It’s officially mango madness in Miami—and this year, the city’s favorite fruit isn’t just filling smoothies and pastelitos. It’s footing the bill.
That’s right: A handful of Miami restaurants are now accepting ripe, locally grown mangoes as literal currency. In a sweet (and slightly surreal) twist on farm-to-table, you can now trade your backyard bounty for wings, cocktails, soft-serve and scoops of ice cream, no wallet required, reports the Miami New Times.The initiative, which runs through the end of June, taps into the city’s long-standing mango mania, when South Florida’s trees go absolutely bonkers and locals are practically swimming in surplus fruit.
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If you’re looking for spots where you can make it rain mangoes, start in Coconut Grove or Key Biscayne. Narbona is offering a scoop of creamy mango gelato in exchange for four unblemished mangoes (fist-size or bigger). One scoop per person per day is allotted, so choose your moment wisely.
Over in Miami Shores, Peel is letting fruit-laden guests swap five pounds of mangoes for a small bowl of its signature banana-based soft serve, topped with up to two extras. But don’t bring your whole tree—the shop’s capped mango “payments” at 20 pounds per person. (Yes, someone did try.)
Feeling spicy? Head downtown to Tomorrowland, where bartenders are mixing up free "Spicy Nikki" cocktails—think jalapeño-pineapple tequila, agave, lime and mango purée—for anyone who brings in fresh, intact mangoes. It’s a $14 value, but who’s counting when your payment came from a tree in your yard?
For something savory, Tâm Tâm is going tropical-Vietnamese with a barter deal that trades five pounds of mangoes for a plate of sticky, fish sauce-glazed wings. The crowd-favorite wings are topped with crispy garlic, cilantro and lime.
And if you want to cool down the old-fashioned way, swing by South Miami’s beloved Whip 'n Dip Ice Cream Shoppe, which is reviving its “Mango Swap” for another year. Drop off your excess mangoes and you’ll be rewarded with scoops made from the very fruit you just donated. Talk about local flavor.
From desserts to drinks to wings, this is one juicy Miami moment that proves once again: When life gives you mangoes, you pay for dinner.