Yes, that Flanigan's Seafood Bar & Grill. And honestly? We couldn't think of anything more romantic than a newlywed kiss followed by a sip of a "Flantini," Flanny's signature cocktail made of vodka, chocolate, hazelnut, and Irish cream liqueurs, drizzled with caramel, and rimmed with chocolate sugar.
It all started when Mel took to Instagram in March to share photos of her and her boo with their post-wedding glow — not in a white limo or a luxury suite, but under the warm, forest green glow of the Flanigan's neon sign. "Yes...We went to Flanigan's after our wedding!” she wrote. "If you know us, you know that's the only thing that would make sense."
The Laras Even Got Engaged at Flanny's — Now That's Rockin' (Rib Roll) Love
According to Mel, their Flanigan's love story isn't new. It started "just because," but the Hialeah location quickly became their go-to spot for every milestone: their engagement, finding out they were expecting, and even bringing their newborn at just three days old.In an Instagram post, she wrote, "I spent a lot of time at Flanigan's during my pregnancy. I ran into old friends and made plenty of new ones. We took lots of pictures here and joked that we would show the baby who 'Tio Flanigan' was. We wore green by coincidence. At three days old, it only seemed fitting his first outing would be to go see and take a picture with #tioflanigan. This picture is epic!"
Mel and Chino Lara love Flanigan's so much that not only did they get engaged there, but they took their three-day-old newborn to meet "Tio Flanigan."
Screenshot via Instagram/@melbeelara
Of course, Flanigan’s ate it up. On August 7, the restaurant reposted the couple's story with the caption, "May this kind of love find me." Same, Flanigan’s. Same.
This May Be The Start of a New Miami Tradition
A true Miamian would agree — skipping the stuffy banquet halls for chicken wings, curly fries, and a $4.99 late-night pitcher is the stuff of real love. And let's be honest: if your wedding doesn't end with barbecue sauce on your white gown and an ice-cold beer in one hand, did it even happen? So here's to the Laras: may your love stay as loyal as your devotion to Flanigan's. And may your marriage be filled with love, the "Award-Winning Baby Back Ribs," and "Joe's Rockin' Rib Rolls"...in that order.
Because in South Florida, nothing says romance quite like those neon green Flanny's lights. (We hope the Flanigan's in Hialeah gives them a "Big Daddy" combo on the house when they stop by next.)
