Miami's Best Eats and Drinks This Weekend: Free Barbecue, Art Walk, and Beer

Yesterday when we got into our car, the thermometer said it was 100 degrees outside. That, plus a heaping dose of humidity and a black cardigan, was enough to make us wish we lived in a city with a more temperate climate.

Because Miami's been a little too hot and sassy lately.

But then we remember why we love the city so much. If it's not showing off a gorgeous day on the beach, it's marching to its own rhythm come nighttime when the sun goes down and the cocktails come out.

Hot or not, The Magic City has plenty to do this weekend to keep you cool, full, and happy.

Free BBQ, Duvel Happy Hour at Gramps Saturday

You see, in a perfect world, we would be making a solid 200k a year. We'd drive a trendy Beamer or a sports coup and weekend yachting with friends would be the "normal" thing to do once or twice a month. Our lifestyle would be posh and comfortable without being stuffy and too over the top. Alas, a penniless writer can only dream. Much like you, we're over here drowning in our pathetic student debt, and struggling to make ends meet. Thankfully, there's a little hope. On Saturday night at Gramps, you can enjoy two buck beers and free barbecue from Sparky's. That sounds wonderful.

J Wakefield Brewing Hosting Tap Takeover at LoKal Saturday

The tap takeover kicks off at 9 p.m. on Saturday at Lokal in Coconut Grove. It's all donation-based, and they're asking for $5 per glass. J Wakefield Brewing Company -- the homebrewer -- will soon be getting licensed and to showcase their license and distribution-worthy suds, you'll find them on tap at the Grove's burger joint. These are the brews that you'll be able to choose from: Master Blaster Porter, a smoked coconut porter aged with kopi luwak coffee, toasted coconut, vanilla bean, Hops in Session, the flagship IPA, Mate Bliss Brown Ale, a brown ale aged with Yerba mate and cacao nibs, Gmorks Revenge, a 'nothing' imperial stout aged in rum barrels with coconut and vanilla beans, DDT Porter, a collaboration brew between JWB and Cycle brewing - a barrel aged porter with dulce de leche, Austin Milbarge, a Berliner done with Riesling wine, and Salatado Limon, a Berliner done with sea salt and kaffir lime leaves and juice.

Second Saturday

First we'd like to cross our fingers and toes that Artwalk does not get washed out this weekend. With all the recent thunderstorms, both sporadic and forecasted in advance, we're kind of over it. Summer ain't fun when we can't go outside. In any case, rub your prayer beads, blow on them, sit on them, do whatever it is you usually do so we can all enjoy perusing the Wynwood galleries and noshing on food truck fare. It's the only time we personally ever get to catch all the trucks in one spot. Plus the walking helps digestion.

Miami Spice

We know, we know. We haven't shut up about Miami Spice since a month before it started. But you can't really blame us. Here's the simple rundown if you are not already familiar with it: Get three-course meals at any of these restaurants from now until the end of September. Lunches cost either $19 or $23, and dinners either $33 or $39. It's good to check with the restaurant in advance when they offer their Spice menu, be it on weekends, during the week, or both. We've given you a tasty preview of some of the menus we've been lucky to sample, but we've also broken down the good, the best, and the misses of it all. Now you've got everything you need to tackle the most overwhelming/delicious two months of the year.

Follow Alex on Twitter @ARodWrites.

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