Favorite Restaurants Outside of WDW?

[jrt1176]

We have been going to WDW for years, I was just wondering some of the places you all like to eat outside of the gate?

We used to own some restaurants, including a prime nyc style steakhouse...so we love food!

What are some of the best places you have eaten outside of WDW, but in the vicinity?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Cheese Cake Factory
Golden Corral
Shells Seafood Restaurants
Applebee's
Olive Garden

 

[DisneyGirl625]

Black Angus Steakhouse

 

[jrt1176]

I'm asking more for fine dining...

Cheesecake is good, but I can get that at home...

Cheese Cake Factory
Golden Corral
Shells Seafood Restaurants
Applebee's
Olive Garden

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The restaurants I listed we can not eat at in Toronto since they don't have any locations where we live. There use to be Olive Gardens however for whatever reason they closed all their locations in Canada, so we like to eat at these restaurants whenever we get a chance.

 

[utahkennedys]

Seasons 52 -- we would go there every time if we didn't have dd2 and dd6 with us!

 

[thepwa]

Emeril's, at Universal Orlando.

The Palm at the Hard Rock Hotel

Capital Grille, at Pointe Orlando

Emeril's Tchoup Chop, at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando

And, although it is way outside WDW, there is a place called Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa. Wow!

Also, you might try OpenTable.com and search in Orlando. That usually has some fine dining locations attached to it.

 

[horseshowmom]

http://www.chaletsuzanne.com/dining.html

http://www.chaletsuzanne.com/lodging.html

I've never eaten here, but I've always heard about it. It's about 30 minutes south of Orlando.

A favorite of celebrities, Chalet Suzanne has a proud heritage and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On the property are five dining rooms, 30 guest rooms, a landing strip for airplanes, a gift shop, spa, the ceramic studio, a cannery for our soups and sauces, citrus groves and a small experimental vineyard.

Today Chalet Suzanne is a Mobil 3 Star restaurant and has been selected by Uncle Ben’s Rice as one of the Top 10 Country Inns in the US. Chalet Suzanne has also been named to the Florida Trend Magazine’s Golden Spoon Award ‘Hall of Fame’. Best of all, though, Chalet Suzanne Soups were selected by NASA and the crew of Apollo 15, thanks to friend and Astronaut James B. Irwin, to be aboard their trip to the moon in 1973. The soups also went into space on Apollo 16 and even the Russians chose these fine soups for their joint dinner meeting in space on Apollo-Soyuz.

 

[rluey29]

Texas de brazil is awesome!

 

[madcoco]

The Venetian Room.
Manuels on the 28th.
Antonios
Christinis
Del Frisco's Steakhouse
Seasons 52(voted best in Orlando by readers and media this year)
Roy's
Cafe Tu Tu Tango (unique not fine dining)

There is a new restaurant called Johnny's Hideaway where Pebble's used to be
at the Crossroads We stopped there the other night on the way to the airport They are an upscale Seafood/Steakhouse with an outdoor bar/rawbar.
Very interesting menu and upscale pricing. (Fresh Florida fish,Lobster Mac,Bone in Filet,Strip for Two and the only place in Central FL supposedly that will have Stone Crab year round. ) Food was great. Bill wasn't LOL
imho being located offsite, I hope it makes it in this economy.They poured a few million into rebuilding the place. We used to love Pebbles in the old days before it went through an identity crisis and ownership change. Pebbles this is not nor is it supposed to be.

 

[jrt1176]

Thanks, I will check them out online...

Johnny's Hideaway is part of the same group as Vito's and Charlies...the group is called talk of the town, I believe...

 

[winterman]

Celebration Town Tavern - Fresh seafood from northern New England

 

[madcoco]

Texas de brazil is awesome!

Yes that is some fine dining and the Caipirinhas are pretty good too!

 

[Jason71]

The Venetian Room.
Manuels on the 28th.
Antonios
Christinis
Del Frisco's Steakhouse
Seasons 52(voted best in Orlando by readers and media this year)
Roy's
Cafe Tu Tu Tango (unique not fine dining)

There is a new restuarant called Johnny's Hideaway where Pebble's used to be
at the Crossroads We stopped there the other night on the way to the airport They are an upscale Seafood/Steakhouse with an outdoor bar/rawbar.
Very interesting menu and upscale pricing. (Fresh Florida fish,Lobster Mac,Bone in Filet,Strip for Two and the only place in Central FL supposedly that will have Stone Crab year round. ) Food was great. Bill wasn't LOL
imho being located offsite, I hope it makes it in this economy.They poured a few million into rebuilding the place. We used to love Pebbles in the old days before it went through an identity crisis and ownership change. Pebbles this is not nor is it supposed to be.

My friend just got a job as a server at Johnny's. I guess a lot of people have been surprised by the feel of the place (and the prices), given its location in Crossroads.

Another vote for Seasons 52. Also good on Sand Lake Road, Timpano for steaks/Italian and Amura for sushi/Japanese. But really, you could pick a nice restaurant on that street at random and not go wrong. All just a few exits up from WDW on I-4 (or jet up Palm Parkway/Turkey Lake Road).

FYI, unless it recently reopened, Manuels on 28 closed like two years ago.

 

[madcoco]

May be confusing Manuels on the 28th with Arthur's 27 at the BuenaVista Palace that closed down a few years ago. Confusing huh? ;-)
Manuels won for best service in Orlando(Orlando Mag) this year.
Wish your friend and Johnny's the best. Love the outdoor deck and bar(bar looks like a charter boat ) and they have Island boy(plays down the road at Bahama Breeze) dishing up some fun island music. Good atmosphere.Friendly staff. For now they only serve the rawbar outside and more to come later.

 

[Jason71]

May be confusing Manuels on the 28th with Arthur's 27 at the BuenaVista Palace that closed down a few years ago. Confusing huh? ;-)
Manuels won for best service in Orlando(Orlando Mag) this year.
Wish your friend and Johnny's the best. Love the outdoor deck and bar(bar looks like a charter boat ) and they have Island boy(plays down the road at Bahama Breeze) dishing up some fun island music. Good atmosphere.Friendly staff. For now they only serve the rawbar outside and more to come later.

Glad to hear it's still there. I confess, I haven't made it to Johnny's yet, maybe this weekend--sounds fun. Honestly, it's just nice to have some non-chain alternatives around, you know?

 

[madcoco]

But really, you could pick a nice restaurant on that street at random and not go wrong.

That's an understatement LOL. Restaurant Row. Even the Golden Arches is above average for a MickeyDees. DW just dropped off one of the cats at our Cat Vet behind the HomeGoods Store for a checkup. She calls me and said she just had lunch at Seasons52. Just a bit jealous a few thousand miles away woofing down TacoH*ll to go as we speak. LOL.

 

[chickie]

Do you think reservations would be needed on a weeknight at Seasons 52 (or any of the places on Sand Lake Road)? We thought about just taking off and driving up that way one evening to check out all the great places mentioned here and on the podcast. We'll be there in mid-March.
Thanks!

 

[chickie]

Oh! I thought of another place to try! Head over to the Gaylord Palms Resort. They have several upscale restaurants. We ate at Sunset Sams and it was wonderful! Also, the hotel is beautiful and you can walk around in the atrium before or after you eat. The atrium is huge and there is a lot to see. It could make for a really nice evening out.

 

[madcoco]

Do you think reservations would be needed on a weeknight at Seasons 52 (or any of the places on Sand Lake Road)?

To be on the safeside, I would so you don't waste a trip. However if you show up at opening you are probably going to find more than one place on Restaurant Row that can seat you without problem.(that's how we usually do it)

You can make reservations online here for Seasons52.
http://www.seasons52.com/default.asp

Gaylord Palms has a great Champagne Sunday Brunch as well to try out.