Garcia’s Seafood Grille & Fish Market

This is a nice place and the food is good, but the service is not so great and prices too high. First the good. The food is delicious, my favorite is the blackened Mahi. If you sit outside the view is beautiful, a really versatile setting that could serve for a romantic date, a family dinner, or a night out with friends. It’s right on the water and it’s fun to watch the boats come in and out with the city in the background.
The bad is that the service here is pretty disappointing. We’ve gone twice recently, and have had subpar service both times. At our first visit, our server checked in on us 40 minutes after we placed our order. When we told him we hadn’t received our food yet, he seemed surprised, and made us laugh when he asked if we were sure. He was really nice about it and gave us drinks on the house and the food came out quickly after that. However, they didn’t have one of the sides, and so just brought out an empty plate with only fish on it. I thought maybe this was bc they were rushing but the same thing happened this last time as well. This last time, they also forgot our appetizer. It seemed like they quickly grabbed us someone else’, because a server came after we had almost finished our meal with our appetizer and seemed confused.
To clarify, when I say bad service, I don’t mean that the servers are unfriendly. We’ve always had a good time because we enjoy the food and the ambience. It’s the time it takes for the food to come out, the presentation of the food, and the price. Based on the service and vibe of the restaurant, they are way overpriced. If they had better service and a nicer restaurant then they could pull off those prices.
All in all, it’s not a bad place. The food is good and it has a fun vibe. But the price hike and service really hinder Garcia’s ability to be considered a 5-​star restaurant.

Food is bland and service definitely leaves something to be desired. Would not eat here again.

Old Miami classic eatery. Straight to the point seafood restaurant with Latin overlay. I had mahi mahi salad and parsley potatoes with 2 rum punch. Fish dip great. Great view.

Very bland food.
My favorite part was the seafood paste they give you while waiting food.
I got the mahi mahi cesear salad with maduros. both which tasted like nothing
Also, not the cleanest place because the tables are semi outdoors
I think the only highlight is that its by the water

As I enjoyed my friend’s air conditioned apartment and we planned our events for the day, I told her just one simple thing: I wanted grilled swordfish. My friend still being relatively new to the area was not sure the best places to suggest. So our search began.
My google search brought up a list of the top ten places for swordfish. I eliminated a few when the comments didn’t even mention seafood. Some places were definitely too fancy for someone who only packed shorts and t-​shirts. But when I came to Garcia’s, the list noted that Anthony Bourdain made a stop here during an episode of The Layover. Tony recommends? I’m in.
My friend invited her sister who was already familiar and also liked Garcia’s. I felt we had made the right decision. Until I read the Unilocal reviews. See, every once in awhile the Unilocal reviews for a business are all over the place and I’m not sure what to expect. But I really wanted some swordfish. And everything else told me we would have a good meal.
Upon arrival, we made our way upstairs to meet the rest of our party. Upstairs there is a bar and a dining room as well as an outdoor patio. The interior looks like it has remained relatively untouched in decades. I find comfort in that. Our table was outside on the patio. The Miami weather wasn’t too unbearable and Garcia’s patio is equipped with fans to help ease the heat.
Our waiter was courteous and helpful with my questions regarding the menu. After devouring the yummy dip/​spread that greeted me when we arrived at our table, I enjoyed a cold beer (served with a frosted glass). It was around this time that I decided that even though we had come here because I wanted swordfish, the Chef’s Special Chilean Seabass with Shrimp in a White Wine and Capers Sauce sounded much better. My friend still ordered a swordfish steak (blackened) which I fully supported hoping we could share a few nibbles.
My meal was in a word superb. On this particular night, Garcia’s was exactly what I wanted — a good fish dinner in a reputable yet casual establishment with a calming outdoor view. After dinner I ordered up a mojito to further relax. After all, I was on vacation.
Some things to note: Garcia’s does offer valet parking but there is street parking nearby. (We were lucky enough on a Friday evening to score a parking spot just across the street.) It’s also good to know that everyone in Miami acts like they are on vacation. Meaning no one is in a rush. With this in mind, it made sense that after our meals arrived our waiter was scarce assuming we’d be lingering around for more cocktails and conversation.
I’m inclined to think that the more stellar reviews are from locals who have been to Garcia’s before while the 1 and 2 star reviews are more from tourists who were unfamiliar with what to expect. I thought the food and service were great and the prices were more than reasonable. (I ordered two drinks and the most expensive meal on the menu. With tip, my total was $ 60.)
Miami in June may not be my favorite thing, but Garcia’s was definitely a highlight of my visit. I’ll be sure to make it part of my itinerary next time I’m in town.

Fresh seafood mixed with good service, make this place very good. Miami River is not a scenic one, but from the restaurant you could see Miami’s downtown skyline. Yachts passing by and the impeccable tasteful food is awesome

far below a regular economical seafood restaurant at the corner of my house.
Lets start with the attention: from the greetings at the door, (nonexistent) after going up the stairs and being received by a very dry hostess, we Sat at the bar to wait the 35 mins wait-​time for an outside table. The bartender was the only one with a smile and pleasant enough.
After being sat at a very odd table, 10 minutes passed by, before the next dry and extra moody waiter came to not greet us or maybe give us his name but to dryly ask if we are having any appetizers
The food was nothing extraordinary, tostones and rice and house salad that are below quality. The shrimp scampi at a staggering 24 had no real flavor and I had to changed them. Fried snapper poorly cleaned with blood and insides. Best thing were my daughters fried fish fingers, fried were extra greasy.
So many people rave about this place and what a disappointment it is.
I guess Unilocal reviews are very subjective and dependent of the mood of the waiters and cook on a specific day…
I feel my money went just down the drain
Kat

Garcia has been serving food from this location longer than I can remember, the food always tastes fresh, service is fast even when they are busy.
I strongly recommend.

Always try the house special, today’s house special was yellowtail fillet with shrimp in bonsai sauce. «Amazing» no need to order appetizers, food comes out quickly.

Not impressed by the food, service or ambiance at all.
Our server had no idea of the items in the menu, then he took our order of appetizers and we never saw him again. Our appetizers were ok and service very poor, leaving us far from craving anything else from this overrated place.

Went here on a recommendation from one of the people in our party who I honestly think just had no clue of what was in store. The parking was via valet at 3.00 and once we went in we were clueless as to where to go. After asking another diner they pointed to the stairs which totally ducked, especially since I was treating my two elderly parents (85 and 95) who found walking up the steep stairs taxing.
Once we were seated our waiter came by and gave us menus, sticker shock somewhat but I’m am used to eating at better restaurants so I was already expecting a higher ticket lunch. I chose the conch steak, also ordered was grilled chicken breasts and grilled shrimp.
Our food arrived and it looked ok. My conch steak was slightly over cooked, the garlic mashed was smooth like baby food and the tostones were the only thing I enjoyed. The yellow rice was tasteless, and the grilled chicken was dry. The shrimp were ok, but the side salad was old and the dressing used was none other than wishbone italian… no thought went into home made dressing which you would expect for the price.
I gave them two stars because the staff is friendly and the atmosphere was not unpleasant. Would never EVER go here again, way over priced for glorified bar food.

Our first visit. Casual outdoor upstairs patio dining. I tried the grouper sandwich. OMG it was one of the all time top 3 best! I asked for fried and the fish was flakey, moist and wonderfully seasoned. The bun was a perfect complement, not over powering, just as it should be a vehicle to carry the fish from plate to mouth. The fries were a pleasant surprise. The rice and chicken was another surprise of YummyNess. The full bar carried ample libations including a couple tequilas to quench my thirst.
This is a riverside hidden gem. Dock your boat or valet your land cruiser. We will be back!

Five stars for the setting but the food was a little meh.
My friends and I were looking for a spot to grab a casual lunch on the water. I’d never been to Garcia’s but knew it was a Miami institution. This was the perfect time to give it a shot! On a Saturday afternoon, it was rather empty so we had our pick of tables on the waterside patio.
The complimentary smoked fish dip was pretty good and got me excited for what was to come. From there, I was rather underwhelmed with the food. I ordered the Caesar salad with blackened grouper. The grouper seemed a little undercooked and made the salad underneath soggy. For my choice of a side, I opted for the tostones which were served with a nice chimichurri sauce. One was cooked well and the other was super chewy. Unlike any toston I’ve ever had and not in a good way. We ended with some key lime pie that could’ve used a real kick of key lime flavor.
Cost seems reasonable for fresh fish. Most entrees range between $ 12-​$ 18, with some other more elaborate dishes and specials increasing in price. Drinks seemed a little too pricey. $ 6 for a Corona just doesn’t seem worth it.
When all is said and done, atmosphere would keep me coming back. On a beautiful Saturday, it was so relaxing to chill on the water and watch the boats go by. Pay by Phone parking was easy to find across the way, but they also have valet. Service was pretty attentive since it wasn’t too crowded.
I’d really like to be able to knock them up a star in the near future! Time shall tell…

My review is for the very obnoxious valet at Garcia’s.
I went there Tuesday night ³⁄₂₂. I dropped my car at the valet around 7pm. The price for valet was $ 5. The valet told me I could pay later which I first though was nice.
Around 1030 when I picked up my car the guy asked for $ 10. I asked him why it was now $ 10 and his answer was that he had been waiting for me since I was the last car on the lot. The extra $ 5 was his tip for waiting! So I guess he’s not asking for people to pay right away so he «adjusts» the price according to how late people stay.
Not that $ 5 is a big difference but having the audacity to ask for it and think you’re entitle to it because you’ve been waiting for the last client is unacceptable. I mean if he doesn’t like to wait don’t valet cars. Go do something else.
Garcia management. Please fix that. It wasn’t a pleasant way to end out night.

Updated menu! New chefs specials.
Same fresh seafood. Why eat seafood elsewhere! Everything you want is here. Made to order

You can’t deny that Garcias embodies the true spirit of Miami. The Cuban style seafood doesn’t disappoint, offering the freshest seafood for reasonable prices. I ordered the yellowtail snapper ($ 24) and shared it with one other person. The meal comes with two sides, we chose tostones and white rice (Cuban style) and I was happily full and satisfied. This isn’t a place you come to for looks or glamour, you come here for local flavors and what I like to call «comfort seafood.»
Tip: don’t miss out on the fish spread and crackers they serve at the beginning. Simple but delicious.

Do all seafood markets have fat cats in the parking lot? Is it like, a requirement?
Meh to seafood chowder. Looked like cut up Bologna in it. And it was a soup. I’m used to chowder being more creamy, not brothy.
We had lunch and were underwhelmed. The dolphin fingers were eh. The conch fritters good, but not amazing.
But we plan to come back and give the dinner menu a try.
Eat on the patio. Totally real picture Miami. On the river, looking at the Miami skyline, beautiful weather. Just lovely.

Swordfish is my favorite, but Garcia’s is my absolute fav place to eat it, hands down! LOVE that place, the setting on the water and the food. When in Miami, it’s a MUST! If I can get there I like it so much, I will pick it up and enjoy it as a carry out!

Garcia’s was a delicious seafood spot right on the water, and they had a great vibe my mind.
I visited with a few friends while we were in Miami, and opted to sit outside. The inside is perfectly adequate, but the views outside along the canal are really nice.
Service is friendly, and I like that they give you a crab dip as a starter instead of bread. I opted for the mahi-​mahi fillet, which was very well cooked and tasty. It was not underseasoned, which is my main point of contention with a lot of seafood I get in restaurants. The plantains side dish was my favorite out of all the sides.
I would say that this place is pretty pricey. Jumbo crab claws for $ 65 a pound, and that got you three claws. Wasn’t worth the money.
Overall, I recommend Garcia’s even though it’s kind of out-​of-​the-​way from Miami Beach or downtown.

This place is the bomb! The yellow rice is the best I’ve ever had at any restaurant in Miami. The waiters and staff are friendly and their drinks are really good too. I love the atmosphere at Garcia’s because it’s so chill. The salmon in tamarind sauce is one of my favorite main dishes with the swordfish being a close second.

Una decepción!!!
Valet. Flojo y me pidió propina
Mesero. Mal humorado y se veía cansado con mala actitud y con muchas ganas de irse temprano limpiaron todo antes de las 9:30 hasta me pudieron los platos
Cocina. Muchos faltantes no había nada y cerró temprano la cocina a las 9:25 cerraron cuñado en Unilocal decía a las 10:00
El síde de vegetales malísimo y crudo parecía que iba hacer una salsa que tristeza muy mala experiencia.

Came here for lunch today and found out that 1. The stone crabs are previously frozen, 2. They don’t have their famous fish dip, 3. They don’t have one of their specials that is listed on the board, and 4. They don’t have lobster roll either. We came at 3pm on Monday, January 4^th and it’s ridiculous that they don’t have so many of their signature dishes and specially their special of the day that is listed as first on the board. I inquired to the waiter as to why this has happened and he said there’s a lot of customers that have visited he restaurant today. Well, this restaurant being a staple of Miami as it is should already be prepared for this. Especially after the holidays.

The restaurant had a great view. Food was somewhat pricey. Food was delicious, but don’t bother ordering the grilled veggies you get one slice of onion, tomato, and green pepper. The service was ok, asked for dessert that was on the menu, but they said they didn’t have it. Glad we tried the restaurant.

Unfortunately, j left disappointed after trying Garcia’s. The lobster roll was a baguette with too much mayonnaise and not enough lobster; the hefty price tag left much to be desired. The ceviche was tasty, but the tomato sauce made it a seafood cocktail, not much of a ceviche. I would suggest coming here for drinks and to enjoy the view. I think that next door neighbor Casablanca serves up infinitely better food.

I was looking forward to going to Garcia’s Seafood because it has won multiple awards and is somewhat well known in the Miami community. However, after going there for lunch with several members of my family I can say I was extremely disappointed. So, let me breakdown why my experience was so poor.
1) Food Availability:
So, I really like seafood but I love Fish Dip. It’s one of my favorite seafood dishes. Garcia’s is famous for their fish dip. When we placed our order at 1:56pm on a Tuesday Afternoon and according to our server, who we eventually found out was also the manager, they had completely run out of their famous fish dip. Excuse me? One of your famous menu items is unavailable less than three hours after opening? How is this possible? They are still going to be open for over 7.5 hours. Anyways, no big deal, I moved on.
2) Price of the food.
The food is good, I might even venture to say the food is above average. But the price tag does not match the quality of any of the food we had. My sister and I had ordered the Grilled Shrimp starter, a domestic beer and the Mahi Sandwich with an extra side, which came out to above $ 40. Not terrible but for the quantity and quality, I felt as if I was getting robbed. The portions were small and my sister and I both left hungry.
3) The Service:
Maybe the food wasn’t worth the price but perhaps they would wow us with their excellent service. This was not the case. Our server, the manager who should not have been serving, came to our table and in a very apparent rush, took our order. We told him to split the check three ways and ordered our food. Over 15mins later, we received our appetizers. More than 15mins after that, we received our actual food which was even more delayed because the food runner brought it out and then had to return to the outside section of the restaurant for over a minute and a half to grab an apparatus to place the food on. After he gave us our food, he went to walk away and we had to remind him to take our dirty dishes so we could have space to eat. On top of that, we had asked him to bring an extra empty plate which only after flagging him down several minutes later he brought to us. After we ate our very overpriced food, we sat and waited for over 25 mins before my cousin got frustrated and finally flagged down our server, the manager. He brought us the check which was not split and in fact had the audacity to charge us an 18% gratuity after never visiting our table once to check our food, ask for refills or even show any concern about our experience. Did he come back to the table to grab the check? Of course not. We had to get up and walk to the register to pay for our food. Way to go manager. So my family walked out and my aunt and I stayed to have a word with the manager, our server. My aunt went to calmly explain to him our poor service and instead of acknowledging the errors in service he just refused to make eye contact with her and un genuinely said sorry a couple times. Now I got really frustrated at the poor service and the disrespect he had given my aunt. So I asked to see the manager, this is when we found out our server was the manager, and I went point for point about every single little thing that went wrong. Maybe he was intimidated or slightly more respectful because I am a Male but only then he was able to look me in the eyes and say sorry a bunch of times only to follow it up with «I’m sorry, we can’t do anything else for you.» Speaking of the disrespect given to my aunt, I will enter my last problem.
4) Only Male Employees:
How could such a busy restaurant with well over 20 visible employees fail to hire even one female employee. I just do not understand this. I hate to make a pun but something smells fishy here. Is the sexism not already apparent?
Finally, this was the first Unilocal review I have ever written and I am so upset that this is the way is has to be. My family will never go to Garcia’s Seafood ever again and I advise your family do the same.

We went to this restaurant because its supposedly one of the best places to eat fresh seafood well emphasis on supposedly, the food was not good at all! I ordered a chowder which had no cream at all. The fish was tasteless and it cost like $ 35!!! Don’t get me started on the service, horrible just horrible. And to finish my experience I went to the upstairs bathroom to wash my hands and there was vomit everywhere oh just so nasty. Overall it was a horrible experience and I can assure you I will never be back.

Lieu agréable mais le service est très limite. Né posez pas de question de toute façon ils répondent à côté que se soit en anglais ou en espagnol. Il ont été incapables de nous dire qu’elle est la différence entre black seabass et chilian seabass.

This was amazing seafood! The staff was wonderful and very friendly. We had the Yellow Tail fried fish the stone crab claws and more… We had a great view of the river and enjoyed the great food with awesome weather. Will always come back when I’m in town.

This was certainly one of my worst food experiences in years.
Highlights:
1. Broken table they refused to shim so it wouldn’t wobble and spill the drinks. To add to the adventure of the table was the filth and I mean really dirty and greasy, black. The waiter said, «We clean the tables EVERY WEEK.»; he then ran away to get some sort of wine (blanc that hurt my throat) {see photo of table filth}
2.Thin, tasteless, grouper chowder with two minuscule pieces of very old fish and no milk or cream ($ 7.00)
3. Nine very small, over fried oysters $ 14.00; again no taste.
4. At least four waiters and all bad and unwilling to clean the dirty table.
5. Long, long waits between courses
6. Five JUMBO SHRIMP; no, five small, overcooked, farm raised variety at$ 18.00. They never brought the Caesar salad.
7. Twenty minute wait for a wee wedge of cheesecake.

I love the atmosphere on the deck here, the fish taste fresh, and I love how they offer all the different cooking methods.
The only reason I gave Garcias 4 instead of 5 stars is because I wish they had a different method of showing the prices of their specials. They’re hidden and written small on the board above the door and when the server comes he doesn’t mention the high price tag on those foods. Seemingly deceiving method of upselling that slapped me in the face when I got my bill.
Other than that! The food is delicious, staff is friendly and prices on the regular menu are incredibly fair priced.
I’d give this restaurant a 4.5 if I could.

¡Buen provecho! Had the conch chowder, crab ravioli, stuffed snapper and tostones. !Todos eran deliciosos!

We had 31 people for lunch and I must say that I was quite impressed with the service, given the number people in our party.
I was not only impressed with the service, but also the food. They start off my giving you a fish/​tartar sauce-​esque dip in which you can eat the saltine crackers that are on the table. So delicious. I really wish they would have given me a huge bowl of that stuff.
I then had my very first stone crab leg. It comes with a delicious dipping sauce and it was fabulous. Next, i tried the calamari and conch fritters. The calamari was your average fried calamari but the conch fritters were out-​of-​this-​world amazing. Highly recommend them!
For my entrée I ordered a special which included sea bass and shrimp with capers and gravy which I ate with yellow rice. My entrée was the best part of my meal!
For dessert, I had the guava mango cheesecake which was ok. I tried the flan and it was also pretty average. If If I ever went back, I’d probably skip dessert.

So I’m not quite sure what the hype is about this place, or maybe I had a bad visit. This place has a fish display on the first floor and has an indoor and outdoor space on the second floor by the water. We decided to sit outside, and we were given a smoked fish dip on the house. It was good, nothing memorable, we have had better elsewhere!
We both ordered fish sandwiches, I ordered the blackened Dolphin. It was literally maybe 3 oz max, with no blackened flavor, with some pico on top which I thought was masking the flavor. The fish was ok, nothing great, and small portion, and I was highly disappointed.
I think this is a nice place, with very nice staff, and has a great reputation, but somehow, I did not feel that this gave me an experience of an excellent classic meaty dolphin sandwich.
Go there once for the experience or for drinks with friends, but I would not recommend this specifically for seafood.

This place was just ok. Ok view, ok good, ok service. Kinda costly. The fish was cooked well but not out of this world. The sides are ok. It wasn’t my favorite seafood place especially when next door you have another seafood restaurant.

Classic gem of Miami. This restaurant has been here for years and after all this time I’m never disappointed.
Service, good, and view are all great. You don’t come here for fine dining, but you come for the flavor seafood they have to offer. Everyday they have different catch of the day and specials. My favorite is the fish dip they serve with the soda crackers. Whatever concussion mixture is in there is beyond delicious. You can be fine just eating that!
My go-​to is the grilled grouper. You get two sides and I always choose salad and white rice. Sounds simple, but it’s packed with flavor. Jumbo shrimp is delicious. They have hog fish and oysters that people seem to devour. Dolphin fingers and the soups are also delicious.
The downstairs has a fresh fish you can buy by the pound and take home.
I just love this Classic spot. Never disappoints.

We had very little time in Miami before our next flight out, so Garcia’s was at the top of our radar to check out.
Relatively easy to get to, parking is a bit tight. We came right at dinner time, and good thing to because the dining room filled up quick fast!
We took an Über there, so parking obviously wasn’t an issue. However the lot is definitely small. The dining room is past the fish market, but it was neat to see some of the seafood they have/​sell. To start things off, they have some seafood dip that you can eat with saltines, so’kay. The menu looked and sounded delicious and I really wanted to sample the entire thing. We decided to started with the conch fritters and some fresh oysters. Staff recommended the dinner specials, since they are one-​off creations that come and go. We were sold. She had the Teriyaki tuna steak with shrimp. It was phenomenal. I went with the Peruvian grilled snapper and grilled shrimp which was equally fantastic. For dessert, we finished with some drinks and the beautiful sunset over Miami River. Very well worth the trip.

At Garcia’s now and feeling gipped. Ordered jumbo grilled shrimp and I was served 5 little guys… such a measly portion I asked if they accidentally gave me the appetizer!
The place is dirty, the staff is distracted and can’t be bothered to refill your water or remove empty plates/​used napkins until you ask. And god help you if you use the restroom. Scares me to imagine the kitchen.
Disappointing meal at an out of the way location. Not worth the trek. Such a lousy experience I was compelled to share it. Won’t be back.

This place has been around since 1966, and has great character. It is located along the river so you can watch the boats go by. They have an upstairs patio and indoor dining along with downstairs patio and indoor dining. They do get busy for lunch. There is free valet or metered street parking.
Immediately when you are seated they bring you water and a plate of lemons. They also bring each person their own serving of smoked fish dip. there is a basket of saltine crackers on the table for dipping. They will bring you more fish dip if you ask. It is addicting.
I had the grilled chicken with fried plantains and a side salad. The chicken is a large portion and is well seasoned. The side salad is iceberg lettuce with a side of Italian dressing. There are sliced onions and tomato on the small side salad.
They play Frank Sinatra music. The décor inside is dark wood. The service was quick. It is a great place to checkout even if you don’t like fish.

Quiero plasmar aquí la mala atención de varios meseros en este lugar. La comida, nada espectacular, para la competencia están mal. Encima de todo esto te cobran taxes extras (según información del mesero), son los taxes que el alcalde de la ciudad, el señor Penelas impuso en todos los locales de esta area. Ni se para qué. Las servilletas no las ponen hasta que las pides. También los cubiertos. En síntesis, les califico como. Un restaurant malo. De 2 estrellas.

Garcia’s is a Miami institution! They have such an inspiring story like that of many Cuban exiles in this town. Two brothers left Cuba and worked to re-​build their family business in Miami and have been going strong ever since. They have their own fishing fleet and the local fish, stone crabs and spiny lobster are always super fresh. There’s also a fish market inside if you want to buy some fishies for home cooking.
I usually pop over at lunch time and order up one of their tasty grouper or mahi mahi sammies– blacked or fried. It will not disappoint my Unilocal.But, if you’re ready for a real treat, forget the regular menu and order one of their daily specials that centers around one of our local Florida fish. I’ve seen these dishes come out to other tables and I’ve always wanted to try one. My friend was recently in town and I finally went for it. I ordered the Cobia steak and shrimp in a tasty tomatoey Peruvian sauce. It was out if world delicious! And not to mention huge. My friend ordered the Snapper and shrimp in Cilantro sauce. It was equally amazing. They had completely different flavors, which resulted in two extremely happy gals.
I always enjoy bringing out of town friends here for lunch and sitting outside on the river. In fact, I’ve yet to sit inside actually!
Street parking can be a bit tricky, but they do offer a free valet if you’re so inclined.