Dec 12, 2025 - Food and Drink

El Carajo, Miami's gas station restaurant, is worth the hype

Martin Vassolo

Table with plates of food including meatballs with sauce and herbs, bacon-wrapped mushrooms on a skewer, four fried croquettes with green dipping sauce, and a wedge of potato dish topped with red peppers. — The dates (right) and meatballs (left) were the stars of the meal. Photo: Martin Vassolo/Axios

Miami has no shortage of Spanish restaurants, but one stands out from the rest: El Carajo on U.S. Highway 1 in Coconut Grove might be mistaken for a gas station convenience store at first glance.

That's because it is, sort of. You can pump gas outside and purchase typical roadside provisions inside, along with wine and baked goods.
But through arches in the back of the store lies a cozy restaurant adorned with painted balconies and romantic lighting.

State of plate: My wife and I visited with a pair of good friends. Among the four of us, three were Spanish citizens or had lived there, so take their word for it when they say El Carajo is one of Miami's top Spanish restaurants.

My Andalucian wife says Xixón and El Rincón Asturiano are still her favorites, though!

What we ordered: We split six tapas, two desserts and a bottle of Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva.

What we loved: The datiles envueltos en tocino (dried dates wrapped in Spanish chorizo and bacon, $11.50) were the star of the afternoon.

Sweet, savory, but not too rich.

The albondigas (Spanish chorizo, pork and beef meatballs in olive oil tomato sauce topped with manchego cheese, $14.50) were also a winner.

Make sure to dip your bread in the tomato sauce after you're done.

For dessert, we had the crepes with dulce de leche ($10) and the tarta Santiago ($8), an almond cake that comes with a side of ice cream.

The bottom line: Go ahead and gas up El Carajo. It deserves the praise.

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El Carajo, Miami's gas station restaurant, is worth the hype

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