One type of food that is very limited in Florida dining is Haitian food—even though nine of the ten U.S. cities with the highest Haitian population reside in Florida (Pointless Trivia of the Week). A lone wolf exception is Tap Tap Haitian Restaurant, a local Miami favorite that also got the attention of Food Network a couple years ago as it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Being on South Beach and so close to the joint, I decided to give it a shot.
The place has a heavy aura of the Caribbean with the colors, the paintings, the drawings on the table, and the overall décor. It has a laid-back vibe with tables outside and inside. It’s a very inviting scene, with the bar right located right in front. The menu is quite diverse, in terms of food and the alcohol (Miami Beach is quite good with their alcoholic options)—resulting in me ordering a tropical rhum punch and coconut shrimp with rice and plantains.
The rhum punch is quite strong, but not too overbearing. The strong rum goes well with the multitude of fruit juices used to create the concoction. Has that cool Caribbean taste. You know its not a true Miami cuisine moment without a dosage of alcohol by your side. I might be talking too much, let’s move on.
The coconut shrimp arrives in all its glory. The dish consists of rice, beans, the plantains, and a big bowl with shrimp swimming in the sauce along with veggies. The shrimp itself was quite good and large in size, but the sauce was an interesting surprise. Supposedly it was coconut sauce, but I didn’t taste much of the coconut. It had more of a mojo taste. It was still good, but I was expecting a fruitier twist to seafood as opposed to your usual Caribbean flavors and spices. The rice however was quite delicious, as it had a good taste of salt and heat to work with the shrimp broth.
Bottom Line: Tap Tap Haitian Restaurant is another good taste of the Caribbean, and more evidence that South Florida has the best options on Hispanic/Caribbean cuisine—something that is seemingly lacking in Central Florida (with exceptions of course). While it’s not surrounded by a Caribbean neighborhood (Like Little Havana) and instead is located in the outskirts of the Ocean Drive range, you will feel right at home from the very beginning. Good food, good service, just a good ol’ time in South Beach.
Final Verdict: Recommend
Tap Tap Haitian Restaurant
819 5th St
Miami Beach, FL 33139
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