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Best Restaurants around Orlando (Non-Theme park)

Jun 23, 2009
758
206
Douglasville,GA
I couldn't find a thread on this so I figured id start one. I try to visit Orlando annually and I don't plan on spending $30 for entrees every night im there. Do you guys have any recommendations of quality places, good atmosphere, unique, etc?
 
I couldn't find a thread on this so I figured id start one. I try to visit Orlando annually and I don't plan on spending $30 for entrees every night im there. Do you guys have any recommendations of quality places, good atmosphere, unique, etc?
There are some great places on I-Drive

Hash House a Go Go is one of my favorites, HUGE portions

Also, the Tin Roof at I-Drive 360 is pretty neat
 
We talked about this in another thread at one point. I believe my recommendation was if you are willing to take some time and go 20 minutes out of your way, Winter Garden has some nice family fun places to eat that are really good. Joe's right though, @SeventyOne is the right person to answer this properly.
 
Winter Garden is great--a walkable downtown with a lot of places to try. I recommend Urban Flats and the Italian place near Pilars (blanking on the name), but I've heard good things about other places around there as well. If you're a beer drinker, stop by Crooked Can Brewing as well. Actually, if you go there, the pizza and mac & cheese places in the same food hall are terrific. 20 minutes north of Disney on the 429.

Lot of good choices in Celebration, and another downtown you can walk around and just soak up the atmosphere for the evening. I'm a big fan of the Columbia, a small family-owned chain (there's only 5 of them) specializing in Spanish/Cuban food and the Celebration Town Tavern, which does basic New England bar food really well with a great staff. Thai Tani (Thai food, natch) also good, as is Upper Crust if you just want a pizza to go. Literally adjacent to WDW property, off World Drive.

Jerusalem is a hidden gem at 535/192 in the heart of the tourist area. Middle Eastern food, very affordable. A few doors down, the Red Dog Pub is a dive bar but they have cheap booze, a limited menu featuring New Orleans food alongside the usual bar fare, and great live music most nights. 5 minutes from the Mouse.

All of the above are various degrees of reasonably priced. Sand Lake Road and I-Drive have a lot of places, but most command theme park prices. Graffiti Junktion (technically on Turkey Lake Rd. near Universal) does good burgers fairly cheap; The Whiskey, on Sand Lake Rd., makes even better burgers, but it can get pricey. They get a lot of cool local bands there which makes it fun.

It's a Darden chain, but Bahama Breeze always "feels" like Florida to me, is affordable compared to the Mouse. Best one for atmosphere is on I-Drive, but menu is solid at all of them. Cafe Tu Tu Tango, also on I-Drive, is worth a look, as well, in terms of uniqueness, tho it's small plates so the bill adds up quickly.
 
I agree that Winter Garden is a nice alternative if you want to get away from the resort area for the night. Plenty of great places to eat and drink, and not typically super crowded, or required to have reservations.

I would also agree that Bahama Breeze is probably one of the better "chain" restaurants in the area. Prices still a little higher than what you may want to spend though.
 
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Sweet Tomatoes - I highly recommend, by Target in Rolling Oaks Boulevard / 192, close to WDW.

(I don’t recommend the one near UOR / Howard Johnson)
 
The Turkey Lake area has some great restaurants right near Universal.

There's Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, which is easily one of the best pizza places in Orlando.

For Tex-Mex, checkout Bar Taco. Great street tacos. There's also Tijuana Flats which is a south eastern US chain that originated in Orlando.

That whole foods plaza with the Anthony's has a bunch of places to eat, along with the plaza that has Bar Taco.
 
Gotta love Teak's in MetroWest with their Burger Challenge.

I know its a chain, but Giordano's Pizza on 192 has awesome Stuffed Chicago style pizza.

Delmonico's on the South end of International Drive is also a really good steakhouse.
 
Can't believe I forgot to mention 4 Rivers, some of the best bar-b-que you'll find. One in Winter Garden, another on the outskirts of tourist country on Osceola Parkway. Very affordable--it's basically fast casual--but great food.
 
Winter Garden is great--a walkable downtown with a lot of places to try. I recommend Urban Flats and the Italian place near Pilars (blanking on the name), but I've heard good things about other places around there as well. If you're a beer drinker, stop by Crooked Can Brewing as well. Actually, if you go there, the pizza and mac & cheese places in the same food hall are terrific. 20 minutes north of Disney on the 429.

Lot of good choices in Celebration, and another downtown you can walk around and just soak up the atmosphere for the evening. I'm a big fan of the Columbia, a small family-owned chain (there's only 5 of them) specializing in Spanish/Cuban food and the Celebration Town Tavern, which does basic New England bar food really well with a great staff. Thai Tani (Thai food, natch) also good, as is Upper Crust if you just want a pizza to go. Literally adjacent to WDW property, off World Drive.

Jerusalem is a hidden gem at 535/192 in the heart of the tourist area. Middle Eastern food, very affordable. A few doors down, the Red Dog Pub is a dive bar but they have cheap booze, a limited menu featuring New Orleans food alongside the usual bar fare, and great live music most nights. 5 minutes from the Mouse.

All of the above are various degrees of reasonably priced. Sand Lake Road and I-Drive have a lot of places, but most command theme park prices. Graffiti Junktion (technically on Turkey Lake Rd. near Universal) does good burgers fairly cheap; The Whiskey, on Sand Lake Rd., makes even better burgers, but it can get pricey. They get a lot of cool local bands there which makes it fun.

It's a Darden chain, but Bahama Breeze always "feels" like Florida to me, is affordable compared to the Mouse. Best one for atmosphere is on I-Drive, but menu is solid at all of them. Cafe Tu Tu Tango, also on I-Drive, is worth a look, as well, in terms of uniqueness, tho it's small plates so the bill adds up quickly.

Graffiti Junktion off turkey lake closed in Early September.
 
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