Eastside Bistro

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Published on Tuesday, 13 December 2011 11:24

Written by Scott Joseph

Eastside Bistro, a casual eatery in Avalon Park, has opened a second location in Orlando Fashion Square Mall. Think of it as a western Eastside Bistro. 

The newer location takes over the spot where Red Star Tavern had a brief stay. It was so forgettable that twice I’ve had to search for the name just now. Before Red Star, Ruby Tuesday had been the tenant. Ruby left that mall space well before the company started to revitalize the brand with its newer Truffles Grill, which I reviewed recently at its Winter Park Village spot.

Fashion Square is better off with Eastside Bistro. It’s a charming little space, neat, bright and pleasant. The menu isn’t very exciting and seems to be stuck in the 1970s. The appetizers include spinach dip, coconut shrimp and nachos. There is a list of burgers and sandwiches, flatbreads and main plates of stuffed shrimp and steak Diane.

But while the food is unimaginative, it is well prepared. I stopped in for a quick bite before heading off to the theater one night. I had the bbq bacon cheddar burger, a thick patty that was cooked to the requested medium rare. Tasty burger, but the accompanying fries were a bit lifeless and flavorless.

My friend had the prime rib sandwich, topped with caramelized onions and a small amount of cheddar cheese on a fresh-tasting hoagie roll. It was a delicious sandwich, one I would definitely order again. As with the fries, the potato salad my companion ordered wasn’t up to the quality of the sandwich.

Service was friendly and prompt. We had wandered in during happy hour, 4 to 7 p.m. daily, and were delighted to find great drink prices ($2.50 wells, $2 house wines, etc.). Nice to see a local business take over this space. I’m looking forward to returning. By the way, price point of the food is very good. My burger was $7.99, the prime rib sandwich $8.99.

Eastside Bistro is at Fashion Square Mall, 3461 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando. It’s open for lunch and dinner daily. This link will take you to eastsidebistroflorida.com. The phone number is 407-893-3940.

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