Cayo Esquivel Seafood

The food here at Cato Esquivel is a marvelous feat and grand experience every time we dine. The quality is better than home made and absolutely exquisite and made with extreme detail and attention. This restaurant is one of Miami’s best Seafood restaurant and should be considered a must try by all, tourists and locals. The staff of Eugenia and the rest of the staff were extremely attentive and makes you feel like you are special guests at every visit! Even after COVID, this restaurant has maintained its shining star quality and dining here is always an absolute delicacy. Absolute compliments to the Chef for such greatly presented and tasting food like no other. 10 out of 5 STARS!!!!

My husband and I have been to Cayo Esquivel several times and always have left very satisfied. The food is excellent! And there is a great variety of seafood. The service was very nice. Talaima, our server, was outstanding. She was very helpful and very attentive to us. We also loved the ambiance! We certainly will be going back for sure! 👍

The food is always amazing! I highly recommend the Parmesan Garlic Mahi — uff, it’s delicious. But what really makes the experience special is the service. Eugenia was an absolute delight — warm, friendly, and genuinely attentive. She made our visit even better. Definitely one of my favorite spots!

We celebrated my mother's birthday last night, and the service and warm feeling that the staff displays is truly priceless. Feels like family . Our waitress was amazing. She handled a large party with ease. She was always smiling and patient with all of us . Party of 15 ( with kids) . Will be back again . 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 for her !

Cayo Esquivel is a culinary gem in the heart of Miami. Located on Bird Road, this restaurant offers a high-quality dining experience paired with a warm, marine-themed atmosphere. The detailed décor, including hand-painted murals and Caribbean-inspired elements, creates a vibrant and inviting setting for any occasion. The menu features fresh seafood, juicy meats, and carefully prepared sides, along with irresistible desserts and an excellent selection of wines and beverages. The service is outstanding, with friendly and attentive staff ensuring every visit is memorable. If you’re looking for authentic flavors, a charming atmosphere, and exceptional service, Cayo Esquivel is the perfect place. Don’t miss it!

We've been wanting to check this place out for quite some time, so we finally planned a date night. I could go into a lot of details, but I'll keep it brief. We paid $48 for two appetizers that were less than mediocre. The fried calamari was the worst I've had. It was salty, rubbery, and the fact that it didn't even come with a lemon on the side is shocking. The octopus was highly recommended by our waiter. It was unfortunately barely better than the calamari. We decided to scrap the date and go elsewhere because of how bad the appetizers were. The only great part was the artwork on the walls. Those were a vibe and we really enjoyed the funny details.

A Hidden Gem for Seafood Lovers During a recent visit to Cayo Esquivel Seafood with my mom, we discovered what might just be the best seafood spot in town. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a warm and friendly atmosphere that set the tone for an excellent dining experience. The restaurant has a cozy, laid-back vibe, perfect for a casual yet satisfying meal. The decor subtly hints at the sea, enhancing the authenticity of the experience. While the space is not overly fancy, it’s the kind of place where you feel comfortable, making it ideal for family dinners or casual get-togethers with friends. The service was fantastic. Our server, though I regret not remembering his name, was attentive, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. He made sure we were well taken care of, and our food arrived quickly and freshly prepared. Now, let’s get to the real highlight – the food. Cayo Esquivel is no joke when it comes to serving high-quality seafood at a price that feels almost too good to be true. Seafood Parrillada ($29.99) This dish is a must-try. For just under $30, you get an enormous platter of seafood, including two succulent lobster tails and a generous assortment of shrimp, fish, calamari, and more. Every bite was fresh and flavorful, perfectly seasoned, and grilled to perfection. It's so plentiful that it's easily sharable between two people. The value for this dish is unbeatable – seafood this good at this price is rare! Their ceviches are another standout. The freshness of the fish, combined with the zing of citrus and the right amount of seasoning, makes this dish the perfect starter. It’s light, refreshing, and bursting with flavors, a testament to the quality of their seafood. Cayo Esquivel proves that you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy quality seafood. The portion sizes are extremely generous, and the prices are shockingly affordable considering the variety and amount of seafood you get. It’s a fantastic value for anyone who loves seafood but is conscious of their budget. If you’re a seafood lover and you haven’t visited Cayo Esquivel, you’re missing out. From the outstanding service to the incredible food and unbeatable prices, it’s a place I would recommend 100%. Whether you're craving fresh ceviche or an epic seafood feast like the parrillada, this restaurant delivers on every front. I’m definitely planning to return soon, and I can't wait to share this hidden gem with more friends and family.

After a few years that I haven't been to Cayo Esquivel on Bird Road, food was delicious, good quality, taste, timely. Our server was Talaima V; she was very professional and patient. I give 5 stars to this place, It hasn't change in years. I will definitely come back :)

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

Second time around food ambience was awesome service was a C the first time our waitress was really really good this time Lizzy was lacking didn't get the service as I expected as the first time we went I really don't want to get her in trouble but she should be more alert with her customers I guess I will request my favorite and awesome waitress next time as I mentioned her in my first review but anyways I still recommend this restaurant and I will be coming again food is really fresh and really good

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 .

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.

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!

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.

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 !!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!/​

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!

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.

This place has gone a long way since before the virus!!! The service 100% better my friends you will not regret the visit of dining in! You have Publix, Target , Best Buy and even American Signature Furniture!!! Make a run and dine in. Perfect spot!!! The environment casual modern music. Our waiter Albert on point, courteous and the alternative waiter Lazaro supportive as well. These two gentlemen were on point every moment. Hostess: none wait staff attends to you. You also can choose your sheeting. Attire: casual Price: $$ My friends we will be back!!!!! Alberto and Lazaro thank you for your great service!!! See you again so on my husband and I were delighted of your service. Cheers you all!!!

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

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 .

This rustic and ship like ambiance restaurant lacked air duct cleaning and dusting. The smoked fish dip was basic and lacked flavor. The seafood pasta only has shrimp and tons of calamari. More can be done here particularly on a slow lunch Wednesday afternoon. Service is lame too. Just enough to get by. No asking about dessert, folks in automatic mode no hustle. Pasta dish but no red pepper flake to excite the palette.

Too pricey for such mediocre food!!! It was my first time ordering on line and most definitely my last!!! NO THANK YOU.

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.

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

Best value for fresh seafood. Nice portions well executed. Good service and family ambiance. If you want fresh good seafood without the fluff, this is the place to come

Great service by Alberto! He was courteous and attentive! Our meals were very good! We ordered the corvina with garlic and Parmesan and the mahi mahi in Marsala sauce. They both were hot (right temperature). and tasty! The patrons in the restaurant were quiet and respectful. Will return soon.

Very mediocre ceviche. I ordered the one with Leche de Tigre to go and it was conspicuously absent. That was disappointing, as was the blah-ness of the ceviche. It said mixed seafood, but contained no fish, as you'd expect. The mussels were boring, underseasoned and served without bread, contrary to what one would expect. The sauce was too sweet and tomato-ee, blandly seasoned and unremarkable. I will not be returning. There are many other seafood places that serve better tasting seafood.

So it's late in the evening and I was craving something delicious, fresh, and healthy. I didn't want to eat alone so I texted my endearing friend, since I find her company pleasing and delightful. I had a good meal here a couple of months before so I thought it would be a nice place to share with her. FOOD: -My beautiful friend ordered A Grilled Salmon with a side of salad and sweet plantains (maduro) -I ordered a natural fresh squeezed Orange Juice, Small Fish Ceviche and a Tuna Wasabi dish with a side of Salad and Sweet Plantains. We also had a Glass of Sangria and for desert a delicious Chocolate Volcano with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. ATMOSPHERE: Parking was easy and we got our table right away without waiting. As we waited for our meal a family across from us were celebrating a birthday with a Cuban style Salsa song playing for all of us to sign along with them. The ambiance for good Conversation was great and the decor was like a fisherman's wharf. SERVICE: I am a foodie and the service here I would have to say, next to the Delicious meal the Waitress was very Attentive, Cordial, and as she waited other tables she made sure we were taken care of the right way. HIGHLIGHTS: -Well, besides the great company I had I would have to say it was the Delicious Chocolate Volcano oozing more warm, soft, mouth watering darker chocolate from in it. -The great service from "LORENA" our waitress. She gave us great suggestions and her demeanor was very welcoming. I have to say that tipping her was satisfying because she kept a smile and she checked on us the whole night. Service like hers are what makes a meal memorable. RATING: 4 STARS only because the Staff of 6 should of came to the birthday table and sang along. I only saw LORENA celebrating as the birthday song played. Overall I will visit again

I have been coming to this restaurant for years and I recommend them. The food is exquisite, fresh, with a lot of flavor. If you want to eat the best seafood come here. Marinero soups are really good. Also I like the arroz con mariscos and the ceviches. Try the chocolate bourbon, one of the best desserts I've tried.

Our server told us to "leave her more tip because it was embarrassing not to leave as much" , even though we told her we would tip in cash , and she didn't know we would leave her even more than suggested. she came up to Us saying that the bill had been split and the amount of tip is not what was suggested. I have never heard of such a thing of asking for tips ????? We did have enough to tip , but what if it would've been someone without enough to tip taking their father to lunch for Father's Day , is it okay to embarrass them like that ??? Worst experience we've ever had, and On Father's Day on top of that...

Themis Mahi sandwich was delicious, next time you visit please order this you will not be disappointed at all, customer service was top class as usual!

This is my second visit here and I must admit it was not as pleasant as the first. Maybe it was an off night but it was just a little fishy tonight... my carpaccio the first night was stupendous which was last week and you can see the significant change in pink color. The avocado salad is delicious and cod critters are also very nice! On my first visit the prices seemed very reasonable but my bill this time was slightly higher than menu prices. The oysters were not very good at all thick and when removing from shell would leave a grey film, not happy. The octopus was a bit rubbery but taste was nice. Then we ordered the seafood pasta. Smallest lobster tail ever! It's not worth the $20 in my opinion. The shrimp was a combination of salad and regular. Idk kind of lost my liking of the place but again maybe it was a bad night.:: mahi Marsala last week was on point!

Same as what others are saying about slow service and mediocre food. I ordered the grilled octopus appetizer which came out soggy and anything but grilled. It was flavorless and drowned in olive oil. The mahi sandwich I ordered came out raw. When I pointed it out to the server, she asked if I would like it cooked? Asked them to take both items off the bill and left hungry.

I liked this place for many reasons: Nice service, our waiter was very attentive. Excellent decoration, I felt like inside a boat. It reminded me the restaurants in the keys. I loved it. The food was made fresh and we had: As he house white bread with home made garlic butter. - Conch fritters, delicious with great flavor - Tuna Tartare, surprisingly accompanied with pita chips. The tuna's color was beautiful as you can see in my picture. The flavor was on point with a hint of spicy sauce. I liked it very much! - Fried Hog Fish, it was scrumptious. Hot even after 7 minutes eating it. White fish meat inside, crunchy on the outside, cooked as I requested with out salt and accompanied with the house side salad. Thanks to Yelp I got a free wine glass with my check in. They also have 7% cash back offer in here too. Thank you for a wonderful meal on a Saturday night! Me gustó este lugar por muchas razones: Buen servicio, nuestra mesonera era muy atenta. Excelente decoración, me sentí como dentro de un barco. Me recordó los restaurantes en los Cayos. Me encantó. La comida estuvo muy fresca y comimos: - El pan blanco decon mantequilla casera de ajo. - Buñuelos de Concha, deliciosos con gran sabor - Tartar de atún, sorprendentemente acompañado con pita chips. El color de la tuna era hermoso como se puede ver en mi foto. El sabor estaba en punto con un toque de salsa picante. Me gusto mucho! - Fried Hog Fish, estaba delicioso. Caliente incluso después de 7 minutos comiendo. Carne de pescado blanco por dentro, crujiente por fuera, cocinado como pedí sin sal y acompañado con la ensalada de la casa. Gracias a Yelp me dieron una copa de vino gratis con mi registro. También tienen 7% oferta de dinero en efectivo aquí también. Gracias por una comida maravillosa este Sábado por la noche!

Excelente Servicio, Bien Agradable Lugar y la Comida Exquisita. . Lo recomiendo para Toda la Familia. Gracias

Great place, great food, great service! We had great family time at Cayo Esquivel, our server Lisandra made us feel like at home!

Eating here was an absolute pleasure. The food was presented well with generous portions. The service was great and our waitress Shelley was patient and kind and very attentive with our table. The ambiance was also very pleasant, overall I would recommend coming here and look forward to coming here again in the near future!

I like this place quite a bit but if I had to choose one word to describe it that word would be uneven. The atmosphere is petty cool with old boards on the wall. A corrugated tin roof, tvs and nice big bar. The service is always spotty and a bit slow and the food can be great or ok depending in what you order. Today for appetizers we ordered the dozen oysters. They were obviously frozen and lacking in flavor. Not great and after getting fresh oysters in New Orleans for $16 that were way better than these the $19 seems like a rip off. The fish eggs took a while to arrive but are always really good. They are the main reason I come here since not many places serve them. My wife had the fried whole snapper. That is always excellent. It's a fresh snapper deep fried so it's crispy on the outside and flaky white fish inside. I had the grouper Chardonnay which was just blah. No flavor at all. So as usual one great appetizer and entry one of each not so much.

Pleasantly surprised. Very cute seafood decor, makes you feel like you're on a pier. Food was great. Only comes with one side dish but comes garnished with a tasty salad I've never tried anywhere else. Fish and shrimp were fresh. And the mud pie dessert was TO DIE FOR. Plus, you get yelp cashback at this place! Hellooooo savings!

Worst food poisoning ever . To be a seafood restaurant, the food tasted frozen. The attention was horrible, we have to be looking for the waiter for water

I have been coming here for years, i keep loving the fried platter even though every time i go prices go up as well lol