Super 7: Best Food at Nu Stadium
From hot-honey pizza and Venezuelan arepas to Brad Kilgore’s club-only gnocchi, this is what Nu Stadium is serving on match day. GOALLLLLLL!!!!
How about we try out some new food at Nu Stadium — see what I did there? ;) Earlier this week, we got to eat our way through the fancy new pink-hued stadium that serves as the home of Messi. I'm happy to report there is plenty to be found that goes far beyond the standard stadium hot dog. Here are the seven best bites.
7. Beef Skewer
Churrasco 305, West Terrace
The team behind Nu Stadium drew much of the menu from food found across Latin America, and Churrasco 305 is one of the most obvious examples. The cooks grill vegetarian, marinated pork, chicken, and beef pinchos on-site, then serve them with vegetables, cilantro rice, and chimichurri. I don’t eat cilantro, so I ordered the beef without it. It was good and made for a filling, protein-heavy break from the usual stadium diet of hot dogs and burgers.
6. Birria Quesadilla
Coyo Taco, Publix Terrace — Across from Section 105
Coyo Taco has earned local-legend status in Miami, so I appreciated seeing it among the homegrown names at Nu Stadium. The cooks fill a tortilla with birria and melted cheese, then add consommé on the side for dipping, a quesadilla version of the birria tacos that have dominated the taco scene for the past few years. If that isn’t your speed, you can stick with the tacos or order a pocket burrito (#iykyk).
5. Choripán
Mr. Chory, Section 131 and Lowe’s Terrace — Across from Section 101
Of course, there was going to be plenty of Argentine food at Nu Stadium, considering Argentina’s most famous export plays for the team. Mr. Chory serves Argentine chorizo on a roll with chimichurri and chips, and the choripán doesn’t disappoint. Most of the people ordering from the stand were Argentine, which is always a good sign, and ordering sandwiches by the dozen while the kitchen was grilling them up in mass. If chorizo isn’t your thing, Club de la Milanesa serves Argentine milanesa in Section 129.
4. Santa Bárbara Arepa
Doggi’s Arepas, Lowe’s Terrace — Across from Section 101 and Section 113
Doggi’s became a regular lunch stop when I worked in the Design District, so watching the cooks pull arepas hot off the grill at Nu Stadium felt almost like a homecoming of sorts. The Santa Bárbara comes packed with marinated churrasco, tomato, avocado, and shredded cheese – plus, grab a few packets of Doggi’s famous green sauce on the side. It’s the most filling arepa on the menu, though the Catira with shredded chicken and Gouda is also another favorite.
3. Pepperoni Proper Slice
Miami Slice, Sections 105 and 135
I’m a sucker for pepperoni pizza. It may just be my favorite food in the world. Miami Slice tops its classic pepperoni slice with hot honey and serves it from a grab-and-go setup, so you can get back to your seat without missing much of the match (and no lines! A rarity for this brand). Miami Slice had opened its Coconut Grove location around the time of our visit, and fans can now find one of the city’s most popular slices in two sections of the stadium.
2. Crispy Dubai Burger
La Birra Bar, Sections 123 and 133
La Birra Bar started in Buenos Aires before becoming a Miami favorite for its decadent Argentine-style burgers. The Crispy Dubai is the star here, made with Argentine beef with white cheese, crispy onions, and chimichurri-truffle mayo on a house-made bun. It’s rich and messy — but in in the good burger way, not an annoying way, you know? — and it’s the order you want after a rough night or a few too many beers at the game.
1. Cuban Sandwich Empanada
Mercado MIA by Michelle Bernstein, Sections 109 and 216
Michelle Bernstein, the queen of Miami cooking, runs Mercado, her grab-and-go market at Nu Stadium. Her name prompted plenty of conversation on our Instagram this week, and the food at Mercado was excellent. The cooks stuff a deep-fried empanada with the makings of a Cuban sandwich, add guava jelly for dipping, and pack it in a container you can carry back to your seat without spilling. It’s very clever and delicious Miami stadium food, and quite possibly my favorite bite of the night.
BONUS: Coconut Short Rib Gnocchi
Nu Club — Premium club access
Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat, but I had to include it. Brad Kilgore, one of my favorite chefs in Miami, leads the food program at the Nu Club, and it was great to catch up with him during our tour. His team changes the buffet for each match, our spread included coconut short rib gnocchi with roasted mushrooms, crispy shallots, and Parmesan, a combination Kilgore is known for. If you get the chance to visit, take it – the Nu Club is the nicest sports lounge I’ve seen in South Florida and served the best food I tried at the stadium.