Barra Callao — Restaurant in North Miami Beach

LONG REVIEW

Barra Callao in North Miami Beach off Dixie Highway is a tiny, very unique Peruvian raw bar concept restaurant from Chef Anthony Verastegui. It boasts a perfect 5.0 Google rating on almost 800 reviews, so I was a both skeptical and excited when I went. It turned out to be one of the most fantastic meals I had all of 2024.

The restaurant doesn't even look like it belongs in the very nondescript and mundane strip plaza we found it in. The place is tiny. And when I say tiny, I mean maximum 10 to 12 stools wrapped around a counter. That's it.

Apparently that's the whole concept. You get to talk to the chef and watch him as he makes your food to order. Such a pleasant guy, clearly intrigued by how everyone found their way to him and what they think of his food. He's owned restaurants for 15 years but he opened this a year ago and already got named one of the Best New Restaurants of 2024 in Miami by the local online publication theinfatuation.com

He told us this style stems from his home country of Peru, where this type of seafood raw bar is abundant and locals gather around to sit close and catch up on each others lives. He said what he's doing is a much elevated version of that tradition.

Besides a seaside town in Costa Rica, the was the best ceviche we've ever had. Just look at how beautiful the plating is. Colors abound, flavors are so deep and rich. His crew of workers close by were preparing the seafood and barely a scent of anything. I have no idea what ventilation system they use to pull that off.

I had the El Chalaco ($18.00) ceviche (not pictured), which was the classic but I opted for an extra $4 upgrade for flounder. His cuts are so tender and fresh. His leche de tigre is so good and so perfectly balanced with acidity, you can literally order it as a shot it's on the menu.

The sweet potatoes were the best I've ever had. He uses mango peels, pineapple, orange juice and cane sugar marinated overnight and transforms it in a way I've never experienced.

My wife ordered the days special, which was the Ceviche Barra Callao ($38.00) but upgraded with snapper caught that morning and two giant stone crab claws. The snapper was falling apart.

My wife also wanted to try the Causa de Pulpo Anticuchero ($18.00), which had a potatoe puree cake layered with avocados and slices of this ridiculously good braised octopus. His purple olive sauce contrasted so nicely with the peppery yellow sauce, and this final smoky char touch of the octopus. Literal chef's kiss for that one.

He should be charging way more for this. We were extremely lucky to walk in around 1 pm on a Thursday and get a seat. Within 10 minutes, a line of 10 people formed and they stood around waiting for as long as it took. Don't try to come here with more than 2 to 4 people it's impossible to...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Unexpected. Unpolished. Unforgettable.”

Barra Callao was recommended by Infatuation, so I came in with high expectations. The experience? Total rollercoaster — uncomfortable at first, but once the food hit the counter, it became one of the best meals I’ve had in Miami.

⏳ The Start: Rough. The place is tiny — no tables, just bar seats packed side-by-side. I was seated in front of a sushi fridge, barely any personal space. It’s located inside an older food hall in the Aventura/North Miami area — very casual setup, not upscale in design or layout.

Then came the wait. You can only place your order once, directly with the chef, and only when it’s your turn. I waited nearly an hour just to order, while getting hungrier by the minute. A staff member casually told me this is “normal,” which was… not comforting. Meanwhile, someone fried something, and the burnt smell filled the entire space — pretty sure there’s no range hood.

At that point, I was questioning everything — the hype, the system, the decision to come. But then…

🍽 The Food: Worth it. 100%. I ordered the ceviche, Hokkaido scallop sashimi, and causa with spicy tuna — and every single dish was phenomenal. The ceviche? Possibly the best I’ve ever had — fresh, bright, citrusy, and balanced. The scallops were melt-in-your-mouth tender with a spicy kick (too much for me at “medium,” so go non-spicy if you’re sensitive). The causa was chilled, rich, and full of umami.

Once I placed my order, the food came out quickly and in perfect rhythm. I even got moved to a better seat — unprompted — which made a big difference. Finished with a light, off-menu dessert that was surprisingly refreshing and elegant.

✅ PROS: • 🔥 Top-tier food — every dish was a hit • 🥇 Ceviche is elite — fresh, vibrant, unforgettable • 🕐 Once the food starts, it flows fast • 👨‍🍳 Chef-driven, intimate service • 🙌 Staff adjusted seating without being asked — subtle but appreciated • 🎯 Overall flavor, plating, and originality: excellent

⚠️ CONS: • 🧍‍♂️ Long wait to even place an order (almost 1 hour) • 📏 Cramped seating, no tables, zero privacy • 💨 Poor ventilation — burnt smell lingers • 🤔 No clear explanation of the ordering system • 🌶️ Spice level runs hot — go mild unless you’re sure

Final Verdict:

Would I come back? Definitely. Would I recommend it? Yes — but only to those who can handle a bit of chaos.

Barra Callao is not your typical dining spot. It’s raw, a little wild, but driven by incredible food and real culinary skill. If they cleaned up the flow and explained things better, it would be perfect. But even as-is, the flavors make it...

Disappointing birthday experience. You’d think they’d greatly appreciate that you picked their place out of TONS of Miami restaurants for your birthday meal. Not the case… I came a couple months ago and had been raving to all my Peruvian and other friends about the quality of food, the generous portions, and friendly service. I will be definitely changing my feedback from now on.

The portions were half the size of what they used to be. The plates used to be wide and deep, allowing a heaping portion of ceviche. Now it’s a plate with a tiny scoop inside so there’s barely any fish. It’s mostly onions for $28. Last time, I was full after one ceviche. This time, I was still hungry after the ceviche and tuna tartare. I’ve upgraded to the $28 ceviche and it was definitely not worth it for the price. They’ve reduced the portion size by 40-50% but the decor and seating are still the same. Now they’re charging like the fancy Peruvian places but it still looks like a cheap little kitchen counter. If you want to charge pretentious prices for tiny portions, at least upgrade your location, seating, decor, and service. Also, the fish seemed a bit too salty this time.

The worst part is that the chef/owner tried to gaslight me when I brought all of this to his attention twice very politely. Instead of acknowledging my grievance which he knows damn well is true, and asking me how he can make it right, maybe at least offer a free dessert for my bday etc, he chose to ignore me for the rest of the meal and didn’t even ask how my food is until I had asked for the check. He preferred to talk to the people on the right and the left of me in Spanish and didn’t even look at me. This is not how you do business.

Not coming back and not recommending it to anyone anymore as this was definitely not the birthday experience I had hoped for. Another place that got pretentious too quickly after a bit of success. They won’t last at this location with...