"The Bends’ events calendar is basically a list of things to keep recently dumped Miamians distracted. They’ve got dedicated nights for karaoke (on Thursdays), trivia (on Sundays), and a monthly country night endearingly referred to as the “Hialeah Hoedown.” If you want to go out but aren’t yet ready to socialize, beeline to the bar’s chunky Panasonic TV and play Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 until your thumbs get sore. They even have emo nights, which are essentially nostalgic dance parties set to the tune of My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy—all a wounded soul needs to feel alive again." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
"Not many dance floors shapeshift like The Bend. Once a month, the bar hosts a country night for people who want to dance with their Ariat boots and cowboy hats—they call it the “Hialeah Hoedown.” Their Thursday karaoke nights are also an opportunity to dance to that one Natasha Bedingfield song we all know by heart. Even if you come on a random weekend night, there’s usually a DJ." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer
"The Bend is a great bar for people who never fully recovered from their middle school emo phase. The retro dive bar is split into two sections. One has a huge Yoda statue and serves cocktails like the big bender, a Hialeah rendition of a long island iced tea made with guava. The other section only serves wine and beer and looks like the basement from That ‘70s Show. Decorative wood paneling, reruns of old ads like the Fushigi gravity ball, and a functioning CRT TV with a Nintendo 64 connected to it—it’s all dripping with nostalgia. To play just ask the bartender and make sure you blow on the cartridge like old times." - ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino, virginia otazo
"This Hialeah dive bar has two personalities: one is loud, plays sports, and hosts DJs. The other is quiet, has a functioning N64, and oozes with ‘70s nostalgia. On Thursdays, they have karaoke nights that set the stage (literally) for friendships to form. You’ll probably meet someone who shares a similar passion for Destiny’s Child and Panic! at The Disco, and they’ll happily sing off-key with you. But if singing with a bunch of strangers isn’t your style, the N64 room is an introvert-friendly option for meeting people. Here, they only serve beer and wine, and, if nothing else, you can strike up a long conversation with the server about beer and wine. But they also have classic N64 games, which is a lovely opportunity to bond with people over your personal ranking of Smash Bros. characters." - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino
"The Deal: Two-for-one draft beers, mules, and mixed well drinks The Bend is great for people who never fully recovered from their Hot Topic phase. In one section of this retro dive bar, there's a huge Yoda statue and people drinking renditions of long island iced teas made with guava. The other section only serves wine and beer, and looks like a basement complete with decorative wood paneling and a functioning Nintendo 64." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer