Oh Mexico

Oh Mexico is one of nine restaurants owned by the V&E Group throughout South Beach and Miami.  This particular establishment was a referral by the concierge of our hotel as a decent place to get Mexican food for a light lunch, but still within walking distance of our hotel.

Now that I was well accustomed to the rules of dining at South Beach restaurants, Jen and I actually caught the Menu Girl off guard to seat us.  Usually it’s the other way around.  A pretty girl who I call, appropriately, the Menu Girl, is used as the bait for most restaurants to lure in passerbys (see also: men) in eating at a particular restaurant.

Having just missed the lunch rush, we got a great table along Espanola Way (where a heavy Latin influence can be seen, natch) for people watching and to enjoy the warm air.  The picnic style tables proudly show their patina in the Miami sun, as weathered as the sunscreen-free faces that skitter along the streets of the city.

Oh Mexico offers a vast array of specialty Margaritas that tend to be on the most expensive side at around $11 each, but definitely don’t skimp on the alcohol or quality.  Jen’s margarita gave me a buzz immediately followed by a wicked hangover just thinking about it.  A little bit light on the quantity, but these drinks manage to arrive as a veritable parade float nonetheless.

We split an order of the guacamole to accompany the fresh tortilla chips as our appetizer.  While it wasn’t really anything to write home about (which, I suppose, I’m doing right now.  Damnit.) it manages to be your standard array of fresh guacamole and a trio of salsas.  If you’re absolutely dying for some guacamole, this’ll do the trick, but given the opportunity, I doubt I’d order this one again.

Oh Mexico’s specialty are their Molcajetes – giant stone mortars filled with tomato sauce, vegetables, melted cheeses, chorizo, meats, and a side of soft corn tortillas.  The stone mortar helps keep this dish bubbling and hot well after being delivered to your table, with an impressive display of Mexicanery.

The meats were well prepared, and the spicy tomato sauce is literally making my mouth water just remembering how good this dish was.  I felt a little cheated in the cheese department, as the only cheese in this dish is about as much as you can see from the photo above, but everything else about this beef molcajete was a win for me.

While this restaurant isn’t going to win any awards, they do make an effort to create a unique dining experience with their own dishes and drinks.  As with most restaurants in South Beach, a 17% gratuity is included in your bill, and prices are a little bit more on the high range for lunch (the beef molcajete was $19).  The scenery is a little less exciting than what you find strolling along Ocean Drive, but the food is still satisfying to the last bite.  I’m certain there are better Mexican places that simply need to be discovered by Jen and I, but to satiate that craving, Oh Mexico fits the bill.

Oh Mexico can be seen on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Paleo heads
• Zone dieters
• Vegetarians
• Parade Junkies
• Margaritaville Mayhem

Not Recommended For:

• Frugalistas
• Mexi-snobos