Having a brick-and-mortar restaurant is nice—just ask the folks who own food trucks and drive around Miami traffic all day. But owning a restaurant and avoiding any sort of social interaction with customers is even nicer.
Two Miami restaurants that have managed that hospitality feat—serving the public, but avoiding them altogether—are El Chino Taco and El Taco Loco.
Juvia Group’s Sunny Oh, the chef/partner behind South Beach restaurants Juvia, Sushi Garage and Sunny Poké, created El Chino Taco as an homage to his Korean roots and experiences cooking Latin American cuisine in Miami. The Asian-inspired selection includes tempura shrimp, a Japanese sausage quesadilla with kimchee and spicy pork tacos dressed with wasabi aioli. Green, jasmine and oblong teas are available to order with your meal.
Over in Downtown, El Taco Loco draws from the coastal town of Tulum for its taco Mexican dishes. Try the poké or the blackened shrimp for something light and reminiscent of a beach vacation, or go for the convenient combo back that features best-sellers like chorizo and chicken.
Wondering what the difference is between a virtual restaurant and a taco restaurant? One is customer-facing and offers delivery while the other is exclusively delivery. The full menus for both eateries are available online and can be purchased via UperEats, Postmates, GrubHub and DoorDash—basically everywhere food is sold that doesn’t require you to put pants on to procure it.
Photograph: Courtesy El Taco Loco
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