Velvet Taco, the national restaurant brand known for its innovative, globally-inspired tacos, sidekicks, house-made red velvet cake, boozy libations and late-night hours, is set to open a new Miami location in July, in Wynwood, the city’s cultural arts district. This milestone marks Velvet Taco’s second location in South Florida following its recent debut in Fort Lauderdale last September.
Located at 2800 NW 2nd Avenue, the 3,179-square foot restaurant will greet guests with a 48-seat dining room and a 98-seat outdoor patio, perfect for alfresco dining. Combining Velvet Taco’s industrial yet playful design with Wynwood’s artistic spirit, the new location brims with brightness thanks to pops of color, natural wood textures and cheeky and irreverent wall murals. Further highlighting the brand’s passion for the arts, Velvet Taco tapped the Miami-based, global art group The Color Dreamers to curate the restaurant’s exterior and interior murals. The murals capture the essence of the Wynwood community, featuring the neighborhood itself on an interior wall and a bright, abstract design, complete with a grizzly bear devouring a taco, on the exterior.
Adding to the allure, the Wynwood location will feature Velvet Taco’s first-ever cocktail bar, offering intimate bar seating to enjoy handcrafted libations while soaking in the vibes from the main dining room which includes large airy windows and a front row seat to the dynamic energy synonymous with the bustling streets of Wynwood. To celebrate the opening, guests in the know can take advantage of their secret Backdoor Chicken for only $15 — a whole rotisserie chicken brined and marinated in-house for 48 hours before being roasted over an open flame — served with six corn tortillas, three sides, and scratch-made heat sauce. The only catch? It’s cash only. The Backdoor Chicken will be available daily while supplies last for the first month and exclusively on Mondays thereafter.
“Velvet Taco Wynwood is where the art of Wynwood meets the art of the taco,” explains Hector Manzano, general manager of Velvet Taco Wynwood in a statement. “The Wynwood community is culturally rich and rocking day and night, which makes it a natural fit for the introduction of Velvet Taco where we seek to serve revelers in need of a taco fix until 4 AM. Wynwood is a culinary melting pot, and we’re excited to add our globe-trotting flavors to the mix.”
Offering an elevated take on the taco, the menu is a collection of over 20 recipes inspired by global, creative and crave-worthy concoctions. Each item is made from scratch with the freshest ingredients, determined by seasonality and quality. Favorites include the Spicy Tikka Chicken made with crisp tenders and buttered cilantro basmati rice; Quesa Birria Duo with birria consomé for dipping; Cuban Pig, featuring slow-roasted pulled pork; Kobe Smash Burger in velvet sauce; and Beer Battered Cauliflower with queso blanco, corn pico and candied pepitas. Kiddos can dig into a menu designed just for them, which includes a range of chicken, steak and cheese quesadillas and tacos, as well as tenders and tots. To top it off, guests can enjoy the brand’s namesake Red Velvet Cake, super-moist, double-layered crimson cake crowned with cream cheese frosting and their signature cajeta sauce, a goat’s milk version of dulce de leche.
Taco lovers will have a new reason to stop in regularly thanks to Velvet Taco’s limited edition Weekly Taco Features (better known as WTFs), featuring a new recipe that changes every seven days. Some of the brand’s WTFs include the famous ChatGPT Taco, featuring a “surf ‘n turf” theme with flank steak, blackened shrimp, red chile aioli, chimichurri, crispy potatoes, grilled onion, queso fresco, jalapeno and cilantro on a corn tortilla and the Pride Brunch Burger Taco, served in a rainbow waffle tortilla.
All tacos pair with Velvet Taco’s expertly crafted boozy libations, including new Miami-inspired recipes such as Electric Lemonade, Spicy Watermelon Fresca and the Bad Ass Mojito, along with Velvet Taco fan favorites including the signature Kick Ass Margarita, which can be enjoyed frozen or on the rocks; Paloma, and Sangrita, a red wine blend with boozy pineapples and apples.
With the opening of the new Velvet Taco Wynwood restaurant, the brand expects to bring an estimated 45 new jobs to the area.
Velvet Taco Wynwood will be located at 2800 NW 2nd Avenue in Wynwood, Miami. It will be open Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. and Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight.
