Things To Do In Miami Gardens

All eyes are on Miami Gardens in the lead up to Super Bowl LIV in February 2020 to be held at Hard Rock Stadium. As Miami prepares to welcome back the Super Bowl, we’re giving you an insider’s guide to the neighborhood hosting the big game. Located in northwest Miami, Miami Gardens is a destination for gaming, recreation and down home Caribbean soul food. Read on for a primer on Hard Rock Stadium and everything Miami Gardens has to offer.

Home to the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium is preparing to host Super Bowl LIV in February 2020. It’s also home to the University of Miami’s Hurricane football season, the NCAA’s Orange Bowl in January and the Miami Open tennis tournament in March and April. An all around entertainment destination, Hard Rock Stadium also hosts concerts, festivals and private events, offering a wide variety of box seats, club levels and VIP clubs, including an outpost of the South Beach mega-club LIV. It’s more than hotdogs and hamburgers at the concession stand at Hard Rock Stadium with vendors including local favorites like Café Versailles, Jackson Soul Food and Shula Burgers. The stadium’s art is curated by Goldman Global Arts, the developers who created Wynwood Walls, and features 19 murals and 17 fine art pieces by world-class artists, including Peter Tunney, Jen Stark and The London Police.

Grab your crew and head to Miami Gardens for a round of TopGolf inside a climate-controlled driving range bay where you’ll score points based on how close your microchipped ball comes to the target. This entertainment complex is fun for the whole family with golf, gaming and a seasonal menu of tasty bites, including steak nachos with chimichurri, perfect for sharing. If you’re new to golf, you can take lessons and there’s also a KidZone with clinics and coaching available to the little ones.

Miami Gardens is home to Calder Casino for all of your gaming fun. They’ve got slots, table games and a Players Club. It’s also a destination for concerts, entertainment and dining. Take a break from gaming at Center Bar located in the middle of the casino floor where you can take in the atmosphere and indulge in cocktails and beer alongside a great food menu featuring wings and sandwiches. Come out on Friday and Saturday nights, when Calder hosts live music concerts on the Center Stage dance floor featuring everything from pop to groove and electronic music. Perhaps best of all, the buffet features all-you-can-eat garden fresh salads, comfort food, classic buffet fare and tantalizing desserts.

Rolling Oaks is a lovely public park in the heart of Miami Gardens featuring ample green space with shade trees. You can enjoy an afternoon picnic at one of its pavilions and there’s a playground for the little ones. If a more active afternoon is what you’re after, Rolling Oaks Park also boasts basketball and tennis courts. It’s a popular destination for Miami Gardens’ families and a great way to enjoy an afternoon like the locals.

Arline’s Restaurant & Seafood is a popular no fuss Caribbean soul food diner and a favorite amongst Miami Gardens locals for its seriously delicious down home cooking and seafood. Choose from fried conch, shrimp, snapper, grouper or catfish dressed up with pigeon peas and rice, fried okra, macaroni and cheese or collard greens. They’ve also got an entire section of the menu dedicated to chicken and waffles. At lunchtime, they serve a selection of BBQ or fried chicken and pork chops. Whatever you do, be sure to save room for a slice of the sweet potato pie or pound cake for dessert.

A favorite of music industry celebrities, The Licking is a Caribbean comfort food spot in Miami Gardens founded by music industry vet Elrich Prince of Poe Boy Music Group. It’s a favorite of DJ Khaled, Flo Rida, Diddy and Nas. Kylie Jenner has even been spotted there. So what do they love so much about The Licking? The finger-licking good Caribbean comfort food with items like fried lobster, turkey wings, fried conch and seafood rice. The environment is casual and the food is seriously delicious.

Swing by family-owned Hammond’s Bakery in Miami Gardens for your fill of Jamaica patties and freshly baked Caribbean pastries. Made with flaky, buttery pastry dough, Jamaica patties are stuffed with your choice of beef, chicken, saltfish, veggies or ackee (a lychee-like fruit). Opt for their special and pair six patties with four pieces of coco bread, a sweet and starchy bread made with coconut milk. You can also take home delectable pastries and cakes like plantain tarts, guava and cheese pastries, cinnamon rolls, pineapple upside down cake and bread pudding.