The One Who Keeps the Book Miami
How To Get a Table at Walrus Rodeo
The team behind the always-booked, Michelin-starred Boia De opened their new wood-fired spot, Walrus Rodeo, a few months back, and the follow-up act is not far behind in popularity – already earning high praise from diners and its own mention in the Michelin Guide.
Think of Walrus Rodeo as Boia De’s rowdier little sister. The quirky spot around the corner from Boia De is located in the same nondescript Little Haiti strip mall, but with a more rambunctious vibe. For their sequel, chef duo Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer partnered with local restaurant vet Jeff Maxfield, who’s helming the kitchen at Walrus Rodeo and turning out exceptional wood-fired plates from their Italian pizza oven, from lamb ragu lasagna to roasted oysters and, of course, pizza.
If you have your heart set on a reservation at Walrus Rodeo, our series The One Who Keeps The Book lets you in on the secrets to scoring a seat at the busiest local restaurants, with tips and tricks — straight from the source.
When do reservations drop on Resy?
Reservations go live at noon, 21 days in advance. We plan on extending the window in the near future, but since we are so new, we kept it shorter in order to have flexibility while we figure out what hours work best for the restaurant.
How far in advance do reservations get booked out?
Because we have way more capacity than Boia De and because it is still a new restaurant finding its footing, reservations are not too hard to come by. Everyone’s favorite 7:30-8:30 p.m. dining slot does fill up very quickly, within a day or two, but people can still find space at the 6 p.m. or 10 p.m. time slots most days.
What are your busiest nights or prime-time hours? Are there certain days where there’s a better chance to get a reservation?
Obviously Fridays and Saturdays are our busiest days, but we see great crowds every day of the week. Prime time seems to be full almost every day.
How many seats does Walrus Rodeo have?
We have 32 seats at tables and another 14 split between our chef’s counter overlooking the pizza oven and the wine bar at the entrance, where anyone can comfortably enjoy an entire meal.
What’s the best seat in the house? Can you request a specific table?
Yes! Of course you can request your table or dining area. That said, we don’t think there is a best seat in the house. It really depends on what you’re into. At the chef’s counter, it’s exciting to watch the action in the kitchen, and the bar is very spacious for a full dinner. The dining room is also spacious and comfortable. Whatever your flavor, there are seats in all three areas available to reserve on Resy.
Are any seats held for walk-ins?
Just like at Boia De, we feel strongly about saving space for walk-in diners. Most of the seats held for this are at our wine bar, but we also reserve a table or two, both to ensure no guest has to wait to be seated for their reservation and for walk-ins when timing and space allow.
Can guests grab a drink while they wait for their table?
Ideally no guest [with a reservation] waits for their table, but of course it does happen from time to time. We welcome guests to enjoy a beverage at the bar or our waiting area outside, wherever space allows.
How long is your Notify list for people who want an alert when there’s a cancellation and a table opens up? Are there any other tricks to getting seated?
This fluctuates pretty drastically depending on the day of the week. For Friday and Saturday nights, it usually hovers around 300 people, while weeknights will end up around 100. If going the Notify list route, it is totally doable to get a reservation. Our biggest suggestion would be to have your Resy profile up-to-date with your personal and payment info and to have push notifications activated for the Resy app. With that, in case of a cancellation, your phone will buzz and it would only take 2 or 3 clicks to save your seat at The Rodeo.
Ok, so it’s prime time at Walrus Rodeo. What’s the restaurant feel like and sound like? Set the scene for me.
We keep the lights low and the music at a comfortable level. We put a lot of thought and care into our sound system, so guests can enjoy a true high-fidelity experience. That said, it’s really all about the food and comfortable service that matches whatever mood the guests are in. Whether you’re having a slightly rowdy girls night or an intimate date night, all are welcome at Walrus Rodeo to come as you are.
What are some menu favorites that you recommend to a first-timer?
The can’t miss items are the carrot tartare, the roasted Island Creek oysters, the mustard green lasagna, and whatever pizza strikes your fancy.
Anything new on the menu lately that you’re loving?
As a very new restaurant, we’re still dialing in our day-to-day operations, so we haven’t made many menu changes yet. However, we just added a morel mushroom and spring onion pizza with smoked mozzarella to the menu. Spring has sprung and our team has some exciting dishes in the works showcasing the bright bounties of the season, which will be cycling on to the menu in the very near future.
Boia De Sequel Walrus Rodeo Has Arrived, and It’s Magnificent
Before you go to a restaurant, what do you want — or need — to know most? In our series,…
