Vega's, the North Miami restaurant formerly known as Flip Burger Bar, offers plenty of burgers and beers. But it's their starters that really get us revved up -- particularly the chili and mac and cheese.
Vega's offers more than 155 different beers. (Bonus: Their dining chairs have bottle openers on the back.) And a beer would go perfectly with the burger joint's mac and cheese.
Served in a ramekin, the cooked-to-order, homemade mac ($6.50) features elbow macaroni -- a smaller cut of pasta than what we're used to. But the four-cheese sauce is delicious. It's rich and tastes like heavy cream laced with bits of pasta.
It's also decadent enough to share.
The chili ($5) also won us over. It's a bean-less beef chili topped with shredded cheese, diced onions, jalapeños, and sour cream.
Don't let that dollop of sour cream fool you. Mix this chili up and you'll have yourself a messy, delectable bowl. It has just the right balance of heat and sweetness. The secret is a touch of sugar and marinara sauce.
We were blown away by both bowls, so we asked, Can you combine these two and make a chili mac and cheese?
The answer is yes! According to the burger joint's owner, several customers request it that way. Some keep each dish in separate bowls and then mix them at their own discretion. Others order a scoop of chili in their mac and cheese.
Either way, it's worth the heartburn.
Follow Carina on Twitter @CarinaOst
Follow Short Order on Facebook, Twitter @Short_Order, and Instagram @ShortOrder.
