Cayo Esquivel Seafood Reviews

Oysters where not fresh, ceviche was just lime juice and rice was hard. The snapper was grilled good. Love seafood but I don’t think I would go again with si many other options out there.

Visited Cayo recently and again, excellent fresh seafood for a good price. We had grilled corbina and a paella. All was perfect. Service was also very good. This place has become a benchmark when we want fresh seafood. Excellent value with consistently good food

Our food was good and we had no problems with the service, but we did go early. THe place is not very big and there were mostly families there.

Sister in law Birthday so here we are. For appetizer we started with Shrimp Cocktail ($10.95) Fish Croquettes ($3.75) Cut Fritters ($3.75) Smoke fish paste ($5.95) The entrees were Fish Chunks with 2 sides ($11.95) Yellow rice with Shrimp with 2 sides ($12.95) Filet of Mahi-Mahi in Marsala sauce with 2 sides ($20.45) Seafood Pasta with Lobster & 2 sides ($22.95) For dessert we had 3 plates, Catalan Cream, Dessert of the day & Mud Pie I had Cuban Coffee, Plus 2 beers. That all came to ($27.50) For a Fish Restaurant it came to $30.05 per person & it was for lunch. Service was good & pleasant. Food was well prepare & tasteful. We have a good time & were able to celebrate our Sister in law Birthday :-)

Nice and lovely lunch. The place is themed decorated. The service is nice but could be a little more attentive. Food taste was nice and well served.

Had a business lunch here yesterday with seven people. The food was just outstanding. The seafood is fresh, prepared well, and very tasty. Don’t miss the appetizer tray with calamari and Conch fritters.

This is the perfect restaurant for those like me, who enjoy fresh and simple seafood as served in places close to the sea. The whole fried fish is my favorite and the salad that comes with it is great as well. Tiny fried sardines is a most as well. Fried bananas (platanos) served with shrimp on top is also highly recommended. Fish filet with seafood has been served in my party with great success as well. And to close, deserts (flan) is also great. So keep it simple and it will not disappoint you. This restaurant is frequented by big family groups so be ready for a little wait, specially during lunch at weekends. Enjoy your meal JR

We like the location just off of 826 Palmetto Expressway West. The fish is always fresh and you can have great Tostones( fried Plaintains) & a Cuban coffee. The have TVs usually playing sports. The place is clean and service is good & friendly. They also have a mini fish market to buy fresh raw fish to take home.

It's so interesting reading the reviews and wondering what others have experienced. We went for lunch on a very rainy Sunday. We were greeted and seated quickly. I thought the place was very cute, rustic, looking like an old fish camp. The menu is pretty extensive, though I'd looked at it on-line before we went. I ordered the sopon marisco. My husband had the snapper filet with shrimp. We were both very satisfied with our meals. The service was very attentive, helpful and friendly. When next in South Miami we'll give it another try.

had a delicious special of the day baked fish for lunch. big selection, friendly atmosphere. Been here for here, highly recommended if you want seafood

It was fathers day and the Heat (Miami basketball team) was playing. The restaurant was half full and my husband and I waited quite a while for them to clean a booth. When we were called to sit down a party of three that had just arrived was called to sit down in the booth that was for us. They then ask us to go out again and wait for them to clean another booth. Their excuse was that booths were for three people or more. We felt like second class citizens and we left. I think that if that was true they should have cleaned both booth at the same time and call us accordingly. Oh...and by the way if they are in the United States they should speak english or put a sign outside alerting everyone that only spanish was spoken there. I think that if you do not respect the customers outside you sure are not going to respect them inside the kitchen either were no one is looking at you

I liked the variety of dishes offered. We chose the grilled seafood platter. The service was great. Our granddaughters enjoyed the dishes they offered for children.

Years ago, 2 to 3 years ago, I use to visited this restaurant, but somehow the quality and selection has change and not for the better. I had an average ceviche, nothing to brag home about for sure. The staff is friendly but the prepone Ceviche left me with a lot to desire.

Visited restaurant on a Friday for lunch Service was extremely poor from the time it took to seat us (even though there were several tables that just needed to be cleaned) until the time we left Almost two hours for two basic entree shrimp meals WITHOUT appetizers, dessert or coffee That’s says it all!! No one checked up to see why are meals were taking long nor after to see how the meal was going at any time even after we brought up service issues They were completely apathetic Lack of management, poor service and overcooked shrimp with no regard for customer satisfaction As a local I will definitely never be back

What I liked the most is that contrary to other places, it did not smell fishy when I arrived. We were promptly asked to wait a few minutes until a table was available (the place was packed) and then showed to our table about 10 minutes later. The service was OK. We began with appetizers...fish croquettes (I had them better) and cod fish fries (nothing to write home about) but the cocktail sauce was very good. I then asked for a grouper soup with rice, my husband with noodles. My husband was very please with his soup, however, mine was cold and bland, no taste. I ordered the Mahi Mahi sandwich and my husband ordered the King Fish. Contrary to other restaurants in Miami, it came only with one side. My husband asked for the yellow rice and ordered a house salad on the side. I tasted the yellow rice. The only difference between the yellow rice and the white rice was the color. No distinctive flavor. My sandwich was OK. The piece of mahi mahi was generous. It came with French Fries (so the menu said) but I had to remind the waitress. We do not drink, but there was lemon in the table to flavor the water, but the water was not cold. The bread and butter were the only items that I really liked. The place is nicely decorated, centrally located, with plenty of parking and access to the expressway. The prices are very reasonable.

Attention was well, food not to well and the table was really not clean, it was sticky. We ate the esquivel table platter and the best was the calamari fritty, the rest was to guess. Then each one ate a different main course that were ok but not outstanding. High price for the food.

We went on a saturday night and it was full, we waited for 15 minutes and saw how pleased every one left the restaurant. I was on a strict diet and they were great preparing a special meal for me. My husband ate a whole fried fish which was amazing, we also ordered appetizers and they were delicious. My eight year old girl loved her shrimp too. Prices are fair, we didn't feel it was expensive. Would definitely come again!

This restaurant is AWESOME!!The food was delicious, very fresh and cooked to perfection. Also the service excellent, even when our waiter made a mistake in our order he had a very humble answer and solved the problem immediately . I'm a seafood lover and from now on this place will be one of my obligated stop to enjoy a delicious seafood dinner. Thank you to all the staff for the excellent job done. Congratulations!!

Decent seafood at affordable pricing, service is ok. Try the soup and the fried snapper!! The tostones are great too!! Ambient and seating is average, if you get seated to the round windows be aware of the sun.

This place has good food, slow, but good! I ordered the ahi seared tuna salad... It was quite good with the wasabi dressing!! Large though... Could not finish it!!! Tasty, fresh and good. My colleague got a seafood soup which was also quite tasty... The place has a nice setting and a "tavern" decor look... It was kind of cool... Place is clean and well located in bird road.... Enjoy

I used to like this place for its food, friendly customer service but last Friday April 14 late in the afternoon, my wife, my kid and I arrived at this place and the guy who greeted us at the door to sit us down, couldn't be more incompetent. It's really a shame, as it had been our favorite anniversary and birthday hangout, but no longer it will.

We had a great time at this restaurant. Our server, Gustavo, was very profesional and polite to us. He really took our experience to the next level with such fantastic service. One of the best services that has been provided to me by a server.

Try the plantains stuffed with shrimp creole, the paella, the majua (mountain of fried minnows). If you like fish roe, this is the place for you. Great prices. Only beer & wine.

Found them online and reviews said food was good. Arrived at 7pm with lots of staff hanging around. They sat us down brought water and we ordered a doz oysters 15 minutes later we see others who came after us get there oysters, everyone is just hangin around the bar and no one comes back to take the rest of our order! I have to get up out of my seat and walk over to them and ask can someone get our order. They all look at me like I'm bothering them including the manger who was talking to them. Turns out our oyster order was never placed and we had to wait another 20 minutes. The clam chowder was awful tasted like runny flour water.

Cazuela de Mariscos

I read prior reviews and wondered if I should walk in; I am a second chance believer. The branding and atmosphere are welcoming and the staff is abundant. Too bad three of them made contact with me and made me feel like a hot potato before pointing me to a table. Service was not great neither bad but attitude towards the customer means a lot. Food was good at a reasonable price. If you are hungry and don't want to eat next door competitor's be my guess and enjoy.

I've lunched here twice and have left very satisfied both times. Promised my wife to bring her (I usually scout a place before recommending it to my wife). One time I had the grouper filet which a nice size piece that tasted great and at around 13$ a steal. Another time I had grilled shrimp on a wood skewer and a cesar salad and here again got great taste and value. Atmosphere is ok, wood tables and paneling with sea boat motif. Service was good too.

Just had lunch the services was nice and fast The server did as good of a job as aspected in this kinder place The place it self is rundown and dirty from the tables bathrooms and MENUS!!!! Found a peace it dried parsley and some discussing sticky stuff inside all of our menus Meaning they don’t have a decent management that oversees the operation But the food and service was very nice Very expensive for what it is I wouldn’t recommend anything that have to be prepare with anything really cooked as is very mediocre all canned sauces and BTW OPENING a can of tomatoes and adding green peppers don’t make it homemade!!!! The mussels were way overcrowded and the sauce was frankly BAD!! On the other hand the frituras were great The Ceviche’s all of them!!! Someone should go tried a Ceviche in any of the Hundreds of Peruvian restaurants and learn how it should taste your is really mediocre just lemons over badly cut pleases of fish is not a Ceviche I don’t often come here but from time to time I stop by and then I remember why I don’t come often YHE FOOD OS NOT REALLY GOOD!!!

This is an average restaurant where the food is mainly from the sea (fish, seafood, etc) but it has a strong fishy smell inside and the food is served with a Hispanic twist.

fresh fish service varies if they are full well i love fresh fish paella is good what else can i say

When it comes to fresh seafood, from a daily special or a gourmet choice, great appetizers, you can order your fish fried, grilled or with a choice of sauce; if you like rice the choices with fish, squid, scrimp or Paella freshly made to order, you should call in advance, it is worth it. Quick bite they have sandwiches or soups.

Went to Cayo Esquivel and had an awesome experience. The hog snapper was absolutely delicious, the ambience was really nice and relaxed, and Talaima took great care of us — super friendly and attentive. Definitely a spot I’d go back to.

Attentive staff. Food served fresh and hot!! I love food from here!! Plenty of parking. I absolutely love the Cod FRITTERS

Apparently this place has been around forever but I had never taken the time stop by. I was impressed by the abundantly good looking menu choices. Ultimately decide to try a few small plates, specifically the octopus. It was amazing! And well priced. My only disappoint was they had amazing looking desserts, BUT to my dismay the ones I really wanted we all out. I will be going back though.

I don’t often write reviews for restaurants but I had to in this case. We go out to lunch every day and, with today’s prices, we are forced to be choosy. We wanted to go to a new seafood place for Good Friday and were willing to spend a bit more for lunch. We were recommended the Cayo Esquivel and went to their website. We checked out their menu and found that, for the most part, they were fairly expensive and not a place we wanted to visit on a regular basis for lunch. We did however, find that their sandwich menu was fairly competitive in price so we set out to try them. When we arrived, we noticed something very different and awkward – we were handed a freshly printed on regular 8.5x11 menu. We did not think much of it at first but we were in for an unpleasant surprise. We did not find any sandwich items on the menu and when we asked our waitress about it she said “We don’t have sandwiches today.” Hmmm? So we went ahead and browsed the menu and ordered some of their less expensive items (thinking we were getting a fair price). Bold and behold, we later found out from other patrons (people we know from our workplace), that most of their dish prices had been increased by $3.00 a plate! I later went back to the website to confirm their unsuspecting price increases and found it to be true! Most, if not all dishes had their prices increased by $3.00! Why would Cayo Esquivel be increasing their prices on such a Holy day and without any notice to their unsuspecting customers? Could they be taking advantage of their Catholic patrons by increasing their prices on Good Friday all along knowing that most of these patrons would be seeking a decent seafood restaurant just as we did? This was our first time at the Cayo Esquivel and it will definitely be our last. Not because their food was inappropriate but for the principal idea – “YOU DON’T INCREASE PRICES JUST BECAUSE YOU EXPECT UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS!” There must be a law (as with gas stations) where gauging the unsuspecting customer based on religious holidays is ILLEGAL! As far as we were concerned no matter how great the food is, we choose not to spend our money on establishments who take advantage of situations, especially Good Friday

Try their home made sauces with various  fresh fish  fillets, delicious. 

This is a seafood restaurant with a Cuban flavor. The fish, shellfish and the rest of sea creatures are fresh. However, the service is slow and with attitude. This is not a fancy restaurant but a good place were to have seafood.

I just ate with my wife, and we liked a lot we order parrillada de mariscos, which included fish, shrimp, scallops, mussels, lobster all grilled and good taste

Thalaima exceeds expectations throughout. My wife and I always ask to be taken care of by her. Excellence in your treatment, recommendations on the Menu, always alert and without needing to call her, and super good food.

This restaurant is very good for seafood. The Corvina in Tuscany sauce as well as in the marsala sauce are very good. Also the fried dorado chunks is excellent. However, we were not happy with the beverages. The Pino Grillo glass my husband asked for was not good at all and my sangria was pretty bad as well.

Came to eat seafood at a new place to me. And was surprised with great tasting seacood. All 4 of us had different seafood plates. And I can tell you they were all delicious. We would definitely come back.

Food Is good, the place Is not bad. Service Is so-so. The waitress looked in a bad mood and showed some attitude at times. When dinning out if the service Is not good then the restaurant Is not either. What a shame,!

Wonderful attentive service. Delicious crisp cod fish croquettes. Fresh, tender, and perfectly seasoned octopus appetizer. And the piece de resistance: Bravo, Bravo, Bravo! The fish tacos are a revelation!

Went here for dinner, order the seafood pasta one of the best I eaten in long time, pasta had shrimp, crab, oyster, mussel the sauce that it had made exquisite. Also order the fry fish, it was huge fish and come with two appetizer of your choice. Our dinner cost over $50.00 but it worth every penny. Definitely will be coming back.

We love this neighborhood restaurant. We felt at home the first time we tried it. The food is fresh, well prepared and at a great price. The staff is friendly. You will feel like a regular at your first visit. A cliché but ... try it, you'll be glad you did!

We stopped in for lunch. Outdoor seating. Friendly fast service. The food is so delicious!! We are never disappointed with the food selections.

Very good service, Cuban style restaurante excellent atmosphere and food was OK. Menu Ok and adequate for a quick lunch and is compensated by the good service and very courteous and frindly staff

A great place to meet with friends, have only gone during lunch, the servers are friendly and helpful. Their prices are very reasonable. Had the SQUID WITH RICE-Arroz con Calamares for $7.95 plus tax & gratuity and is very good. Will try other selections next time around. Planning another visit within a week with friends for lunch.

Beside receiving a terrible and rude service... Visited this place for Good Friday and ordered the "swordfish grilled". After a long wait the food finally arrived. Noticed a foul taste and order! After two bites complaint, got up and left the restaurant. YES it was that bad! That evening I had cramps and fever from food poisoning... Do not eat here! You have been warned.

We went on a Thursday night fish and flavorless yellow rice the girl who checked us wanted to finish fast with our table dessert was natilla catalana ,get cold, corona beer not limons no salt,the shrimp cocktail were hard It was a horrible night we did not return never.

This casual Cuban style restaurant serves large portions. We ordered calamari for an appetizer and seafood with lobster pasta for a main dish. Tasty dishes simply prepared.

Delicious food , good ambiance. Great place for family and friends to get together. Very nice staff here. Everything fresh and tasty. The mahi-mahi, lobster, shrimp Everything is Delicious! A Must go!

Try Salmon sandwich come with really delicious french fries. priced good I had been there several times in a 10 year spam and I always got what I expected for..

We enjoyed a lot the seafood grill Please see the picture that I posted The parrillada had dolphin fish , lobster,squid , jumbo shrimps , small shrimps , scallops , and more All grilled with garlic taste for 23 dollars We loved it Saturday night was packed

Best food and service. ❤️👍 we always wil be recommended, Miami have a best sea food Restourant and service !❤️🏹🐬!! Don't miss the best service on sea food

Horrid service never came to the table. There was 2 waitress for the restaurant. They've been there for a long time. Can't say anything about the food. Did no try it.

This restaurant is a must if you are a seafood lover! Everything tastes good here! I've had a variety of their dishes and I haven't been unsatisfied yet.

We were seated quickly it took forever to get our appetizers and even longer to get our main dishes. The plantain chips were soggy and the fried calamari was overcooked and dry. Our glasses of water were empty and it was a chore to get them filled. The main dishes were better cooked and had a nice tasty but did not make up for the lack of service. We never got a smile and were not made to feel like they wanted us to return.

We went for dinner on a Friday night, the service is really poor they never came to the table to see if the food was good or if we want something else... The food is ok, the octopus is a little chewy but overall it's ok...

This place is diferent after the pandemic reopening a lot of inexperienced staff, long wait for the food and terrible service the food still in some degree like was before , but not the same, the tip sugestion beguining at the 18% wanted or not and not choice for less for the terrible and bad service, never going back to this place again