back and will happily recommend this spot to friends and family.

    Photos
    Learn more at https://franciscarestaurant.com/miami-lakes/
    Learn more at https://franciscarestaurant.com/miami-lakes/
    Learn more at https://franciscarestaurant.com/miami-lakes/
    Learn more at https://franciscarestaurant.com/miami-lakes/
    Francisca Charcoal Chicken & Meats

    See all

    Latin House American

    Latin House American

    3.7
    (62 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $

    My experience here has been only through Uber Eats, whether ordering lunch for work or sending a…read morecare package of malanga puree to a very dear friend when she was indisposed. However, from both experiences, this is a solid spot when you're craving Cuban comfort food. My most recent order was lunch for myself today. I have a Fitness challenge coming up at OTF I need to bulk up more than my usual salad and chopchops. I ordered their pollo à la plancha (grilled chicken), moros rice and tostones. My order was a pretty good size came delivered at a good temperature. I will say the order was mostly rice, but the grilled chicken breast was bad enough and had a nicely tangy citrus marinade plus lots of little onions. This is a spot you can't go wrong with for the classics!

    When I'm feeling under the weather my gentleman friend sends a meal from Latin House!…read moreHe knows my love for a good purée de Malanga when I'm feeling ill. ( The pure de Malanga comes in a large container (see pics) It's nice and creamy and warm soothing for the belly! There is enough to share or save for a later meal. ( But...I've also been guilt to eat all in serving!) some saltine crackers go great with it. This last time he added some white rice, grilled chicken and 2 huge tostones. ( shareable portion) As well I finished the grilled chicken and 1 tostone between lunch and dinner) opted to leave the rice and 1 tostone by out this time. On other occasions I have eaten the white rice and let me tell you it's moist... even my daughter ( whom is a picky teenager...that loves Cuban food) said " that's some good rice!" The grilled chicken is savory seasoned but not overly. It's like nice juicy flavor but not too over powering. The meal is was perfect to share or split in between two meals or even just indulge it all in one searing! You will be satisfied for hours and for good reason too! .

    Photos
    Purée de Malanga
    Purée de Malanga
    Latin House American
    Latin House American

    See all

    Bocas Grill Miami Gardens

    Bocas Grill Miami Gardens

    4.8
    (9 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    My boyfriend and I stopped by Bocas Grill Miami Gardens for lunch, and it definitely delivered on…read moreboth flavor and portions. We ordered the Fritanga Bowl and the Grilled Chicken Bowl, and both were honestly so satisfying. The Grilled Chicken Bowl is loaded with grilled chicken breast, chorizo, white rice, sweet plantains with llanero cheese, a fried egg, fresh lettuce mix, pico de gallo, and their green sauce -- basically the perfect mix of savory, sweet, and fresh in one bowl. The Fritanga Bowl was just as good -- packed with flavor, hearty, and one of those dishes that leaves you full and happy. Both bowls felt like comfort food but elevated, with generous portions and great presentation. One thing to keep in mind: if you come during lunch hour, be ready to wait a bit. It looked like there were only two servers handling the floor, so service can slow down when it gets busy. But to be fair, they were doing their best and were still very kind and attentive. Overall, delicious food, solid portions, and good prices for what you get. Perfect spot when you're craving a satisfying, flavorful bite without breaking the bank. Definitely worth it -- just bring a little patience during peak lunch hours.

    For a city built on layers of culture, language, and food, Miami has a way of making cravings feel…read moreinevitable. This week, ours happened to be arepas. Maybe it was the World Cup atmosphere, with fans from every corner of the globe pouring into town. Maybe it was simply surrendering to the Latin heartbeat that drives so much of this city. Whatever the reason, we found ourselves at Bocas Grill in Miami Gardens. The restaurant wears its intentions proudly. The menu stretches in every direction, but one message rises above the noise. "In Arepas We Trust" is splashed across the wall. It is both slogan and challenge. We accepted. An order of sweet plantains with cheese arrived first, still steaming from the fryer. The plantains were caramelized and sweet, the shredded cheese providing the salty counterpoint that makes the combination so addictive. Simple, familiar, and satisfying. For my entrée, I ordered the Simon Bolivar arepa, a hulking creation stuffed with sliced picanha, shredded cheese, and pico de gallo. Calling it a sandwich would be misleading. This thing arrived looking less like a handheld meal and more like an engineering project. The corn cake itself had excellent flavor, earthy and sweet in the way a good arepa should be. The picanha was cooked to a beautiful medium-rare, juicy and deeply beefy. The only issue was its texture. The steak slices were just chewy enough that each bite threatened to pull half the filling out with it, leaving me in a tug-of-war between my teeth and the arepa. My wife ordered the Wok Smoked Shrimp arepa, another generously stuffed creation. The shrimp seemed endless, piled high with tomatoes and a cilantro crema that brought brightness to every bite. I searched for the promised smokiness and found very little of it, but the shrimp themselves were cooked properly, firm with a pleasant snap. Combined with the crema, they made for a flavorful and satisfying filling. Bocas Grill understands something many restaurants forget. If you are going to build your reputation on one item, that item should feel abundant. These arepas do. They are overstuffed, messy, and unapologetically generous. Did they satisfy the craving? Absolutely. When a craving for arepas hits, Bocas Grill is more than capable of answering the call.

    Photos
    Bocas Grill Miami Gardens
    Bocas Grill Miami Gardens
    Hallacas $13 per unit. 
Six pack for $70

    See all

    Hallacas $13 per unit. Six pack for $70
    1910 Restaurant & Bar Miami Lakes

    1910 Restaurant & Bar Miami Lakes

    4.3
    (27 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Great dinner experience here at 1910, we had a reservation on a Friday night. The restaurant itself…read morewas packed, even with a reservation we waited roughly 15 minutes to be seated. They offer inside/outside both options offering a different vibe. This night in particular they had music and a live violinist inside. Food itself was all delicious and well cooked, although I can't say it came out piping hot which is something I am particular about. All the drinks we tried were delicious and well presented. Our server Daylin was kind and very helpful, this area in Miami Lakes has tons of options. Loved the vibe and would visit if you are into Cuban cuisine.

    Unfortunately, this dining experience fell far short of expectations, especially for the price…read morepoint. Our server wasn't very personable and never introduced herself. She simply approached the table and immediately asked what type of water we wanted, which set an impersonal tone for the evening. The food arrived only room temperature. The grouper dish was overwhelmed by tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, making up what felt like half the plate. It was soggy, underseasoned, and lacked any standout flavors. The steak and risotto dish was similarly disappointing. The rice was slightly undercooked, and while the steak itself was cooked properly, it was bland and lackluster. Nothing we ordered felt exceptional or justified the cost. The biggest issue came when we discovered a long piece of hair in our side of fried plantains. To the restaurant's credit, they apologized and provided a complimentary dessert, which was appreciated and is the reason this review receives one star instead of none. Overall, the service was uninspired, the food was underwhelming, and the quality did not match the prices. We won't be returning.

    Photos
    Entrance area.
    Entrance area.
    1910 Restaurant & Bar Miami Lakes
    Nice ice cold Heineken and a beautiful glowing Flor De Medianoche.

    See all

    Nice ice cold Heineken and a beautiful glowing Flor De Medianoche.

    El Novillo Restaurant - latin - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...