Vinyl & Kai, South Beach

At first it seemed too good to be true.
A locals-friendly sports bar with four massive projection screens and reasonably-priced drinks in the middle of club land?
And yet here it is: Vinyl and Kai, a comfy New Zealand-influenced bar, with round-the-clock drink specials and belly-filling pub grub. When it opened in February the black and red bar quickly established itself as the place to watch the Olympics, the World Cup, whatever raucous sporting event happened to playing on any given day. The place feels like a sports bar crossed with a revamped record store: there is an elevated loft for a live music, and the walls are covered with new and old vinyl album covers (there’s even a Bee Gees gem in the mix). Owner Chris Barron, a native Kiwi, infuses the space with an easy-going atmosphere that makes it easy to linger over lamb ribs and sweet potato fries.
I'm a fan of the jalapeno margaritas (just spicy enough) and the mezze platter (not really New Zealand-y, but I can forgive that). Prices are reasonable: $6-$10 for apps and most sandwiches are under $14. Happy hour is M-F with half off drinks and appetizers.
1131 Washington Ave, South Beach.
305-531-2640