The best boat days always include an epic food spread
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One thing is sure about Miamians: we freaking love a boat day. Put us out on the water and let us live our best lives. All that sun (and likely day drinking) is bound to work up an appetite and having the perfect boat day eats is key to curating the best boat day ever.
From a build your own taco bar to stone crabs and fried chicken to family-sized bowls of some of Miami’s most iconic bites, there’s really no shortage of great spots offering easy to transport, large format food for a crowd that plans on hanging outside all day.
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Here are 8 Miami spots to grab boat day eats for a group that are guaranteed crowd pleasers every time.
For a true Miami staple: Chicken Kitchen
Chicken Kitchen Chop Chop bowls make boat days better
Amber Love Bond
Forever one of the absolute best boat day options, Chicken Kitchen is a local chain with locations all over the city meaning, you’re likely close to one as you prepare to head to the marina. Family (serves 4 to 5) and Party-sized (serves 8 to 10) Chop-Chop bowls are the go to move here. Pair a bowl or two — might we suggest the Cuban featuring chicken, black beans, tomato, and lettuce — with a quesadilla platter and perhaps a family-sized salad and an order of balsamic tomatoes and you’re good to go. They even provide plates, utensils, and plenty of curry mustard (and other sauces as well). And the best part? No need to worry about ordering in advance. In fact, you can even order the large format bowls via Uber Eats for delivery right to the dock just before you set sail just as easily as you can pop into one of their locations and order on the spot.
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For those keeping it as classic as possible: Publix
Publix Chicken Tender Platter
Amber Love Bond
Those from Miami (or really Florida and the South in general) know Publix is the ultimate favorite when it comes to feeding a large group delicious platters of food. From mini sandwiches to fruit and veggie platters to the legendary chicken tender platters, there’s no shortage of easy-to-order ideal boat day food at this favorite supermarket. The ultimate order will most definitely include a chicken tender platter, maybe a mix and match deli wrap platter, a fruit tray, and cookie platter. Make sure to stock up on plenty of sauces for the tenders. Orders can be placed online and need to be done 24-hours in advance.
For the fancy boat days: Joe’s Stone Crab
Joe’s Stone Crab for an epic boat day meal
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Joe’s Stone Crab
There’s nothing more iconic in Miami than stone crabs from Joe’s Stone Crab. As the first restaurant to ever serve stone crabs, this spot has perfected the art of delicious stone crabs all year long. Thanks to Joe’s Takeaway, ordering from Joe’s on your boat day is super simple. Pair those stone crabs with Joe’s legendary fried chicken, peel & eat shrimp, Joe’s coleslaw, a chopped salad, and the Miami-style fish and chips aka fried grouper in lemon garlic spices served with yuca fries and mango guava sauce and garlic aioli for the dreamiest order. Don’t forget to order Key Lime pie, because everyone deserves a sweet treat.
For those who can’t get enough sushi: Poke OG
Poke OG makes for a perfect boat day spread
Amber Love Bond
From omakase boxes to large scale sides of seaweed salad, krab salad, and zucchini noodles, Poke OG is one of the most refreshing boat day options. Opt for a few omakase boxes that each feature 10 nigiri, maki rolls, 5 sashimi, edamame, and seaweed salad for easy to pick at options or go hard with a build your own poke bowl bar. With your choice of two mixes (tuna, salmon, Japanese yellowtail, shrimp, watermelon, or tofu), rice, greens, toppings, and even nori sheets so you can make your own handrolls, it’s a super solid boat day option that’s easy to customize for a crowd. Orders can be placed in advance on Poke OG’s website.
For taco and tequila loving crowd: Coyo Taco
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Nothing beats a salsa bar on a boat
Coyo Taco
Who doesn’t love a build-your-own taco bar at sea? Coyo Taco makes it easy with their catering options — featuring your choice of proteins, all the ingredients needed to make tacos (or burrito bowls), a salsa bar, chips, plenty of guacamole, rice and beans — it’s ideal for a boat day where people can eat at their own pace and make whatever taco creations they want. Add a few quesadillas and an order or two of esquite (street corn) and you’re all set. Orders can be placed on Coyo Taco’s website.
For those trying to stay healthy during the boat day: Carrot Express
Carrot Express makes being healthy on a boat easy
Carrot Express
Keeping healthy on a boat day is easy thanks to Carrot Express. No matter what time of day your day begins, this spot has a wide range of options from all-day breakfast, wrap and ciabatta platters, family style salads, power bowls, dessert trays, juice bundles and more. Wrap and sandwich trays feed up to 10 to 12 people and include two different variations of your choosing including the Chicken Caesar Wrap filled with chicken breast, romaine, kale, homemade croutons, parmesan cheese and homemade Caesar dressing or the Pesto Passion featuring Free range grilled chicken, arugula, tomato, mozzarella, pesto, balsamic glaze, lemon and olive oil. Salads are served family style also feed 10 to 12 people with choices like their Oriental Crunch Salad made with mixed greens, romaine, avocado, carrots, bean sprouts, roasted cashews, toasted sesame seeds & crispy tortilla strips tossed with honey-lime peanut vinaigrette. For something more hearty, Power Bowls are large enough for 10-12 people including the popular Mario’s Favorite Chicken Bowl mixed with arugula, kale, spinach, almonds, peas, golden raisins, quinoa, cilantro brown rice in their tangy citrus sauce. Carrot Express’s dessert tray includes a choice of three different treats where guests will have to decide between their homemade vegan banana bread, chocolate chunk walnut cookies, oatmeal cookies and guava cookies. Catering orders can be placed online here and must be placed 24-hours in advance.
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For the burger lovers: Shake Shack
Large Order options for Shake Shack for the win
Shake Shack
Burgers on a boat? Look no further. Did you know Shake Shack’s menu has a Large Orders section of the menu? Perfect for groups of up to 12, these orders come with a variety of sandwich options — including the ShackBurger, Chicken Shack, Veggie Shack, and even SmokeShack. A perfect classic order would be the ShackBurger Box and the Crinkle Cut Fry Box. Orders can be placed via shakeshack.com or by using the app.
For those looking for a chic option: Maman
For light bites Maman is the clear winner
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Maman
This New York transplant located in the heart of Wynwood makes the ultimate boat day lunch for those who are looking for chic French sandwiches and easy mini bites. Snag a platter of 16 half sandwiches for including bestselling options like the Katie Sandwich with herb-roasted chicken with basil aioli, roasted red peppers, arugula, and roasted tomato on a baguette or Bibian’s Turkey Sandwich with sliced turkey with kale spring pea and ricotta spread, pickled onions, and melted Swiss on seeded sourdough. For those who prefer mini bites, choose from a selection of mini sandwiches or mini quiches, sold by the dozen featuring delicious options like the Croissant de Sud, Mini Everything Croissants, and Quiche Sophie made with Spinach, feta, and artichoke quiche. Of course, finishing off on a sweet note is everything, and Maman offers cookies by the dozen ranging from Oprah’s favorite Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies to S’mores Cookies and Lime Cilantro Sugar Cookies. To place an order visit Maman’s website or use the Maman app.
Curacao better make some room for a new national super hero.
Eloy Room delivered for his tiny Caribbean nation one of the finest performances in World Cup history on Saturday night, making 15 saves against a relentless Ecuador attack and helping The Blue Wave earn its first-ever point with a 0-0 draw against La Tri.
The outcome also allowed Germany, which beat Ivory Coast earlier in the day, to clinch Group E.
“It’s going to be an insane memory,” said Room, who plays for USL Championship club Miami FC. “You don’t think about it when you do it but of course it’s going to be something you look back to. For me as a goalkeeper, this is almost a perfect game.”
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The 37-year-old Room, whose shutout of Jamaica last November sent Curacao to its first World Cup, bounced back in historic fashion from a 7-1 loss to Germany. His save total was one shy of the record — since saves became an official stat in 1966 — of 16 set by Tim Howard of the U.S. against Belgium on July 1, 2014, in a game that Room remembers watching.
Howard needed 120 minutes for his total, though. Nobody has made more saves than Room without extra time.
“I think I need a statue in Curacao now,” he said with a smile.
The draw doesn’t eliminate either team from knockout play, but it put Ecuador in dire shape going into its group finale. Those matches take place Thursday with Curacao facing Ivory Coast in Philadelphia and Ecuador playing Germany in New York.
“Well, there are things you cannot explain in football,” Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece said. “We wanted to win. We didn’t do it. I am the one who bears responsibility, and I told my team, ‘If you’re giving it all, competing, I have no complaints.’
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“As long as we are alive, we will continue to give it our all. We are very united. We are like a family. No one said it would be easy.”
Ecuador certainly had a home-field advantage Saturday night at the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Its fanbase, dressed like its players in bright yellow shirts, filled the stadium to the brim, making it look like a convention of Minions. There was only a couple of small pockets of blue-clad Curacao fans in a stadium whose capacity could house half of its island citizenry.
Among those in the crowd were Kansas City Royals players Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Starling Marte.
And King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who began a memorable day in Houston cheering the Dutch past Sweden, then flew to Kansas City to watch a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands make history.
“They were even dancing in the locker room to our music,” Room said. “That’s unreal that they witnessed this game.”
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The pressure mounted on Ecuador earlier Saturday, when Deniz Undav’s goal in stoppage time lifted Germany to a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. The outcome of that match in Toronto meant that La Tri faced World Cup elimination with a loss to The Blue Wave.
Curacao made sure the pressure continued once play began.
Throughout the first half, 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat’s team kept finding seams through the middle of Ecuador’s defense, and that created open looks at the goal. But each time, Curacao would end the runs with a sloppy pass or a shot wide of net.
Ecuador wasted its best scoring chance in the opening minutes, when World Cup veteran Enner Valencia found nothing between him and the goalkeeper. But Room guessed right, dived to his left and deflected the shot to keep the game scoreless.
“For us it’s no shock,” Curacao midfielder Tahith Chong said. “We’ve gotten used to Eloy doing these unbelievable saves.”
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The pressure of La Tri picked up in the second half — and each time, Room was standing in the way.
Moises Caicedo forced him into making a spectacular save early on, then Valencia did the same with a well-placed header that Room knocked wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Room made two more sensational saves before Curacao finally cleared it.
Ecuador wound up taking 27 shots to just 10 for Curacao. Ten of the 15 saves Room made were inside the box.
It was that kind of special night for him. And that kind of frustrating night for Ecuador.
“The team deserved more than they got,” Beccacece said, “and I am the one who is responsible for that.”
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — The National Weather Service announced on Saturday that there was an Air Quality Alert in effect until 10 a.m. on Sunday in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
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The alert mostly impacted “unusually sensitive people” who need to ”consider making outdoor activities light and short” and “go inside to cleaner air” if they have symptoms, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
NWS meteorologists warned that “near surface smoke” is likely to worsen into Saturday night, as “thunderstorm winds cause spreading into populated areas followed by poor dispersion.”
Two wildfires between Krome Avenue and the Florida Turnpike had burned more than 20,000 acres and were mostly contained by Saturday afternoon.
The Florida Forest Service reported the wildfire known as “The Quarry 2″ had burned 19,003 acres and was 100% contained, and a wildfire known as “Well” had burned 1,525 acres and was 70% contained.
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Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel recommended limiting outdoor activity when possible, keeping windows and doors closed, and setting the air conditioner to recirculate. Miami-Dade was also under a heat advisory.
Related report: Some traffic closures remain in effect as Miami-Dade brush fires scorch over 20K acres
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
Andrea Torres
The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.
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