Taquiza keeps things simple: handmade tortillas, really good tacos, and blue corn chips I could eat my body weight in.
This Taquiza Miami North Beach review is about a casual taco spot that focuses on doing a few things extremely well. It’s a casual, walk-in taco shop in North Beach where the tortillas are made in-house, the flavors are bold, and the food comes out fast enough that you can easily stop here between beach time and whatever you’re doing next.
It’s simple. It’s casual. And the food is genuinely excellent.
Taquiza is located in North Beach, a little outside the main South Beach area. If you want the flexibility to explore different neighborhoods around Miami, renting a car can make getting around much easier. I’ve found some really good rental car deals here.
Taquiza is located in North Beach and operates exactly how a good taco spot should.
You walk in, order at the counter, grab a table, eat your tacos, and go on with your day. It’s indoors, walk-in friendly, and perfect for a quick lunch after the beach. We’ve gone with just the two of us and also with friends, and it works either way. This isn’t a long sit-down dinner. It’s quick tacos done right.
And the craftsmanship shows up immediately in the tortillas. Taquiza makes their masa in-house, which means the tortillas actually taste like something instead of just holding the fillings together. That alone makes a huge difference.
The restaurant was even featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which makes sense once you taste the food. The focus here is clearly on authenticity and quality ingredients — no shortcuts.
Because Taquiza makes their masa in-house, the tortillas have real flavor and structure. They’re soft but sturdy enough to hold everything together without falling apart halfway through your taco.
And once you start ordering, it’s hard to stop.
Do not skip these.
The heirloom blue corn chips are hand-torn and fried so they’re crispy on the outside but slightly soft in the center. They’re thick enough to scoop up guacamole without snapping in half — which, honestly, is the bare minimum requirement for a tortilla chip but somehow still rare.
They also have real corn flavor. Paired with the guacamole? Chef’s kiss. I could genuinely eat my body weight in these chips.
The carnitas are slow-braised pork cooked with orange and cinnamon.
It’s savory with a little depth of sweetness, juicy without being greasy, and packed with flavor. If you like traditional carnitas tacos, this is a very solid choice.
Pastor is the grilled achiote-rubbed pork topped with pineapple.
This is the classic taco option here. It’s slightly smoky, slightly sweet, and really balanced. If it’s your first time at Taquiza, you can’t go wrong starting here.
The barbacoa is braised brisket cooked with chiles and warm spices.
It’s rich, hearty, and deeply flavorful. If you like slow-cooked meats and stronger seasoning, this one delivers.
One of the things I always notice here is the mix of locals and visitors. That’s usually a good sign.
No one is super dressed up. It’s beach casual — cover-ups, flip flops, shorts — and you can walk in straight from the beach without feeling out of place.
The restaurant itself isn’t loud or flashy either. There are no neon signs or party music, and you won’t see giant margarita towers being carried around the dining room. People are here for tacos. And that’s exactly why it works.
The focus stays on the food: the homemade masa, the quality of the meat, and the fact that the tortillas actually taste like something instead of disappearing into the background.
If I’m in Miami Beach and craving tacos, this is where I’m going.
If you’re planning more food stops while exploring the city, you might also want to check out my guide to where to eat in South Beach Miami for other restaurants worth adding to your list.
Tacos are typically around $5–$6 each, which is pretty reasonable for Miami Beach.
They make them fast, so you’re not waiting forever. It’s very much an order, eat, and go type of place.
We walked there or used Uber, so I can’t personally speak to the parking situation. Since it’s North Beach, street parking is likely your main option if you’re driving.
If you’re planning to explore more of Miami beyond North Beach, renting a car can make things easier. I usually compare prices through Discover Cars to see rental options in one place, especially if I want the flexibility to explore different neighborhoods.
The restaurant is also kid-friendly — as long as your kids actually like authentic Mexican tacos. This isn’t a plain cheese taco situation. The flavors are bold and traditional.
If you're planning your food stops around Miami, you might also want to see my full review of Café Bastille Downtown Miami for one of my favorite brunch spots near the cruise port but they also have a location in South Beach.
If you want loud margaritas and party tacos, this isn’t it. If you want handmade tortillas, quality meat, and blue corn chips you’ll still be thinking about later — go here. Taquiza is casual, quick, and really good.
And it’s one of those places I would absolutely go out of my way for.
If you’re planning a longer Miami trip and mapping out where to eat, you can also check out my Miami 3 Day Itinerary for more restaurant stops and things to do around the city.
Four hours on a train through a canyon you can’t reach by car — such a fun experience! We picked the indoor seats with unlimited access to the open-air viewing car, which honestly felt like the only right call. You’re not stuck in an assigned seat the whole time we bounced between the two, snacks in hand, chasing the best light.
The scenery is the whole point. Red rock cliffs, the Verde River, a 734-foot tunnel, historic trestle bridges views most people visiting Sedona never see, because you literally can’t drive to them.
The charcuterie box that comes with your ticket is shockingly filling ✨ so skip lunch at the Copper Spike Café beforehand, save your appetite for dinner back in Sedona.
Four hours with no stops did start to feel long by the end, but the trade-off for scenery like this? Worth it.
Would I ride it again? Yes. Would I buy lunch first again? No.
Link in bio for the full review cost breakdown, what to pack, and exactly how early to arrive 🚂
I ate chilaquiles while a Cessna taxied past the window, and that’s just a normal Tuesday breakfast in Sedona.
@mesa_grill_sedona sits right beside the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout, so along with your food you get red rock views stretching in every direction and a front-row seat to tiny planes lifting off. Chef Mercer Mohr runs the kitchen, serving up Southwestern comfort food from breakfast through dinner, chilaquiles, elevated diner classics, burgers, steaks, seafood, all of it.
The view is what pulls people in the door, but the food actually holds its own. Good enough that this place stays packed with locals, not just tourists passing through on their way to the lookout. It also picked up the 2025 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice and OpenTable Diners’ Choice awards, so it’s not just me saying it.
Indoor seating if you want the AC, a pet-friendly patio if your dog’s along for the trip. Either way, get there before plane-spotting turns into a wait for a table.
Link in bio for the full Sedona breakfast roundup ✈️🌵
Confession: my newsletter is where the good stuff lives. Not the polished, edited-for-the-grid stuff, the “here’s the hole-in-the-wall I almost skipped” stuff, the packing lists I actually use, the “don’t book this hotel” warnings before you waste your money on them.
The newsletter is basically me texting you before a trip instead of after one. Sign up and you’ll be the first to know where I’m headed next, plus a few things I’ll never post here.
Link in bio if you want in. ✈️
Yes, it’s only July. Start planning anyway. Fall books faster than people expect, and a few of these destinations are worth getting ahead of. Here are five places worth putting on your radar right now.
Ireland: Cooler temps, moody skies, dramatic coastline fall was made for it. Tourist crowds drop, the green stays, and the whole country feels a little more like itself.
Great Smoky Mountains, TN/NC: Fall foliage in the Smokies is the real thing. The color peaks mid-October and the views from the ridgelines are hard to argue with. It’s also one of the most visited national parks in the country, so going on a weekday makes a real difference.
New York City: Fall is NYC at its best comfortable temps, the energy of the city shifting into a new season, and every neighborhood doing something worth showing up for. It’s also just a great walking city when it’s not brutally hot.
Japan: Fall foliage season is as good as spring cherry blossoms and somehow less talked about. The colors are dramatic, the temples and gardens are stunning, and it’s worth planning around peak dates by region.
Mystic, Connecticut: Small, walkable, genuinely charming Mystic in fall feels like exactly what a New England autumn is supposed to look like. Easy to pair with a broader New England road trip if you want to extend it.
Full guides linked in bio 🍂
There are two kinds of travelers: people who plan a trip and then figure out where to eat, and people who book a restaurant and then build the rest of the itinerary around it.I am the second kind. I will not apologize for this.
The reservation gets locked in first. The hotel search happens within the same 24 hours. The flights get compared around the restaurant’s hours of operation. The rest of the trip exists to fill the days before and after the table I actually came for.
If this sounds unhinged, I completely understand. It has also resulted in some of the best meals of my life, so I’m going to keep doing it.
Drop a 🍽️ if you plan your trips around food too.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
