Mambo Cafe

Mambo Café at Miami's Bayside location undoubtedly shines in terms of its prime spot. The view of the pier and its placement right on the bustling strip, coupled with the musical ambiance from neighboring restaurants, create an atmosphere that is nothing short of exceptional. The overall vibe is undeniably great, making it an attractive place to spend time. However, it's worth mentioning that, unfortunately, the food at Mambo Café left much to be desired. It was, to put it mildly, rather lackluster. Even the fries on the plate looked quite sad. It becomes evident that when dining here, you're primarily paying for the location rather than the culinary experience. On a positive note, the service was a standout aspect of our visit. Our waiter was truly fantastic, which added to the overall positive ambiance. However, there were still areas where improvement could be made. One aspect that caught us by surprise was the drink pricing. When ordering drinks, be aware that they come in an unattractive glass cup that essentially costs $23. It's a detail that they don't always communicate upfront when you're ordering, although it is found in the menu. This practice may feel like an overpriced phenomenon, primarily driven by marketing, but it may leave you questioning its necessity. In summary, Mambo Café at Bayside offers an unbeatable location and atmosphere, making it a desirable spot for a lively evening. However, it's essential to be prepared for food that doesn't quite match the high standards set by its surroundings. During our visit to Mambo Café, an interesting experience unfolded when a photographer from the restaurant approached us and offered to take pictures. They kindly mentioned that one of the photos would be complimentary, while additional pictures would come with a price tag. We ended up taking multiple shots, and they printed and presented them to us in frames. The pictures turned out great, and it's safe to say that if they were offered at an affordable price, we would have likely purchased them. However, it was a bit surprising to learn that they were charging a rather hefty $20 per picture or two for $30. Given that they had already invested in printing our pictures, a more reasonable fee might have been a wiser choice. Perhaps a more modest $5 per picture could have encouraged us to buy them all, and it's a missed opportunity for the restaurant in terms of revenue. It's somewhat perplexing that they didn't consider providing the photos to clients as a gesture of goodwill, especially when everything else at the establishment is on the expensive side. Overall, it was a memorable encounter, but the pricing strategy for the pictures left us questioning their approach. Side note; I added a few extra videos of neighboring restaurants just to give you a feel for the vibe

Fantastic tasting chicken fajita! Huge portion, finally got my money’s worth in a great restaurant!! The best views in Bayside Market too. I highly recommend this place. You can order a smaller16 ounce beer, you don’t have to order their tourist glass. The menu is confusing and leads you to believe this is your only option.

We had to get some Cuban food before leaving Miami. I have to get the pictures. The drinks were very tasty and came in a souvenir cup which was awesome sunce we were tourists. Great oceanside atmosphere outside.

Service was great! Food was pretty good and reasonably priced—especially the sandwiches. The todo es with guacamole to start were a good order.

We ordered the oxtails dish and the grilled chicken dish along with a Margarita with Corona. The oxtails were tender but lacked seasoning and had a lot of fat on them. The grilled chicken was really good but very flat (looks like the cut the chicken breast in half). The rice was perfect and so were the plantains. The waitress was really nice but had limited English so she couldn't answer some of our questions. They take ur pic and offer u a free photo but ask u to buy others. It was a good experience and lunch.