Last weekend, I visited La Placita Taco Grill, a restaurant that opened this year in Little Havana. A family oriented restaurant with fresh ingredients in all their dishes, La Placita Taco Grill is an excellent place to try authentic Mexican tacos.
Upon first glance, the restaurant is a hole in the wall with a fusion of indoor and outdoor seating. La Placita Taco Grill is also connected to a pizza place and an Argentinian restaurant that are on my list to try, too.
Chef Daniel Aguilera has an interesting background. He grew up in Mexico City and his partner is from Merida, Yucatan. He believes that “each dish should have a color palette of five different colors, to maximize not only its presentation, but its overall taste,” a philosophy developed from over 30 years in the restaurant business.
The food was pretty great, cheap, and arrived quickly, perfect for a college student like myself. My order consisted of beef barbacoa tacos and a tamarind Jarritos, a traditional Mexican soda.
The first thing I noticed on my taco platter was the color palette. The five different colors that were represented in my tacos were the yellow of the tortilla, the brown of the meat, the green of the cilantro and the white and pink of the radish slices that were placed on top. Biting into it was absolutely incredible. I could taste the richness of the meat, the brightness of the radishes and the sweet balanced flavor provided by the tortillas. It was fantastic.
All the salsas were great, but I preferred the salsa verde because of its brighter flavors. I chose this particular dish because of how the meat is cooked. The beef is steamed in Manguey leaves. These leaves allow the beef to become sweeter and smokier in flavor. This was definitely true for this dish. It had a complex palette that developed the flavor and made it a true stand out.
I went with a self-proclaimed picky eater trying to reform. He got the chicken tacos which had pico de gallo and red cabbage on top. He enjoyed the food as well, which I feel is a statement to how delicious this food is.
This restaurant is a representation of Miami, a confluence of cultures that have somehow found their places in this city. It also is a beautiful statement of staying true to your roots just like Chef Daniel has done. He has written a beautiful love letter to his youth in this restaurant, one that’s worth seeing and dining out at. So, if you ever need an easy pick me up, visit La Placita Taco Grill.
La Placita Taco Grill is located at 6420 Bird Rd, Miami, FL 33155.