A warm, rustic restaurant bar interior with woven pendant lights and fully stocked shelves in South Florida.

La Islita de la Piloto

Cuban-style fried fish and fresh seafood served from a food truck kitchen with a laid-back tented patio.

(112)

$$$$Homestead, FL

About

La Islita de la Piloto is a Cuban seafood spot in Homestead with a setup you don't see every day: a food truck-style kitchen paired with a tented outdoor dining area that's got more personality than most brick-and-mortar restaurants. It's casual, it's colorful, and the whole vibe feels like you stumbled into someone's backyard cookout in the best possible way.

The star of the menu is the frito fish, fried whole and served the way Cuban coastal kitchens have been doing it forever. The menu stays focused and tight, which is usually a good sign. When a place doesn't try to do everything, what it does do tends to land. Fresh-to-order cooking takes time here, so come relaxed and let the meal breathe.

Families do well here. The outdoor setup gives kids room to move, and the staff are known for being warm and genuinely helpful, even when there's a language barrier to navigate. (One reviewer specifically called out a server named Aaron who made their whole group feel at home.)

Homestead sits right at the edge of Everglades National Park, and after a day on the water or hiking through sawgrass, a plate of fried fish at a picnic table under a tent hits exactly right. La Islita de la Piloto is the kind of place that rewards the travelers who wander a little off the main strip.

Amenities

Dine-In

Accepts Credit Cards

Reviews (112)

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4.4

112 reviews

Google Reviews

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Abel

2 months ago

I visited this Cuban style seafood restaurant to try their popular dish, the Frito fish (fried fish in Spanish). The restaurant has a unique setup with a food truck style kitchen and a tented outdoor dining area, creating a very casual atmosphere. The menu is small, but the Frito fish is clearly their specialty. I ordered it, and the fish was fresh, crispy, and delicious. The biggest downside was the flies while we were eating. They do have fans set up to help keep customers cool and to keep the flies away, but unfortunately, they didn’t seem to be very effective during my visit. Overall, the food was good, and I enjoyed trying their signature dish. However, the outdoor dining experience made it difficult to fully enjoy the meal. It’s not a bad place, but it’s probably not somewhere I would return to.

Lyn Koopman

7 months ago

We found a hidden treasure right on the corner by Camp Out, Inc. Unexpected food truck experience with a tented, cutely decorated dining area. Our server/translator (Aaron, accompanied by his mom) was attentive, helpful and made the dining experience delightful! The food was delicious, our group sampling lobster, shrimp dishes and a beef selection for the non-fish eating person - his loss on the seafood. A terrific experience for the 5 of us.

Nathalie de Armas

3 months ago

Honestly this is a hidden treasure. This place has an amazing atmosphere making you feel comfortable and well taken care of, the team is super friendly helpful and welcoming. And most importantly the food is exquisite, everything is made fresh at time of order.

Samay Aguilar

3 months ago

We order the minuta - $12 it was very good and for us the oil was fresh. Long wait time, and the waitress are very slow. They might be new at this type of work. It is a food truck, outdoors with a tent nothing fancy. Prices for the other items are in fact extremely expensive. $45 pargo, $25 ceviche etc. We saw customers leave after 30 minutes of having been seating and no food had come out. Another couple left because they do no serve beer or alcohol which goes best with seafood. It’s an okay place for a quick bite of the minuta if you are in the area.

Olga Hernandez

5 months ago

We waited more than 40 min waiting to be seated the tables were empty but the waiter playing trying to turn on the tv. Very unprofessional we sat down the waiter very unprofessional not even a menu. I waited seated about : 30 min to order food

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