Recently went to "El Novillo" restaurant for a 25 year anniversary celebration…read more It was a group of about 25 of us and it was spacious in the seating and table arrangement for all of us to feel comfortable and not cramped up together. It was on a Friday night and they had live music playing with was nice for the occasion. With our pre-selected menu, we ordered a glass of Cabernet, their house salad (very vinegary!!! A tad bit too much in my personal opinion), and for entree the 8 oz baby tenderloin churrasco. (Shout out to one of our waiters! I didn't catch her name but she was honest with the menu recommendations and advised us to order the baby tenderloin churrasco which was a hit!). The mariquitas kept on coming around the table and we were stuffed. Another perk was how fast the service was. Even with our large group, we barely waited in between courses. If you want good Hispanic food on the fly, this is your place.

Located in the heart of Miami Lakes - and near the cow fields - this El Novillo location was where…read moreI enjoyed my employer's Christmas lunch yesterday. Though they have a preset menu for corporate type events, our boss was generous enough to let us select off the open menu. The decor is made to look like the inside of a hacienda with the tile roofs and stucco columns (yes you tell I'm a structural engineer :) The music was mostly 80s ballads, and service was very attentive. They even brought one of the desserts with a candle for a colleague's birthday, and took our group's photo. We started with a couple of baskets of buttered herbed Cuban bread and dipping chimichurri, as well as an appetizer sampler including refried beans, fried cheese and tequenos. The fried cheese was served on a little piece of pita bread and is a must try. I also enjoyed the refried bean soup, especially when dipped with plantain chips. As far as my main course, everyone knows how much I love cows! I enjoyed a sizable piece of churrasco, juicy even at medium well, sweet plantains and moros (here they serve it with red beans instead of black beans) and crispy house-made plantain chips. The Tres leches was also very fluffy, with a lot of cream and perfect enough to send me to a nice little after lunch nap. I also washed it down with Cortadito.

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.

The place remains the same, good location at Miami Lakes shopping Center. The service is good and…read moreattentive with some minor delays on the attention. The food... well... not wha I expected, a Ceviche Mixto with an almost raw Calamari and Optopus with very low flavor, the shrimp just sitting there, the only flavor came from the fish and I need to dig into the plate under the lettuce bed to find some ceviche juice taste, mediocre. Then I asked for anticuchos, or beef in a kabok something I ate since I was a kid... under cooked, with an anticucho sauce more on the side of the vinegar flavor. Poor execution of the dish. The price, I could say is ok with the actual economy but the culinary experience does not justify it. May be in a couple of years when they improve the quality of the dishes, until then it is a No, no, no.

Food was awesome, service was OUTSTANDING, the portions were good, the prices were decent. Will…read moredefinitely return here soon.

The food in this place is so good. I was returning a rental car 2 doors down, and decided to give…read moreit a try. The arepas costeñas are to die for. We also had empanadas, caribañolas and their juices. I really recommend this place if you want to eat Colombian food. The service was amazing. Friendly staff.

Empanadas are SOOOOOO damn good Lots of filling inside &…read morehuge! Crispy outside & soft, warm inside with a generous amount of shredded beef Hot sauce pairs so well The service was so good! Lady who helped me was so nice & sweet!! I don't speak Spanish but in that moment I forgot because she was so sweet!!! We communicated to the best of our abilities & it worked out so well. 10/10 will be back!!!

We decided to eat at this restaurant for lunch. The service was phenomenal, the venue is small but…read morevery comfortable. We ordered "sancocho de res" and the mojarra (fish), every bite of our food was amazing. The salad and the tostones were great too. As for drinks we ordered "agua panela" and they were the perfect complement for our lunch. The outstanding and friendly service provided by Diana was also appreciated. I highly recommend to visit this restaurant!

Great Service and Traditional neighborhood Colombian food! Traditional ambience. Liver and onions…read moredoes the trick if you're have the acquired taste

Hands down top rated cuban food in South Florida. Crowded and might have to pack some patience but…read morewell worth the wait. The chicharrones appetizers are great and the vaca frita is the best I've had. Closest to grandmas cooking. If you are in the area and have some time i recommend you giving this place a try!!! You wont be disappointed!!!!

Supporting local businesses is my jam and this place delivered. The food was fresh, great and…read moredelicious. The portions are big. I had the grilled chicken and my guest had the breaded steak. The rice and beans was so good and the plantains were cooked perfectly and thin. Great spot for sure and the ambiance is laid back and filled with locals, so you know it's good. The service, by Ana, was nice and we will go back for sure!

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! .

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.

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.