The South Beach seafood bistro, which had a casual menu created by chef Juan Garrido, has closed its doors for good along 17th Street in Miami Beach.
The restaurant announced its closure on its Instagram account with a post on Saturday, April 20.
The post reads, "Thank you, Joliet community. This Saturday marks our final service. To our amazing team and loyal guests, we’re grateful for your support and dedication. It’s been a pleasure serving you all."
"Devastated, but thank you all for the incredible food and ambiance," read one comment on the post. Another comment read, "You were one of the best places we ate at in Miami! This is sad."
Inspired by the sweet, spicy, and soulful flavors of New Orleans, the seafood-forward restaurant opened in December of 2022 with a raw bar, shareable small plates, larger entrées, and late-night poolside snacks. Appetizers included New Orleans-style barbecue prawns, smoked fish dip, and a king crab cocktail. It also served a rock shrimp po’ boy sandwich, cornmeal fried Florida yellowtail, and a house gumbo or jambalaya.
Unfortunately, the restaurant opened during a boom in the restaurant scene in Miami.
This will be the second seafood-forward Miami Beach restaurant to call it quits in April. Earlier this month, Prime Fish announced its immediate closure to make room for a new Motek Mediterranean restaurant.
Although South Florida is known for its fresh seafood due to its proximity to the ocean, Miami has primarily seen an influx of Italian, Japanese-fusion, Mediterranean, and modern American-style restaurants. Many of Miami's most popular seafood spots, like Joe's Stone Crab, River Oyster Bar, and Garcia's Seafood, face more competition than ever before.
As of April 2024, more than 40 restaurants have opened in South Florida.
