Social Club–A social club may refer to a group of people or the place where they meet, generally formed around a common interest, occupation or activity (e.g. hunting, fishing, science, politics, or charity work)

The above definition defines The Surfcomber Hotel’s happy hour held at their restaurant, aptly named The Social Club. The unifying common interest is a great happy hour with good food, Old fashioned quality cocktails and great service.

The level of cuisine and mixology here is in a league of it’s own. Thanks to head bartender Chad Phillips, drinks are made the way they were meant to be. Too often here in Miami do drinks come with glow sticks or an umbrella. Neither is anywhere to be found at The Social Club. The signature happy hour drink is the Pisco Punch. It is a handcrafted special that is featured during their “punch the clock” special. Between 4pm to 7pm the punch costs between $4 -$7 depending on the hour it is ordered. It was delish. The happy hour also offers various small bites to order. The Crab & Sweet Corn Fritters were good. Since I am from Maryland it is rare to find a crab recipe in Miami that is authentic. I met their new executive chef Blair Wilson. He hails from Alexandria, Va which is chesapeake bay country, so it makes sense. The Social Club happy hour also has $7 classic cocktails and $5 microbrews and $5 house wine. Once again head bartender Chad Phillips’ deft touch makes each drink perfect every time. I ventured off their happy hour choices and tried a Manhattan In The Fall cocktail. It’s made with a bit of maple syrup as one example. Just that touch of sweetness brought the bourbon to life in a way I have never experienced before. My hubby tried The Will You Daiquiri Me. It was incredible.

The Social Club is also participating in the October ” Drink Pink” campaign. When you order one of the rose colored cocktails during this month they will donate $1 of the price to the fight against breast cancer with the American Cancer Society

We were ready to try some of Chef Wilson’s dishes off of the main menu. The gator bites melted in my mouth. Blair said it took him a while to find the right alligator meat supplier to attain this quality. His perserverance paid off. Next up were the St Louis Ribs. Meat fell off the bone. Epic success. The Pork Belly with mango chutney was excellent. Succulent tasty chunks of pork with very well done yucca. The roasted Chicken was superb. Chicken done well is actually a rare thing indeed. People are used to chicken being mediocre. This is not the case. We ended this wonderful food ride with the Ricotta Doughnuts. They were sinfully good. Next time you want a good happy hour or even a great dinner. Head over to The Social Club Restaurant and Bar. You can thank me right now.