Cheap beer and tapas = Im there! Calafate Grill, Sunny Isles

Popped into Calafate Grill up in Sunny Isles for a quick snack and a beer prior to a dinner meeting I was headed to elsewhere. I had heard about their happy hour with $3 beers, sangria, and tapas, so I was eager to give this joint a shot. Who doesnt like $3 beers and tapas?

The restaurant space is clean with a nice "L" shaped bar against the back wall, a "lounge" area with some fashionable chairs and couches in the middle of the room, and then some tables lined up in uniform throughout the rest of the room. I thought the bar area looked good and felt comfy, even though the chairs didnt really allow you to lean back at all. The lounge area was kinda cool, I guess, but the rest of the room kinda seemed like a cafeteria. Plenty of light let in by the window but not much to liven up the table area besides that. The few people who sat at tables just kinda seemed like they were on display. That didnt matter that much to me though as Im a bar guy anyways.

The selection of $3 beers is actually not bad. I opted for a Negro Modelo and a friend had the sangria. The $3 tapas menu was broken down into seafood, meats, and veggie sections. Since I was going to a dinner meeting and didnt want to ruin my appetite, I only tried one tapas plate. I went with the fried calamari served with lemon and their own bravas sauce which, at $3, was a much larger portion than I expected. The calamari was light and crisp, seasoned nicely, and served on a bed of lettuce. There was a good mixture of rings and tentacles too. The best part about the calamari dish, however, was the bravas sauce. This sauce had an awesome fire-y kick to it, just enough to give off some spicy heat and make you want to go back for more.

I wanted to try a few more dishes but we had to get going to chow elsewhere. I can definitely see myself taking advantage of this spot when Im up in the Sunny Isles area, especially for happy hour.