Tina in the Gables — Restaurant in Coral Gables

Tina's is a small, quaint gem in the Gables that instantly makes you feel right at home as soon as you walk in. The space is cozy and charming, and despite its size, it’s brimming with warmth and personality. On a busy Friday at noon, we waited only about 10 minutes for a table, which was perfectly fine.

Our server was excellent—attentive, friendly, and handling the whole place with help from the gentleman making coffee. The menu is small but eclectic, offering interesting choices that left us excited to try everything.

The food was absolutely fantastic. I had the BEC sandwich, which was perfectly satisfying, and paired it with a latte that hit the spot. My daughter had the crab sandwich, and my sister went with the scrambled eggs and toast. We also shared the French toast and brown sugar bacon, which were both incredible—flavor explosions that made every bite memorable.

That said, the reason for my 3-star rating comes down to two main issues, one of which left a bad taste. First, the chef—while clearly talented—wasn't the most accommodating. We asked if we could have scrambled eggs to-go, and the chef refused, citing that scrambled eggs don’t travel well. I understand that, but I felt that this should have been a customer-driven decision, not one made on behalf of the guest. Similarly, when we asked our waiter to request the French toast come with light syrup, he seemed hesitant and worried about upsetting the chef. Again, I get that it’s the chef’s kitchen, but as a paying customer, a little flexibility would’ve been appreciated.

But the biggest frustration came after we had finished our meal. We ordered another round of drinks (a cappuccino and a latte), and when the drinks arrived, we were kindly asked by our waiter to finish them at the stools at the front so that our table could be freed up for waiting guests. This felt abrupt and unnecessary, especially since we hadn’t been there for hours, and we were still halfway through our drinks. It’s a small thing, but it left a negative impression on what had otherwise been a lovely experience.

All in all, tina’s offers great food and a welcoming atmosphere, but some of the service policies and the chef’s rigidity might not be for everyone. I hope they can find a balance between maintaining their kitchen’s integrity and being a bit more customer-friendly in the future. I’d still recommend it for the food, but just know it may not be the most relaxed...

Saturday morning gearing up for the Centennial 100-Year Coral Gables bike ride needed the kind of breakfast that sets you up for the day, not one that leaves your stomach growling minutes after you finish Your plate yet… I stopped at Tina in the Gables, drawn in by its cozy charm and the promise of something unique and special.

Tina’s is small and inviting, the kind of place where you’d expect warmth and comfort in every bite. The waiter was friendly, the menu compact yet intriguing, and everything suggested this would be a solid start to the day. I ordered a cortadito and Tina’s Famous French Toast, which, according to the waiter, was not only their signature dish but also a generous and satisfying portion.

What arrived wasn’t French toast. It was French tiny toast. A single slice—just one—no larger than a standard piece of bread from a grocery store loaf. Its entire personality consisted of a dollop of butter and some orange zest, perched like a crown on a syrup-soaked stage. The syrup? Watery, artificial corn syrup that tasted like dollar-store sadness. Mrs. Butterworths would’ve put this to shame. For $18, one would expect something transcendent, perhaps a rich artisanal maple syrup flown in fresh from Quebec. Instead, I got corn syrup sogginess, an underwhelming snack that felt more like an Instagram prop than actual sustenance.

Since my supposedly hearty, healthy French toast didn’t come with sides—oh, sorry, my single slice of tiny toast didn’t come with sides for $18.. I asked for a side order of sunny side eggs. To make matters worse, the eggs weren’t sunny at all. They were overcooked and saturated with salt….

Now I’ll give Tina in the Gables credit for its charm and the menu shows creativity. But if Tina’s Famous French Toast is the main attraction, than this is a one-star circus…

Would I return? Probably not. The waiter was kind but lacked honesty about the portion size. If you’re looking to open your wallet and leave your stomach empty, Tina’s is the...

Miami is full of plastic, but that doesn’t mean I want to eat it. The new viral Tina in the Gables was probably one of the most disappointing brunches I’ve had in awhile. To begin, this is a very small place with limited parking and no reservation system so plan your day accordingly. The host is also waiting tables and he was kind but I had to get up and get a menu for my friend and bring it back to the table since our actual waitress did not greet us for awhile. I attempted to order the arepa but apparently they ran out of chicken so that limited a good portion of the menu. To be perfectly honest the kitchen was a hot freaking mess the only good thing was the French toast. The steak and eggs lacked flavor and was not quality meat for the price. The talon taters portion was ridiculous, it was essentially 1 small potato cut into thirds and it was so fried and caked in oil that when you tried to pick it up with your fork it would crumble into pieces. I ordered the BEC in lieu of the chicken shortage and when I took a bit a giant piece of plastic laid inside (as pictured). I sent it back due to not wanting to consume microplastics and whatever else they left in there. On top of the foreign objects in the sandwich it was burnt and burnt again when it came back and at that point I gave up. The waitress did not care she said in Spanish “poor you”. While I was waiting for the sandwich to come back, I realized there was a hair on my green juice (as pictured) and that’s when I also noticed that the chefs, that you can clearly see from the dining room, do not wear hairnets. Throughout my stay I could smell whatever they kept burning in the kitchen. The bathroom if you need it is through the kitchen in which there is no air conditioning so try to hold it if you can. All in all I wouldn’t waste time and money at this place, it’s unfortunate because I was excited...