Must eat at restaurants near DW?

[Metro West]

Joe's Crab Shack and Logan's Roadhouse!

 

[ClanHarrison]

Powellrj, we really want to try Boston Lobster Feast and are skeptical because of the conflicting reviews. If it's not too much trouble, would you come back here and tell us of your experience with this latest visit/meal. We'll be down in a few weeks & I'm interested in 1. where you got your coupon from 2. what time of day you went & if it was crowded during that time. I'm thinking we want to go during a time where it isn't too slow so they'll replenish the food more frequently. Thanks!

Bubbalou's is at the top of our list for take home after visiting Universal on our day of checkout and Joe's & Logan's is a definite also. Those steam pot's drive me CRAZY everytime I see them. I can't wait to frizz my hair with one.

 

[cwby22]

ClanHarrison, I'll chime in if you don't mind. We go to Boston Lobster Feast every time we are in Orlando, 1-2 times per year. We were just there in April. I also read the bad reviews on here but I never have a problem there. We always go between 5 - 6 o'clock, early bird prices are until 6:00. Go to their website and sign up and they will email you coupons.

 

[cjlvsccm]

Now I have to tell you this sounds like my kind of place, just hoping my one daughter will eat, I don't want to pay for her and she won't eat anything. Is there any meat of any kind? Also, what were the prices like. Not that it matters for us, just if I pay for her, and she doesn't eat, will I be out a chunk of money? Thanks

RE: Sweet Tomatoes --
Besides the meat that is in some of the prepared salads, there are small containers of meat... I've only ever gotten the grilled ckn, but I think there are other kinds... located on a small shelf above the make-your-own portion of the salad bar.

Some of the soups are very meaty, and even some of the focaccia breads were "topped" enough to resemble pizza!

In addition to signing up for discounts on their website, you can also review the menus for your travel weeks, to make sure there will be some choices all will enjoy.

I'm looking forward to trying some of the other places mentioned, too!!

 

[saberry]

I didn't realize BBQ is made so many different ways. It's called BBQ so isn't it just pulled pork etc with BBQ sauce? I know there are different types of BBQ sauce too but I never heard of tomato or vinigar BBQ sauce.

BBQ is a funny thing because it really varies by region. Here in Texas, when we talk about BBQ, we are usually talking about beef brisket; either sliced or chopped and the sauce is tomoto based. Pork ribs are also very popular, although I prefer beef if it's a good cut and cooked right.

I've been experimenting with pulled pork though and it's been very popular with the neighbors.

My .02 on restaurants....another thumbs up for Steak N Shake. I'm not a big chilli fan, but I love theirs. I'm not a big fan of Sweet Tomatoes. We ate at one locally recently and it was kind of a let down compared to other Soup and Salad type places we've been. They have a big selection but everything was just meidocre, imo.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Just back last week.... we returned to Bubbalou's BBQ and it was excellent. We went the first time on Thursday night, and it was so good that we all agreed that we needed to go back again on Saturday night. THE BEST baby back ribs I have ever had by far!! If you like good bbq, you simply can't miss going there.

I love Babbalou's we have gone there for years but the one near Universal is no longer owned by "THE BIG PIG" as he called himself. He owns the one in Altamonte Springs. IT is MUCH better than the one near Universal. More choices and if you are lucky The Big Pig will come over and talk to you ....and he gives out special treats. BTW he is not really a pig, just the owner in pink shorts and a Babbalou's tee shirt.

 

[annacali]

I didn't read all the replies but our best meal last week was at Carrabba's Italian Grill...yum!!!!!

 

[powellrj]

Powellrj, we really want to try Boston Lobster Feast and are skeptical because of the conflicting reviews. If it's not too much trouble, would you come back here and tell us of your experience with this latest visit/meal. We'll be down in a few weeks & I'm interested in 1. where you got your coupon from 2. what time of day you went & if it was crowded during that time. I'm thinking we want to go during a time where it isn't too slow so they'll replenish the food more frequently. ]

We just got back last night and we did enjoy Boston Lobster Fest. We went to the one in Kissimmee on a Tuesday at about 5:30. From the parking lot it looked packed, but there was plenty of room on the inside. The food was really good this trip. They kept it coming fast so it didn't have time to sit around. It is comparable to any chain type seafood which because we live in Indiana, that is what we are use to anyway. I signed up for their eclub to get the coupons. If you are looking for a first-class seafood resturant, this isn't your place, but if you don't mind a chain type buffet, this one isn't bad.

Sweet Tomatoes was a different story. This was our second trip and I just don't feel the love that everyone seems to have for it. It was crowded and they didn't keep the tables bussed and the buffet was always empty. I had one glass of tea and they never made more, if they were out of something I would just wait for it because it you didn't you were out of luck. I tried several times to get a baked potato and finally just waited because they were gone as fast at they were put out. My DDIL never got one. They were always out of the veggies and they only seemed to have the ends left on the flat bread pizzas. I think we will pass on our next trip.

We enjoyed Fuddruckers and Giordanos as always. We had restaurant.com coupons this trip so we also ate at House of Blues, BB Kings and O'Charley. We had been to House of Blues before and as always it was good. BB Kings was a nice surprise. They had live music and the food was really good. O'Charleys was a typical visit, but we had a couple of picky eaters in our group and they really enjoyed it.

The coupons were a good deal so you may want to check those out too. Many times they offer codes for 80% which really make it a bargain! We missed out on Texas De Brazil this trip I am sorry to say, but like I said, we had a couple of picky eaters and they just didn't want to spend that much money on food they weren't sure about. We will be sure to catch it on our next trip!

 

[dioxide45]

We bought a House of Blues restaurant.com certificate for our recent visit. We figured we would give them another chance after a couple of disappointments. We would not have bothered going without the restaurant.com certificate (we actually bought two at the time we bought). We were not impressed. We always order the rib-eye and the ribs. These are not cheap items at $25 a pop. After all said and done, tip, tax, food and after discount it was a little over $40. We don't think that even after the certificate that it was worth the money we had to still pay. The rib-eye just isn't the same as it used to be, the ribs ended up being dry and not real good. They need more sauce. I always ask for extra on the side to be safe.

We have decided that since you only have to spend $35 to use the certificate, that on our final visit to use our last certificate that we will stick to something simple like burgers or sandwiches.

 

[powellrj]

We bought a House of Blues restaurant.com certificate for our recent visit. We figured we would give them another chance after a couple of disappointments. We would not have bothered going without the restaurant.com certificate (we actually bought two at the time we bought). We were not impressed. We always order the rib-eye and the ribs. These are not cheap items at $25 a pop. After all said and done, tip, tax, food and after discount it was a little over $40. We don't think that even after the certificate that it was worth the money we had to still pay. The rib-eye just isn't the same as it used to be, the ribs ended up being dry and not real good. They need more sauce. I always ask for extra on the side to be safe.

We have decided that since you only have to spend $35 to use the certificate, that on our final visit to use our last certificate that we will stick to something simple like burgers or sandwiches.

We went with the soup, salads and sandwiches and we enjoyed it. I loved the Oyster Rockefeller soup and the bread pudding. The chicken sandwich was good. My DDIL had the burger and enjoyed it and my mom had soup and salad and she also enjoyed it. We didn't go with the entree type meals this time, but I think its a pretty good deal for sandwich type meals.

 

[ClanHarrison]

ClanHarrison, I'll chime in if you don't mind. We go to Boston Lobster Feast every time we are in Orlando, 1-2 times per year. We were just there in April. I also read the bad reviews on here but I never have a problem there. We always go between 5 - 6 o'clock, early bird prices are until 6:00. Go to their website and sign up and they will email you coupons.

Thanks for chiming in. All opinions are appreciated .

Looks like the 5:00 hr. is a safe time to go so the food keeps moving.

I'll be sure to look for discount coupons too.

 

[dioxide45]

We went with the soup, salads and sandwiches and we enjoyed it. I loved the Oyster Rockefeller soup and the bread pudding. The chicken sandwich was good. My DDIL had the burger and enjoyed it and my mom had soup and salad and she also enjoyed it. We didn't go with the entree type meals this time, but I think its a pretty good deal for sandwich type meals.

We will definitely be trying their more reasonable fare on our next visit. Their steak and ribs have gone downhill. On our first visit about five years ago we couldn't have been happier, it was fantastic, but they have dumbed it down. I guess to cut costs as the price of the entrées hasn't gone up.

 

[~Fisharefriends~]

last time we went orlando our fav offiste restaurants were Bahama Breeze, (was very busy though and had to wait for a table), Ming Court (great choice chinese and also sushi) staff very attentive and great with the children. We also really enjoy friendlys and perkins for some good priced hearty food and friendlys do amazing ice cream!! My husband said to mention buffalo wild wings again good fun and good food but not somewhere if you have a vegetarian in your party.

 

[ClanHarrison]

This is like de'ja vu or something because I KNOW I responded to your post. It must have gotten pulled for some reason, but I SWEAR I didn't use any bad words .

I just wanted to thank you for your effort & time coming back here to contribute your experience. It is appreciated so much. I notice too many times, questions are asked & responses & information is given & folks don't even come back to say Thank You or give any acknowledgment. I know people can forget & it's understandable, but I wanted to acknowledge & thank you because I realize you didn't have to do that.

And I swear...I really did post a pretty long post in response . That's weird.

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Another vote for Orlando Ale House, went twice last trip, their swouthwest salad with grilled chicken was fantastic - worth that second trip.

 

[jerseygirl81]

I'm glad I found this thread lots of good suggestions! Linda

 

[Redwitch]

Just wanted to give this a bump and see if anyone had any other favorite off site eateries! Thanks for all the information!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

There is also one next to SuperTarget on Orange Blossom Trail. off of 417. When we arrive we stop at Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch, then walk next door to Target to pick up a few items before checking into our resort.

Isn't there a Buffalo Wild Wings nearby?

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

The prices at Sweet Tomatoe's are great especially when we use the BOGO coupon. You can get coupons by signing up on their websit. The email coupons all the time for BOGO.
I want to say the last time the two of us went we only paid like $12 total for dinner! It was so nice to go off property and not spend a fortune. Plus the food is healthier. If you look at the link below just click on a food item and the nutritional value will the displayed.

Here the link to the one located by Disney including their menu.

http://www.sweettomatoes.com/locations/restaurant.aspx?store_id=116&store_name=Lake_Buena_Vista

 

[anb5]

You must go to Bahama Breeze . The atmosphere is very tropical and lively . It is located on I drive and gets very busy. If you like shrimp you must try the coconut shrimp. I have never had it better anywhere. Check the website Bahama Breeze.com