Cayo Esquivel is one of those spots that surprises you in the best way. From the moment you walk in, the place feels like a little coastal escape nautical touches, a fun pirate‑themed bar, and a relaxed, friendly vibe that makes you want to stay awhile. The food is the real highlight. Everything came out fresh, well‑seasoned, and beautifully presented. The fried whole fish was crispy on the outside and tender inside, the calamari was golden and addictive, and the grilled fish with vegetables had that perfect balance of flavor and richness. Even the drinks hit right nothing beats an ice‑cold Modelo in a frosted mug. Service was warm and attentive, and the menu has plenty of options without feeling overwhelming. Whether you're here for seafood, drinks, or just a laid‑back meal with friends, this place delivers. Definitely a spot worth coming back to read more

See all

We been visiting this location for more than 8 years. Although we like the Hialeah location as well. We live in Broward but often we visit Miami the Miami location is a lot more convenient. Most of the time our experience is perfect at the Miami location on some occasions they fail to serve a great meal. Last night was another sad occasion the food was less than up to par. To top it off when we complained the manager deducted from the bill the small (tiny) lobster but not the main course which was terrible uneatable! We had ordered the arroz con marisco (seafood rice meal) for two in addition the lobster tail as extra. Upon receiving our main course the meal had tones of calamari, to much broth little a lobster taint into and over boiled octopus hard as a rock and chunks that you could choke on. The worse dish we have had in a long time. The manager should had discounted the main meal but instead the tiny lobster tail that not only was over cooked you could not barely eat. Mind you we had this exact meal last weekend and it was superb but this Saturday yesterday was the one of the worst ever! Our waiters has attended to us before and felt bad no fault of hers but the kitchen and the manager should have done better. We both lost our appetite completely! We are going take a bit before we can return. Note to owners: this matter should have been resolved better. read more

Went to Cayo Esquivel for dinner on a Thursday night with my Dad & two sons. We had a nice meal. This is a seafood restaurant and so we all ordered fish dishes. We started with a Fried Calamari appetizer which came with cocktail and a white tartar-like sauce. For entees we had the Mahi-Mahi Chardonnay (my dad loves this dish, he gets it every time!), Salmon w/Lemon Sauce and Snapper w/Pineapple Sauce as well as their Fish Sandwich (Pan con Minuta (comes w/fries). All the fish dishes came with 2 sides. My dad got a beer and Ii ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio. Everyone enjoyed their dishes. We closed the night sharing two Spanish custards (Crema Catalana). The service was GREAT... shout out to our waitress- Elena. She was amazing and made some great suggestions. The fod and service were good amd the process were reasonable. We will be back! read more

See all

Honestly I had more faith in this place. It smelled so Good in the outside .. and then the grilled seafood what no taste. The fish was hard .. if I didn't have hot sauce I wouldn't have ate it. The kids fish didn't even look good either. The service was good but the waitress needs to stop recommending that plate. The only thing is likes was the mojito and the counch fritters . read more

See all

Great experience, awesome service and delicious food. Great margaritas too. The restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere and nice ambiance. read more

See all

First and foremost, my dad has been coming here for years and I wish I could say it's amazing but honestly it's expensive and has gotten worse over time. The fish sandwich which was $10 was the only regularly priced item and it was more sauce than anything. Not great taste. The mahi mahi fritters were okay but pretty expensive and the last dish with fish was a bit bitter and overpriced too. The entire meal for 3 just drinking water was like $72 with tip. read more

See all

Never disappoints fresh sea food, delicious and service is always on point. I've been a long time fan of this restaurant.

You forget about this place, you drive right past it on Bird Road. Maybe your going to Best Buy, Target, Publix. But im gonna remind you how great this joint is. The menu has everything - roe, sprats, oysters, scallops, shrimp& lobster, the fredhest mahi, snapper, ceviche...on and on. Rustic interior with booths and tables, nice decoration with Florida Keys touch "fish playing poker". Service is fast, friendly and spot on. Great beer n wine selection, cocktails. My kinda fish joint. You cant go wrong here. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Celebrated a family member's birthday last night at Cayo Esquivel. The restaurant was clean, and the servers were nice. I love the art on the walls in this place, it is so fun. The food was also very good. For appetizer I had the calamari, and for my meal I had the salmon with salad and black beans on the side. My husband has the Churrasco, I tried a bite of it and it was delicious. I enjoyed my meal, my only complaint would be that it took an awful long time to get the meal once I ordered, it also took a while to get drinks for the table. Overall good experience, 4/5. read more

See all

Fui con mi esposo a comer el Lunes 27 de Noviembre, Ángela es excelente waitress Le doy 10 estrellas , el servicio es excelente y la comida es es buenísima, especialmente La Paella Wow!!! read more

See all

If you're looking for a dining experience that transports you straight to the Florida Keys, this might be the one. Our ceviche was fresh, and had the perfect flavor. The ambiance complements the menu and the place feels as you've stepped into a charming seaside eatery, with warm decor and inviting vibes. Our server was attentive without being intrusive. Overall, we had a great time at this establishment. read more

See all

I went with a friend and she ordered fish and lobster empanada and I ordered chicken . And my friend says her food was great but my chicken was horrible it looked like it was done day before cause it was hard nothing fresh and the yellow rice awful I don't recommend I never seen a chicken so hard it looked like plastic. If you don't like seafood to eat chicken or churrasco don't go . The s revive was good and the ambiance also read more

Food was great service awesome Elizabeth attended us and she was super nice and attentive the only thing I gave a star wa because the ac was not working well I was sweating while I was eating t ambiance was calm and nice I recommend Cayo esquivel read more

Suggestion to management that their client points incentive doesn't work and that the servers don't know how to give credit where credit is due. In addition no effort was made to involve the manager to resolve the problem. Suggestions to management if you can't manage your point program scrapping it is the way to go as you are creating a bad name to your brand. read more

Fun, affordable and quaint vibes. Great affordable casual seafood restaurant it appears a little run down in the front with no signage not sure if they are working on it? Great customer service inside and this restaurant offers a wide selection of seafood to choose from. The wine selection is decent and the music they play could use a tune up. Otherwise a good spot for seafood read more

See all

I usually love Cayo Esquivel; however, this time around I found the food and service lacking. The appetizers we ordered were fried calamari and huevas which were good. I ordered a Parrillada de Mariscos and found the food dry. In addition, the food took a long time to arrive. The atmosphere was great, the restaurant was clean and well decorated. At the end the staff sang Happy Birthday with my dessert, which was very nice. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Parrillada with fries and salad. - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Loved it Had not been there in a while and loved my experience. Food was delicious and fresh and service was great. Our server was courteous and on point. read more

Amazing experience! The Hog Snapper was the best we've ever had--truly the best in town. My wife and I had such an enjoyable evening, and our waitress, Talaima, was wonderfully attentive and friendly. We're already looking forward to returning soon! read more

This place is awesome! Great food, great management and great ambiance! Best fish house in Miami!! read more

It's been a long time since we had been here , it looked the same inside yes a bit out dated, it's got that 1770 ship era look inside plenty of sitting with a large counter and booths sand tables .Good parking I recommend to stick to the fish dishes they are Good sized portions and taste fresh at a reasonable price .We tried the soup of the day it was alright for entry we had , tuna wasabi, the fried fish chunks, the fried calamari , the fried king fish all the fish tasted fresh, the chunks of fish were fried perfectly they were a bit under seasoned so was the king fish the tuna we asked medium well it was undercooked almost raw and needed a lot more seasoning but tasted good .We opted to go double salads the only downside was the lettuce and tomato onion salad it was ok it just needed something more our . Great service she was friendly and attentive . read more

See all

Delicious Hispanic style seafood restaurant with good prices and quality cuisine. The service is very friendly and it's a "combination" establishment with restaurant quality cuisine and sports bar atmosphere. It's usually a little bit louder than a typical restaurant but it's a more casual kind of place. A very typical Miami place and definitely a local favorite. read more

This food was amazing! And not because I'm pregnant it was so delicious and you can taste the freshness. Our server was courteous and attentive couldn't have asked for anything better. The environment was during lunch time so it was chill and not too loud. This establishment has been here for more than 30 years and you can tell the quality is here! Recommend in the Hialeah gardens area don't sleep! read more

See all

Bigger portion for sides. Serving bread with your order. Should not advertise tostones as one of the sides when only a small one comes with the order read more

Delicious food all around. We had the lobster empanada, mariquitas, mahi with Chardonnay sauce and flan for dessert. Everything was exquisite. The prices were reasonable and ample free parking. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Mahi mahi in Chardonnay sauce - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

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. read more

Placed looked very nice. But unfortunately we didn't get to try it. We were seated and served water. And then "ghosted". Two tables were seated after us and their orders taken. We patiently waited as waiters walked by with no acknowledgment or as much as a look. After 21 minutes, yes 21, as I was watching the Portugal game on the TV and looked at the time we sat. I finally walked up to the bar and addressed a waitress. The answer I got was"no se" (don't know). WOW !!! What a horrible feeling to be ignored and no words when you bring it to someone. STAY AWAY !!!!! If that's just to place your order, imagine the balance of the service. They didn't care. 1 star as 0 is no possible. read more

First time visiting this restaurant and it was alright. The waitress was friendly and our order came out pretty quickly, which we appreciated. The fish croquetas were delicious and would recommend. However, the Mahi with the Cesar salad didn't seem as fresh. I would say it is more the salad than the Mahi. The bar is not a full bar and there was staff sitting down which was a bit odd. The ambience was nice and provided dim lighting. I wouldn't mind going again and trying something different next time. read more

I hadn't been here in so long I almost forgot what a good time it is. We wanted to have a simple birthday lunch for my hubby. During these times we wanted some place not crowded but had good food. Remembering all the seaside decor and hubby's love for the ocean this made for the perfect spot. It's truly a fun restaurant to look at all the cool and funny art that everywhere. From a bar that's half a boat to the nautical portholes for windows to the funny art of fish fishing for people with beer as bait. It's just all in good fun. After being told to choose any searing we went with a booth and ordered the tuna tartare and hun got a grouper soup with noodles ( you have a with rice option too). Both were so tasty and a definite would order again. For our main he went with the blackened snapper sandwich and I couldn't resist the seafood with lobster pasta. OMG, the pasta is something I can order time and time again and not feel bad about it. It was so good and the portion was great and you just cant finish that portion.....cool...got lunch for tomorrow. We really had a great time and enjoyed everything here. Totally cool place to kick back with loved ones, friends, solo, etc. Just a laid back vibe with nice service and tasty food. read more

See all

Long time not visiting but good as always, our server Gustavo was very helpfull with some question I had, the food was good and fresh. Order a soup and fried fish chunks, fritura de bacalao and cobo was good as well. The place was full but all was brought over very quick. Ambiance was crowded but not to loud. read more

See all

Food was excellent, fresh , great presentation, cold beer , the service was excellent! This restaurant is one of my favorites now .

Best fish soup ever , if you like seafood at an affordable price this is the place to go for sure !!!

Was in the mood for fresh seafood and my dad brought me here. Although I have driven right by this place hundreds, maybe thousands of times in my life, somehow I never stopped in... That will DEFINITELY change after the delicious dinner I had here! Our waitress, Eugenia, was wonderful. Very attentive, very sweet & made great suggestions. We went with the Ceviche Rocoto Mixto & Ensalada de Aguacate con Miel y Limón (Mixed Greens, Fresh Tomatoes, Onions, Peppers, Avocado and Cilantro with Honey-Lime Dressing). The ceviche was delicious! Fresh, a little spicy & in the Peruvian style which I love, with sweet potato & toasted corn & the salad? Incredible!!!! Again, super fresh & i LOVED the combination! The dressing was so good. Loved this salad! For entrees, I did the Snapper with lemon sauce & my dad did Corvina in Pineapple sauce. Both were fantastic! Fish was perfectly cooked & seasoned, the sauces were delicate, not over powering yet full of flavour & absolutely luscious! We ate every last bite. For dessert, we split a wonderfully smooth & creamy Flan de Coco with cafecito cubano. Perfect meal! Highly recommend & will definitely be back! read more

See all

Fish soup was bland, lacked fish flavor. Should be made with a fish stock. Not impressed at all.

This place is absolutely terrible if you come here, be careful they will charge you without even asking you. I ordered a seafood soup and she's like oh we have a special also with lobster and I'm like I don't want lobster I don't want rice. I go pay my bill and I noticed that my bills $10 higher and why is my bill $10 higher like I thought that you ordered I'm like no you didn't I thought what do you mean? I thought I thought don't think confirm things being sneaky like that absolutely Absolutely absolutely 100% disappointed with this place. I will never eat here in this place and whenever I have a chance, I will tell people not to waste your time and come eat in this place. This place is absolutely terrible. read more

This is my convenient seafood spot. Good food. Good prices. The atmosphere is a little cheesy, but I think that keeps the crowds away, which is good for me, but probably bad for business. I come here pretty often. Haven't been disappointed. read more

Cayo Esquivel - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Soo good! Not only the food was exquisite- well prepared and served. The ambiance made you feel at home.The waitress was warm ,pleasant and atrentive to our request at all times.I highly reccomend this restaurant and I am looking forward to my next visit!/​ read more

Haven's been to this restaurant in years. Yesterday hubby & I were in the neighborhood & it was 9:30, trying to find something semi healthy & decided to give them a try. As we entered we were greeted right away & waiter escorted us to our table. We ordered Mahi croquetas to start, they were delicious. For our entrees we ordered Fish Chunks (Mahi chunks, breaded & deep fried), yellow rice (which arrived cold, but waiter was apologetic & brought us " steaming hot" rice, which btw was absolutely delicious!!! It was exactly what you think of when you think of "Seafood yellow rice , or yellow rice with fish. Flavor , texture, everything about it, yumm!!) oh & we got it with a salad also. (Salad was typical lettuce , tomato, onion, evo & oil but everything was fresh, tomato slices were big, lettuce was crispy). No dessert today, too stuffed, but had of course, a Hispanic without drinking at the end... not happening lol! Overall experience was very good, the only thing I would say I would've changed, is that waiters would NOT have their noses out of their mask. And one waiter was on the restaurant phone without his mask on for a while. Otherwise, nice experience . read more

Cayo Esquivel - Fish Chunks (MAHI), yellow rice (yumm) & salad - Seafood Near Me - Miami, Florida

Can't beleive I had never tried this place before last night. Its a cuban seafood place. Very casual atmosphere with funky nautical murals on the walls. You can sit at the bar or at a table. I'm pretty sure they only serve wine and beer which is fine because the sangria was perfect. There is a full menu of fresh seafood served with two accompaniments each - choose from yello or white rice, platanos madras, house salad, french fries, yuca and I'm probably missing something. We were a large party of about twenty people. They accomodated us without reservations and service was very good. We had conch fritters and cod fritters - fresh and delicious. We ordered camarones enchilados, coconut shrimp, grilled snapper, fried snapper, shrimp and pasta; those are just a few of the meals that our party ordered last night and all plates were emptied. read more

Horrible service. The female hostess super rude. Unable to communicate properly. States that the window booth are only for 3 people. Very unfriendly and bad attitude I don't recommend this restaurant anymore. It was good before They need to train the hostess public relations El restaurant está casi vacío. No entiendo a la hostess read more

I'm writing this after I finished my lunch , this place is amazing good, it was something else years ago and I never been back for the past 10 years because it was bad, The seafood is amazing so is the service and prices I highly recommend people come here Just sit at the bar you will get the best and fastest service read more