Super 7: Best Mexican Restaurants in Miami
From a Michelin-starred spot in the Grove to a weekend market deep in the Redlands, here's where to find Miami's best Mexican cooking right now
Editor's note: This list is focused mainly on Mexican restaurants, not taquerias. So before I get an onslaught of hate emails, please keep that in mind. Our plans are to run a taco guide at some point, but today is not that day.
Also inspired by Matt’s post on free Mexican chips and salsa, we've noted below if each spot offers them complimentary or not.
Don Maguey
Angelica spent years at Mi Rinconcito Mexicano before she and Chef Daniel Zeledón opened this cozy spot called Don Maguey on West Flagler in 2021.The aguachile with shrimp, fish, and pomegranate is bright and worth starting with. The Oaxacan mole is the star– deeply complex, the kind that takes days to build, best ordered over the enmoladas. The quesabirria tacos and the short rib tacos have built their own following. Tortillas are made in-house, ingredients come from Mexico, but sadly, no free chips and salsa.
Pro Tip: Breakfast is also offered here daily. @donmagueymiami // 4747 W Flagler St., Miami
Hidalgo’s Cafe-Restaurant
Worth the drive south, whether you’re heading to the Keys or just want a good meal away from the chaos that is Miami. Hidalgo’s has been on South Dixie Highway since around 2007, cooking from the state of Hidalgo, Mexico with hand-made tortillas, mole, and barbacoa, amongst other Mexican staples. Chips aren’t complimentary, so order them when you sit down.
Pro Tip: It is open hella early – 6am, daily! – in case you have a craving for Mexican style desayuno. @hidalgosmexican // 24961 S Dixie Hwy, Homestead
Jacinta de México
I’ve been a fan of this group for a long time, and Jacinta keeps the streak going for Lalo and the crew behind other Mexican favorites Bakan, Koko, and the OG Talavera. Right at the front of the mall with a big patio, the menu covers real range - order the wood-smoked beef brisket with Mexican rub if you’re with a group, the octopus, or the ceviche la sirena with a margarita if it’s a warm afternoon. The chapulines from the insect menu are a fun bar snack if you want to go off-script. Complimentary chips arrive with hot sauce rather than the usual salsa.
Pro Tip:The patio is the move when the weather cooperates. @jacintaaventura // 19501 Biscayne Blvd (inside Aventura Mall), Aventura
Los Félix
Los Félix has been a hit in the Grove since it opened, and the Michelin star solidifies its status in the city. The room has a Mexico City energy to it: lively at dinner, laidback at lunch, with a disco ball and a vinyl soundtrack that keep things from ever feeling precious. The kitchen runs a house molino grinding masa daily, and is a highlight of many dishes including the blue crab arepa with smoked corn and the griddled corn cake with wild-caught crab and smoked corn sauce. They’ll send you some snacks and salsa to start, but it’s not a chips-and-salsa situation in the traditional sense - and that’s fine.
Pro Tip: They run happy hour every day, including weekends. Book ahead regardless for dinner, walk-ins are tough. @losfelixmiami // 3413 Main Highway, Coconut Grove
Mi Rinconcito Mexicano
Ask anyone with a real opinion on Mexican food in Miami where to go. They’ll say Mi Rinconcito Mexicano. Sisters Maria Dolores Chavez and Maria Guillermina Gutierrez have been running this Calle Ocho spot since 2005, cooking from their hometown of Tulancingo, Hidalgo, and twenty years in it remains a staple in this city. Order the Combinación 2 if you want to try a little bit of everything - two tacos, two gorditas, two sopes, and a quesadilla chilanga. Plus, gratis chips and red salsa land at the table before you’ve even opened the menu.
Pro Tip: Stop into the attached panadería, La Migaja, on your way out. The conchas are worth the visit. @mirinconcitomexicano // 1961 SW 8th St., Little Havana
Redland Market Village
I’m breaking my own rule a little here, but Redland Market Village earns a spot on this list. On weekends, a long corridor of vendors fires up inside this sprawling outdoor market in the Redlands with tacos, tamales, elote, the smoke off the grills hitting you before you’ve even parked. Come hungry, bring cash, and walk the whole thing before you commit to anything.
Pro Tip: Weekends only, and earlier is better. @redlandmarketvillage // 24420 S Dixie Hwy, Redland
Taco Time and More
Siblings Isa and Chris Flores started Taco Time and More delivering their mom’s cooking during the pandemic, grew the operation, and eventually bought the business from their parents. Everything is solid but highlights include the crispy carnitas and the birria, whic is slow-cooked from the family recipe. Get the South Beach Burrito too, rice, beans, meat, fried plantains, guacamole, and french fries pressed into one tortilla, with Chris’ jerk curry sauce on the side.. Sadly, the chips and salsa are a paid appetizer.
Pro Tip: Split the six-taco platter, it’s the best way to work through the menu. @tacotimeandmore // 10314 W Flagler St., Sweetwater