Hogao

Sometimes I forget what kind of a place deserves 5 stars on Unilocal.I’ll go somewhere and have an ok experience, and think… This can’t be 5, can it? Is this as good as it gets? And then I’ll have one time somewhere that will suddenly remind me what it feels like to have such a good experience that you’re so excited to return, and to tell other people about it. That was my experience at Hogao!
My friend and I decided to check out Hogao… It has awesome reviews, and seemed pretty unique. I found it relatively easily. I didn’t realize it was one and the same with Kukaramakara — I knew the owners were the same but thought Hogao had its own space. But no, it is the same place! When you sit, you’ll get a drink menu from Kukaramakara and a food menu from Hogao.
It’s not the most extensive menu (great for indecisive people like me!), but there are a lot of options. I really wanted to try their empanadas but got distracted by a plate for 2 called Picada. At $ 19.95, it seemed like a steal, so we went for that. When it came, we were impressed by the giant pile of meat (I’m sure there’s a TWSS joke in there somewhere). I was a little nervous at first that maybe it was too much, and thought we should have ordered rice or something to offset it, but it turned out to be PERFECT. Mmm…
(10 minutes later) Crap, got distracted by the memories of that delicious delicious meal. Ok, so picture this platter of chorizo, tostones, potatoes, chicken, steak, and some other sausage (someone please tell me – is it blood sausage?). We ate our fill and still had enough to take to-​go. !!! (I love leftovers.)
Our service was wonderful. Not too pushy, but available. 18% gratuity was added to the bill, which caught me off-​guard and bugged me a bit, but oh well. A live Colombian band started playing as the night progressed, and it was a really nice vibe, albeit a bit loud. Of course this is in addition to the cars and motorcycles zooming past. (Keep this in mind if you’re going on a date or other outing when you want to be able to hear the person you’re with talking. However, if you’re going on a date where you DON’T want to hear the person you’re with talking, this may be the place for you.)
On the way out we peeked inside (having never been to Kukaramakara) and it’s really nice and Brickellish inside. The bathrooms were wonderfully clean and staff inside were polite as well. Leaving, I decided this is my new favorite place of the moment and have already told my sister, visiting from Seattle in August, that we’re hitting up this awesome spot when she comes.

Middling at best. Stopped here with my family first hours after arriving in Miami. We were voracious and the outdoor patio was promising. It was a Monday night near 7:30. Not crowded. Loud music. Service was slow and inattentive. First beer empty and our waitress walked by us twice without looking or responding to my attempts to flag her down. Menu limited. Most of us found our food bland and tough. The guacamole was ok but not great. The fried patacones were very good. The argentinian steak was way overcooked but still good. The other items were all overcooked and very tough.

This restaurant was adjacent to the Hampton Inn we stayed at in downtown Miami. As we walked by, we were drawn in by the live Latin music being played on their patio. We sat outside as they were preparing the inside for a Reggaeton party they were hosting that night with Alexis Y Fido.
Both my wife and I ordered the Churrasco which was made and delivered to our table fairly quickly. It was cooked to perfection and it had superb taste. Seasoning was spot on and it was served with fresh fries. Prices were surprisingly low for Miami and for this area. Service was fast but it may have been intentional because they were getting ready to open the nightclub section of this restaurant which is called Kukuramakara. I had placed an order of beef empanadas when I first ordered but it never came nor was it on my check so I’m not sure if she heard me.
Overall, a good experience with flavorful food.

I was unfortunately very disappointed with Hogao — upon arriving at 9.30 on a Saturday night, we were told by the manager that the only seat for dinner at one of the high top tables. Once she sat us, she then chastised that we must be out by 11.00 PM or else we would have to buy bottle service? It just seemed like they did not want us there.
From the menu and previous reviews, I was expecting a cute, authentic Colombian restaurant. This place is basically a club with a kitchen, and they don’t seem to be interested in their food quality.
We ordered a picada to share and I wanted to try their ajiaco, since I am always craving it. The ajiaco was watery, the potatoes were not cooked properly and didn’t even appear to be criolla potatoes (which is a crime to call anything ajiaco if it doesn’t have criolla potatoes). The white rice was, on the other hand, perfectly cooked. They did serve it with the traditional santafereno cream and capers, as well as the rice and avocado. For $ 12.00, the ajiaco is definitely overpriced and under seasoned.
The picada was a little better, the chorizo and morcilla were good, but the beef and chicken again had almost no seasoning. There were criolla potatoes, but they had no salt. The patacones were dripping in grease and soggy, and looked suspiciously similar to the Hawaiian ones they sell in the Publix freezer section. The chicharron was just okay, overcooked and hard to eat with little meat. For $ 25.00, we certainly expected more.
If they hadn’t been so rude at the beginning and so cocky on their website (they literally say: People ask, «Where can we find the best Colombian food in Miami?» We couldn’t recommend any place… so we created one.), I would have given them a little more benefit of the doubt that this was just a bad night. But it was a very disappointing dinner from beginning to end.
There are so many better Colombian places in Miami to try, La Moon is great, as well as La Ventana in Miami Beach. There are tons of other options, too.

Great place for Colombian comfort food. I was there for lunch and had a good experience. I started off with some appetizers: beef empanadas and arepas with hogao. They were both to die for! simply delicious! I also had their lunch special which included ajiaco soup, churrasco with mashed potatoes and natural lemonade. Their lunch specials normally include soup, entrée and a soft drink for 10 bucks. A very reasonable price to lunch in the Brickell area. I recommend seating at the terrace as it might be a bit dark inside. Must try the empanadas and arepas with Hogao! Definitely coming back for dinner.

Amazing chicharroncitos, patacones, empanadas, arepa!!! Great venue, excellent location, outstanding service and for sure I’ll be back for more chicharroncitos!!!

I Have been to many Colombian restaurants in the Miami area and the great majority lack character and seem to be just copies of each other. Hogao is a different alternative that seems to focus on quality ingredients for their dishes. I definitively recommend the Ajiaco they serve on Saturdays and the Lomo de Res en Salsa Criolla. Give it a try! I hope Hogao keeps doing a good job and providing a different alternative to the typical Colombian Restaurant.