Category Archives: Florida

Cold Stone Creamery

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Exterior

Interior

Counter

*** (3 stars)

This seems like it’s probably not one of the better locations for this chain, based upon the raves I’ve heard about others. When you enter it seems cramped, and there’s no obvious way to get the cups for the frozen yogurt machines, many of which are not operational.

“Stone” appears in the name because the ice cream is frozen to order on a cold marble counter, while being mixed with any desired add-ins. I had a mint and chocolate combination that was just okay. It would have been better without the lumpy brownies that were included as one of the chocolate ingredients. On a reutrn visit I had a coffee lovers combo which I liked much better.

Cold Stone Creamery
3310 Daniels Rd
Ste 112
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 877-3744
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cold-stone-creamery-winter-garden-3

Wings of Winter Garden

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Interior

Exterior

interesting Flavors

9 wing lunch combo

**** (4 stars)

This place serves good wings in a counter service style. The building is new, and very clean.

They really have a lot of wing flavors here. I had the hot garlic, which were good. Curly fries were just okay. I didn’t care for the somewhat oily seeming blue cheese dressing at all.

Service is friendly, although the kitchen takes quite a while to prepare orders.

Wings of Winter Garden
12801 W Colonial Dr
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 656-4492
https://www.yelp.com/biz/wings-of-winter-garden-winter-garden

Culver’s

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Bacon cheese single burger

Interior

Exterior

Mint and m&m mini custard

**** (4 stars)

My friends from the Midwest were excited about the local arrival of Culver’s, so I was looking forward to checking it out.

The Bacon Cheese Deluxe Single burger I had was good, better than most fast food burgers, and came with all the trimmings I like.

The specialty here is frozen custard, especially “concretes” made by mixing in ingredients. I had vanilla custard with mint flavoring and m&ms added. It was very tasty, fairly indistinguishable from soft serve ice cream.

It’s worth noting that custard is REALLY high in calories compared to alternatives. It’s also worth noting that the serving sizes are really large. I had a “mini” which, when I was a kid, would have been called a large. Between the caloric content of the custard and the size inflation, it would be easy to order a single serving that had over 1000 calories!

Service was very friendly. I was greeted on arrival and departure, and the food is delivered to the tables and the tables are bussed, all nice services not usually found at fast food places.

Culver’s
13649 W Colonial Dr
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 395-2225
https://www.yelp.com/biz/culvers-winter-garden

The Habit Burger Grill

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BBQ Bacon cheeseburger

Interior

Exterior

***** (5 stars)

This is the best quick serve burger I’ve found in Orlando. It’s also the best-priced quality burger I’ve found, costing barely more than fastfood chain burgers.

I had the BBQ bacon cheeseburger, which came will all the trimmings I’d usually order, standard. It was juicy and flavorful, and the bun held together well.

Breaded onion rings were nicely crisped, and the manager offered me some ranch dressing that was perfect for dipping them.

The burger, rings and a large drink came to under ten bucks. It was a great meal for that price.

Service was friendly, and the cooked-to-order meal came out very quickly.

The Habit Burger Grill
4706 Millenia Plaza Way
Orlando, FL 32839
(407) 351-9009
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-habit-burger-grill-orlando-2

Bocas Grill – Orlando

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Interior

Pabellon

** (2 stars)

This nice space has been a succession of restaurants, all of them better than this incarnation.

The extensive menu offers a variety of Latin cuisines, with an emphasis on Venezuela. The prices are pretty ridiculous, with a soda or iced tea costing $5, and a milkshake an astounding $15.

Fortunately there are lunch specials for $9. We tried several, and none rose above mediocre. Your money would certainly be better spent at an alternative such as Pio Pio or Arepas El Cacao.

Service can only be termed snail-like, despite the place being only half full, with plenty of servers.

I’m already looking forward to the next restaurant in this space.

Bocas Grill – Orlando
7600 Dr Phillips Blvd
Ste 22
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 723-8351
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bocas-grill-orlando-orlando-2

The Goblin Market Restaurant

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Exterior

***** (5 stars)

I’ve been going here for over twenty years, and it just keeps getting better.

First off, there isn’t a restaurant in Central Florida with better atmosphere. The place is divided up into a collection of amazingly cute and cozy rooms, each with the feel of a private library.

The food is great, too. I’ve only been at lunchtime, when you can’t go wrong with any of the sandwich choices. I’m not much of a wrap fan, but I love the ones here. And for something less healthful try the grilled cheese. Their fries are good, but the homemade potato chips are even better.

Service is friendly and attentive.

In case you’re wondering about the name Goblin Market, do a Google search for the poem by Christina Rossetti.

The Goblin Market Restaurant
330 Dora Drawdy Way
Mount Dora, FL 32757
(352) 735-0059
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-goblin-market-restaurant-mount-dora

Cheesesteak Factory

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Interior

Exterior

Corn dog

Theresa cheese steak

***** (5 stars)

I’ve seen this place hundreds of times, but somehow I had never stopped in. I’m glad I did.

It’s definitely a no-frills space, with a counter and a couple of tables. But the cheesesteaks are delicious. you can get a traditional one, or a “Theresa” which has specially marinated meat. I had that, with all the traditional toppings, and it was a great cheesesteak. I like that you can pick and choose each and every topping from a long list to get just what you want.

They also have burgers, fries, and so on. I tried a corn dog, and it was also very good, so I mau branch out on my next visit. Service was very friendly.

Cheesesteak Factory
6405 Raleigh St
Orlando, FL 32835
(407) 985-1988
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cheesesteak-factory-orlando

West Orange Creamery and Soda Fountain

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Exterior

Interior

***** (5 stars)

This delightful local creamery serves my very favorite ice cream–Hershey’s–in a wide range of flavors. This Hershey’s is unrelated to the candy company; it’s actually older. Their flavors a rich and complex, with great consistency.

I usually just like a scoop or two in a cup, but West Orange Creamery have everything from waffle cones to genuine banana splits. The employees and owners are really into it, and can give you great advice about their favorites.

West Orange Creamery and Soda Fountain
1575 Maguire Rd
Ste 101
Ocoee, FL 34761
(407) 656-6066
https://www.yelp.com/biz/west-orange-creamery-and-soda-fountain-ocoee

El Tenampa

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Interior

Appetizer sampler

**** (4 stars)

This is a nicely decorated neighborhood restaurant with excellent service. The first impression is that it will be very authentic Mexican, and there are such items on the menu, but there is also a lot of Americanized Tex Mex.

We tried the appetizer sampler of quesadilla, guacamole, chicken taquitos, and nachos. The nachos were too much about refried beans for my taste, but the rest of the items were good.

Because the appetizer was very generous we just shared a taco plate. Three authentic tacos were served on soft corn tortillas. The beef was okay, and the carnitas was tender but not very flavorful. However the pastor was terrific, with lots of flavor and a slight kick. All were topped with fresh cilantro.

There’s a full bar. The margarita I had was heavy on agave flavor, but a generous pour. Prices are reasonable.

El Tenampa
11242 S Orange Blossom Trl
Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 850-9499
https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-tenampa-orlando

Coral Reef

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Interior

Chargrilled octopus

Scampi

Bailey’s and Jack Daniel’s Mousse

*** (3 stars)

When it first opened this was one of the best restaurants at Epcot. They offered a true upscale dining experience and a spectacular view of the fish tank at the Seas Pavilion.

The view of the tank is still there, but the upscale dining experience is long gone. The reason, as with most of the other restaurants at Walt Disney World, is the advent of dining packages. Because guests can now get the food as part of their lodging and admissions packet, it has had a leveling effect on all of the restaurants, where everything is somewhat uniform. It’s not that the food is bad, it’s just very similar, and none of it stands out.

This is particularly apparent at the Coral Reef, which despite its theming isn’t really even a seafood restaurant anymore. Chicken and meat dishes outnumber the few fish dishes on the menu.

I had the chargrilled octopus, which was good, and the scampi, which included a skewer of decent shrimp and scallops over a completely flavorless pile of unsauced spaghetti.

Dinner for four, with a bottle of wine and tip, was over $300. Service was friendly and helpful, and the view is great.

Coral Reef
Walt Disney World Resort
Epcot’s Living Seas Pavilion
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32856
(407) 824-4321
https://www.yelp.com/biz/coral-reef-lake-buena-vista