The food hall is the contemporary version of the food court: a collection of stations with a communal dining area. You select what you want, pay for it and bring it to your table or wait to be served. Some upscale mall food courts are claiming to be food halls because of their sophisticated offerings, like Aventura and Dadeland, but we haven’t included them here. These food halls are standalone buildings, primarily dedicated to a variety of food vendors or stations. South Florida’s food halls typically center around a bar and include live music or a DJ, serving as gathering places for friends who can find something they enjoy eating.