Flanigan’s bucket list: Here’s what you have to order at Miami’s favorite hangout
If you live in Miami, you know about Flanigan’s. You have almost certainly been there. It’s the family-run neighborhood joint that’s a chain, one that evolved from a series of popular liquor stores and lounges into Miami’s favorite place to eat fried stuff, drink beer and generally celebrate being alive.
If you don’t agree, we have no idea who you are. Go get yourself some wings and a Stella draft and remember all that is good about this world.
Flanigan’s is so popular we estimate 85 percent of all babies born in Miami-Dade over the past 20 years have been bathed in the sink with mom or dad using a Flanigan’s cup. The first year the Miami Herald hosted a contest to seek Miami’s favorite restaurant, Flanigan’s won handily.
The place doesn’t even serve croquetas, and we love it anyway.
Flanigan’s should definitely be on your restaurant bucket list, and you can find one everywhere from Kendall and Doral to Hialeah and Surfside. They’ll all be open regular hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, too.
And really, it doesn’t matter what you order, whether you go for a burger or the famous dolphin sandwich (which, frankly, would’ve made this list had the restaurant not been sold out when we tried to order it. That’s right. That’s how popular the dolphin is - the restaurant was OUT OF FISH at lunchtime).
Just be sure that at some point, you order the following items:
The ribs
Don’t even think of coming here and not ordering ribs. They are legendary. It is required. Also the ribs come with curly fries which are made from potatoes which are vegetables. Health!
The rib rolls
This is the only acceptable substitute for the ribs on the menu. They are basically ribs stuck into eggroll and cover all the major food groups (meat plus a fried substance). Also of course you can order both the ribs and rib rolls. Nobody will judge you.
The chicken wings
Deep down we actually like the wings better than the ribs, but don’t tell anyone. Never greasy, always good.
The smoked fish dip
They give you chips, carrots and celery but honestly we could just eat it with a spoon. Note: Don’t whine that it’s salty. This is Flanigan’s. Everything is salty because it will inevitably be paired with beer.
A beverage that’s not beer
Yes, we know beer is at least 50 percent of the reason that you come to Flanigan’s in the first place. We get it. Plus the restaurant has a million happy hour specials and all of them involve beer. But to walk out the door with the iconic green plastic cup, you need to order a Coke or some iced tea.
This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 6:00 AM.