If three makes a trend then Coconut Grove’s Main Highway is officially a hotbed for tacos. Opening tonight, Bodega Taqueria & Tequila joins Los Felix—which recently earned a star from the Michelin Guide—and late-night favorite El Taquito—as the busy strip’s newest go-to for Mexican food.
The local chain got its start in South Beach and has since expanded to Aventura, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, making Coconut Grove its fifth location to date. Fans of Bodega will find its familiar airstream trailer-turned-taco-truck, slinging the brand’s signature menu of Mexican street food (tacos, quesadillas, burritos). And just behind it, another Bodega staple: the speakeasy.
To get to it, you’ll pass the taco shack, go down the graffiti-lined hallway (a commission by local artist MSG) and through the porta potty door. It’s a tight squeeze but you’ll find a sprawling lounge awaits once inside, filled with couches and illuminated by a 30-foot skylight. It opens daily at 4pm.
There’s yet another layer to this Coconut Grove restaurant: an intimate mezcaleria pouring all kinds of high-end, agave-based spirits. The tasting room opens Wednesday through Saturday, starting at 6pm. Expect live music and pop-up performances to take place in the sexy drinking den.
If El Taquito is your go-to for cheap grab-and-go and Los Felix is your choice for serious Mexican, look to Bodega for the affordable fast-casual bite and daily drink specials: Margarita Mondays ($5 draft 'ritas), Thursdays on Tap ($1 draft beer) and the Liquid Weekend Brunch (large-format cocktails and half-off drinks for ladies during football games) are all a welcomed throwback to the Grove’s mid-aughts party scene (minus the Moose Juice).
