Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Weekend: Cinco de Mayo and Derby Watch Parties

This weekend, restaurants and bars will offer Cinco de Mayo specials and host Derby Day watch parties, and Tap 42 will open at Aventura Mall.
Cinco de Mayo Restaurant Specials and Parties in Miami. Though often confused with Mexican Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory against the French in the Battle of Puebla. In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is more of a ceremonial day honored with military parades, but Americans will use any holiday as an excuse to get rowdy. That's especially true when the celebration includes obscene amounts of tequila and guacamole. For plenty of both, along with other fun and food, check out the following restaurants offering Cinco de Mayo specials. All parties and deals take place Saturday, May 5, unless otherwise noted.
Cinco de Mayo Street Party in Brickell. A crowd of more than 8,000 will gather in Brickell for Miami's largest Cinco de Mayo festival. Jam out to live DJs while you sip speciality cocktails and large margaritas and nibble on bites from Tacos & Tattoos. Beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at Brickell Waterfront Lot, 609 Brickell Ave., Miami; cincodemayobrickell.com. Tickets cost $15 via eventbrite.com.
Miami's Five Best Cinco de Mayo Cocktails. This year, skip the predictable margarita and opt for something more creative. From spiked horchata to a serrano mezcalita with a crushed-grasshopper rim, here are five of Miami's best Cinco de Mayo cocktails. So grab your sombrero and acute sense of Mexican history and make your way to the bar.
Kentucky Derby 2018 Watch Parties in Miami. This Saturday, May 5, at 6:46 p.m. marks the running of the 144th Kentucky Derby, with millions of dollars on the line. Derby Day also falls on Cinco de Mayo, meaning many watch parties will mesh the two celebrations. Expect everything from traditional hat contests to juleps made with tequila as you cheer for your favorite horse.
Tap 42 Opens at Aventura Mall. After nearly a year of anticipation, the Fort Lauderdale-based restaurant Tap 42 is now open at Aventura Mall. With it comes a vibrant bar scene and a menu of affordable and well-executed comfort food. The 6,300-square-foot space with an adjoining 1,200-square-foot patio is located on the second floor of the mall's 315,000-square-foot expanded wing, which overlooks an open-air piazza. It offers many of the same features that Tap 42 regulars have come to know, including more than 40 beers on tap, a large socializing component, and the Prohibition burger ($14.50), which layers white cheddar, applewood-smoked bacon, Dijonnaise, and secret sauce atop a thick meat patty. 19565 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura; 305-466-9034; tap42.com. Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.