Barra Callao
Peruvian restaurant · North Miami Beach ·
Peruvian seafood bar serving vibrant ceviche, creative small plates
Peruvian seafood bar serving vibrant ceviche, creative small plates
"Sporks, Pilsens, and Youtube videos of old Hector Lavoe concerts—Barra Callao has cracked the recipe for a fun weekday dinner. The combination of the restaurant’s casualness and affordability makes it perfect for a mid-week reminder that joy still exists. The ceviche is outstanding. But it’s the chef, his love of salsa music, and the counter full of friendly regulars that make it feel like stumbling into a neighborhood block party. After beer number three, you’ll be fist-bumping with Chef Anthony and exchanging phone numbers with a new friend. There are only 12 seats at the counter and Barra doesn’t take reservations. You’re pretty much guaranteed a wait for a weekend dinner. Go for lunch on a weekday if you’re short on time. If you plan on coming with a bigger group, avoid the weekend altogether and drop in on Monday." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino
"Inside Barra Callao, Hector Lavoe hits blast from the TV, everyone is on their second or third Pilsen, and the chef whips up intricate plates of pulpo al olivo and ceviche while singing along. There’s so much happening in this tiny seafood spot, but food is the focal point. The 12-seat counter makes it easy to point to the beautiful plate of choros a la chalaca from across the room and tell the chef you want that next. The person to your right will tell you they come here every Wednesday for lunch, and the person to your left might say it’s their first time. Everyone leaves with the same desire to become regulars. There are only 12 seats at the counter and Barra doesn’t take reservations. You’re pretty much guaranteed a wait for a weekend dinner. Go for lunch on a weekday if you’re short on time. If you plan on coming with a bigger group, avoid the weekend altogether and drop in on Monday." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino
"Ceviche is Miami’s de facto summer comfort food, so one more cevicheria can’t hurt. Especially one that’s perpetually two beers away from turning into a salsa party. This tiny North Miami Beach spot should be where you cap off a beach day with cold beer in frozen mugs, hide from the bosses over a long Friday lunch, or pop in on a weekend to shimmy to Héctor Lavoe." - ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino, virginia otazo
"Every single ceviche on the menu of this 12-seat counter is citrus gold. Especially the mixto, a gloriously perfect blend of peppers, lime juice, and a variety of rotating sea creatures. Ask for the medium spice level, which we’ve found to be the ideal balance of heat and citrus. When stone crab is in season or there’s Hokkaido uni available, the chef will go off-script and assemble a ceviche so remarkable, you’ll start to wonder about the 80% of the ocean that remains uncharted. Unless you come at 4pm on a Tuesday, there will probably be a wait. So be patient. Order a beer, make a friend, and expand your knowledge of salsa music. There are only 12 seats at the counter and Barra doesn’t take reservations. You’re pretty much guaranteed a wait for a weekend dinner. Go for lunch on a weekday if you’re short on time. If you plan on coming with a bigger group, avoid the weekend altogether and drop in on Monday." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer
"The next time an unprompted craving for citrusy fish and giant mussels pops into your head, go here. Barra Callao is a small ceviche counter in North Miami Beach that makes excellent causas, ceviches, and choros. Since the place is exclusively counter seating, everyone gets a view of the chef assembling beautiful dishes with the kind of finesse you see from a figure skater mid-jump. Even though the chef prepares food quickly, he’s doing it with very little help. So when this place gets packed (it almost always is), be prepared to hang around for a while and enjoy the salsa music playing on the TV. There are only 12 seats at the counter and Barra doesn’t take reservations. You’re pretty much guaranteed a wait for a weekend dinner. Go for lunch on a weekday if you’re short on time. If you plan on coming with a bigger group, avoid the weekend altogether and drop in on Monday." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
