Best Italian Rest in Orlando?????

[Leigh123]

DH is 100% Italian and will not go 10 days without sauce..Can someone please tell me the best Italian rest that is NOT at WDW or US....thanks

Also has anyone ever eater on corleons...(spelling?)

 

[kwinkle]

Without a doubt from a local girl - it has to be (I know I am not going to spell thsi correctly) Buka De Bepa or something like that! LOL I will try to find the correct spelling -

 

[kwinkle]

Sorry - it is Buca di Beppo - I think there are a couple of them in the area. Karen

 

[Belle5]

Hmm. I love the Tirimisu (sp) at Buca but having eaten there many times in Dallas...surely that's not the best Orlando can do! Their eggplant parmesian is the worst I have ever eaten. Some of their meat platters are pretty good. I grew up in a "little Italy" city back east and the plain salad reminds me of what real Italian families serve. Plain but good. Buca is loud and casual. I like that on a family vacation. But as for food... I would just have to think there is better in Orlando. Just my 2 cents.

 

[kwinkle]

Maybe it is my own inexperience then.......it is the best I have eaten in. Maybe you will get some answers from others? There are many smaller italian restaurants around town but it will take someone with first hand experience to vouch for those. Sorry i wasn't more help.

 

[mrsstats]

We like Giordanos.

 

[jdm]

We ate at Carrabba's which was right by Universal, Hard Rock, that area. We really enjoyed this restaurant. Food, atmosphere and service was great. Not meaning too, we arrived at Happy Hour and got two for one drinks in the dining room with dinner. Also, our kids were with us and they enjoyed their meals. We got out for under $50 bucks with tip so that was another plus.

Jenn

 

[cnmiranda]

Bucca Di Beppo is a chain, if you like the Olive Garden you'll like BDB. Not real Italian food.

 

[JessicaR]

Hi Leigh,

My husband and I feel the same way about good Italian food! Over the years while visiting Orlando we have eaten at quite a few and returned to a couple. You mentioned Corleons and we have not tried this one yet but its on the list as I have read a few reviews on this board that said it was good and fun! Here is the website.
http://www.corleons.com/menu.html

Bravissimo Italian Cafe has good authentic southern Italian food and is quite inexpensive. My husband loves the gnocci. Here is their website http://www.bravissimo.cc/dinner.html

Another favorite is Il Pescatore. This one is my favorite! Always wonderful food and great service! Its so warm and family oriented and the staff makes you feel like you are "home". My husband loves the veal and I love the lasagna! Everything is made fresh. Not expensive and not fancy. I couldnt find a website for them but did find a site with many positive reviews.
http://www.digitalcity.com/orlando/entertainment/venue.adp?vid=156325&type=userreviews

Enjoy!

 

[Mike]

We have always been very happy with the Olive Garden. I am a very picky eater when it comes to Italian food - nothing compares to Grandma!!!! But I like this place a lot. The all-you-can-eat salad and breadsticks are a nice touch as well. There are several locations in the Orlando area. We typically go to the Olive Garden 2 or 3 times during our 2 week stay.

 

[MulanMom]

We have all three chains in our area. Buca Di Beppa runs rings around Olive Garden in terms of food quality and taste. Carrabas is also highly thought of and many would opt for Carrabas over Olive Garden. Having grown up with a live-in Nona (Italian for grandmother), it's hard for me to enjoy anyplace's red sauce or meat ravioli, etc. etc. At least at our Buca, I do like their red sauce, and usually enjoy their specials much more than their regular menu items.

I don't know how the restaurants compare to each other in the Orlando area. I did have the opportunity to eat at Macaroni Grille for the first time in December and that was very good, but it is like an Olive Garden, BDB, Carabas. Other Italian restaurants we've enjoyed are Palio's and Portobello yacht club, both on WDW property.

What you may want to do is to look up the Orlando Sentinel's Foodie Awards. Last year we found a good Korean restaurant via that resource.

 

[kylara]

Well, others have listed the chains which are closest to Disney, but if you have a car and don't mind driving a little, I can give a few good local places.

Tarentinos..this place is located on 192 in Kissimmee (going east past the Wal-Mart). It is located in a Four Points hotel directly opposite a Friendly's. Very good food.

La Forcetta's...is located on South John Young. You would take 192 east. You take the right on John Young and it is about 4 - 5 blocks on the left. Very small place, family owned.

The last is out in east Orlando. It is called Almafi's and is located on Lake Underhill. You would need to take the Greenway (also called 417 north) to Curry Ford road. Take a left on Curry Ford. Take a right on Econalocahatee (or something like that) Trail. A left on Lake Underhill. Almalfi's a in a little plaza (think it is a Publix) on the left.

Those are the three that come to mind for locals here.

 

[lisag1]

Carrabbas at Formosa Gardens Boulevard and Giodanni's Overstuffed Pizzas are both winners!!

Lisa

 

[DianeV]

We have enjoyed Pacinos on 192

 

[Popie_]

We ate a delightfull Italian place in Celebration.

 

[NotUrsula]

Antonio's is one of the major Italian restaurant "presences" in Orlando; though it is a local restaurant, there are 3 of them. There is a large location on Sand Lake Rd., plus a cafe in Celebration, and the original, which is in the northern burbs:

http://www.antoniosonline.com/AntoniosSandLake.asp

They have a fairly traditional menu, as you can see. I like Antonio's, and I live in a city famous for the quality of its "traditional" Italian food.

For something less traditional, I've heard that Limoncello
(the restaurant, that is) is very good.

 

[PammyK]

Antonios does get very good reviews locally.

There is also a nice little place in Winter Park called Pannullo's, I think. My friends and I really enjoyed it. My only complaint is that the portions are way too big!

It may be a bit too far from WDW though.