Lo de Lea

Amazing Argentinian food!!! I never get enough of this place… From short ribs to skirt steak and these delicious grilled vegetables, you will keep coming for more.

Well, this place was a delightful surprise blessing that saved our lives. After my boyfriend and I exiled ourselves from Organic Bites (see review) after a bizarre foodless situation, we beelined across the street when my South American boyfriend saw, like a beacon of hope, «Argentinian Grill.» I was skeptical, because it’s about the size of a thumb and I normally don’t go to restaurants blindly, but the place ended up being our salvation. It was delightful. Clearly family owned, intimate, and cozy. The service was fabulous and the food even better: real Argentinian fare (I asked my boyfriend), millions of little balls of pillowy bread, a polenta tower to die for, juicy steak (duh, Argentina) and to top it off — crepes that came to our table aflame. Low-​key and yummy and just what we needed, though we didn’t even know it.

I love this restaurant! I’ve been here twice now and both times with absolutely amazing. I love the restaurants’ quaintness and cozy atmosphere as well as the friendly service. I also love the fact that it’s off the beaten path and not located in a shopping center. Both times that I’ve been I ordered the entraña. It was delicious and cooked to order. The empanadas and provoleta are also very good. This little hole in the wall has become one of my favorite restaurants in Miami!

I stopped by this place for a light dinner later on Sunday night because it was a few blocks away from my motel. I didn’t know what to expect for Argentinian food, but I read the menu on Unilocal and saw that it had some salad/​vegetable options so I decided to go.
I had a great experience! We just ordered the Ensalada Interesante (‘Interesting’ salad), with arugula & cherry tomatoes. The pecorino cheese was good, although I wished there had been a little less cheese and a little more veggies — maybe shaved radish or something. The red wine balsamic was on point.
We also got a side of grilled bok choy with soy sauce. It was very tasty. They may need to soak the bok choy though because there was some grainy stuff left in it.
I guess the highlight was the empanadas. I’m not an empanadas connoisseur but it was one of the best I’ve had. The dough was really different. They looked lie they could’ve been dry but they were really good. The pretzel bread they served at the beginning was also delicious.
Our waiter was delightful! He was attentive without being intrusive and made us feel very welcome.

Since writing my first review of Le de Lea it has become one of our favorite spots. You’re always guaranteed a beautiful steak, a charming ambiance, and Lea… the wonderful host. In a city where restaurants ebb and flow, rise and peak, Lo de Lea is consistently wonderful for a romantic, low-​key, delicious evening.

Absolutely wonderful small restaurant. Try the filet with peppercorns. Will return often. A hidden gem that one should not miss

Really amazing food! Awesome place. Perfect dinner from start to end.
The venue itself is a warm and cozy, and feels like a wine bar. It’s not too cold and the music isn’t too loud. The service was spot on — our server was eager to please and very knowledgeable. I felt like she understood what everyone at our table wanted before we even had a chance to tell her. She made great recommendations. We always had full glasses and bread on the table. There were no mistakes, despite some semi-​complicated orders.
The steaks were cooked to temperature perfectly, the filets were great quality meat. The peppercorn sauce was awesome and not overpowering — wouldn’t change a thing. The grilled veggie sides (we had sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, asparagus, broccoli rabe and zucchini between the four of us) were all perfect, too, and went well with the meats on our plates.
We had a perfect meal here and will definitely be back with friends!

Excellent food and service. We love this neighborhood spot. We’ve had several dinners and loved them all

The best Argentinian restaurant around! Greattttttt skirt steak! And the service beats vaca gorda easily ! Lol

Lo de Lea is my favorite local Argentinian SteakHouse. Leandro the owner greeta you at the door all the time and he takes the time to explain the history of the wine bottle you are about to drink. The ojo de Bife is among one ofy favs.

This place is awesome, the food here is amazing been here about 6 to 7 times already and I have never been disappointed.
The place is a cute little restaurant in the front it has about 6 tables super cozy. The owner is super friendly he walks around making sure everything is good.
The food is excellent, we have tried various plates one of my favorite is Tira de asado it comes with sweet potato mash. The little breads the bring you first with the delicious garlic sauce is awesome. The provoleta cheese is very good.
For dessert you must try the Dulce de leche pancakes they are delicious. They also have a good selection of wine. The place is not the most affordable but it’s great quality. I love this place and would definitely come back.

Tiny, charming, spot hidden in the MiMo District. Very good food and service, I was very impressed. Everything we ordered was off the charts: Matrimonio appetizer (best blood sausage I’ve ever had), Empanads trio, Entrana, and the spicy Orecchiette pasta with chorizo and broccoli rabe. We were all raving about the chimichurri sauce, I can’t figure out what makes it taste different from others, but it was delicious. They also serve little warm bread rolls with a creamy garlic dipping sauce. This is the perfect romantic date spot for Argentinian food lovers!

Had the Choripan kids meal which Came w 4 large Rosemary red potatoes and the Choripan sandwich. Potatoes were best thing on plate. Half of the Choripan was burnt. The half that wasn’t was great, but I literally threw the other piece on the floor for my dog to eat. I also had the Polenta Rellena. It was good. The tomato sauce was phenomenal.

Really good Argentinean Food for a reasonable price. Staff was friendly and the food was great. I first had the empanada appetizer and it consisted of three different style empanadas (1 regular, 1 spicy, 1 sweet), they were amazing (very fresh and the dough was perfect). For our main course my boyfriend and I had a parrillada, and it was delicious. They brought out the smaller cuts first (blood sausage, Argentinean sausage, etc…) and then the churrasco and ribs. Everything was cooked nicely and the sides were fresh (roasted potatoes, small side salad and sautéed broccoli). Overall the experience was great.
We were in the mood for an Argentinean parrillada and got exactly what we wanted. We will definently be back to try more of the menu out.

We went to Lo de Lea last night because Blue Collar was too crowded. It’s very small and intimate. At around 6:30 PM we were the only customers there, although another couple came an hour into our visit. Service was brisk and efficient.
We were first given complimentary mini bread rolls with a creamy garlicky dipping sauce, they were fresh and hot. There was oil and vinegar on the table to dip them in as well.
I started out with the lentil vegetable soup, a thin, tasty broth full of diced vegetables and potatoes and topped with a few shavings of melted cheese. It was very good. For mains we both had the entrana, I had my dish with roasted asparagus and sauteed escarole, hubby had his with mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes and roasted red peppers. The steaks were tasty and cooked to perfection. I like mine done medium rare, and it was cooked to perfection, nice and juicy. The chimichurri sauce it came with was absolutely delicious, fresh and bright.
There are some interesting traditional options on the menu including sweetbread appetizers and blood sausage and some Argentinean desserts. We will be back.

Great dinner spot. The food was excellent. Great healthy options and tasty food. Tons of fresh veggie options! Will definitely be back for more.

El servicio buenísimo, y la comida siempre riquísima pedimos polenta con aceite de trufas por primera vez, deli. El vino siempre el mismo Postales merlot a muy buen precio. La carne riquísima. Siempre es un buen lugar para escoger

My lady love and I spent our 2014 thanksgiving week in sunny Miami. We had just gotten back from Key West and were a little burned out on seafood. My Boo wanted steak (and I didn’t want to drive too far). Thank the maker for Unilocal!After about 15 minutes of research I trusted the reviews for Lo de Lea and the customer uploaded pics of those skirt steaks sold me in seconds.
We made our way there relatively early. So early, we were the only ones there. While some might be put off by this we relish in it. Uninterrupted access to the server, time to make small talk with the waiter, and of course getting to try 3 different varieties of chimichurri sauce.
Since we could really take our time we went all out. Our appetizer was the Empanadas trio and it was absolutely delicious. Forgive me for not remembering the order, but from my picture, the middle one was my favorite.
For the main course we each ordered Entraña (Asado Argentina/​skirt steak served with roasted potatoes and escarole.) My Boo wasn’t too keen on the escarole (endive veggie) so she substituted for asparagus. The meat was cooked to absolute perfection. It melted in your mouth and was seasoned just right. We sat outside on the patio and savored every delicious bite.
Dipping the meat into the chimichurri sauce added that final layer of flavor which was just magical. I’m a huge chimichurri snob and while I would have greatly preferred a more traditional vibrant green sauce who am I to argue with the country that created it? We were so stuffed we felt like there was no room left in our tummy’s for anything else.
Then we saw it on the desert menu. Tiramisú Casero (directly translated: Homemade Tiramisú). How could we pass on this? The answer is we couldn’t. We shared a lovely little slice of heaven and it was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.

What a (neighborhood) gem. I discovered this restaurant thanks to Tal T.
A few weeks ago we had family in town and they wanted steak. After a few rounds of drinks at home, we headed over to Lo de Lea for some (great) food.
I am not going to lie. The location is small. However, I love it! It was so cozy and intimate, yet you didn’t feel cramped like at other places. You still had space. There was no wait as a walk-​in, but it was late — around 10pm. I’d suggest reservations for peak dining hours.
Our server was very helpful and patient as we browsed the menu and specials board, and made choices.
The tuscan ribeye was delightful. I would order this again. Seasoned perfectly — chimichurri marinated — and then grilled to perfection to medium temp. This dish came with sweet potato mash, which I absolutely loved. One of the best I have had. Silky sweet and savory. Then there were grilled asparagus. Another love affair of mine. Charred and crunchy, with a hint of salt. Exquisite. A perfect meal, imo.
Can’t wait to visit soon. I hope they stay here for many years to come!

Ugghhh you guys have no idea how torn I am between the 3 and the 4 stars, but I’m basing this review on overall experience so I’m sorry but it’s a 3. This place however is worth a try and I will definitely be back!
Came for my best friends Bday celebration and had a group of 10. I called in a few days ahead of time to make the reservation which was originally for 8. Not snobby at all this place, which is wonderful. They seat you even if your whole party isn’t there and they do not charge for setting up a birthday cake you bring in which is awesome (you’d be surprised, some places actually charge for this service) anyway so they started off to a good start
We got there and of course not everyone was on time, and we had two extra peeps show up but they were more than happy to accommodate us.
On to the food. I can only speak for what I tried
Empanadas– really good flavor but meat inside was a bit on the dry side, maybe this is authentic for Argentina, but I need more moisture with my picadillo. One was very spicy so watch out. The breading was divine!
Shrimp skewer– only came with one skewer and about 4 pieces of shrimp, kind of skimpy for the price if you asked me. Shrimp had great flavor, but was tough, over cooked (I’m sensing a pattern)
Ny Strip– ordered medium and was cooked perfectly! The flavor was a bit bland and I had to add a little s&p, for me that’s ok though. I like to taste the true flavor of the meat. Chard on the outside and juicy in the middle, man this steak was good. Sides needed help. No seasoning on the potatoes but a little rosemary, again needed some s&p.
Short ribs (sample) — my friend ordered this and it was very overcooked, it’s too bad too, because I loved the presentation. This was served with a side of sweet potato purée, OMG, the bomb!!! Delicious, smooth, sweet but not overwhelming. It was really good.
Also had a bottle of Postales Malbec which was wonderful. It had a sweet start with a bold dry finish. Very good.
Service was nice, I didn’t have any issues, although one of my friends mentioned our server didn’t know what she was talking about on two occasions. Reviews about hit or miss with cooked and undercooked meat are true unfortunately. I like consistency, if you can’t do this then how can you expect loyal customers? Like I said I would return because it’s such a cute place and my steak was pretty good.
Enjoy!

Lo de lea, lo de leeeee, lo de Lea he whoooooo!!!
Another neighborhood spot that has me singing along, lo de lea specializes in Argentinian food, so of course I expected lots of meat. But I was pleasantly surprised to find some really delicious menu items that had been treated with just as much care as the beef. It’s not easy to find a restaurant that satisfies my hubby’s love of animal flesh and my desire for delicately balanced deliciousness, but they’ve done it.
We ordered take out once (yes, take out!) and were so impressed that we returned for a dine-​in dinner. The ambiance is so romantic! It’s charming, small, and quiet with private parking. Grilled bok choy was fresh and cooked perfectly, grilled cheese appetizer hit the salty spot, and fish was pleasantly not overcooked and seasoned lightly. Hubby loved his steak and was thrilled with the multiple chimmichuri choices. Wine was just fine to top it all off, with plenty of choices at multiple price points.
The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. The only snafu was a lengthy delay between two of our courses, but this was certainly forgivable. And who doesn’t love a crispy baguette when you first arrive?
Bottom Line: Lovely locals spot and hidden gem with great food and service at fair prices. Makes veggie and meatheads happy alike.