Miami, FL - Dixie Highway is one of the oldest roads in the United
States. Built in the early 20th
Century, it originally spanned over 5700 miles connecting Ontario, Canada to
Florida City. Major interstates like I-75 now run along the original roadway, but in Miami there is a stretch
of US1 that is still known as Dixie Highway.
Running from the end of I-95 in Coconut Grove, to the beginning of the
Overseas Highway just south of Homestead, Dixie Highway is lined with great
spots that are sure to leave you Floored by Food. Among them is Keg South.
Keg South has sat right on Dixie Highway, just a gas station
south of SW 104 Street for the last 50 years.
What a tremendous accomplishment!
This resilient little local’s hideaway has survived Hurricanes Cleo,
Betsy and Andrew, and outlived The Playboy Club, Eastern Airlines, Pan Am, Burdines,
the 1800 Club, and Parrot Jungle (Jungle Island just isn’t the same). For 50 years Keg South endured development,
urban sprawl and change by simply not changing.
Keg South has been a mainstay to Miami’s East Kendall and Palmetto
communities, serving the same great food and cold beer year after year.
This place has a real speak-easy-feel to it, with its main
entrance hidden away in a back alley. When
you make your way to Keg South you need to head east on SW 104 Street off US1
and make an IMMEDIATE right onto an alley that runs between a Shell gas station
and an old glass lined office building.
Follow the gas station’s white concrete brick wall and make a right into
the small parking lot where a little house sits set back against Dixie Highway.
|
Keg South: Cold Beer, Death Dogs & Keg Burgers |
The hidden back-alley access to the Keg South has been a
treasure to locals in the know, and a damn shame to the timid passersby.
I will admit that Keg South can appear to be
a little intimidating to a first timer.
As you walk off that alley and pull open the port-holed solid grey door,
you are swallowed by the Keg’s cave like darkness.
Once the door closes behind you and your eyes
begin to adjust, you’ll sense the warmth of the cedar-plank lined walls, feel
the grain of the time-worn oak planks under your feet, and the closeness of the
low, dark brown, tongue-and-groove ceiling above your head.
Continue to make your way in, past the old arcade
games, and come up on the lone pool table.
An old CD loaded juke box used to sit against the far wall playing your
favorite southern rock and country music.
Today a modern digital sound machine hangs in its place, but will do the
job just the same.
Grab a stool along
the old L shaped bar, settle into one of the old wooden bench tables or sit up
on one of the little high-tops against the far wall and pick up the Keg
South menu.
The best way to describe Keg South is as a simple, fun, fast
casual little bar. The Keg was fast
casual before anyone knew what fast casual was.
Patrons walk in, seat themselves, place their orders at the bar, pick up
their own food at the bar, and bus their own tables by placing empty baskets,
mugs and pitchers on the bar. While you
are up at the bar you are sure to be impressed by the size of Keg South’s huge
kitchen. Just kidding, there kitchen is
actually very small, so if they are busy it may take a few minutes to get your
food order out, but sit back and enjoy your cold beer. However long the wait, I promise you it will
be well worth it.
Restaurant consultants will tell any gastronomic entrepreneur
to keep their menu simple and just make a few things really, really well. They must have used Keg South as a case study
to develop this philosophy. The Keg’s
one page menu is limited to a handful of appetizers, a little burger, a big
burger, a hot dog unlike any other, chicken and fish sandwiches, and one-way
wings.
|
Cold Beer Here!!! |
Start off with one of their appetizers, like the smoked fish
dip. Keg South serves it with soda
crackers and sliced pickled jalapeños. I like to
take one of the crackers, spread a little smoked fish dip on it, place a jalapeño
on top and hit it with a dash of hot sauce.
These little starter bites go great with their cold beer. I swear Keg South serves the
coldest beer anywhere. It may be the
result of an extra cold keg cooler or caused by the constant supply of frosted mugs,
or a combination of both. Either way you
are very likely to encounter that moment of beer drinking nirvana when your bottom
lip feels the chill of the glass and your top lip comes across a floating
sliver of ice just as you take your first sip.
|
Jumbo Keg Burger, your more than just a Burger, your my friend! |
When was the last time you had a really good burger? I’m not talking one of these new super-chef
creations with fried eggs, pineapple, ostrich meat, nacho chips, jalapeños and
cheese sauce, or pulled pork piled over a beef patty with onion strings and
sweet bbq sauce. Don’t get me wrong,
some of those dressed up patties are great, but I’m talking about a burger so
good it doesn’t need all them fancy fixins.
I’m talking Jimmy Buffet style, “I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz
57 and ….” well you know how the song goes.
Keg South makes two burgers, a 1/3 pound Keg Burger or a ½ pound Jumbo
Keg Burger. Their simple burgers are
grilled over an open fire and can be served with a slice of cheese. Add ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, a slice
of tomato, raw onion and a couple of pickle slices to dress it up old school. That’s
the extent of topping options you’ll be given, but that’s all you need. The Keg Burgers are just simple, delicious
and consistent day after day.
|
One-of-a-kind Wings
|
How about Wings? Everyone offers them hot, medium or mild. Some places have taken the basic three flavors
and added them to a list of crazy offerings with Jamaican spices, tropical
fruit bbq mixes, or Asian fusion upside down flavors. Keg South, like their burgers, keeps their
wings simple. They only make them one
way, Awesome! The Keg’s special process
takes big meaty wings through a flash fry, a swim in their secret hot sauce and
finishes them off on the grill to add a little char-grilled flavor. Served with a side of Ken’s Steakhouse blue
cheese dressing for dipping and you are set.
No greasy mess, no tiny little baby wings sitting in a puddle of cold
sauce. These simple wings are so good
they will have you driving across town to get your fix, just like I do.
|
You aint never had a dog like this |
Keg South makes a great dolphin sandwich too. It’s so good that it goes fast, so don’t be
surprised if they are out of Dolphin.
When they do have it, try it with a slice of American or Swiss. Their chicken sandwich is pretty good
to. Try this one with sautéed onions and
melted Swiss. Then there is the Death
Dog. Hands down one of the best hot dogs
you’ll ever have. They take a hot dog,
grill it to perfection, slice it down the middle and top it with ketchup,
mustard, relish, onions, sliced jalapenos, a slice of American and a slice of
Swiss and finish it off with a touch of hot sauce. I have been going to Keg South for years and
didn’t have my first Death Dog until this last weekend at Keg South’s 50th
Anniversary party. Wow, I had no idea
what I was missing. It was Outstanding!
|
Fresh Cut Awesomeness |
All of Keg South’s burgers and sandwiches are served in a
basket over a bed of Ruffles potato chips.
However, if you are a French fry lover like me, be sure to ask for an
order of their fresh cut fries. Let me
stress the FRESH here with these fries.
They’re never frozen, and each order gets no less than three Idaho spuds
that find their way from a wall mounted fry cutting press into a bath of hot
oil. Order them well done, to get the
best fries you have had in long time.
Keg South is opened everyday from 11 am to 10 pm. Be sure to stop in for lunch if you find
yourself nearby. Maybe if you are not too
busy this weekend, and happen to be anywhere in South Florida, you can take a
ride down Dixie Highway and find your way into the Keg South. Share some wings with friends and grab yourself
a Jumbo Keg Burger. Once you’re done, I’m
pretty confident, you will have been Floored by Food.