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I had a 10-course meal in a rental car with Amex and Resy's new 'drive-thru' experience
Chris was a reporter at The Points Guy, where he covered the intersection of credit card rewards and travel. At TPG, he wrote a broad array of stories ranging from in-depth features and reports to trending travel news as it related to loyalty, card benefits and consumer behavior.
March 23, 2021 • 9 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
The Resy Drive-Thru is a unique dining event offering a multi-course tasting menu from top local restaurants, served directly to guests in their cars.
The Miami event featured ten courses, live entertainment and exclusive perks for select cardholders, including bonus dishes and take-home gifts.
Safety measures such as contactless service and temperature checks were implemented, reflecting ongoing pandemic concerns.
While reservations are currently unavailable, the event may expand to other markets in the future.
What to consider
Tickets for the Miami event were $110 per person, covering all courses, entertainment and non-alcoholic beverages.
Exclusive benefits, such as bonus courses and dedicated service lanes, were available to certain cardholders.
Some offers and perks described in the article are no longer available.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed look at each course, the event's logistics and the exclusive experiences provided to select attendees.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
For months during the pandemic, dining out at restaurants just wasn't possible.
And while numerous establishments have since restarted sit-down service, many people still prefer take-out and delivery rather than eat-in.
But what if you can get the best of both worlds -- a dining-out experience from some of the best restaurants in town without having to leave the safety (and comfort) of your car?
That's the concept behind the Resy Drive-Thru, a unique dining event that partnered with one of the best all-around credit cards for food, the American Express® Gold Card.
It may very well be the fanciest (and most over-the-top) drive-thru you'll ever encounter.
(Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)
With Amex's acquisition of Resy in 2019, the issuer is investing in its cardholders' dining experience. And it clearly shows two years later.
Launched first in Los Angeles, I took part in the second pit stop of this unique experiential event in Miami.
While it currently isn't possible to make a Resy Drive-Thru reservation, it's now a core event for the Resy brand, and expansion to other markets may very well happen in the future.
So what's it like to combine some of a city's best chefs, a multi-course tasting menu, live music and entertainment...and your own car?
How it worked
The sold-out event took place in mid-March over a two-day period, with timed slots on Resy's website and app over the course of each evening.
The location of the event in Downtown Miami. (Photo courtesy of Resy)
While dinner didn't come cheap at $110 per person, everything was included from the 10 courses (plus two bonus ones for Amex Gold cardholders) to live entertainment and non-alcoholic drinks (remember, we're driving), as well as exclusive take-home swag.
A refreshing mocktail (Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)
The Resy Drive-Thru took place at 1 Herald Plaza, right along Biscayne Bay in Downtown Miami. It's a location that resembles a large outdoor parking lot but is perfect for events just such as this one.
At check-in, a staff member took our temperature and directed us to the exclusive Amex Gold card VIP lane (more on this below) to begin the culinary drive-thru journey.
Amex and Resy weren't kidding about the "driving" part of this drive-thru. Traffic cones created a "route" that meandered through the parking lot, with several courses served at each designated stop.
(Photo courtesy of Resy)
Live musicians performed throughout the evening while the aroma of each course wafted into my rental car.
Meanwhile, meals were prepared in tents along the makeshift roadway. And assigned servers walked with each vehicle, so you personally never stepped foot outside of your car. (Remember, COVID-19 safety.)
The drive was actually enjoyable. It was neat to see meals prepared outdoors from such a myriad of Miami restaurants and well-known chefs. And the evening culminated in a drive-thru doughnut tunnel (yes, you read that right).
Growing up, family road trips always meant having meals in the car. So I had a lot of practice in this department.
For each course, a masked server would pass over two dishes: one for myself and one for my guest in the passenger seat.
(Photo courtesy of Resy)
Resy also provided a wooden tray as a makeshift table with utensils, a napkin and a place to set each course. After each course, the server would reappear to take away the disposable dish and any trash.
It took a bit of getting used to eating in this fashion (especially with a steering wheel in the way).
But after a couple of courses, I had it down to a science: take a photo of food, push the driver seat back, enjoy a meal, scoot the driver seat forward, drive to the next stop. Rinse and repeat.
That's why it was fitting for the card to sponsor the evening's culinary event. In fact, Resy allowed Amex Gold cardholders exclusive presale access and "4x" the perks.
(Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)
As a Gold cardholder, we got a custom car lane with extra bites and a dedicated server per vehicle.
Then, we experienced an "aroma-driven immersive tunnel" that simulated a doughnut being made. Naturally, there was also a gold-glazed doughnut at the end (because why not).
(Photo courtesy of Resy)
Finally, Gold cardholders also got a recipe book and a limited-edition Resy apron. I will definitely be making use of that apron back at home.
The first dish was a star and ended up being one of my favorite courses of the evening. The perfectly cooked shrimp had a nice zing thanks to the curry powder, while the gazpacho refreshed the palate nicely.
Rating: 8/10
Course 2
PLANTA: Sushi Box With Ahi Watermelon Nigiri, Miso-Truffle Torched & Pressed, Spicy Unagi Dragon Roll
(Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)
The vegetarian sushi was a surprise highlight with strong flavors, perfectly cooked rice and a fresh take on under-the-sea classics.
This was my favorite dish of the entire night. Generous chunks of raw tuna were marinated in a perfect blend of citrusy yuzu-ponzu sauce that I basically drank up.
Rating: 9/10
Course 4
Cafe La Trova: Arroz Con Mariscos “Croquetas,” Saffron Aioli
(Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)
I devoured this course in one fell swoop, but the croquette was excellent with a crispy exterior and a rich rice and seafood filling.
Rating: 8/10
Course 5
Macchialina: Marinated Red Fish, Chickpeas, Eggplant, Smoked Pepper
(Photo courtesy of Resy)
This dish had a lot of bold flavors going on and while they were good as individual elements, I didn't love how it all came together. Still, the fish was well cooked.
Rating: 7/10
Course 6
Harry’s Pizzeria: Harry’s Wood Fired King Oyster Mushroom Pizza Fontina, Black Truffle Crema, Caramelized Onions, Thyme
(Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)
The mini-pizza slice had great flavor coming through from the rich black truffle and caramelized onions. Unfortunately, the pizza itself was a bit overcooked and was served lukewarm.
Rating: 7/10
Course 7
Balloo: Indian Spiced Chicken Thighs, Cauliflower & Raisin Amchar
(Photo courtesy of Resy)
The chicken was well seasoned and cooked for the ideal amount of time. It was still juicy on the inside yet had a nice smoky flavor on the outside.
Rating: 8/10
Course 8
Mr. Mandolin: Spicy Lamb Kebab on Lavash with Onion, Sumac & Parsley
(Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)
Lamb is one of my favorite meats and this one had good flavor but was marred by being slightly overcooked.
Rating: 7.5/10
Course 9
Carbone Miami: Meatballs Agrodolce with Pecorino Romano
(Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)
Originally from New York, Carbone opened its South Beach outpost earlier this year. The meatballs had a beautiful sweet glaze and were perfectly cooked. This was one of my favorites of the night.
Rating: 9/10
Course 10
Pubbelly Sushi: Yuzu Key Lime Sando, Roasted Merengue, Yuzu Lime Semifreddo, Graham Cookies
(Photo courtesy of Resy)
While refreshing, this fancy ice cream sandwich didn't hit the spot for me. The lime flavor was a bit too strong for my liking and the graham cracker didn't have the crunch needed.
Rating: 6/10
Exclusive to those with the Amex Gold card
As mentioned, there were two courses exclusive to Amex Gold cardholders. The first was a decadent and delicious foie gras from L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. The second was the donut course, a rich gold-laden treat from Miami institution The Salty.
(Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)(Photo by Chris Dong/The Points Guy)
Bottom line
We had an awesome dinner as part of the Resy Drive-Thru.
While the food, as a whole, was delicious, the event was just as much about the unique experience. I was impressed at the personalized service's execution, live entertainment and even the over-the-top donut tunnel.
Yes, it was all bit gimmicky, but that's part of the appeal. As a visitor to Miami, it was a great way to get a sampling of the city's top restaurants in just under two hours. And many of these establishments struggled at the height of the pandemic, so the drive-thru put them in the spotlight.
Hopefully, we'll see this experience pop up in other cities soon.
For now, I am satisfied with knowing that this is probably the best drive-thru I'll ever, well, drive through. That fast food lane won't quite be the same again.
Amex and Resy invited TPG to experience this event.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
