Following a year and a half of limited service and takeout-only dining, the Rathskeller fully reopened its doors—and gliders—this semester with a refreshed take on its traditional offerings and the overall customer experience.
Blending Miami-inspired dishes with Rathskeller staples, the new menus embody the restaurant’s commitment to serving student-friendly food at student-friendly prices. Offering lunch, brunch, late-night, and happy-hour menus, the wide range of selections maintains classic options—including No-Yes Fries and “The ‘U’ Burger”—while incorporating culturally themed ones, like guava and cheese pastelitos during brunch and a Croqueta Melt and yucca bites on the full menu.
“The new menu is a blend of iconic traditions with new ideas that represent what the Rathskeller is all about,” said Alex Bulnes, who was promoted from head chef to director of the Rathskeller in September 2020.
In addition to ordering at the counter or sitting at an outdoor glider for waited service, the Rathskeller’s online ordering system helps those on the go order ahead. Orders can also be placed via the campus GrubHub app, which allows students to pay for their meals using Dining Dollars.
“We initially implemented mobile ordering to provide a convenient, contactless option for students and employees while indoor dining was closed,” Bulnes noted. “But we decided to keep it as an option to provide a more efficient customer experience.”
In addition to an enhanced menu and modernized ordering systems, the restaurant’s new branding further infuses the cultures of both the University and of South Florida while maintaining the Rathskeller’s vintage vibe popular with current students and alumni. The classic Rathskeller logo remains intact, but the new designs and color palette reflect a look and feel unique to the city of Miami.
About the neon theme, updated signage, and more, Bulnes says the new visual branding, “lets you know you’re in Miami when you visit the Rathskeller.”
Reflecting the Rathskeller’s commitment to serving the student body, the Rathskeller Advisory Board (RAB) continues to coordinate popular events that invite students to experience the restaurant in an active and engaging way. As a sub-committee of Hurricane Productions, RAB hosts activities and special events like Cookies and Canvasses, watch parties for Miami Hurricanes away games, weekly trivia on Tuesday nights, and more.
“With the Rathskeller closed last year, it is so exciting to be back programming this year,” said Sarah Hutchison, a junior and chair of the Rathskeller Advisory board. “RAB is working on lots of events and has already started with weekly Trivia Tuesdays and DJ Thursdays.”
The Rathskeller, located in the Shalala Student Center, is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and on select Saturdays during Miami Hurricanes football away games.
Learn more about RAB by following them on social media (@UMRathskeller) and viewing their events calendar. Students interested in joining the committee can email skh62@miami.edu.
Nailah Edmead contributed to this story.
