El Dorado's got over the top food and decor

A while back, I decided to say yes to checking out El Dorado 305 on Ocean Drive, not realizing that this used to be Pitbull's I Love 305 restaurant. One look around though and I knew it was the place, just look at this outrageous decor.

Then, there was the outrageous drink...the one everyone that walked by my table kept asking about. Locals and tourists alike were curious.

Tropical jungle juice

That monstrosity is a blend of light, dark and coconut rum, fresh pineapple juice, orange juice, grenadine and loads of fresh cut fruit. The garnishes are just as outrageous and at $75, it's best to come with a big group of friends so you can all share.

The menu here is as big as that drink and here's what I sampled (and a lot of what I took home as leftovers!)

Ceviche mixto and fresh made guacamole

The ceviche mixto was really good, with just the right amount of zippy lime flavor. The combo of local snapper, tiger shrimp, octopus, scallions, leche de tigre, soy, sesame and wakame was a nice combination. And the guacamole prepared table side was creamy and fresh.

Local fish with rice, beans and mojo

They take a local fresh snapper, present it whole but hollow with its fried fish chunks serving as the filling. It's a bit heavily breaded and the whole head on the plate is not my favorite option. Overall the fish was good though.

Ropa vieja

One of my favorite Cuban dishes ropa vieja, shredded slow cooked beef with peppers, onions and olives was flavorful but, I'm always going to be partial to my Moms.

Trio of tacos

Generously stuffed with lobster, duck and crispy strips of filet mignon, I like that the tacos were on corn tortillas and the fresh toppings were nice. No overload of cheese, except for a little melted right inside the tortilla, was really great.

Flan

They insisted on bringing me dessert and I gave it a try. Flan is not my favorite but the few bites I took were good.

They're now also offering Saturday and Sunday brunch where $69 gets you an all-you-can-eat experience. This is Ocean Drive so expect over the top prices too. Come with a group and share a few different dishes, the portions are certainly suited to that.

El Dorado 305, 1060 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, 305.535.9773