by Rick Munarriz - 406 Reviews - 155 List
There's nothing like a cold beer and saucy chicken wings at a sports bar in a crowd of craning necks catching the gridiron plays that everyone will be talking about the next day. What if the game's a dud? Wouldn't it be great to get at least a good meal out of the pigskin-watching experience? Here are some of Miami's coolest choices for sports bar fare.
Updated: October 21, 2009
This neighborhood joint's eclectic menu won it a starring role in The Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" show. The national showcase featured the tavern's encrusted dolphin sandwich and scampi chicken wings, but even wilder culinary choices include escargot and fried green tomatoes.
The ninth floor of a residential condo tower is a peculiar setting for a sports bar. The same level of bewilderment also comes into play when browsing the menu that stars high-end fare such as chicken Marsala, blackened shrimp fettuccini and sirloin steak.
Only an upscale sports bar would dare to transform its digital ticker into a source for stock quotes and breaking news during trading days. It's a different vibe when college and pro football take over the big screens. One of the more intriguing finger food items is an order of tamale cups. These are fried plantain cups, filled with guacamole, pico de gallo and cream.
The legendary Miami Dolphins quarterback serves up fancy eats in a dining room surrounded by plasma televisions. The showstopper dessert is the almond basket, where a nutty brittle cone is dolled up with raspberry sorbet and an assortment of fresh berries.
Nothing oozes Western sports bar like a roadhouse with a mechanical bull, pool tables and dozens of televisions. The menu, on the other hand, is a globetrotter. International specialties include sizzling steak fajitas, creamy shepherd's pies and even a generously-stacked Reuben sandwich.
