***** (5 stars)
This is a small traditional roadside diner with a classic assortment of dishes, including excellent hamburger, fries, and onion rings. Be sure to ask for their excellent onion ring dipping sauce!
The tuna melt is also really goos, as is their cole slaw.
Friendly down home service.
Race Car Diner
25641 Monroe St
Astatula, FL 34705
**** (4 stars)
Great spot for Quesitos, sweet, crispy, cream cheese filled pastries with lots of sugar. They go great with the coffee specialties. I had the cortado, which you can get either with or without sugar.
I was less enthusiastic about my bacon and cheese omelet, which was nothing special.
Order at the counter, and they bring the food to your table. Lots of outdoor seating, too.
Zaza Cuban Comfort Food
417 N Alafaya Trl
Orlando, FL 32828
***** (5 stars)
I've always enjoyed the other Azteca locations, and this one is just as good, and even better decorated. What a transformation from the old Village Inn!
Open only a week, and really bustling, but the service and kitchen were mostly able to keep up.
Fajitas are the highlight for me here. This was the first time I tried them with carnitas, and the meat was tender and succulent.
The Cadillac Margaritas are also excellent.
The dining room is high ceilinged, but can be quite loud when full. For a somewhat less boisterous dining experience, ask for a high top in the bar, or a table in the room beyond the bar.
Azteca D’Oro Winter Garden
3130 Daniels Rd
Oakland, FL 34787
***** (5 stars)
This reincarnation of the old Hemingway's spot is very good. Because of the Richard Blaise branding, I was expecting more molecular gastronomy, but it's pretty focused on fresh seafood.
We selected the Seafood Smorgasbord as our starter, and it proved to be so extensive that it was really a meal for two, including nearly every appetizer on the menu: Tuna tostada, scallop ceviche, stone crab claws, shrimp cocktail, ham croquettes, shrimp toast, and a dozen oysters! Highlights were the scallops and the tuna and, surprisingly, the croquettes. We weren't fans of the shrimp toast; although perfectly crisped, it was a bit sweet, and lacked any shrimp flavor. At $128 this was fairly priced, and a really complete dinner for two.
After that, all we could manage were a couple more small plates. Ribeye Pichos were two small skewers of flavorful beef, tasty but maybe not worth $23. Jerk coated cauliflower, also available in an entree size portion, was excellent.
The Boulevardier is an amazing cocktail. It's also nice that they have a wine of the day poured from magnum. Ours was Chateau LaGrange.
I've been going to this place for 38 years, since it first opened as Hemingway's, and our server, Michael, has been there just as long! So some things haven't changed. Now if they would just bring back the Key Wester salad as a tribute to the old days, it would be perfect.
Four Flamingos
1 Grand Cypress Blvd
Orlando, FL 32836
*** (3 stars)
This is a combination sports bar and seafood place, focusing on mostly fried seafood dishes the way you might get them in Boston, or the way people think you might get them in Boston. There's nothing great about the place except the decor, which is pretty good, and the nice location on Celebration's waterfront. But there's nothing terrible about it either. The best thing we had was the lobster roll, which had a reasonable amount of lobster in it, although it was priced accordingly. The sports bar food was less good. The potato skins and chicken wings were just OK. Spicy tuna dip was a poor choice. It was basically really liquid tuna sandwich filling, and not spicy at all. There is a lovely outside area dedicated to dining with dogs, so if you're a dog watcher, it's a great place to visit lots of canine friends.
Celebration Town Tavern
721 Front St
Celebration, FL 34747
https://www.yelp.com/biz/celebration-town-tavern-celebration
***** (5 stars)
Excellent service and friendly people.
Creed’s Firewood
3416 S Goldenrod Rd
Orlando, FL 32822
***** (5 stars)
This is my favorite Peruvian restaurant in Orlando. Everything is very authentic. They have the best ceviche I've had anywhere but Lima. The causas are also excellent.
As of this writing if you check in on Yelp they offer a free Chicha Morada, a delicious fruity non-alcoholic drink (based on purple corn, interestingly) with a touch of cinnamon and clove.
The pisco sours are also excellent.
Memories of Peru Pollos a la Brasa
5700 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
https://www.yelp.com/biz/memories-of-peru-pollos-a-la-brasa-orlando-11
*** (3 stars)
Pros:
Lots of TVs for sports.
Cheap beer and drinks.
Cons:
Mediocre, high calorie food, with nothing to distinguish it from every other sports bar.
Miller’s Ale House
12371 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Orlando, FL 32836
https://www.yelp.com/biz/millers-ale-house-lake-buena-vista-orlando
**** (4 stars)
This is an excellent sports bar, with lots of screens, and a very extensive menu. There's pretty much and sports bar food you can think of. My burger was exactly the way I like it, and my companions Cobb salad and chicken ginger baskets both looked good. Service was prompt and friendly, as the name suggests.
Friendly Confines Metro West
2461 S Hiawassee Rd
Orlando, FL 32835
https://www.yelp.com/biz/friendly-confines-metro-west-orlando
*** (3 stars)
Pros:
Lots of TVs for sports.
Cheap beer and drinks.
Cons:
Mediocre, high calorie food, with nothing to distinguish it from every other sports bar.
Miller’s Ale House – Lake Buena Vista
12371 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Orlando, FL 32836
https://www.yelp.com/biz/millers-ale-house-lake-buena-vista-orlando