Nothing brings the city of Miami together like a great basketball game at the American Airlines Arena, am I right? The triple A is home to the three time NBA champions team: the Miami Heat. Whether or not the team is winning or losing, the atmosphere at the games is always exciting, no matter where you sit! Don’t even get me started on the playoff games — the ambience of those games is surreal. Good people, good music, and obviously, good food! The arena food ranges from very casual to upscale, and there is something there for every palette.
In addition to the epic pizza and burger places, the AAA food options are composed of a lot of international cuisines, including Indian, Greek, Cuban, and Mexican, just to name a few. The diversity in cuisine says something about the city of Miami as a whole, since this city is a melting pot of numerous countries from around the world, after all.
Gyro Stand
Gyros are a Greek interpretation of a taco, with meat, lettuce, tomatoes, and a tangy yogurt and herb sauce called tzatziki. The gyro stand isn’t a restaurant since it sells only gyros, in two varieties. There is the chicken gyro, and there is a lamb gyro, which is a nod to a more traditional Greek gyro.
Sergio’s Cuban
Next time you are in the Heat’s house, make sure to stop by Sergio’s. I usually get the chicken bowl, which brings rice, beans and plantains, although the Ropa Vieja bowl (which translates to old clothes in Spanish, shredded beef and peppers in a tomato-based sauce) is just as good.
Something else that is delicious that they have is something called an Empanada, which is a hand pie filled with things like ground beef or creamy spinach and ricotta. The shell is golden brown and flaky, and the perfect thickness to hold the filling inside. Sergio’s actually stamps the Empanada with their name and two letters that indicate what filling is inside. In this case, SP meant it was the creamy spinach filling.
Sergio’s is a restaurant that has been around a long time, and is loved by many in the city – they even recently opened up on campus! A definite must have when coming to Miami.
Bodega Mexican
I had never been to or seen this place, but I decided to get their chicken tacos. What I love about their tacos is that the tortilla is authentic; it has a real Mexican texture and color, and you could tell that they are probably pressed fresh. The tacos come with authentic cotija cheese, cilantro, and an orange sauce which is a little spicy, but tasty overall. I researched and found that Bodega has their own place in Miami Beach, famously known as a “Taqueria”.
Next time you’re at the Heat’s house, don’t forget to stop by and enjoy some of the best international food Miami has ever had.