Offsite dining

[paper1225]

We recommend RACE ROCK on International Drive. You do not need to be a race fan to enjoy the place, because I def. am not a race fan! We like to go in for a late dinner and just get appetizers-but have also been for lunch and dinner..........great food, great service-every table is great. The portions are big and the price is good! Just look for the black and white checked flag and the "monster trucks" and you have found it!!!

 

[ttfn3]

Our favorite is the Orlando Ale House. It's very family friendly and good for sport fans.

 

[cgcruz]

When it comes to off-WDW dining, its pretty much the same at Orlando as it is back home. A must do for us, even when staying on-property is to go to Golden Corral. It seems like the ones in Orlando just have a bigger selection and since so many people go to them all week long, they dont always have fresh, hot food. We usually visit it the day we leave to go back home. Plus, there is always a coupon for Golden Corral in the Hotel pamphlets.

 

[Luthien_Rei]

-"Bahama Breeze is definately kid friendly. It is owned by Dardin(sp?)"

Yes, they are owned by Darden, with an "e" As you said they also own and operate places such as Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Smokey Bones. They're HQ is located in Central FL and they have a very active presence here.

-"I'm trying to figure out where the millenia mall is, as wehave a CCF gift cert I want to use while down there. Mapquest says exit 78 off of i-4....is that before/after the parks/DTD exits??? Just trying to picture in my mind."

The exit for Millenia Mall is well after the exits for WDW if you are heading East on I4 towards Downtown Orlando. If you head East on I4 from WDW you will pass Univeral, International Drive, the outlet malls, and Sea World before coming up on Millenia Mall. It is a fantastic mall with every kind of store from Sony and Apple to places like Gucci, Tiffany and CO., and Cartier.

I must admit I'm somewhat stupefied by the replies on where to eat outside of WDW (the comparison to some other parts of the country left me with horror) . Metro orlando is home to a vast array of superior restaurants and has a burgeoning and quite amazing culinary scene. The key however is to leave the tourism areas, which are overloaded with mostly commercial franchises.

If you are adventurous and want to discover more of what Orlando has to offer I highly recommend traveling East on I4 towards Downtown Orlando and the metro areas. Spend an afternoon on Park Ave in Winter Park, take in the amazing scenery and sample world class cuisine at establishments like Luma and Dexter's, or take the kids for brunch and ice cream at any number of fantastic bistros and eateries. Spend an evening walking around downtown, taking in the lights, skyline and nightlife and try award winning eateries like Hue, Le Coq au Vin, and Manuel's on the 28th. Orlando is a fantasticaly diverse place and boasts some of the the best Vietnamese cuisine this side of Saigon in it's own "little Saigon" and some of the best latin and hispanic cuisine north of Cuba. It's a shame that so many people come every year to WDW but so few travel any futher past I-Drive to experience metro Orlando itself and discover very little about it.

 

[TiggerStac]

-"I'm trying to figure out where the millenia mall is, as wehave a CCF gift cert I want to use while down there. Mapquest says exit 78 off of i-4....is that before/after the parks/DTD exits??? Just trying to picture in my mind."

The exit for Millenia Mall is well after the exits for WDW if you are heading East on I4 towards Downtown Orlando. If you head East on I4 from WDW you will pass Univeral, International Drive, the outlet malls, and Sea World before coming up on Millenia Mall. It is a fantastic mall with every kind of store from Sony and Apple to places like Gucci, Tiffany and CO., and Cartier.

Thank you...I'm coming from the b-line, so I"m glad I asked...mapquest told me to head towards tampa from there....I would have been going in the wrong direction.

 

[alexcturner]

We also love the restaurants in Celebration....especially Columbia. It is cuban food. Have fun!

 

[Joan S.]

My dh is from Cumberland!!!
Yes, Cafe D'Antonio is in Celebration! They even have an outside patio, if it's cold, they roll down the plastic panels/sides and put the heaters on (Feb was a bit chilly)LOL! and walah! Great place to go!

We've probably bumped into you guys over the years going to FL, this is our 18th year, we drive and go 3x's a year, too!
Our ds is going to college outside Orlando in a few months, so it looks like we'll be enjoying even more!

Have fun!

4/10 can't wait, 2 weeks, not long enough!!

Hi, THANKS for the info,hopefully we will try it this summer. Have a GREAT trip! April is such a WONDERFUL month in FLORIDA! Come to think of it ANY month is GOOD in FL! Joan

 

[rcraw45425]

There is also a nice variety of chains at City Walk at US. Margaritaville, Hard Rock, NASCAR cafe, Bubba Gump, I'm sure I'm missing some....

 

[Tink2312]

My vote goes to:
Cici's - good quality inexpensive pizza - you can't go wrong with toffee aple pizza for dessert!
Bahama Breeze - excellent atmosphere and great food.
Chilli's - wide variety of good quality food.
Golden Corral - so much food, so little time!
Tgi Fridays - Fun atmosphere.
Bennigans - good food and never packed out.
Hope this helps!

 

[OrlandoNative]

I you want the best steaks in Orlando and have a car Del Friscos is the place to go. It doesn't look like much from the outside but the steaks are to die for. Take I-4 east from WDW and exit at Lee Rd in Winter Park. Turn left and go under I-4 and Del Friscos is on your right.

 

[plamp]

Our family has enjoyed eating off-site at,

Giordanos (Italian)
Sweet Tomatos (Soup and Salad Bar)
Chevys (Mexican)

 

[chattyann]

I have 2 boys ages 6 and 9, We went to Disney last year and they still talk about Giordanos. It is extremely good.

 

[dizkids]

Bahama Breeze was GREAT! We went 2x in the same week ~party of 9 which included (5) kids. Definitely KID friendly....my kids raved about their homemade bow tie macaroni and cheese PLUS they loved the kids mango smoothies. We loved it so much thats why we went back twice : ) We even scoped one out back in NJ where we are from and visited that one, too.

Joes Crab Shack was very kid friendly. Ate on picnic tables but there is a million shanty crab shack thingy's hanging on the wall to occupy kids...great place for I -Spy. The food there was good not great. Would still go again.

 

[Freyja]

TGI Friday
Golden Corral
Race Rock
Chilis

 

[Christine]

I haven't eaten there in years because I've been on-site but I LOVED Bahama Breeze. It always seems to have a very long wait though.

I will be off-site this year (over Easter) and I might give it a try but something tells me I won't get in the door for the crowds.

 

[jx3smom]

Bahama Breeze is our favorite. The menu is large and it is very kid friendly. We also like the Orlando Ale House (a sports grill).

 

[Jason71]

Chevys (Mexican)

You know, Chevys doesn't get the love on the board that some other places do, but it really is a fun Mexican place with good food, very reasonable prices and outstanding servers. I always forget to mention it, but it's right up there with any other place on 535.

Alehouse is a good choice for "American" food. Just keep in mind the atmosphere becomes more bar-like and less restaurant-like as the night wears on, or any time there's a big game on.

 

[tortoni]

Lone Star, Steak and Shake

 

[DianeV]

Luthien: are there any authentic Greek restaurants that you know of in the Orlando area? We have been over to Tarpon Springs but its such a long drive..thanks!

 

[pooh4me]

We love Dixie Crossroads. They have rock shrimp that are out of this world. www.dixiecrossroadsorlando.com