Miami’s home-grown taco and tequila empire is opening a new spot in Coral Gables

January 26, 2024January 26, 2024 Admin

The South Florida taco empire that started in 2014 with a late-night location on South Beach is growing again.

After opening locations in Coconut Grove, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Bodega Taqueria y Tequila is opening a new restaurant and bar in Coral Gables. The brand also has two locations in Chicago.

The new Bodega, located next to Seasons 52 on Miracle Mile, is the brand’s first hybrid spot in Florida, similar to the location in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

The Coral Gables restaurant has less of the wee-hours, maybe-we’re-already-a-little-drunk speakeasy style Bodega is famous for, mainly because the Gables isn’t much of a late-night destination. The Miracle Mile location will focus more on being a casual, all-day neighborhood sort of space.

This isn’t the first time Bodega has styled its brand to respond to neighborhood vibes. The Grove Bodega, like its South Beach predecessor, is a lively speakeasy, while the smaller Aventura version is a fast-casual taqueria only (Aventura nightlife being somewhat non-existent).

A house margarita and the Elote cocktail ( Mezcal Vago Elote infused with charred pineapple, lemon, egg white, hot honey, and a pineapple smoked hatch chile salt rim) at the new Bodega in Coral Gables.

Jared Galbut, CEO and founder of Bodega, says the brand is “about embedding ourselves in the fabric of the neighborhood.”

“We aim to create a space where locals can enjoy their experience in a more casual setting at any time of day,” he said of the Gables restaurant. “This opening marks a significant milestone for us, as we expand the hybrid concept.”

The Gables Bodega will also use kiosks where diners will order, then grab a seat indoors or on an outdoor patio. There are 10 swanky new cocktails to try, including Banana Mezcal with mezcal, Giffard Banane du Brasil, lime, agave, and plantain chips, and the El Rico with Tequila Ocho Extra Anejo and Vago Ensamble mezcal with amaro, egg whites and edible gold.

But the location hasn’t entirely abandoned its speakeasy roots. In the back, the new spot will also have a 506-square-foot mezcaleria with full service and a big selection of high-end tequilas and mezcals, including the Elote with Mezcal Vago Elote infused with charred pineapple, lemon, egg white, hot honey, and a pineapple smoked hatch chile salt rim.

There’s also a special mezcaleria menu, and the space will feature flight nights and Mezcal Mondays highlighting old favorites plus new cocktails, including something called a Millionaire Margarita.

Coral Gables won’t be the last frontier for the brand. Additional locations are in the works for downtown Miami, Wynwood and in Nashville and Washington D.C. Bodega also plans to open at the Hard Rock Stadium’s East End Zone Suite this summer, just in time for the next Dolphins season.