A Two-Foot Quesadilla and Lamb Birria at this Hidden Gem
El Machete: Ruthless warlord or delicious street food?
Who doesn’t love a food that says it’ll kill you? Death wings. Disembowelment sauce. Decapitation nachos. So you can imagine my excitement when I was driving down SW 27th Ave. and saw a sign advertising “Casa del Machete.” Assuming this wasn’t a weapons outpost for ruthless, albeit creative, drug dealers, I knew I was going to love it.
Casa del Machete is actually Taqueria Los Nopales, a way less badass name, but probably more family friendly. It’s a little taqueria owned by a guy named Oscar who made tacos in Mexico City for over 20 years, and wanted to bring authentic Mexico City street food to Miami. That includes the ominous “El Machete.” Oscar didn’t speak much English, so in addition to feeding us some spectacular Mexico City street food, he also gave me a chance to conduct my first hidden gem video en Espanol. Check out our Instagram and see how I did.
So what is “El Machete?”
“El Machete” is a two-foot quesadilla made with carne asada, chorizo, queso blanco, and a titanic blue corn tortilla. It’s a specialty in Mexico City markets, but the only place in Miami you’ll find it is at Taqueria Los Nopales. And if you’re not up for two feet of quesadilla, they also serve a mini-machete. It’s not nearly as cool on video, though.
What to eat and drink (besides El Machete): Oscar is no one trick caballo. He’s got literally decades of experience making Mexican street food, and his lamb birria tacos are a richer, more flavorful take on the braised-beef original. On Saturdays, he makes a birria pizza that’s just as good if not better than the one Harry’s did a couple of years ago.
The menu is standard taqueria stuff, with big, thick chips and a couple of bottles of homemade hot sauce on the table for dipping. I liked the carne asada tacos, too, if birria is too rich for you. The grilled fajitas are actually made on a grill, not fried, and some of the better ones I’ve tried. The guacamole is fresh made to order, and a must to start any meal. Wash it down with some Jarritos for an authentic experience
The space: Is the kind of neighborhood taqueria you’d expect to find in Texas or Southern California. Colorful chairs, the Virgin Mary on the wall, Telemundo and Futbol on the TVs. The other patrons on the afternoon we went were SoCal surfers who said this was the only stuff they’d found in Miami that came close to their post-wave taquerias back home. English is spoken minimally, which adds to the experience.
Pro tip: Go on Wednesdays and they’ll throw in two tacos when you order El Machete
Perfect for: Cheap lunch or dinner; TikTok-friendly eating challenges
Expect to pay: $20 per person.
How’s the parking: Easy street parking along SW 27th Ave.
@taqueria_losnopales // 1800 SW 27th Ave., Shenandoah