Eagle Room Launches its Return on Calle Ocho

Last year, South Beach’s beloved nonchalant club, Eagle Room, shocked its fans when management announced its sudden closure, outside of the club’s control, and with its popularity at a zenith.

Eagle Room was formerly based above 27 Restaurant & Bar at Freehand Miami. New Times’ food editor, Nicole Lopez-Alvar, noted that “27 Restaurant & Bar will close all operations immediately to make way for a new concept that will replace it. Unfortunately, since nightlife venue Eagle Room is located at the restaurant, the abrupt closure of the restaurant means the club has to cease operations as well.”

The venue carried a reputation for a simple vibe, resembling a friend’s epic house party while their parents were away. There was no horrendous cover charge or cryptic requirements to get in. Instead, it was a quaint, inviting room with disco balls, and a cozy interior. A local DJ spun house and disco all night long.

Eagle Room’s partners, Miami natives Fabio Galarce and Alex Borges, of the duo Dude Skywalker, and their Deep Playa crew, promised a return on its Instagram. Despite the surmounting odds of a club executing a comeback, Eagle Room officially returned last month on fresh soil.

“Now we’re in a permanent situation at Hoy Como Ayer,” Galarce tells New Times about the club’s new location at 2212 SW Eighth St. in Little Havana. Galarce admits there aren’t many electronic music clubs on Eighth Street/Calle Ocho, using the area’s low supply of electronic music as an opportunity. “We found this very appealing. There is a dynamic strip going on at Eighth Street, which has a nice blend of tourists and locals, like the Beach.”

Similar to Eagle Room’s dwelling at 27 Restaurant & Bar, Eagle Room 2.0, formally declared “Eagle Room at Hoy Como Ayer,” will be housed inside the iconic restaurant and music lounge, Hoy Como Ayer, has hosted acts like Celia Cruz, Oscar G, and Spam Allstars since 1999 (the lounge closed in 2019 and reopened in 2024 under new management).

“We’re not taking over a historic place,” says Galarce. “It’s more like ‘in addition to.’ We will be giving it its own life. Eagle Room was always a platform for locals, newcomers, and established artists to play.”

Roughly nine months ago, Galarce and his partner visited Hoy Como Ayer for the first time after receiving a tip from a friend that the venue was looking to fill some additional space. The timing didn’t seem right, however. It was only a few months ago when Hoy Como Ayer’s management brought in Jerry Bock, a former restaurant partner of Doya and Wynwood Diner, with whom Galarce and Borges had worked for a decade.
Now the timing felt right, and they executed a new partnership. “We felt comfortable, and the timing was aligned, doing the second walkthrough with Jerry. It’s been great to integrate with the Hoy Como Ayer team. We help bring the place to life, but they are the backbone.”

The doors opened on June 13 with locals Dude Skywalker, Hakuna, and Generous B christening the room. “The feedback has been really positive, and people are liking the space,” Galarce explains that the business aspect of Eagle Room is never to be fully completed: there is always room for improvement, and the goal is to deliver the best experience to the attendees.

“We never ever talked about where the end of the road is. It’s just more of a life mission.”

The new location is currently open from Thursday to Saturday from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m., with plans to extend its hours to Wednesday to Sunday. There is now a brunch option on Sunday afternoons.

Most importantly, Eagle Room remains committed to no cover charges — just a guest list that is not too difficult to get on. “We never charged for tickets. It’s a guest list kind of situation, and we do table reservations.”

Attendees can expect a new premium cocktail menu crafted by experienced bartenders. You can enjoy bites from food trucks and relax out on the patio. They recruited their former designer to touch up the new location with a unique lighting rig and a familiar warm atmosphere.
"The space is designed like a bohemian chic living room, the DJ is in the kitchen, and there is a beautiful outdoor patio with plenty of tables for people to hang out with friends. We brief the DJs on taking the attendees to a fun house party.”

Management has already programmed the entire summer lineup that boasts roughly a hundred local acts. “It’s a platform for the locals. Since we closed, we have had a pretty long waitlist for DJs. We have almost a shortage in slots, unfortunately.”

Galarce explains that the new Eagle Room aims to achieve its long-standing goal of being “the funnest room in Miami, using music as a medium.” Moreover, it seeks to introduce an electronic presence to the heart of Cuban culture.

"We will be working hand in hand with Cucu from Earcandy Music who currently programs the music for Hoy Como Ayer, to create a cohesive experience on property that brings together the best of Miami's Latin, live and electronic music talent as well as host the incredible artists that pass through the city."

Eagle Room at Hoy Como Ayer. 2212 SW Eighth St., Miami; eagleroom.club.