There are new restaurants popping up in South Florida all the time, but a lot of them bite off more than they can chew and close, quickly. We found a spot that started small, and as South Floridians’ appetites grew for their goodies, they grew, too.
The food scene is heating up. That’s because Caja Caliente is calling Coral Gables home.
Mika Leon, Caja Caliente: “Caja Caliente is a concept that started about three years ago. It was a food truck, and we slowly morphed into a brick-and-mortar restaurant now located in Coral Gables.”
Caja is known for their Cuban-Mexican fusion.
Mika Leon: “We are known as the home of the original Cuban taco. That means it’s all of our Cuban recipes, but in the vessel of a taco.”
But with a full-size restaurant, the menu is getting even more creative.
Mika Leon: “Coral Gables is different in the aspect that we have a way larger kitchen, and we have way more room to play and be creative, mess around with more recipes.”
This spot will be the toast of the Gables. The new restaurant has a happy hour, thanks to a beer and wine license.
Mika Leon: “Something very special that you get in the Gables location that you can’t get in the Wynwood location would be our Discos Voladores. It’s Cuban bread, and then we put any protein — whether it be our grandfathers’ pork, ropa vieja or steak inside.”
You can get get a stuffed avocado filled with homemade ropa vieja. Or how about gator tacos? Ooh!
Mika Leon: “Staying true to our roots again and being a Miamian, we do the gator taco. A lot of people like to say gator tastes like chicken, so I always tell my customers to not be afraid of it.”
Yenesia Rodriguez, diner: “To be blatantly honest, I’ve never had gator, except for now, and I’m just so pleasantly surprised that it just tasted amazing, because I would have never taken the jump to do it, and it was just great.”
The new restaurant is serving Cuban nachos that are made from plantain chips and get topped with a fried egg and…
Mika Leon: “Something else that is very unique to this location is Bolitas de Platano. It’s plantain, we stuff it with our famous picadillo, and we fry them. They’re delicious.”
Now that Caja Caliente has planted roots in the Gables, your stomach is sure to appreciate it.
Mika Leon: “Also, we don’t do small tacos, if you know us, so, one, you’re satisfied and, two, you’re full.”
FOR MORE INFO:
Caja Caliente
808 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
Coral Gables, FL 33134
786-431-1947
https://caja-caliente.com/
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