Tacos -- my love affair with the dish started when I was young, & build-your-own taco night was a staple in our household dinner rotation (naively, I only ate hard-shells filled with plain ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream.) But as I grew older, and my palate expanded, my relationship with tacos quickly blossomed into an experimental one.
In my experience, it's really hard to f*ck up a taco, but it's even harder to make a really f*cking good one. I've found some amazing tacos in Baltimore (Clavel, Papi's), but during our trip to Miami, I realized that MIA takes the taco game to the next level. And since I have yet to meet someone who hates tacos (blasphemy), I figured I'd share the amazing spots we stumbled upon during our trip. So if you ever find yourself in Miami, check out these taco joints -- b/c taco cravings can hit at any time (so having locations in every city on retainer is a must!)
1) Coyo Taco, Wynwood Arts District
Besides having the coolest floor tile (that I now need to have in my home), Coyo Taco has some of the most amazing tacos EVER. When polling Instagram for suggestions of restaurants and activities, a handful of people suggested that Kris and I head to Coyo Taco. Many people also suggested that I head to Wynwood Arts District (because y'all know me so well!), and it turns out that tacos are the perfect post-photoshoot fuel. You'd be surprised at how draining taking pictures in front of colored walls is when it's 90F with 80% humidity....
We were a bit adventurous. Kris and I each got an order of their more interesting tacos, pulpo (octopus) and nopales (cactus), and then swapped one taco so we could sample both! I liked the nopales, but I LOVED the pulpo. The charred octopus had that beautiful smoky flavor, and pickled jalapeños were the perfect garnish to take this taco to the next level.
2) Peppers, South Beach
I only have one photo of from Peppers Authentico Mexicano on Washington Ave, but this was our spot during our stay in Miami. We ate here on our first night in South Beach; our AirBnB host Jack recommended it as the spot to grab a quality-for-quantity bite after a day of travel. He definitely wasn't wrong. As we bit into our first Miami taco, we knew this vacation was going to be filled with quality food. The tortillas were made fresh, and even a basic chicken taco tasted better. Kris had the al pastor and chorizo tacos during both of our visits -- and highly recommends for anyone stopping into Peppers!
Their website annotates:
"[THEIR] MISSION IS SIMPLE: SERVVE DELICIOUS, AFFORDABLE FOOD THAT GUESTS WILL WANT TO RETURN TO WEEK AFTER WEEK"
We stopped in 2 out of our 4 days in South Beach, so it's safe to say they hit the nail on the head with that mission statement. And more importantly, with their food.
3) Taquiza, South Beach
Alright alright alright, I'm pretty sure I've never eaten tacos in a cooler space than Taquiza. An open-concept taqueria "crafting authentic tacos & street fare", this Miami joint was one of my favorites. Not only were their tacos absolute FIRE (check out their selection HERE) but sitting in their space right off Collins Ave, I felt immersed in the South Beach people + culture during every bite. This people watching and access to the action happening outside of the restaurant added depth to the experience of eating at Taquiza. And may I highly suggest going at night; the string lights, marquis' of the surrounding art deco hotels, and cars zipping by burned this experience just captivated me in a way few other things have.
4) TacoCraft Taqueria & Tequila Bar, Ft. Lauderdale
And now for a BONUS! We wanted to stop and get food on our way back to the airport Sunday evening (we flew into FLL, not Miami, and I've detailed our travel logistics in a previous post.) I did a quick Google search for spots to grab a bite in Downtown Fort Lauderdale because I had never been there (and honestly, I wasn't in the mood for fast food, and the area of Florida we were driving through was rather desolate.) Turns out, downtown Fort Lauderdale is rather small, and the cutest area I could find was down by the Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk. Also turns out -- they have a taqueria. At this point, it would've been a shame NOT to continue to the traditional daily meal of tacos, so we had to check it out!
Kris started out our meal at TacoCraft Taqeria & Tequila Bar with this GORGEOUS Rosalita margarita (partida blanco, fresh lime juice, rose syrup, triple sec, red organic rose petals, rose salt, served up) while I ordered guacamole that we inhaled almost immediately. We each decided to get the Taco Platter (3 tacos, rice, refried beans), selecting a variety of different tacos.
Our taco highlights from TacoCraft were:
Chorizo, IT HAS A FRIED EGG ON IT
Shrimp, mango salsa makes it almost too pretty to eat
Smoked Brisket, tbh I just saw pickled red onions and knew I had to order it
Exotic Shroom, this one is allll Kris b/c I just don't love mushrooms
Ahi Tuna, we both would 100% get this one again b/c mandarin oranges on a taco was a game-changer
Fun Fact: I learned after-the-fact that TacoCraft actually has a location in South Miami (not South Beach), so I guess this post is really 4 Miami taco joints!
Have you been to any of these taco spots in Miami? What's your favorite local taco joint? Let me know in the comments below so I can be sure to put it on my list when I visit YOUR city!
Be sure to follow along with my adventures over on Instagram, @stylishlytaylored!
Until next time, let's keep taco-ing about tacos.
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