BIG PINK is at 157 Collins in what is becoming known as the South Point area of South Beach. Don't come here when you are in a hurry; the service is very slow, as the waiters will just sit down and carry on conversations. No one is in a hurry to do anything, so come more for the food and the experience.

Meals here are casual and big, with anything from burgers and fries to meatloaf and salads. The hangout is family-oriented, with great mac-and-cheese with milkshakes on the menu that the kids will love. However, though very family-friendly, this cafe is also gay friendly, so come with an open mind.

Popular with tourists and locals alike Big Pink is open until the wee hours on a Fridays and Saturday so it makes for a great stopping off point after a heavy nightclubbing. What better than a chocolate-mint/peanut butter milkshake to do a body good and aid a swift recovery?

It's cheap and cheerful, with formica tables and diner-style decor. Expect crowds to form for the breakfast hours.

It's hard not to love a restaurant with a name like Big Pink, and this ultra-kitschy South Beach diner doesn't disappoint. The 'big' is for the size of the portions (trust me, they're humongous!), and the place prizes itself on offering "real food for real people . . . really!" (With a slogan like that, it seems tailor-made to IgoUgo travelers!)

Nestled in the up-and-coming South Pointe area of South Beach, across the street from its sister-restaurant Nemo (a much fancier affair), Big Pink achieves a near-impossible feat on the Miami restaurant scene: it appeals to positively everyone (couples, singles, groups, scenesters, and families alike).

Partly it's the set-up that makes it such a crowd-pleaser: you’ll find Formica-covered tables, multiple big-screen TVs showing sports and movies, and comfy booth seating along one wall (the only 50s gimmick that’s hasn't been recreated here is a waitstaff on roller skates; they wear sensible shoes, instead).

Fun, relaxed atmosphere aside, kids will go crazy for the heavenly milkshakes (the thick Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter option is a meal on its own), while the older generation can happily succumb to nostalgia and order the restaurant's signature Big Pink TV Dinner. That's right--expect a stainless-steel tray with six different compartments piled high with daily-chosen meat-and-vegetable dishes they swear aren’t Swanson-made. Unfortunately, you can't take the tray home with you after you've licked the platter clean (but they do sell cute T-shirts that make a nice substitute).

And when they say big, they mean it. We ordered a meal for one--chicken fingers to start, and sesame-seared tuna to follow--and couldn't even finish them, even with both of us giving it a go. Maybe it was the decadent chocolate and banana milkshakes we each had to drink--no cutting corners here, we got a full mixer's-worth of frothy goodness apiece. The only disappointment was the sesame-seared tuna entrée, which turned out to be both heavy and flavorless. Our chicken-finger starter, however, was hmmm-mmmm good.

With menu items and ambience like this, the restaurant also makes a great late-night stop (it stays open til 5am on weekends). If you're in need of a post-drink-up feeding to stave off your hangover, this is the place to get it.

You can check out their menu and recipes on their website (www.bigpinkrestaurant.com).