Where do the locals eat?

[Antonia]

Just wondering where people who live in Orlando eat? There must be somewhere they love to have certain foods like seafood, steaks, etc. I'd love to know what are some restaurants that serve locals and are not trying to draw in so many tourists.
DH and I might like to go off-site and eat a meal or two without so many kids. I know WDW is for kids and we expect that. Just might like to get away from them after a few days!!!

 

[Forever42]

We like to eat at Disney

Otherwise, down in that area, we loved Texas de Brazil and Salsa's Taqueria at the Florida Mall, but usually if we're near Disney we'll eat there.

 

[Antonia]

Oh, please. Surely someone eats somewhere besides WDW.

 

[safetymom]

Add me to the list of locals that eat at Disney. We also like Bahama Breeze.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

We live in Celebration when we're in the area and there are nice restaurants here. We frequent Town Tavern, Antonia's and Columbia. Also, we like the Universal offerings of Tchoup Chop, The Palm, The Kitchen and Emeril's. Also, there is Ruths' Chris, Mortons or Del Frisco's for steak (Charley's too, although I haven't been yet). How's that?

 

[minniebeth]

I don't live in Orlando, but travel there frequently for a variety of reasons, and I definately think that the Universal Hotel restaurants often get overlooked, along with the City Walk restaurants. If you have transportation (rental car) and are staying at Disney, I think it is worth a trip if you are looking for something new. We stayed for 8 days in April in Universal for the first time and really enjoyed a lot of the restaruants there:

Royal Pacific restaruants
Emeril's Tchoup Chop
The Kitchen and poolside food at Hard Rock Hotel
Portofino Bay rests.
Hard Rock Cafe
NBA City
Margaritaville
Emeril's Orlando

 

[CPM]

Not a local but travel to Orlando quite often.

I also love Town Tavern in Celebration. We always stop there on our way to Disney.

Tchoup Chop is wonderful!!

Here's a secret favorite of mine. It's yummy and has been there for years!!
http://lecoqauvinrestaurant.com/

 

[Forever42]

I did forget that there's a Bahama Breeze down there, we go to the one right next to us quite often. We live 45 min north of Disney so we don't go down that way except for Disney.

I just recently went back to Tchoup Chop and had an absolutely horrible dinner. Bland, bland food, hot and curdled creme brulee and just passable service. Won't be back again.

There's the line of Miller Ale Houses, but they've come down in quality in the last few years.

 

[MichellT]

We eat at Disney a LOT. In fact we're just between two 10-day free dining trips :=)

But, when not at Disney, there are lots of great places on Sand Lake Road and also at Universal.

In no particular order ...

* Texas de Brazil (Int'l Drive) -- expect to spend and eat a lot and don't go unless you are a meat person; not a lot of kids although mine LOVE it
* Melting Pot (Sand Lake) -- a chain, but a good one and not too many kids eat there
* Tchoup Tchop (Universal-Royal Pacific) -- we have never had anything but great food and service there so maybe we're just lucky!
* Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (Universal-CityWalk) -- brand-new and also a chain but really fun and good food too!
* Seasons 52 (Sand Lake Road) -- first location of a soon-to-be-nationwide chain, very healthy food, excellent wine, not overpriced
* Roy's (Sand Lake Road) -- also a chain (sorry, that's just Orlando for you); excellent seafood prepared brilliantly. There aren't too many kids there but the staff is fantastic with kids
* Luma (Winter Park) -- much farther out but an excellent place, and very reasonable too, it might be neat to see Winter Park
* Shari Sushi Lounge (Downtown-Thornton Park) -- farther too but the best sushi in town hands-down

Also already mentioned: Salsa, Bahama Breeze, Miller's Ale House -- all more casual type places.

And for families or lunch:
* Sweet Tomatoes (Int'l Drive) -- also a chain, very casual, always packed at lunch and dinner, very budget-friendly salad/soup/pasta/bakery all-you-can-eat, not a good parents-night-out but we eat there weekly at least

 

[CPM]

I just recently went back to Tchoup Chop and had an absolutely horrible dinner. Bland, bland food, hot and curdled creme brulee and just passable service. Won't be back again.
.

wow, I hardly ever hear that. It usually gets rave reviews. I have never had a bad meal there.
Did you complain?

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

Me either. I like Tchoup Chop better than Emeril's, in fact.

 

[MomPlanner22]

My sister lives in Orlando and loves this place called Cafe Tu Tu Tango.

 

[Kycha]

My sister lives in Orlando and loves this place called Cafe Tu Tu Tango.

I have been dying to go to this place. I read a review for this place in the Unofficial Guide to WDW years ago and it sounded like an affordable place with some tasty food. They serve a tapas(appetizer) menu. So, the portions are smaller and less expensive. But everything looks tasty. Rachel Ray also featured this restaurant on her show "Orlando for $40 a day".

 

[Disney Magic]

Not a local, but I am on business in the Orlando area very frequently. You will notice that most of the restaurants I recommend are in the hotels in which I stay, but some are "stand alone" restaurants that were recommended by the concierge staffs. These are frequented by both locals and business folks (not a lot of tourists with kids). The dress code in about half of these restaurants is business casual, no theme park attire, so you may not be interested in some of them.

Normans - Ritz Carlton (for that matter, any restaurant in the Ritz or adjacent JW Marriott Hotel are great).
Dux - Peabody Hotel
Atlantis - Renaissance Hotel
The restaurant in the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Downtown Orlando
Manuels on the 28th in Downtown Orlando
The Steak house (with the Everglades Theme..real cute) at the Gaylord Palms Hotel - Hard Rock Hotel (love their lobster)
Tchoup Chop - Royal Pacific Hotel
Emerils - Universal City Walk
Margaritaville - fun themed (casual) restaurant in Universal City Walk
The Palms Steak House - Hard Rock Hotel (love their lobster)
Seasons 54 - Focus on low caloric foods (Sand Lake/Convention Center Area)
Roys - Hawaiian Fusion (Sand Lake/Convention Center Area)
Ruth Chris Steak House (Sand Lake Area)
Christini's Italian Restaurant (Sand Lake Area)
Chathams (Sand Lake Area)
Cedars - Mid Eastern (Sand Lake Area)
Fish Bones - Fish House - Int'l Drive Area
Maison & Jardin - French - A bit further in Maitland
Del Frisco's Steak House - Downtown
Vines Steak House (Sand Lake Area)
Chef Todd English's Blue Zoo for seafood and Shulas for steak at the Dolphin Hotel (I know, on Disney property, but not a Disney hotel).
For Sunday Champagne Brunches - Brunch at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress by Disney, and Brunch at the Renaissance by Sea World. Both were great. You won't eat for the rest of the day.

I'm sure that those who frequent the restaurants in the area more than I do will help you a bit more.

 

[momof3littlelilos]

these are the non-Disney places we like...but they might not be where you want to go...
LUA LOA, soul food - Downtown on the outskirts of Parramore (the Hood)
Maria Bonita - on E Colonial 30minutes to 45 minutes from WDW- really good Mexican with musicians who travel table to table on Friday and Saturday nights.
The Melting Pot, mentioned previously.
CeCi's Pizza, a chain pizza buffet with lots of locations in Orlando, less than $5 per person, our favorite broke people's nite out!

 

[ttfn3]

We asked a local for a recommendation one trip - for a reasonably priced, close to Disney, family friendly restaurant - and we discovered the Orlando Ale House. It's a tradition for us on every trip to Orlando.

 

[Michelina]

We love Emeril's Tchoup Chop! I think it would be a great choice for a parent's night out. Even though it's at the Royal Pacific, we've never seen children there in the evening.

 

[llqool]

don't live in Orlando, but grew up in FL and all my family lives there. Most of the time when we go to Orlando, we are trying NOT to eat at Disney (unless it's free dining, like it is now!). Two really inexpensive chain restaurants that we will go out of our way to eat at when we are in town are Sonny's BBQ (on Irlo Bronson) and Pollo Tropicale (there are several in the area -- one on Irlo Bronson and another near the int'l drive area). The latter is a carribean/hispanic fast food chain with great grilled chicken (healthy AND good!) and plantains, yucca, etc etc. I love to get the pork Tropichop....Darn! I'm making myself hungry thinking about it, and although we're going to WDW in a couple of weeks, we're on the free dining, so we won't be going off property to eat!

also LOVE Sweet Tomatoes -- gourmet salad bar place.

 

[MNDisneyFan]

Our family's two traditions are Bahama Breeze and Logan's Roadhouse. Nothing fancy, just really like those two places.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Where do the locals eat?

The Waffle House!