A "Survivor"-themed Cafe Just Opened in - of course - Jungle Island
Tribal Councils are always better when there's drinks involved
In today’s episode of “You Wanna Feel Old?,” we’ll avoid reminding you that people born when “I Kissed A Girl” was on the radio can now vote. Instead, we’ll remind you that Survivor is now in its 50th season. When you’re done adjusting your bifocals, we’ll go on to tell you how the show is celebrating its 50th season with an exclusive-to-Miami Ultimate Survivor Fan Café, which opened last weekend at Jungle Island.
Unlike a lot of other “fan cafes,” which put you on a mocked up TV set and serve frozen entrees with names like “ALF’s Favorite Cat Burger,” the Survivor version puts some actual thought behind its food, tapping a former Chopped winner to craft the menu. And if between voting your friends off the dinner table and playing ego-boosting elimination challenges, you want a cocktail, the tropical drinks are pretty strong too.
So what can hard-core fans expect at the Ultimate Survivor Café?
You’ll walk in past the iconic Survivor gate, then through a handful of “immunity challenges” that are just hard enough to make you feel like you accomplished something, but an intoxicated emu could probably complete. Take a picture in a mocked-up tribal council fire pit, then pose in front of a wall of Survivor winners’ headshots. Find out which friends have a side chat when you vote each other off in the voting confessional. Then, of course, hit the gift shop in the back.
The space: Looks about as close to a castaway island as you can get on the third floor of an administrative building. The event space is done up in tropical foliage and cargo nets, with a smattering of tables set on the balcony near the immunity challenges, and inside near the Tiki Bar. There’s plenty of Jeff Probst cutouts, scenic island backdrops, and photo ops with scenes from the show. The tiki bar inside is probably the highlight, filled with fruity, oversized shareable drinks. Prop tip: Split one with a friend, then head over to the voting confessional. Someone’s leaving in tears.
What to eat and drink: The food and drinks at the Ultimate Survivor Café are the best I’ve seen at a fan cafe, crafted by Chopped champ Becky Brown. Many of the dishes actually try and have some sort of island or Asian theme, like the chicken satay skewers and taro-root-and-chickpea curry - easily the highlight of the menu. There’s also burgers, chicken tenders, and carnitas tacos if you have kids along. As you’d expect, the tropical cocktails skew sweet, but could actually hold up to a lot of “tiki” bars around South Florida. My favorite was the Jungle Juice, although nobody at the bar could tell me what it was or what was in it. Just like the Jungle Juice I used to get at the Pike house.
Don’t miss: The Season 50 watch parties every Wednesday at 8 pm. If you’re a Survivor superfan, it’s a chance to be with your people.
Perfect for: Survivor fans, and the people who love them. I’d stop short of calling it a “dining destination,” but if you’ve got someone who insists on going, the food’s actually good.
Expect to pay: Tickets are $31.45 for a 90-minute reservation at a communal table, and come with a $10 food credit and $5 merch credit. If you’ve got a group, you can reserve tables starting at $62.90 for two, which includes that same credit. The food itself will run you about $25 per person, plus drinks.
How’s the parking: Plenty of parking at the Jungle Island garage for a $20 flat rate.
@survivorcafe // 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami