Nice neighborhood Thai place with a very reasonably priced lunch. Pretty much all the common Thai dishes are on the lunch menu. Very friendly service and good food.
Golden Thai
Category Archives: Florida
Gator’s Dockside
This is a nice new Gators with a very friendly staff. I love the way that Gator’s menu has gotten so creative lately, with lots of temporary specials. This is a great venue for watching sports, but also just a good place for traditional bar food plus some creative variations on same.
Shakers American Café
***** (5 stars)
Shakers recently won a people’s choice award for best breakfast in Orlando, and I can see why. My Western Omelet was overflowing with fresh vegetables and savory ham. Hash browns were extra crispy, just like I ordered them. And my server’s suggestion to grill my biscuit was pure genius.
I also loved the decor, with unique salt and pepper shakers on every table, and many more lining the walls.
Service was excellent, and all the servers I encountered were very friendly. Indeed, this was the best breakfast I’ve had in a long, long time.
UPDATE, MAY 9, 2024
Shakers still makes the best breakfasts in town! My new favorite is the breakfast quesadilla. It’s perfect!
Shakers American Café
1308 Edgewater Dr
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 422-3534
https://www.yelp.com/biz/shakers-american-caf%C3%A9-orlando-2
Paris Bánh Mí Kissimmee
This counter-serve place is light and airy, with nice seating and a great vibe.
My Grilled Pork Banh Mi was as good as any I’ve ever had. The secret to a great banh mi is great bread, and this baguette was fresh, yet crusty, and filled with crisp veggies. The sauce and pork were spot on, and there was plenty of cilantro and jalapeno. Just a terrific sandwich.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/paris-bánh-mí-kissimmee-kissimmee-2
Sukoy Hibachi Express
This counter service stir fry and sushi place also has adequate inside seating. The stir fry is cooked to order, with fresh veggies and a tasty sauce. I particularly liked the scallops in my shrimp and scallop combination.
And how can you beat a lunch special with two sushi rolls of your choice, a ginger salad, and a drink for $8.99? The spicy tuna roll was actually spicy, and the salmon wash fresh.
Friendly service.
Run & Run Chinese Delivery
This is the best Chinese food in the area. It’s always hot, and served on time. There are only three tables in the restaurant, so there’s a reason why delivery is in the name.
I particularly like their Singapore Mei Fun. It consists of thin noodles in a light curry sauce with assorted proteins. Servings are very generous.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/run-and-run-chinese-delivery-orlando-3
Crisp & Green
This salad assemblage place is much nicer than many of the competitors, with a large, pleasant inside seating area.
Their featured combinations all seem quite interesting. There is a nice variety.
I had the Chicken Bacon Ranch. The house Ranch dressing is nice and light, and a bit herbal. The bacon was meaty, the chicken was nicely seared, and the avocado was generous.
I ordered online, and it was ready by my selected time.
Voodoo Bayou
Voodoo Bayou is a great addition to restaurant row. The cool vibe and extensive drink menu is sure to be a hit with the evening crowd, but we went for lunch.
It was opening day (we were customer number two!) and the place was already running like clockwork.
The dinner prices are reasonable for dinner, but it’s nice that they have a lunch time “pick two” special for $15. I chose the gumbo appetizer and blackened shrimp po’boy sandwich. Both were authentic and tasty. I appreciated that they plunked down the Louisiana hot sauce right at the start of the meal!
I miss all the Cajun places we used to have back in the 90’s, so it’s great to have a really nice one to go to now.
I’m even more excited by the Asian small plate speak easy (reservation only) hidden off the foyer. That’s right up my alley, and I’ll be checking it out soon.
Torchy’s Tacos
This is a great addition to the local taco scene. Like competitor Velvet Taco, Torchy’s is a chain out of Texas that specializes in high-end taco assembly. Their menu offers a wide variety of semi-traditional and eclectic taco. We liked all three that we tried:
Trailer Park Taco – fried chicken and a bunch of stuff on a flour tortilla. This wasn’t my favorite, but my wife liked it a lot. It’s pretty far from any Mexican origins!
Green Chile Pork on a corn tortilla. The most traditional, this contained very succulent carnitas.
Mr. Orange – This was my favorite. A delicious piece of grilled salmon with a somewhat spicy sauce and lots of cilantro.
I really liked that all the tacos had completely different ingredients, which is very different from most assemblage places.
I usually prefer sit down restaurants to quick serves, but it’s worth noting that they do have margaritas, and you can come in, sit at the bar, and order food and drinks.
Be sure to join their club and get a free half order of queso and chips— it was large and delicious.
Kungfu Kitchen
Even though it’s in a tourist area, this is one of the best Chinese restaurants in Central Florida.
I don’t think I’ve ever had better dim sum, and the extensive, illustrated menu makes it really easy to order from. The seared soup dumplings (Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings) in particular were the best I’ve had.
The scallion pancakes are a bit unusual – more like a toasted flour tortilla than the traditional omelette-like preparation.
The large, airy space is inviting, and not too loud even when it’s busy.
Service is really good.