Hialeah bucket list: All the things you need to do in Hialeah before you die | Miami Herald

Every major neighborhood in Miami has its list of greatest hits — places, things, experiences — that define a visit to that little corner of South Florida.

In Wynwood, for example, that list includes selfies at the Walls, a drinking game at Gramps and blacking out after too many shots of aguardiente at La Poderosa. In South Beach, it means spending $24 on a cocktail and $40 on valet parking.

Your Kendall bucket list, in case you forgot, includes hitting a strip mall, pigging out at Sports Grill and visiting whichever relative still has a condo there.

As for the lovely city of Hialeah, there are so many things that need to be done for one to truly understand the essence of this town. It’s time Hialeah got its own list of quintessential adventures. Here is your Hialeah bucket list.

Buy a bata at Ño...Que Barato

Everybody needs at least two good batas de casa.

Discover Cuban pizza

Cuban pizza? Yes, it’s a thing. It kind of looks like a cheese pie. The most famous place to grab a slice is at Polo Norte (2050 W. 56th St.). The lobster pizza, which comes drenched in a homemade Creole sauce, will ruin your diet, possibly your whole life.

Buy a love potion at a botánica

Or some chicken feet for good luck, whatever the Babalao recommends.

Check in at an Executive Motel

If you did purchase that love potion, here’s your chance to test it out. This famous chain of adults-only hotels has rooms with all kinds of themes, including a Japanese garden room, a jungle room, and a room designed like a cave — ahem, an underground den of iniquity. One reviewer on Booking.com described their stay as ‘pleasant.’ Bet it was.

Order in English at the Taco Bell on 785 East Ninth Street

See what happens.

Catch a game at Flanigan’s

If South Florida was a collection of medieval villages, Flanigan’s would be the boisterous town hall at the heart of each one. Lifelong friendships are forged here. People even meet their soulmates at Flanigan’s. And there’s no Flanigan’s like the one at 1550 W 84th Street in Hialeah.

Join a victory party along 49th Street

Given the current state of sports in South Florida, you might die before this happens.

Stage a photoshoot at Amelia Earhart Park

It’s not all factoría y fango. Hialeah is all about nature, etc.

Take a selfie in the Leah Arts District

Sit down, Wynwood. Hialeah has its own artist enclave. And once Unbranded Brewery opens up, it’s going to be a hipster magnet and everyone’s abuela is going to be complaining.