A crazy idea... that YOU might be able to help us with!

[steve_rob]

For the past few months, DW and I have been working on a rather mad scheme regarding where we're going to eat the next time we're in Orlando. However we've now reached the point where we need some input from other people and I can think of none better than the members of these boards! But first, a quick history lesson...

Our problem - Every time we go to Florida, we find ourselves eating at the same restaurants.

It's not because we're not adventurous (well, maybe I am a little, but DW certainly isn't), but it's just because over the years and our many trips, we've built up a list of favourite restaurants and it's hard not to have a trip and not go to them all. And when you have a 14 night holiday and 14 favourite places, it's then very hard for anything else to get a look in. DW often says to me "Oooh, we should go here next time" (usually after reading about somewhere in someone's trip report) and I say in reply "Fine - but what restaurant do you want to drop in order for us to go there?". The response is always the same - "Well maybe not next time then" and so we never end up going there.

Our (proposed) solution - Put all the restaurants we like and all the ones we want to do in a hat and draw them out at random.

This way we're letting fate decide and we should (hopefully) get a mix of places on our favourites list and some new venues to try. We won't be allocating them to particular days or anything (no point in picking out a Magic Kingdom restaurant on a day we're planning to be in SeaWorld), but it'll give us a list to pick from depending on what we fancy. Also, it'll only apply to table service / sit-down style meals. Breakfast, counter service and snacks will still be free choice - we only ever have one "big" meal a day and this is what the picks will be for.

Crazy? Quite possibly. But this is where you guys and gals come in.

We've started to compile a list (which I will post in a couple of minutes) and have got quite a few restaurants so far, but we're sure that we've probably missed a few good ones along the way and would like you to review what we've got and make any recommendations for your favourites that aren't on there.

The list has been culled from various sources - places we've eaten before and liked (obviously), places we've seen adverts for and thought "want to try that!", places recommended previously on here, and other sources such as the Orlando Sentinel's food critics and various local food blogs.

So who's up for helping?

 

[steve_rob]

Okay, here's the list:

Applebees
Artist Point
Bahama Breeze
Bennigans
Big River Grille & Brewing Works
Boston Lobster Feast
Cafe Tu Tu Tango
Chillis
Coral Reef
ESPN Club
Four Rivers Smokehouse
Garden Grill
Hard Rock Café
Hollywood & Vine
IHOP
Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville
Le Chefs De France
Liberty Tree Tavern
Long Horn Steakhouse
NBA Cafe
Olive Garden
Outback Steakhouse
Perkins
Plaza Restaurant
Red Lobster
Rocco's Italian Grille
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Ruth's Chris
Salt Island Chophouse & Fish Market
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre
Seasons 52
Seaworld Luau
Sizzler
Sweet Tomatoes
Texas De Brazil
Tony Roma's
Tusker House
Tutto Italia
Whispering Canyon Cafe
Wolfgang Puck Cafe
Yellow Dog Eats


As you'll see, there's a right old mix of types of cuisine, costs range from cheap and cheerful to extravagent indulgence and the restaurant locations are all over the place - in-park, other on-site locations, I-Drive, LBV, Winter Park etc. (doesn't matter, we'll have a car and DW likes to drive).

Oh and if you're wondering, the ones marked in Red are those we've previously eaten at, so that should give you a good idea of our tastes if you're recommending anything.

Other points to note: we've already ruled out Boma and Jiko. I know they are very popular with people on here, but nothing on the menus appealed to us unfortunately. On a similar note we're also still debating the inclusion of Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52 - based on the menus we've seen from there, they are borderline at the moment, so they may yet fall off the list (though if you want to tell us why they shouldn't, we'll certainly listen). We also don't want any places we can get at home - this whole list is about trying something different after all!

There is one other entry on the list that I haven't put up there, which is "Eat In Room". This trip we'll be staying in places that have a kitchen (Saratoga Springs and an as yet undecided suite-hotel, probably in LBV), so we have an option to stay in one night and cook. This idea springs from our many trips to Publix supermarket where we've looked at some of the things they have there that we can't get at home and wished we could try them, but knowing that they'd go off if we tried to take them home. But now, assuming that ticket comes out of the hat of course, we can!

 

[wayneg]

When I see lists like this I realise we still haven't eaten at so many places over there. Only eaten at these 9 out of of the 41.
Chillis- one of best dessert I have ever had.
http://www.omanicuisine.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/moltenchocolatecake.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gFAAxuJWc5w/SZsqU4ZQ3cI/AAAAAAAAF2U/HWD5Bp_CCPI/s400/white-choco.jpg
Coral Reef - not impressed.
Garden Grill - 1st time this August, going back next August.
Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville - Big dissapointment
Liberty Tree Tavern - 1st time great, 2nd time even better, back again in August.
Olive Garden - depends on location and service you get
Sweet Tomatoes- love it.
Tutto Italia - last year really nice meal, this year not so good, changed menu for the worse.
Whispering Canyon Cafe enjoyed but glad we were out the back little room away from the hectic middle.

Boma we have eaten at twice, 1st time I loved it DW & DS just managed to find something (meatballs & pasta mainly) after 2nd time none of us will rush back. Jiko None of us are interested in the menu.
Bahama Breeze we are like you, looked at the menu so many times but not convinced, we tried last year but far too busy, going on how busy they get and the good reviews it should be excellent, maybe one day.

Our 3 favourites are not on there, Mimis Cafe (DW's fave by far she loves their turkey dinner) and Cheesecake factory, after going for 1st time last year it went straight to the top of out list, been 3 times now, excellent food and service each time and Orlando Alehouse.
We also like Logans Roadhouse.
Trails End, cheapest buffet within Disney, probably smallest variety of food but enjoyed it everytime.
Hoop Dee Doo for a dinner show, been 3 times all great evenings, going back next August for 4th time.

So many great places to choose from.

 

[dixonsontour]

Ooh I like your idea

I've eaten at 16 on the list (explains my dress size!)

Bahama breeze - Eaten at the I drive one 4 times. I like it DH not so much. We usually have the jamaican patties to start which DH likes as they are actually spicy. The tialpia with almonds and rice is one of the nicest meals i've ever had - went twice one trip just to have it. DH tends to order a burger as nothing jumps out at him or he moans the prices are dear. I think if he ordered something else he would like it alot more. We are going next trip as there is one on vineland near where we are staying (I am tour leader!). The ambience is nice aswell.

Bennigans - eaten there once in Pittsburg. Food totally unmemorable. the only reason i can remember going was the food took so long to come they made the chef come and apologise to us!!!

Chillis - have eaten there a few times, at a couple of different ones. Usually have the cadillac fajitas - fajitas with beans and rice. OK, nothing exceptional. Usually do a good deal 2 for $20 or something.

Coral reef. Had dinner there 2009 and 2010. Food was good, had the mahi mahi both times. Portions small. really cool atmosphere - ask to sit tankside. But we had the rudest server ever 2010 - wont ever go back. DH complained to the manager, only time in his life he has done that.

Hard rock - eaten there a few times early 2000s but not recently. I used to get the burger. DH the pulled pork. Food was always good.

IHOP - eaten there 10 plus times at various ones. Love the rooty tooty fresh and fruity - breakfast comes with dessert. One trip at the one near universal a woman walked in and said i'm having what she's having!

NBA - eaten once. can't remember what we had - totally unmemorable.

Outback steakhouse. Love it. Been to lots all over the US. Outback special, loaded baked potato and house salad is my order. When i visit my brother in essex we go to the one in Basildon and pretend we are in Florida!

Perkins. Been 3 times to the one at the jnc with the I4 and 27 and the one at crossroads. Like an ihop. Good breakfast food and if you sign up to their eclub you get a BOGOF coupon. Very good value.

Macaroni grill - been once to the one on the 192 next to crisy creme. Open kitchen and a bit more upmarket. Pasta was good.

Sci fi - been twice for lunch. Burgers are fine as are the milkshakes and cherry coke. My Dd loves sitting in a car. I don't think the prices are that bad - not much more than cs.

Sizzler - been a few times late 90s. Not our sort of thing now - prefer to pay a little more for a breakfast at perkins etc.

Tony romas - been once last trip after wanting to go for years. Got a BOGOF coupon for signing up to e club for my 'birthday'. Excellent ribs.

Tusker breakfast - been twice 8 am reservation. Food was hot and good selection. characters were mickey, daisy and minnie and donald outside. They do a kids parade with instruments.

Tutto italia - we enjoyed the meal but very expensive if not on ddp. Similar to macaroni grill food.

WCC - had the skillet there 2009 and 2010 and enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere.


To your list i'd add Carrabas. Italian chain with same owners as outback. Do every offsite trip.

We also usually do cheesecake factory - have eaten in the one in orlando, sawgrass mills and chicago.

If you want something less touristy bubbalous boddacious bbq was good - you eat on picnic tables.

I've seen yellow dog eats is no 1 on trip advisor. It is quite a way from where we will be though. Would be interested to see pics if you go.

We are also not Boma lovers - been twice to give it a fair try. Odd sweet food imo. Curry soup is great though!

 

[wayneg]

If you want something less touristy bubbalous boddacious bbq was good - you eat on picnic tables.

We are also not Boma lovers - been twice to give it a fair try. Odd sweet food imo. Curry soup is great though!

I forgot Bubbalous. Great BBQ food, voucher on their site last time I looked.

Curry soup is best part of Boma, although again I was only one that liked it.

 

[Kath2003]

Bahama Breeze - people rave about this, but we thought it was poor. Slow service, average food - we went next door to TGIs for cocktails when we were done as we'd had enough!

Bennigans - average - Ithought all these closed?

Chillis - it's okay, nothing any better than TGIs or Applebees.

Hard Rock Café - good atmosphere but food is hit or miss depending on how busy they are.

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville - again people rave about this but we thought it was just okay. Food was good but too loud/chaotic for us (2 adults).

Long Horn Steakhouse - love it (and I don't even like steak very much!)

Olive Garden - variable depending on the location. One year we used the one on I-Drive 3 times in a week, the next year we visited once and were disappointed.

Outback Steakhouse - love it, probably my favourite US chain.

Perkins - breakfast is fantastic, other meals not so much.

Romano's Macaroni Grill - excellent, highly recommended.

Sizzler - blergh.

Tony Roma's - we like this place, relaxed atmosphere, decent food.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe - overrated but the food is decent enough.


My ultimate favourite, though, is the Cheesecake Factory!!

 

[steve_rob]

Looks like Cheesecake Factory might be getting a look in from the amount of recommendations. I have to admit I'd never considered it, probably because I didn't realise it wasn't just cheesecakes until now!

Looking at some of the others recommended so far, we really enjoyed Hoop De Doo, but did it quite recently and so won't go back this trip, but probably in a couple of years. Our 'dinner show' style entry is the Seaworld Luau instead. Carrabas also nearly made our list, but we suddenly realised we already had quite a few Italian restaurants and if we ended up drawing them all, we might finish up the trip all pasta'd out! However, Bubbalous sounds right up our street...

Interesting to see other opinions on Bahama Breeze's menu that kind of match my own - most ones I see are usually overwhelmingly positive. I tend not to go for Caribbean food because I'm not keen on shellfish (which seems to make up a large proportion of it) and have an intolerance to coconut (which once again, features heavily). My worry is, I'll get there and like Dixonsontour's DH, I'll find that all I can eat is a burger, and quite frankly, if I'm going to have a burger in Orlando, I'd rather go to Wendy's! Hmmmm.... Double Baconator.... (makes Homer's drool sound)

 

[juliebro]

I forgot Bubbalous.

and Manny's!!

 

[Elise79]

My thoughts on the ones on your list:

Coral Reef - eatem here twice and good meals both times. I prefered the potatoes they used to do with the steak but still was good.

Garden Grill - eaten here 3 times. Wouldn't go back again unless they change the menu. Used to be really good but they have changed the main course in the last couple of years and now we just find it a bit bleh.

IHOP - only had breakfast here

Liberty Tree Tavern - Enjoy dinner here. Again prefered it when they had the characters as it seems a bit expensive now.

Outback Steakhouse - love it here!

Plaza Restaurant - had lunch for the first time in November and it was great we are going back again in May. More of a lunch that dinner restaurant to us though as it is burgers and sandwiches.

Sizzler - used to love eating here but now we find it a bit nasty and would rather pay a bit more for something better. The quality of the meal we had last time was lower than we had ever had before. Shame as it used to be a nice cheap meal

Tusker House - had breakfast here in November and really enjoyed it, we will be returning next year.

Whispering Canyon Cafe - enjoyed the skillet but not on our list of must do every trip.

Other restaurants we like:
Mama Melrose in DHS - if we are going to see Fantasmic this is where we eat and get the fantasmic package. Really enjoy the food - I like the chicken pippette pasta dish.

Kona Cafe - had a really good meal here in May and will go back at some point.

Restaurants that we want to try that are not on your list:
Cheesecake factory
Manny Chophouse

 

[Beep]

We went to Mannys last year and were really disappointed.

the place itself was great and we loved the atmosphere, but the food was poor. None of our steaks were cooked correctly and mine was still way underdone when it came out for the second time, the fries were inedible, the deep fried mushrooms were soggy, but the salad was good!

Don't think you have Le Cellier on your list? Best Disney restaurant in our opinion.
Also thought the Grand Floridian Cafe was excellent for service, food and prices
The best buffet we found was at Golden Corral - $7.99 for lunch with cooked-to-order steaks.
We weren't impressed with Kouzzina's at the Boardwalk, we found it bland
San Angel in Mexico has a great atmosphere and is unique, but the menu isn't as good as it used to be. Still nice food when we went in October but seemed limited choice

Here are out thoughts on the others we have eaten at:

Bahama Breeze - not bad, very busy and quite expensive for the food
Bennigans - liked it but this was years ago
Hard Rock Café - food was ok but seemed a bit pricey
IHOP - great food and great value too
Le Chefs De France - we found the food a bit bland here and unfriendly staff
Olive Garden - ate at two of these and one was definitely better than the other. Luck of draw I think.
Outback Steakhouse - best steak of the trip!
Perkins - really nice food and generally open late if not 24hrs. Everything we have had tastes fresh.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre - good fun but average food
Seaworld Luau -very entertaining, great food but not loads of it. You have to ask for more rather than them bringing it round
Sizzler - not bad, below par buffet
Sweet Tomatoes - loved this place, can't wait to go back. If you fancy feeling 'healthy' after a meal this is the place
Texas De Brazil - gorgeous meats that are carved at your table. Good atmosphere and great staff. Well worth a visit.
Tutto Italia - We ate here last year and this and the food was just as good.

Hope that helps -enjoy!

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

I will come back and comment on them all in a minute - need to get dogs out before it drops to -10 again out there! Just wanted to say though we seem to have fairly similar taste - if you like Tony Romas and ESPN you may also like Buffalo Wild Wings on I-Drive- its one of our faves!!!!!!

Oh - and I definitely second the Cheesecake Factory recommendations, but Bahama Breeze was the worst meal I have ever eaten in Orlando, but I know no one else agrees with me there!!!

 

[wayneg]

and Manny's!!

We went to Mannys last year and were really disappointed.

the place itself was great and we loved the atmosphere, but the food was poor. None of our steaks were cooked correctly and mine was still way underdone when it came out for the second time, the fries were inedible, the deep fried mushrooms were soggy, but the salad was good!

Don't think you have Le Cellier on your list? Best Disney restaurant in our opinion.

I am not sure if I should recommmend Manny's or not. 1st time was OK but portions not as big as I had seen in pics, cheesecake I got was very small.
2nd time steak overcooked but Matt's was excellent. We probably won't trail down for a 3rd time. I also advised my Brother to go, he didn't enjoy it at all..

Le Cellier we loved last year and enjoyed way more than Cali Grill for 2 credits, this year although excellent service the food was nowhere near as good, our Mushroom rissotto was almost too salty to eat, Karens butterbeans & chicken was not nice. Don't know why they change the menu when they have it right to start with. Now changing to 2 credits we won't return.

All places are the same, its down to who serves you and which dish you order, 2 families on the same night could give totally different opinions on it.

 

[dixonsontour]

We've done Mannys once and it was ok but not rave about good. It is good value and if you are in that neck of the woods down the 27 it is worth a trip. I will say the staff were very nice, I unpacked DD's xmas soft toys recently and one is a toy dog they gave DD when we ate there.

 

[steve_rob]

Don't think you have Le Cellier on your list? Best Disney restaurant in our opinion.

Went to Le Cellier for the first time about three trips ago (having tried to get in on the previous two and failed - of course we didn't know about ADR's at that time) and had possibly the best meal of our holiday. So we went back the next trip expecting great things, but only had a so-so meal. Gave it another try on our most recent trip (hoping for best two out of three?), but while what we had wasn't bad, the menu had changed out of all recognition, with very little on it now appealing to either of us and the prices had gone through the roof (and for smaller portions too). Unless we hear that it's gone back to its glory days, I can't see it making the list. I hope it does however, because that first experience we had at it was THAT good.

If anyone is really that interested, we'll be making our draw on Christmas Day. Hey, it's something to do while we're waiting for the Turkey to digest! Then we've got three months to work out what days we're doing whichever on-site restaurants come out the hat so that we can book our ADR's.

 

[DISWolves]

The thing that I like about Mannys is that a lot of locals use it, which I consider a good sign. Also it seems to have a constant flow of customers. Not exactly fine dining, but great value for money and also a brief escape from Disney.

 

[Helen B]

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville - I liked it when we went here, and because we weren't bothered about where we sat we went on the terrace.

Olive Garden - Liked it here but thought there was a lot of food.

Outback Steakhouse - We always go to the one at MCO before we fly back so that we've had something decent to eat.

Sizzler - Didn't particularly care for this, but I think it was more to do with timeshare salesman on the door.

They're the only ones I've been to on your list.

We usually stay in LBV and have found the following on the Palm Parkway crossroads:
Dennys - Only for breakfast - we went almost everyday we were there this year.

Black Angus - some great deals here and very nice steak.

Orlando Ale House - fabulous chicken wings, and a great selection of beer. It is a sports place with TV's everywhere, there was a great atmosphere in there for the England v USA game in June.

Giordano's - nice Italian place, they do a stuffed pizza, which I haven't tried, but their ravioli was gorgeous.

If you're feeling a bit flush with cash:
Morton's Steakhouse - You will not get much change from $150 for 2 people, but the steaks are to die for, absolutely amazing. We didn't go this time, but we did go for my birthday 2 years ago. The Orlando one is on Dr Phillips Boulevard.

 

[dixonsontour]

Glad to see a good review of giordanos. I've got a restaurant.com certificate for there. DH and DD love pizza so thought we would give it a whirl - the stuffed pizza with the sauce on top looks interesting!

 

[disneyangel]

Hi Steve We went last year for the first time with Jess and ate at the following on your list...

Applebees . Loved the meal deals and cocktail offers

Chillis. Similar to Applebees with a special 2 for $20 menu

Garden grill -We were really disappointed with this place.We thought it lacked atmosphere and food was lacklustre . Only saving grace was the characters.

IHOP -Yummy breakfasts and Eggs benedict MMMM

Outback Steakhouse -I'm not a big beef eater but Kenny loved steak here

Sweet Tomatoes- Loved this. Was so different from the other chains . Def worth a visit . Soups are mega yummy and the frozen yogurt was scrummy

Tony Roma's - Yummy ribs . But as we have one nearby at home we didn't go this time

Our addition you don't have is cracker barrel for breakfast . It's huge and divine

 

[UKDEB]

Great topic for a discussion! We always have the same dilemma - there are just so many restaurants in Central Florida these days and, with no sign of a slow-down on the new entrants front, it just becomes more and more difficult to decide what will make the list each trip. Where we differ slightly is that we tend to have places which we can't get enough of for a while and then they fall out of favour. We went mad for Wolfgang Pucks when we first discovered it and went there for 3 or 4 trips on the trot, for example, but haven't been back in years.

We've been visiting Orlando for nearly 20 years and, at the last count, I think we'd eaten at around 150 of its restaurants (albeit only 24 of the 41 on your list, which serves to illustrate just how many there are). Over the years, our tastes have developed considerably and there are places we frequented in the early days which we simply wouldn't contemplate these days (Sizzler and Ponderosa spring immediately to mind). We're real foodies and, therefore, extremely fussy about quality. Food doesn't necessarily have to be expensive, but it does need to be well-executed. Sometimes we find ourselves compromising on that - for instance, nothing in Magic Kingdom is great in my opinion, but we'll occasionally eat there for convenience' sake (although, for the foreseeable future I can see us making the short trip to the bar of The Wave at the Contemporary). We love Margaritaville, but because we're big Parrotheads (Jimmy Buffett fans, for the uninitiated ), not for the food which is just so-so.

Here are my comments on those on your list, including the number of times we've eaten at each.

Applebees - 0

Artist Point - 3. Nice ambiance and well worth visiting for a look around Wilderness Lodge. Not sure whether or not you've got kids, but we like to have a drink at the Territory Lounge first. In my opinion, the standard of food is possibly a little below that of other resort restaurants in its peer group (such as Flying Fish Cafe, Jiko, California Grill, Citricos, Narcoosee's), but I wouldn't let that put you off.

Bahama Breeze - 1 (I-Drive location). Totally underwhelmed. It receives rave reviews, but is a typical example of poorly executed mass-produced fodder in my opinion.

Bennigans - 0

Big River Grille & Brewing Works - 1. We ate here for the first time fairly recently and were reasonably impressed. We each had a starter and then shared the meatloaf which was an inspired decision as there was loads of it! The place itself is a bit lacklustre - small and smells like a brewery.

Boston Lobster Feast - 0.

Cafe Tu Tu Tango - 0. This was on our "to do" list for years, but we've yet to get around to it.

Chillis - 0.

Coral Reef - 2. Over-priced and just OK in my opinion, although it's difficult to put a finger on why because it's not really that different from most of the higher end theme park offerings.

ESPN Club - lost count! We love this place for the ambiance rather than the food. This is unquestionably a sit-at-the-bar-have-a-drink-and-a-snack-and-watch-some-sport place for us.

Four Rivers Smokehouse - 0, but my brother ate here back in October and loved it so much he went to the trouble of sending photos of the food while he was actually there! As you've done research, I take it you know it's a hole-in-the-wall joint with outdoor seating?

Garden Grill - 1. Good novelty offering and worth an outing, but definitely a "one time and you've done it" place, for me.

Hard Rock Café - innumerable. This place has a strange lure for us, but I'd struggle to explain it. The food isn't great (although it's not awful, either), but it's the one place we've eaten at every trip. It does have the most amazing collection of rock memorabilia, it's the original theme restaurant and there's something about sitting at a bar with a pink cadillac rotating overhead!

Hollywood & Vine - 0

IHOP - 0

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville - 4 or 5. This is a relatively recent discovery for us. It had never appealed until we became fans of the BuffettMeister a few years ago and now it's a must-do - the Holy Grail, if you like. We've sat at the bar until the early hours on more than one occasion and food is definitely a secondary consideration! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2063575&highlight=margaritaville

Le Chefs De France - 1. Disappointing. Second-rate execution of French classics. Bistro de Paris, upstairs (which had been on our to-do list for years before we finally got around to it in 2006) is in a different league altogether, although it's only open for dinner and is definitely a dinner venue.

Liberty Tree Tavern - 2. Like all the offerings at MK, I find this a bit "blah".

Long Horn Steakhouse - 0.

NBA Cafe - 1. Don't bother - Orlando is full of better offerings. Non-descript place and food.

Olive Garden - 0.

Outback Steakhouse - 1. I don't understand the popularity of this place. There are so many better steakhouses in Orlando. If you're used to Ruth's Chris, this will be a huge step down.

Perkins - 0.

Plaza Restaurant - 2. I find this place a bit clinical and the food isn't any better than the counter offerings. In fact, the burgers at Pecos Bill are much better, in my opinion.

Red Lobster - 1. We ended up at one of these at Charleston airport as there was little other choice. We were actually pleasantly surprised given its chain status and target market, but I wouldn't choose it in Orlando given everything else on offer there.

Rocco's Italian Grille - 0

Romano's Macaroni Grill - 0

Ruth's Chris - 3 or 4. We love this place - beautiful surroundings and outstanding steak. We're also fans of Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord Palms, Capital Grille at Pointe Orlando and A Land Remembered at the Rosen Shingle Creek. For a few trips, The Palm at the Hard Rock Hotel was a must-do, but that's one which has fallen out of favour for no real reason other than there are so many other places to try.

Salt Island Chophouse & Fish Market - 2. The first time we ate there (shortly after it opened) this place was truly outstanding and we had a fabulous evening there, with entertainment and drinks out on the verandah afterwards. A couple of years ago, we took friends there and it was a huge let-down. The place is tired and the service and food were both abysmal. We won't be going back anytime soon.

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre - 2 or 3. Food is just okay - similar to that at the Plaza restaurant, I'd say, but the novelty factor makes it worth a visit.

Seasons 52 - 2. The "healthy eating" thing had always put us off, but we found ourselves in the vicinity of Sand Lake Road one lunchtime a few years back and decided to throw caution to the wind. We absolutely loved it! It's a beautiful space with a great vibe and delicious food.

Seaworld Luau - 0

Sizzler - 3 or 4 in the early years, but we wouldn't go near one these days.

Sweet Tomatoes - 0. Keep meaning to, but just never seem to get around to it.

Texas De Brazil - 1. Definitely worth an outing. Nice place, good quality meats and a fabulous appetisers bar. That said, we went when it was still quite new and, in my experience, places try a lot harder when they first open.

Tony Roma's - 2 or 3. Haven't visited for years.

Tusker House - 1. Not really a fan, but we eat at very few counter service places.

Tutto Italia - 0. We did eat at the previous incarnation and found it cavernous and canteen-like. The food was appalling and the prices inflated. I'm hearing that the new pizza place, Via Napoli, is much more than just another pizza joint, so that will be on our to-do list in March.

Whispering Canyon Cafe - 1. Good fun and nice atmosphere. Like Garden Grill, I'd say this is a "do it once for the novelty factor" joint. If you only want one family-style meal, I'd choose this over Garden Grill.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe - 3 or 4. We went back in the heady days when it was necessary to wait outside with a pager. We always enjoyed the buzz and the food, but it doesn't really appeal these days.

Yellow Dog Eats - 0.

I have it on good authority that La Hacienda, the new offering in World Showcase, is more than a step up from normal theme park offerings - real Mexican food, done well.

The Cheesecake Factory is one which really does deserve the near-evangelical following. It has a gargantuan menu - so something to please everyone - and does lunch-size portions of its popular offerings (which makes sense because the portions are huge). Like many places, we actually prefer the appetisers to the entrees and we like to sit at the bar and share a selection of those with a drink or two. We also like the Brio Tuscan Grill (which is directly opposite at the Mall at Millenia) where they also offer the lunchtime portions. PF Chang's (Chinese) and McCormick and Schmick (seafood) there are good, too.

As you've probably gathered, dining in Orlando is one of my favourite subjects and I could go on, but adding more options to the mix isn't going to help at this stage, I'm sure. Have fun with your Christmas Day draw and let us know the outcome!

 

[tony64]

You really need The Cheesecake Factory and Mimi's Cafe in there, top two of our list and believe me we have eaten in hundreds of places over the years.