El Novillo Restaurant

An upscale Nicaraguan steakhouse that still upholds the tradition of bringing out the gallo pinto on a large platter and filling your plate with as much as you want. The Churrasco steak was cooked at the perfect temperature requested and was tender and juicy. Almost comparable to the upsell version at one of their competitors. The bread was plentiful, hot, crunchy and tasty. The restaurant was full on a Sunday evening and the food quality was very good. Service was average and nothing special, especially since we arrived before it got busy, so being busy wasn’t an issue. I would highly recommend for the quality of the food served.

The food The service The atmosphere All wonderful Haven’t been to a el novillo in 20 years but it is still exactly like I remember it !! The meats and cheese were all wonderful at the restaurant It has a Nicaraguan food that is stellar !! It was family friendly and I saw kids living the food Servers were treating the customers like family And the live music was a wonderful touch The also have outdoor seating with fans and it felt quite nice Would definitely come back and enjoy and evening here Located by Main Street Plenty of parking and it was handicap accessible Can’t wait to come back

They overcooked my steak and I had to send it back. Second steak came out cooked to the right temperature, but it was not salted prior to being grilled. I had to add the small amount of chimichurri they provided to make the steak edible. Ultimately ate about ten dollars worth of my $40 Big Daddy Churrasco and left the rest behind in protest. The waitress did not revisit the table to offer a second round of beers to our party, refills on soda, or additional servings of rice and plantain chips. Our experience was a combination of horrible food and poor service. The manager came out to the table to offer a discount and free dessert, which I declined. I would've accepted a redo on the food, but that was not offered. After being a customer here since the mid 90s we won't be back.

Delicious latin American food, I ordered the tenderloins with jalapeño sauce, it wasn’t my favorite but it did its purpose, the lobster, ribeye, churrasco and salmon were good, but the service was excellent.

Local gem at Miami Lakes! I’ve been to this place a handful of times throughout the years (5-6) and the food is always AMAZING! did I say Always? 😇

This last time visiting we went the day before Mother’s Day and the restaurant was literally packed, but Im glad we had reservations therefore we didn’t have to wait that long to get a table. I asked the host and the waiting time was over 40 minutes for those without reservations so if you plan to visit I recommend you making one. They had a live singer playing nice oldies songs which was nice. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable and the service was on point, they were always checking on us to refill our waters and make sure we were ok. The food was fresh and very tasty and they give you plenty of rice, sweet plantains, and mariquitas with each plate.

What a great surprise to discover this amazing restaurant — delicious food, excellent service, and a perfect atmosphere (with just the right music). Highly recommend!

Had a work lunch with a few coworkers here. First time visiting but well worth coming to if you enjoy Nicaraguan food. It was delicious. Everything was smooth and enjoyable.

First off I just want to say that I was skeptical at first because I was in the mindset of Miami looks and "what's trending" but when my boyfriend told me this was a an authentic Nicaraguan restaurant I was ready to try it. He was born and raised here, but being that he lives in California now and I am a California native he wanted me to see authentic local cuisine. As we walked up, there was a cute little outdoor seating area. However, I wanted to sit inside so inside and the decor was very vibrant, and had a Central American vibe. From start to finish the service was amazing. They greeted us and smiled. They walked us to our table and sat down in a nice quiet booth. We passed by the corner. We noticed a man singing live inside, which gave it a pleasant ambiance. Our server came over and he was very friendly. We knew what we wanted to order right away. We ordered one chicken chimichurri and steak chimichurri. We sat maybe for about 10 minutes and then our server came out with our food. it was a good amount and so cool as they come with a tray that has rice and beans with planting chips! And what's the kicker here is you can have refills! The food was bursting with so many flavors. It was cooked perfectly. My steak and chicken had grill marks and the chimichurri sauce tasted so good. We were so delighted. I had so much food I was able to take my food with me back to our hotel. Afterwards, we were so excited so we both agreed to order two Café con leche and a tres Leche cake! Café con Leche came out with the Tres leches and let me tell you it was amazing bursting sweetness in your mouth. The tri leches was cooked to perfection with the amount of sauce. It was an overbearing. My boyfriend raved about this place and now I see why he loves it and every single time he comes to visit he stops by El Novillo! This definitely will be our go to restaurant when we come to Miami to visit family. we highly recommend it. We give it five stars. Everything was amazing. So when you are visiting Miami, do not forget to stop by Miami Springs and eat at El Novillos.

All things considered El Novillo is not only peak but my favorite restaurant. The appetizer platter is delicious and enough to feed families for generations. I've gotten the Churrasco with chimichurri at least once every single year since I was 5 years old and it has never disappointed. The inside is beautiful and super vibrant and service is always friendly and quick. Thank you El goat Novillo for making steak my favorite food

Sadly, the food at this restaurant has drastically gone downhill. We have been coming to this restaurant for almost 30 years, but the significant decline in the last year or so is too hard to ignore at this point. This evening, the baby churassco was the slimmest, smallest piece of meat, and it was dried up and tasted awful. We have never complained before this evening, and pointed it out to the waitress who just laughed and said that is how it should be - and then laughed and when about her business. The manager was summoned over, and he proceeded to say that's how it should look, a small dried up piece of meat they charge almost $30 for - and then he laughed and walked away and didn't even try to make it right. He walked by a couple times, and this old smug man saw the steak was still off to the side untouched and he had a smile or enjoyment about it as if he thought it was humorous. When the waitress came back she saw the steak was essentially untouched and when told the steak was completely dried out and disgusting she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders and asked if we wanted desert. As a side note, the restaurant was quite empty even though it was still dinner time. We have had other less than perfect meals there in the last year or so, but this was by far the absolute worst experience and the only time we lodged any complaint. It was only out of a matter of orinciple but they had no class much less any interest in making it right. I have replaced my old review which has been rendered irrelevant and meaningless. El Novillo has become a complete joke and a disgrace to its former self. No more lunches, dinners, or yearly Christmas parties will ever take place here with me present. Look who is laughing now

We find this lovely Nicaraguan restaurant in the Miami Lakes area, the venue has a beautiful colonial architecture . Upon we arrived we received water and bread, unfortunately the bread was hard as a rock but we ended up getting fresh bread after our waiter came to check on us. Hoping our experience turned better we ordered the Nicatizer Sampler this was served with fried cheese, black beans, sausage, meat and a cabbage/carrot salad. The beans and the cheese was delicious and the meat was very tender. As for main entrance I ordered the Novello churrasco, and this dish takes all the stars of my review, the meat was phenomenal, perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. I enjoyed every piece of my entree. My dish came with gallo pinto (rice and beans), plantain chips, house side salad and chimichurri sauce. They served the amount you desire so that was a big plus. As for the service, all the staff were very attentive and accommodating. There was a lot of parking available and we were able to get a table with very little waiting time. This is a restaurant that I will gladly like to turn and recommend if you enjoy a delightful churrasco!

Mixed thoughts. I have gone to El Novillo many times including New Years. But it seems to me on this visit portions are smaller drinks bland and prices not in line with what is offered. The service was great and the ambiance continues as always good. I will not be back any time soon we'll see at a future date

El Novillo is a Miami Lakes institution. Always great service and delicious food. The baby churrassco is the way to go. We go here at least once a month. They have a full bar and play music on the weekends.

Love this neighborhood spot. They have indoor and outdoor seating options and the food is to die for! I really appreciate the attentiveness of the servers.

It had been years since I ate at El Novillo and so happy I decided to stop in for a late dinner. The staff was very welcoming and sat us immediately. The servers were quick and diligent and made sure to serve us delicious bread as we were starving ! The food came out in great timing, was cooked perfectly and was absolutely delicious. The restaurant was closing but the servers made sure we had everything we needed and offered us coffee along with our yummy tres leches dessert. Perfect meal with great service = a new go to neighborhood restaurant for any time of day!

Good was great! I requested my steak to be medium rare and to my surprise it was not over cooked. Our waiter was a little slow to refill our water but I was the only one in the table drinking water so maybe that's why? Does not take away from the rest of the experience and meal.

I've been going to this place since it opened. I can safely say that in the over 20 years that I've enjoyed coming here ONE waitress stands out among all that I've been attended to. Her name is Lidia and she is by far the most attentive profesional and helpful of ANY that have helped me before. I only go when she's there even though some others are good but they don't hold a candle to Lidia. The food is also good and the ambiance is mostly positive with the occasional loud big tables that is to be expected.

I use to visit this restaurant regularly but stopped going since the quality of the meat seemed to have gone down until recently I gave them another opportunity and I'm glad I did the "churrasco" was excellent again. Service was excellent as well.

We were a party of 4 that came on a Friday afternoon for a late lunch. Service was fantastic! Shout out to Lidia R. , our waitress! She was the sweetest, kindest and best waitress Ever! We ordered the sangria and fried cheese to start. The cheese could have been a little more warm but still delicious. Then we all ordered the executive churrasco that was about $23 for an 8 ounce. You are served gallo pintos and mariquietas. The steak was cooked perfectly medium and was so tender and juicy. The beans and rice mix was also delicious. It all paired nice with the refreshing sangria. We were too full for dessert but their options looked yummy. I highly recommend here and ask for sweat Lidia R. !

10/10 recommended!!! This place serves the best Nicaraguan food!! Everything we ordered was full of all sorts of deliciousness and cooked to perfection. I've been coming to this restaurant since I was a kid and their food is always on point. The temperature of the steak was exactly how I wanted it. The sangria needed more wine but it was still good and the service was impeccable as always.

Went here to celebrate my friends birthday. Had a wonderful experience. Delicious food with pleasant service. I will definitely eat here again.

We come here often, but today was different. This is not a place for a stroller, and they took a. Long time to bring us the high chair. It wasn't very empty and they took a while to bring us water and take our order. The rice wasn't so good today either.

Walking inside makes me feel like I'm in a villa. The internal ambiance is amazing. Truly feels like a little get away. I heard that they are known for their Churrasco so I had to go with that and a side of shrimp. The food was delicious, especially the shrimp. I will admit that I enjoyed the shrimp more than the churrasco which is a bit disappointing since the churrasco is what they are known for. The churrasco could have used a little bit more salt and I ordered it medium rare but arrived medium well. Nonetheless, I still ate it and enjoyed it. The service was also great. Attentive and welcoming what else can you ask for. Overall, I had a great experience and I hope to came back sooner rather than later

This Miami Lakes staple is an anchor spot in the town. Its consistent flavor and presentation is comforting. The best sangria as well with lovely service and music.

The baby's churrasco is great, with salads, maduros fry plantains, and Gallo pinto ( bean and rice) is the way for an excellent choice; prices are affordable. I recommend to pair with a good wine. Great Restaurant!

El novillo has been a staple in the Miami lakes area for years! Consistently delicious food, great service and at a good price! We were looking for a last minute place for Mother's Day lunch and knew we could not go wrong at el novillo! If you're looking for delicious, authentic Nicaraguan food - look no further!

Ive been coming here since I was a little girl - im 29 now, so for an establishment to be open this long, it speaks highly of it. THE PLACE: Located in Miami Lakes, plenty of street parking is available. Inside, the decoration feels like a Latin American town complete with a fountain. Could be cleaner, but it was clean enough. THE FOOD: Food is great. We had a sampler for starter complete with fried cheese, beans, tortillas, salad, chorizo and sausage. For Entrée, I had the baby churrasco and by boyfriend had the chicken churrasco - excellent. THE SERVICE: My history here with service hasn't been the best, however, in my latest visit on Valentines day, it was fantastic. The host weren't great and even skipped and misinformed us, HOWEVER, our waiter was amazing and the rest of servers had exceptional team work skills.

Great place ! Delicious great for a get together with family. Right in Miami Lakes!!!

I've been to Nicaragua and enjoyed their cuisine. So I was really looking forward to trying this restaurant in Miami. It has both indoor and outdoor seating, but you should sit inside because the seating and decor are stunning. Please see the photos below. We arrived without reservations for an early dinner and were seated right away. They begin with bread and three signature sauces. Chimichurri, tomato sauce, and onion pickle are all available. I particularly enjoyed their chimichurri sauce, which is always a great addition to any meat. My husband ordered their executive churrasco, which is their best center cut tenderloin charbroiled to your liking. I ordered their chicken churrasco with chimichurri sauce. Their entrees come with a side salad, rice and black beans, and some chips. I enjoyed their rice and black beans, which were both delicious. The food is beautifully presented, and the service is prompt. Obviously, the food is inspired by traditional Nicaraguan dishes, so if you like that food, you'll enjoy this place. The portions are very generous, as evidenced by the photos, and we had no room for dessert. I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant!

My friend is from Nicaragua and he loves this place. I don't know why. It's good, but not great. We went on a Friday at lunch (or slightly after, because he likes to eat a little later) and we were seated immediately. I had the Nicaraguan Fajitas, which are just like any other fajitas except they do not come with tortillas. You just eat them from the platter. He had steak that I thought was overcooked but he loved it. The meal comes with beans and rice, which was good, fried plantains, which were delicious and plantain chips, which I don't care for. There is also garlic bread (toasted, too much for my liking) and toppings. One was an oil with parsley(?) and another was onion, carrots and green peppers in a sweet vinegar. It was quite good. Then there was ketchup with onions in it. I didn't try it but he loved it on his fries. I don't think French fries are authentic Nicaraguan food, but I haven't been to Nicaragua, so maybe they are. We split a flan for dessert and he had a Cuban coffee. He said it was delicious and I'm taking his word for it because I don't drink coffee. The bill for the two was just over $50. We didn't have anything to drink but water. I find it a bit on the high side, but he loved it. And since he was paying, I didn't complain. If he ever wants to go back, I'll go. Especially if he offers to pay. But I will never suggest it. It's a long drive from where I live and there are plenty of restaurants that have better food at lower prices and are closer to my house. But it was good.

La comida estaba muy rica, con mucho sabor, abundante, el churrasco estaba especial, al término solicitado, las bebidas riquísimas, por lo menos la margarita y el mojito. El servicio muy bueno, la camarera muy atenta y solicita. El ambiente muy tranquilo, con música en vivo, con tono apropiado y muy linda, además el lugar es muy acogedor. El parqueo abundante. Muy recomendado.

This place is a gem! Perfect ambience, food, and service--everything you could ask for in one spot. 10/10!

Four-star food. Two-star service. Although steaks were really well cooked, I don't think we'll be back. It took forever to be acknowledged after being sat. Servers running up and down but not stopping for refills, or to check on food. It felt more like a fast food restaurant where one picks up food at the counter and sits down, zero service expected.

Our salad came to the table before the bread or drinks which was weird. When I asked for bread the server then bought it to the table. I should not have to ask. You usually don't. The service was not good. She was not friendly and barely said anything at all. She really gave off the vibe that she did not want us to be there. Which made me and my mother feel uncomfortable. The balloon decor for Father's Day and guitar player helped the place to have a nice ambiance.

Just happened to be around the area and came from a friends recommendation. El Novillo did not disappoint. It's located in a cozy shopping strip with an outdoor patio seating area. Given the nice weather today, outdoor was a must. My friend and I were warmly greeted by the host and we were allowed to sit wherever we wanted. We had two servers that greeted us right away and took our orders. They immediately brought out garlic bread, salad, and 3 dipping sauces. We had the executive churrasco and chicken with mushroom sauce. The churrasco beef had the right amount of char to it while being super juicy inside. It was fine without any sauce in my opinion, but chimichurri sauce is a nice addition to the meal. The chicken was super hearty and satisfying with its white wine mushroom sauce. The rice with beans and plantain chips paired nicely with the whole meal. Tres Leches was for dessert. Loved how moist and "spongey" it was. Perfect Cuban lunch.

It was our first time going to this location, we drive to the one on bird road a lot. The food was delicious, the music in the back playing was nice. Ignacio took care of us and he was great! Excellent service, he was always attentive to what we needed, and he was constantly coming to our table. Definitely we're coming back and a big thanks to Ignacio!!!

Cozy little restaurant in the heart of Miami lakes Main Street. Lots of movement and many employees ready to serve you. Our food and drinks were brought to us in a timely fashion and it was all delicious. Went to celebrate my dad's birthday and it was a success.

For a spot that has been around for so many years, the quality has never gone down. Portions maybe, but for the amount of food you get it is still worth it. Entrees come with garlic bread and salad on top of the 2 sides on the plate. I don't eat much red meat anymore so I ordered the chicken with white wine mushroom sauce which was 5/5, so delicious! We were so full at the end of it we didn't have room for dessert but I'd love to try it next time. Service was also on point! Definitely a great local nica restaurant.

Been going here since i was a kid. Portions are amazing and food tastes great. Service is good.

Diosangel was a fantastic waiter, catering to all our needs in a timely manner. Great personality and very friendly! The sangria is a MUST. So delicious! The churasco was cooked to perfection and the side dishes were amazing. Love the vibe in there too, we chose to sit outside due to the nice weather but in and out this place is a must try!

This is one of my favorite latin places to go in miami lakes when I'm really hungry and craving some meat. I had the 16oz churrasco and it was amazing. My family enjoyed the food. The only complaint i have is we ordered appetizers and it was the yuca with chicharrones and the yuca was good but the chicharrones where like they took it out from a potato chip bags, clearly not a real chicharron was used for it. They would have gotten a 5 star but they lacked on that.

This is one of my favorite place since my favorite Churrasco place close in Bayside. The churrasco is delicious you don't even need to add any sauce to it. But they have this red sauce that is delicious. The service is excellent. The atmosphere is really nice. It's big. The sangria is good too.

Very disappointed, the food was horrible. Definitely not a Nicaraguan restaurant. To start off the hostess was nice and quick. The restaurant is very dusty and dirty looking, needs to be renovated. The waiter a young guy was very nice but slow and forgetful. Never again, the only good thing was the churrasco it was soft and cooked to order other than that the gallo pinto had no flavor, beans hard, cheese dry, tajadas old, crema nasty, chicken over seasoned, coco flan no flavor, refried beans nasty, cabbage salad nasty, pork ribs disgusting! Listen you are better off going to McDonald's for 20 dollars or your local fritanga. We spend 200$ and I was so upset.

Okay so am I biased because I am Nicaragua or does this just make me an expert? This is one of one my absolute I guess higher scale Nicaraguan restaurants , is somewhere nice to bring family or bring friends for a semi nice dress up dinner , they have a really great bar fully stocked to make anything your little heart May desire I would make a reservation specially when visiting with a larger group and on the weekends because that's when they tend to be the most busy, you can call them and reserve or simply go on open table app anything you order here is guaranteed to be fresh and very tasty only recommendation I can give is that if you want your steak medium ask for rare because it's happened to me twice , still a really great meal!

Nicatizer Med sampler Nica restaurant with delicious favors and a great lunch deal.

Food was excellent, service was on point . Manager and staff were very friendly. Definitely recommend it. I order a Carne asada was very tasty

We came on a Tuesday night to celebrate my dads birthday, it was pretty slow for a Tuesday. We ordered the sampler, some wines and steak! They didn't have carne Asada which is the typical Nicaraguan style meat so we ordered churrasco which is a thin steak. The server lady was not into the vibe she seemed annoyed all night, the server assistants really made the entire night because they were very attentive. I probably would hold off on coming here for a bit, and maybe check out a more homey spot.

Great food and service. They are very cordial, attentive, and always checking you are supplied with everything you need. This is a Nicaraguan restaurant with very tasty meat. You can get as much rice and sweet plantains the you want. The salad they serve at the beginning with every dish is refreshing. I would recommend this place.

This is one of my favorite Nicaraguan restaurants in Miami. All their locations are amazing in every way. The servers are professional, friendly and super accommodating. The ambiance is relaxing and the decor is like being in a local neighborhood in Nicaragua. The food is perfectly prepared and delicious. I had the Churrasco, which comes with fried plantains and gallo pinto (a mixture of red beans and rice). It was delicious and I definitely recommend it to everyone. It's awesome with a Nicaraguan beer (Toña)...

We had dinner there last night and I was very disappointed on several factors. My son had actually called for a reservation (totally unneeded, the restaurant had less than a quarter of capacity) and the first table they tried to place us was in the back by the door to the kitchen. Really? Then, we requested one of the four circular booths, where they refused to sit us because we were only 4, not 6. Did I mention the nearly empty restaurant?). We finally got one of the small perimeter area booths for 4 Then we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited and had absolutely zero service or attention. No water, no anything. I finally started to try to flag someone down and that still took time. Unacceptable. Once we were discovered? normal service took place. We ordered, my family all have versions of their churrasco steak and was fine. I ordered the medallions, two 6 oz pieces of beef, wrapped in bacon with a mushroom sauce. The plate put in front of me was the worst looking thing I'd Ever seen. It was like it had fallen off The plate at some point and shoved back on or something. No definition to the meat, or 2 pieces or medallion or bacon wrapped. It was the worst mess possible I should have sent it back but my kids hate it when I complain. Their kitchen should have been beyond embarrassed to serve such a thing. And the meat was pretty...chewy. Anyway, I will never go there again and I suggest you find some where else too. Additionally most staff didn't speak English. My daughter in law is Cuban and spoke to them in Spanish and they never attempted to address the rest of us, just her, in Spanish. We did get the eventual waiter, who did speak English They have seen the last of me, but frankly, I doubt they care

Excellent! Our server Ariel was the BEST!!! Treating our table of 16 like royalty. Appetizer sampler was delicious. Churrasco and gallo pinto was cooked at the perfection temperature and very flavorful. El Novillo is the right spot for consistently delicious food!

Located in Main Street in Miami lakes , this is a very good Nicaraguan cuisine restaurant. They offer indoor and outdoor seating , usually don't need reservations and they're able to accommodate you. The meat for the churrasco ( skirt steak) is soft and delicious . The portions are big enough in case you want to share , they just charge a small fee to share entrees . Have ate there many times and will continue to return .

El Novillo never disappoints. Food is pretty consistent. Had the churrasco and it was great. The cheese platter y great but wish it came with tostones. Service was good but a bit slow. With that said they were pretty busy.

HD some of my best Nicaraguan food at this restaurant during my trip in Miami. Their service and food quality is top notch.

A Nicaraguan restaurant in Miami lakes? I would have never imagined finding this place here. We were just in the mood for a steak after coming back from watching our team the New England Patriots lose against the Miami Dolphins at the hard rock stadium , so we decided to walk around Main Street and see what caught our eye. El Novillo means a young cow in Spanish so of course we had to go here. Service , music and the atmosphere is very nice and the food, we were very pleasantly surprised and had a great meal. If you are ever in Miami lakes give this restaurant a try.

If you're looking for a cute date spot and love a good bang for your buck, then definitely come try this place. The indoor decor is very pretty as it resembles little houses with different colors and there's even a fountain! The food is always good. The only reason I gave it four stars is because the wait overall could be a little much at times. I would recommend ordering all your food at once because you will have to wait a little bit in between, due to its high volume. But overall, I would definitely recommend this restaurant!