Places to Eat
Now before your trip you have probalbly been told or heard that it's expensive to eat out in Orlando nowadays. Well don't believe everything you hear. It's just like at home, as in there are cheap and cheerful places to eat and then there is the posh and expensive places too. So I thought it would help to have someone who can offer advice across the scale. Another thing you have probably heard is you can't eat healthy whilst out there. That too is a mis-represenation. Ok it's more expensive for healthier foods than fast food, but again isn't that the same here?! You just have to work out what type of food you want to eat and what your budget is. However if you are visiting Orlando for the Parks chances are you want something quick, easy and simple. But that also keeps the calories up, yes you read that correctly. You will be walking approx 7 miles a day for the 2 weeks you are there, in heat and humity you are not used to. So yes you need those calories to keep you going. Fizzy drinks are everywhere out there, so in that sense it isn't the healthiest, but just ask for tap water anywhere and they will happily give you that instead.
Please remember if you eat out at a sit down restaurant you will be asked to tip this is usually 18 - 30% depending on level of service you recieved. Over in Orlando servers don't tend to be paid a reasonable wage and they actually rely on tips to survive. Yes, I know this isn't our fault, but it is the way it is out there.
Below I have made 3 columns, one for Budget places, mid-prices and more expensive. This is to help you have an idea when working your budget out.
Budget Friendly Places to Eat.
Now most of these places will be off-site as this is where you will find the lowest priced food. This is actually the easiest column to do, which I know seems strange when everyone is telling you its so expensive. But honestly it is just like home. The only big difference to home regarding budget food is McDonalds. Now through my experience McDonalds has increased its prices hugely out there. Gone are the days of the 99c Big Mac or 2 for $2. And believe me the taste isn't the same either. I am not a huge fan of McDonalds at home but I do have one every now and then. Yet for last few years when visiting Orlando I have avoided it. There is better food for less out there, even if it's still burger and fries it tends to be better priced and tastier.
A prime example of a fast food place that is better quality has to be Wendy's. Their burgers are made fresh and higher quality. And their chicken actually tastes like chicken. One thing people struggle to get their heads round is that their burger patties are not round. Wendy's patties are Square! The menu at Wendy's has so much more variety than McDonalds too. And they have a saver menu too. Another great fast food burger joint is Checker's, there is only a few of them dotted about the place but if you're near one, you have to grab one. Their burgers are so good for fast food joint.
Currently, Chilli's has a fantastic offer, It is 3 for $11. This means you get refillable soft drink, starter and main course. Our most recent visit we took advantage of this offer. We both had iced tea, both picked different starters. We had the Salad and the chips with dip, and for our entree we both opted to the burger and fries. The salad was a lot larger than anythin we have here, and the chips were a mountain lol. We asked our server if we could box the rest of the chips and dip up to take away, as we still had loads left. To our surprise the server came back with another full portion boxed up with dip, and then added what we had left on the table too.
The burger was actually really juicy and tasty, but again large portion. Our server did say they had given us extra all because I held the door open for another server when we entered. She said because I was kind to a staff member they were being kind to us in return (just shows, manners cost nothing, and even sometimes rewarded). I have included a picture to show what we had, although half the salad and chips had already been eaten by the time we took the photograph, lol xx.
Both Pizza Hut and Domino's offer fantastic value. Their pizza's are HUGE, when you compare to ours. Their medium pizza's are larger than our large pizza's. But one thing to note is that although Pizza Hut still have restaurants they tend to be more take out. You can eat in but be aware it will not have a server at your table and it will be paper cups and plates.
Another popular Pizza place is CiCi's pizzeria buffet. This is extremely popular with families as its cheap and cheerful. They offer pizza, pasta and salad at a low price.
Another low priced place that is popular with families is, the Golden Coral. The Golden Coral is an all-you-can-eat buffet. It serves so many choices of food. So there will be something for everyone, even those fussy eaters. Although it's not the greatest of places, but it is cheap and cheerful.
I love Denny's and the iHop restaurants for cheap and cheerful. Yes they are dated decor wise, and some even look run down. But the food has always been tasty inexpensive diner food, and they both have quite large menu's. We mainly use Denny's and iHop for breakfast as we feel they offer good value.
The Chicken Guy, the one i visited was in Disney Springs. So sort on on-site as such. The chicken tenders are tasty but the mac 'n' cheese has been fantastic. Although I have heard once or twice the mac 'n' cheese was dry. Now I have never experienced that but others obviously have.
Cracker Barrel, is a family style good old fashioned food. And this place is great if you've been missing veggies with your dinner lol. It's good homestyle cooking. Prices are very reasonable and you will definitely leave full.
A great little Mexican place is Border Grill Fresh-Mex. It doesn't look like much but it is truly brilliant. In my opinion it's a true hidden gem. It's located near vineland on a little strip mall and not somewhere you would necessarily pick. But seriously it is amazing.
Now Flame Tree BBQ, in Animal Kingdom offer some of the best on-site budget food. It is a quick service place, so no tips and long waits. My favourite has to be the ribs and chicken combo. For me it is more than plenty. You get obviously ribs and chicken, but you also get their own signature recipe beans and coleslaw. Both are really good. My last visit was last year and was around $15 + tax. If you are super hungry they do a sampler called ribs, chicken and pulled pork. Which is exactly the same as above, however you guessed it, you get an extra lot of pulled pork. Another good priced restaurant on-site at Disney is Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria, in Epcot. Now it may seem pricey at first but if you bought an individual meals for everyone even at a cheap eat, it would probably cost a lot more. So always think about what you would order and how many it will feed. Don't get me wrong Pizza Hut, Dominio's is cheaper but sometimes eating on-site for lunch is easier.
There are so many more places and I could go on forever. But if you would like further information please get in touch.
Mid-Priced Places to Eat
Now this category opens more sit down restaurants, so remember to add tips when working out your budgets.
Bubba Gump Shrimp, located at Universal city walk. I enjoyed here which I was surprised about as almost all the food in Universal had been disappointing. My advice though would be make sure you grab yourself a Landry's dining Card. Maybe it is why this tasted even better ha ha. By having the Landry's card I didn't have to wait more than 10 mins for a table, and it was packed. The Landry's card means you get priority foe seating. The card costs $25 but its loaded with $25 credit, which means the card is basically free. Also, if when you apply for a Landry's card, you say your birthday is during your visit they also give you another $25 reward, and you have 30 days to use it. It is added every year too. The card is accepted at a mix of places. But my favourite restaurant it is used at was Joe's Crab Shack. This too is a mid priced restaurant and definitely worth it. Each of our visits have been fantastic, and each of our servers have been fantastic and soooo funny. It is probably the most we laughed at anywhere, and we laugh a lot.
There is a Rodizio Grill on I-drive that is so tasty. This option can get pricey, so I guess it falls under both mid-prices and more expensive places, but it is so good. And you definitely get your moneys worth.
If you are looking for a steak house there is so many. And they are all all quite similar in price. My favourite 2 are the Outback Steakhouse, and Charley's Steakhouse. Both are really good and make our steaks at home look tiny. So where as it's a similar price at home in our steakhouses you get so much more for your money. Another great many evenings have been spent at Kobe ichiban restaurants. So tasty, and even entertainment. Kids always love the show the chefs put on. There is so much choice here and feels like a healthy meal.
Another 2 popular off-site choices are the Cheesecake Factory and the Olive Garden. The unlimited soup and and breadsticks is amazing value, those bredsticks really do fill you up in a tasty way at the Olive Garden. The desserts at Cheesecake factory are amazing, and that is coming from someone who doesn't really like desserts. The food is tasty too, but those desserts steal the show.
Now to some on-site Disney options.
The Rain-Forest cafe, is super popular, and it is another great option if you have that Landry's card as no reservation required. It is a popular family option as kids are really in their element here. The portions are pretty generous on entrees so you could even share one between 2 people. Yes that is allowed and done in so many restaurants out there.
Round-up Rodeo in Hollywood studios in Toy Story land. You would think it was just for the kids but adults always leave with smiles on their face's too. This place offers an all you care to enjoy, served family style. This is where the meals come out as large portions and you divide it up between everyone.
The Grand Floridian Cafe, now don't get me wrong this is on the higher end of Mid-priced but, you are paying for more than just the food at this location. It doesn't have the Character dining or upscale cuisine but it does serve tasty and moderately priced options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I love to arrive for brunch as I feel you get the most for you money as you get to have breakfast and lunch items.
The Garden Grille at Epcot is one of my favourite character dining experiences, but maybe chip 'n' dale are some of my favourite characters. The food is actually really good. Its served family style for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It feels really old school family meals and want helps with that is the meals are served in large skillets. Bringing that old country style all together.
Higher Priced Places to eat
Now these choices are more for when you are looking for something special.
The Yachtsman Steak house, on-site, at the Yacht club is probably some of the best steaks on-site, and the service has always been fantastic. I have to say if steak is your thing then Steakhouse 71, on-site is another contender. But please remember these are pricey.
If you are looking for something a bit different on-site for special occasion, then another option I personally recommend is Jiko, at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It's menu is African inspired, as is the decor. Its a very intimate and quite romantic restaurant, so fantastic to share with someone special. It offers a very tranquil environment, perfect after all the chaos at the parks. I am not a huge lamb fan, however the lamb shank was devine. The meat just fell off the bone and melted in my mouth. We also had the wild boar and beef short ribs and they were all fantastic. I did find the desserts a bit of a let down after the main, but they will still enjoyable. We also enjoyed Victoria and Albert's Michelin restaurant at the Grand Floridian, however I felt the prices were a bit much for what we actual got. Don't get me wrong everything was delicious, I just felt as though something was missing for price we were paying.
Off-site there are some fantastic places too. My first choice is off-site but also classed as on site as its located in the The Swan Reserve hotel. The restaurant is called Amare, its a
Mediterranean place, mainly Greek. The flavours are brilliant. Now the portions are not as large as most places in the US but still definitely worth it. The sea bass and romesco chicken was absolutely beautiful, as was the flatbread and hummus we had before main course. The service again here is absolutely outstanding. This restaurant doesn't get the recognition it deserves, but I am glad in a way, as I have always been able to grab a table.
Off-site on I-drive, is Vito's Chop Shop. No this isn't that type of chop shop, your car is safe. The food here was absolutely amazing. I didn't expect much from it as I thought it was just another steakhouse. Well I was gladly mistaken. It is something else. It's not michelin level but it's fab. We actual tried here the first time by fluke, and since then have returned numerous times and probably tried almost everything on the menu. And it has all been brilliant. I am a picky eater so I never say that about anywhere. That is how good it is. Seriously I would say this is a must try if it is in your budget. And the staff are amazing too.
Now you have probably seen a running theme with the high end places, most are steakhouses. Yep steakhouses are definitely their higher end restaurants, but you don't have to be fine dining to get a good steak dinner. As you have read there are some great mid-priced steakhouses too. They are a lot better value than here in the UK and in my opinion tastier too.