Häos
Address123 W. Church St.
CityOrlando
Phone407-203-4099
Price$$
Scott's Review
Burgers and barbecue in a large sports bar-like space.... Read more
Johnny's Fillin' Station
Address2631 S. Fern Creek Ave.
CityOrlando
Phone407-894-6900
Price$

This is a bar -- a loud, no-apologies-for-our-raucousness kind of bar. But they have the ability to make a damn fine burger, one that has won multiple Foodie Awards over the years. The award comes and goes because consistency is a problem, but if you catch them on a good day, you'll see why the place is packed.

The Buffalo wings are another good choice for those so inclined. One nice thing about Johnny's: although it is a primarily a bar, it sells so much food that it does not qualify for the nonsmoking exemption that the State of Florida so ridiculously allows to freestanding bars. So you have the experience of the barroom experience without the need to burn your clothes the next day.

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Kaizen Izakaya
Address54 W. Church St.
CityOrlando
Phone407-316-8500
Price$$
Scott's Review
Formerly known as Amura, Kaizen Izakaya has very good sushi (especially the nigiri). An izakaya is supposed to be a Japanese pub or tavern where friends hang out. But the dank atmosphere won't make you want to linger.... Read more
Kres Chophouse
Address17 W. Church St.
CityOrlando
Phone407-447-7950
Price$$$$
Scott's Review

Kres Chophouse has been holding its own in downtown Orlando, good times and bad, for a good number of years now. Downtowners like its "adult" mien, a classy spot amid the myriad kids' hangouts.

As with any chophouse, meat is the main event. On my first visit I went right to the top and ordered the veal rib chop. It was a beautiful hunk of meat and seemingly larger than its advertised 12 ounces. The late night hours are one of the attractions here, a good place to hang out once the kiddies from the neighboring clubs have left to meet curfew.


Write your own review of this restaurant. Log in (you must be registered; it's painless and we won't selll your info) then click above where it says "Write New Revie." Be pithy, be pertinent but be fair.

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Latin Square Cuisine
Address250 S. Orange Ave.
CityOrlando
Phone407-970-7045
Price$
The menu features a tidy number of sandwiches, salads and entrees. You've got your Cuban, your ropa viejo, your chicken with chimichurri sauce. When it came my turn to select, I went with the shredded pork with two sides, those being a moro rice (a mix of black beans and rice) and roasted potatoes. The pleasant young woman who took my order first piled on the moro, then the roasted potatoes, and I thought maybe she had misunderstood me or that I had ordered incorrectly because I didn't think there would be room for the pork. But then she plopped on a massive amount of the pork and somehow managed to get the clamshell container closed. I also ordered a cup of the Baja chicken enchilada soup to go. Actually, it isn't necessary to order anything to go — if you get something, you must go and make way for another person to enter the cramped space. If you wish, you may eat your food at one of the tables in the gravel area next to the lawn, which isn't as unpleasant as it sounds. I carried my lunch home and opened it up and dove right in. Every bit of it was wonderful. The rice blended with the beans had a substantial mouthfeel, the thinly sliced potatoes still had crunch and ... Read more
Le Coq Au Vin
Address4800 S. Orange Ave.
CityOrlando
Phone407-851-6980
Price$$$
Scott's Review

Consistently one of the area’s finest restaurants, regardless of cuisine. New owners Sandy and Reimund Pitz are continuing the traditions of this venerable restaurant to serve some of the area's best food, regardless of cuisine type. The namesake dish is one of the best, but the menu changes with the seasons. In winter, the cassoulet is a treat.

I really like that Coq Au Vin offers half portions of most of its entrees. It's a smart thing both nutritionally and, in the current financial climate, economically. And the half portions here are ample enough to satisfy. There was plenty of lamb, duck, garlic sausage and pork in the dish, which was sprinkled with duck cracklings and bread crumbs.

Service was attentive without being fawning, and we were allowed to proceed at our own pace.

Le Coq Au Vin on Urbanspoon

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Le House
Address595 W. Church St.
CityOrlando
Phone407-530-7024
Price$$
Scott's Review
The owners of a new Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Orlando named it Le House because they wanted customers to feel as if they were dining at their home. I can’t attest to that authenticity, but I can say that I certainly felt welcomed and accommodated on my visit, even if I wasn’t offered the guest room. The menu here is more succinct than at other Vietnamese restaurants. Pho is available, as it must be at all local Vietnamese restaurants, apparently by law. But Le House’s menu has a manageable 10 entries instead of the three or four dozen you might be asked to negotiate elsewhere.... Read more
Little Saigon
Address1106 E. Colonial Drive
CityOrlando
Phone407-423-8539
Price$$

This was once the go-to place for Vietnamese cuisine. That's partly because it was one of the first to introduce Central Florida to the phos and other specialties of (mostly) South Vietnam. If this is a longtime favorite of yours, it’s probably because you’ve found something you like that they do with consistency. Good for you. Newcomers who scour the menu with a fine-tooth comb may not like what they find. Quality has flagged a bit over the last few years; I do not endorse this restaurant with the enthusiasm I once did.

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