Where did Little River's best new restaurant of the summer come from? A building on NE Second Avenue that had been running the whole time. When Taquiza began serving tacos at 8246 NE Second Ave. in August, it was opening its doors to customers in the commissary and tortilla factory it has used for years. Guests now order while looking straight into the working fábrica de tortillas, where the masa is ground for Taquiza's own restaurants and for wholesale clients across South Florida.
Taquiza is the clearest example of a pattern that runs through this year's openings in the blocks between NE 62nd and NE 84th Streets. The places that opened took over rooms that were already in use, revived older properties, or added a counter to a business that was already there. The projects that needed outside investors or a full build-out are the ones still waiting on a date or called off.
A Taquería That Moved Into Its Own Kitchen
The move was forced. Taquiza served its last tacos at 7450 Ocean Terrace in North Beach on Friday, July 31. Edible South Florida reported that the North Beach property is making way for a new development. Within days, chef Steve Santana's 12-year-old taquería was serving again in Little River.
It could reopen that quickly because the kitchen, the corn and the staff who make the tortillas were already on site. A restaurant searching for a new lease would have spent months on permits and construction. Taquiza only had to add tables.
The menu changed along the way. Tacos now come on stone-ground yellow corn tortillas, the totopos are still made with heirloom blue corn, and the whole menu is gluten-free and seed oil-free. The phone number is 305-630-8405, and the restaurant lists its details at taquizatacos.com.
A 1937 Liquor License Back in Use on 79th Street
A few blocks east, Upper Eastside Hangout reopened the former Anderson property at 701 NE 79th St. in August. The property's liquor license dates to 1937, and Miami New Times described the corner as one of Miami's oldest places to drink.
The new version is an open-air courtyard that holds more than 250 people. It has a 15-seat cocktail shack pouring Florida-inspired drinks, lawn games, big screens, and food from vendors including Cheeseburger Baby, Tacomiendo and Noodle Bar.
The format follows the same logic as Taquiza's. The license and the lot were already there. Instead of building one large kitchen, the operators brought in established food vendors and built a bar with fifteen seats. The work went into reviving a property, not constructing one.
The Rest of the Year's Openings Followed the Same Pattern
Most of this year's other openings fit the same mold. Each one either reopened, took over a building with a past life, or grew out of a business that was already running.
- Fooq's, 150 NW 73rd St. The Persian-French restaurant reopened in Little River on Friday, January 23, 2026, led by owner David Foulquier and executive chef Andrew Bazzini. Upstairs, the Lion's Den vinyl lounge books local and international DJs Thursday through Saturday.
- Plant the Future, 8484 NE 2nd Ave. The botanical art and design studio added a café serving coffee and cakes in its gallery and garden, which occupy a former gas station. In a September 8 report from WSVN, founder Paloma Teppa said the café "was just born six months ago."
- Little River Burgers, 6800 NE 2nd Ave. The Gaucho Ranch team's burger spot is open Wednesday through Sunday. Its patties are made from grass-fed beef, free-range lamb, wild-caught seafood or a plant-based option, and the classic comes with American cheese and caramelized onions on a brioche bun.
All three were opened by operators who already knew the food business and had a base to build from. The Plant the Future café is the smallest example. A studio that already drew visitors to its garden added a coffee counter.
The Projects Still Waiting on Money or a Date
The list of projects that have not opened looks different. Each one needed a new build-out, new backers, or a new space for its operators.
| Project | Address | Status as of October 4, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Bar Fideo | 8291 NE 2nd Ave. | Announced in March for a fall or late-2026 opening. The Infatuation's September 24 guide still lists "Late 2026," with no firm date |
| O Cinema Little River | 80 NW 72nd St. | Capital campaign still raising money "in opening" the theater. No date posted |
| Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ | 7100 N. Miami Ave. | Will no longer open after investors reportedly pulled out, per a January 5 report |
| Little River Night Market | 7200 NW 2nd Ave. | Announced as monthly in December 2025. No current fall 2026 dates found |
Bar Fideo is still on many fall lists. It comes from Ivan Barros and Caroline Strauss, the owners of Magie Wine Bar. Miami New Times described it as a casual, walk-in bar with shareable Spanish-inspired dishes and cocktails. The owners are experienced Miami operators, but this is a new space for them. In March, New Times reported the opening was scheduled for late this year, and The Infatuation's September guide still lists "Late 2026," with no specific day published.
O Cinema's plans for 80 NW 72nd St. go back further. In February 2025, Miami New Times reported plans for screenings, a media-art gallery, coworking, a café, and classes and workshops, with an opening "in June." The nonprofit's current campaign describes a three-screen cinema with exhibition spaces, a gallery, a lounge and a café, and asks for donations to open it. Its ticketing page currently lists O Cinema South Beach and the Miami Beach Bandshell, not Little River. The building is being used in the meantime. Bistoury listed a 16mm film workshop there on May 8 under the name Little River Performance Space.
The night market's plans have also changed. A December 2025 announcement said a Little River Night Market would run monthly at 7200 NW 2nd Ave. with Smorgasburg South Florida, Mids Market and Reserved. Smorgasburg's current South Florida page lists a fall 2026 season in Fort Lauderdale at 536 NE 2nd Street, with Miami Freedom Park marked "Coming Soon." Little River is not listed.
Two Gallery Days on the Calendar
The arts calendar is the one area where the plans are set. It depends on galleries and studios that are already open, so it does not need anything new to be built.
- Little Haiti Little River Art Days, Saturday, October 10, noon to 5 p.m. It is a daytime self-guided tour of the two neighborhoods. Participating art venues include Locust Projects, Nina Johnson, Diana Lowenstein Gallery, Dimensions Variable, Laundromat Art Space, the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, Collective62, Momentum, Joyce Billet Studio, ARTxTS, DEMACHINA, WOPHA, Studio 730 and Stanek Gallery. The food listings name Sunny's Steakhouse and Imperial Moto, and the culture listings name Creative Creative and Odabashian. The Miami Art Scene described Art Days as a quarterly event.
- Progressive Art Brunch, Sunday, November 29, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This free, self-guided gallery program covers Little River, Little Haiti and the Performing Arts District. Its first fall date is today, October 4, and the next one is the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
One more listing to check before you plan around it: the Little River Art Walk with Mids Market still appears on event sites, but the listing found was for September 13, 2025, and no 2026 fall date has been posted.
For October 10, Taquiza at 8246 NE Second Ave. and Plant the Future's café at 8484 NE 2nd Ave. are a few blocks apart on the north end of the corridor, and Upper Eastside Hangout is a short walk away at 701 NE 79th St. Fooq's is south at 150 NW 73rd St., near the O Cinema building at 80 NW 72nd St., which has no posted opening date.
The team at Privé Advisory Group keeps a close eye on how buildings like the Anderson property and the Taquiza commissary are put back to use, because reuse shapes Little River block by block. If you would like to talk through what is planned near a property you own or are considering here, Request a Private Call.
