Hello Miami!
You finally arrived and you can’t wait to visit that famous Ocean Drive and have some drinks after the beach.
Ocean Drive is a world famous place. People come here from all over the world to walk the street or to ride it on a fancy convertible passing by Versace Mansion. When you hear the words South Beach, Ocean drive is one of the first destinations that is mentioned.
There was a time when Ocean Drive gained a bad reputation among the tourists and locals, mostly because of restaurants bad practices of hiding prices, and you probably already heard how careful you have to be, or might end with a $500 bill on a small breakfast with your kid. I am glad to tell you that, local government and OD business association really took over it and I would say this problem got fixed at probably 80% by forcing restaurants to publish all prices next to the items and to be transparent about fees and charges.
For those who overheard about high levels of crime on OD, Government of the City also fixed it by doubling the amount of uniformed police presence as well as undercover officers looking for those who want to disrupt your afternoon of fun.
I spent some time without visiting this district and was pleasantly surprised to see the changes and that gave me an inspiration for this post. because I truly believe Ocean Drive is back to business better than ever and everyone has to visit.
So let me tell you some SECRETS so you can have a pleasant visit and later come back again.
Secret 1: Read your menu and ask questions to your waiter.
I know it sounds like ” Duuhh….!!!!” but seriously, pay attention and If you don’t understand a price insist them to give you a straight answer, don’t accept vaguely like: ” well it is more or less the same” because that more or less can be a $30 difference.
By city regulations, all prices, fees, taxes, charges have to be written in the same font size and type as the text on the menu, so if you didn’t see it then it is on you.
Most of the waiters are very friendly and will gladly suggest you their favorites on drinks and dishes. Most of them come from Latin American countries and will treat you like you are a family. Just remember, what is of your waiter’s preference is not necessarily of your taste.
Having said that, I have to remind you that in most of the places tip will be already added to your bill.
Secret 2: more about that tip
If you decide to add more tip it is up to you and of course will be greatly appreciated. If for some reason you didn’t like the service and believe your waiter doesn’t deserve the tip, you can ask for that to be fixed, it is your right. But also most of the local restaurants will offer you a very good service. If you decide to dispute the tip amount you will have to speak to the manager. The manager will proceed with recalculation of your bill. it probably will take them some time, not because of it is hard to do but because nobody likes to remove the tip from the bill. So basically they will be giving you time to reconsider if you are really convinced the tip was not earned and you are not in a rush, then it is your right.
Secret 3: Get thirsty!
Have you heard about hose famous gigantic drinks !!When you are in Miami Beach and temperatures are around 100F and humidity at 90% it makes you feel that you are in a desert, what can be better than those huge frozen drinks? And they are so cool to share and some even come with a beer on top. Well, if you are in for a drink and later have something else to do maybe you should reconsider ordering that 32 or 60oz drink. But if you have nothing else to do and just wanna party be my guest. Those drinks also come at a price but the 32oz drink will give you the amount equivalent to 3 drinks for a price of 2 regular ones so probably even money wise it will be a good choice to share.
Secret 4: Happy Hour and more about drinks.
Some happy hours will offer you 2×1 drinks. CLARIFY THE DETAILS WITH YOUR WAITER first. Sometimes those 2 drinks have to be purchased by the same one person, so if you order 2 drinks for 2 of you and get a bill for 2 drinks later don’t be surprised. In occasions, those 2 drinks must be of the same type and taste and if you order a different taste or type they might charge you as separate drinks. So just make sure you know what you are getting in. ASK ALL QUESTIONS and remember restaurants never loose on those type of promotions.
Secret5: Be a Cinderella.
As you can see heavy drinking is one of the main feature of the Ocean Drive and unfortunately not everybody knows how to behave after several drinks. So if you are here just to try it out and experience Ocean drive, on weekends or on holidays you probably will want to leave early. Be a Cinderella, leave around midnight, is the best. There are plenty of other places to party at the beach.
Secret 6: Go Party.
Forget about tip 5 and get to Mangos. While you are inside you are safe as the place is filled with security and huge bouncers. Mangos is probably the only place left from old days. Have you seen the famous movie Bird Cage? Well, that is that. (watch the movie before coming and you will enjoy it all even more) Tropical dancers who are also your bartenders live Latin music, so you can dance. Get there and stay till closing! I promise you will have lots of fun.
A bonus tip here, if you want a table is totally fine but you really don’t need it if you are planning to have fun and dance, Mango is a multilevel place so there is plenty space for you to walk around to watch one of the shows and sip your drinks. And it is all day long so If you don’t stay late at night you can come at any time.
Secret 7: Don’t go to the beach after dark.
It can sound amazingly romantic and exotic, Beach doesn’t really close for the night but just don’t go. Unless there is a festival or some sort of event is going on, it is absolutely dark. It is like watching those terror movies where a kid will go to a certain place and you will sit in your chair repeating: “don’t go there… well the same thing. Maybe you go and nothing happens, but maybe something does…and it won’t be good. Police pass by the beach only occasionally at night and sharks might get close to the shore and you will not see them.
Secret 8: Check the menu early and plan your dinner.
I am not a big planer when I travel but walking around I like to check the menus of the restaurants to see what they offer and their prices. I have good photographic memory so later when I get hungry I remember which restaurant had a dish that I am craving and how much it cost. (or you can take a picture of the menu). It is a great practice to do, mostly because at night all the restaurants on Ocean drive look similar. However, it is very important to remember, while the menu is the same, prices change from lunch to dinner and dinner begins at around 5 pm so make sure you ask the hostess correct questions or just ask her to show you a dinner menu.
If in doubt, head to one of my favorites – Social , read more about it here
Secret 9: Choose if you want to drive or to walk.
It is almost impossible to find parking along Ocean drive and driving along it might take you some time so basically, it is hard to do both unless you want to pay for a pricey valet service. If you choose to drive, the best option would be to drive a convertible but don’t do it before 6 pm. you will be baked. Driving Ocean Drive on a convertible at night can be an interesting experience. You don’t have to drive fast. Usually, you will be just slowly cruising and it offers a great view of night lights of Art Deco buildings.
Bonus secret:
Don’t forget your ID. Drinking is allowed for over 21 Years Old and even I get asked for my ID sometimes (those are my happiest days)
Head to Ocean drive with a friend or a partner or a group of friends. I promise you will have lots of fun!
