Here’s a rundown of some of our favourite places to eat in the Orlando area. All of the places listed are outside the parks and resorts.
Breakfast
Let’s start at the beginning of the day! Our favourite choices for brekkie boils down to two. IHOP is very popular for tourists and locals. It has a huge selection of pancakes available and a good kids menu. They also have typical bacon, egg and sausage dishes on the menu. We often go for a combo. You’ll find an IHOP all over the Orlando area. Notable ones close to WDW are at Ambersweet Way on Hwy27 and along Hwy192 not far from the ‘Mermaid’ shop.
Dennys is the the other great place to start your day. More traditional breakfast dishes but Dennys also make a good pancake or two! They’re not a bad place for lunch and dinner either.
Lunch and Dinner
Here we have multiple choices. Our usual haunt is Chilli’s. This is a Tex-Mex bar and grill. You can view the menu here. It has something for just about everyone – good burgers, ribs, salmon and fajitas. We love the buffalo wings from here. You can order online from a theme park or your villa or hotel for in-store pickup. Handy when you’re on you way back from a day at the parks. There’s a branch at Champions Gate and another just outside WDW on South Apopka Vineland Rd.
Applebee’s Bar and Grill does traditional American much like Chilli’s. There’s one located next to IHOP on Ambersweet Way just off Hwy27 and another at Rolling Oaks across from Target on Hwy192. I would have posted a link to the Applebee’s menu but they appear to be blocking foreign IP addresses from accessing their website. Take it from me most people will find something good to eat here.
Olive Garden is an American/Italian restaurant so is a get away from burgers and our kids always have clean plates. View the menu here. Don’t order a starter though as the main courses come with either a salad or soup and breadsticks are always supplied with every meal. We often visit the one at Rolling Oaks Commons next to Target on Hwy192 and there’s another you can dive into on the way back from Universal on I-Drive. A new Olive Garden can be found on Osceola Polk Line Road just outside Champions Gate.
Red Lobster is our first choice for decent sea food and you’ll find many are close by to WDW on Hwy192 and another just past Disney Springs on State Road 535. I-Drive has 2 restaurants, one near Universal and the other a stone’s throw from Sea World. Have a look at the menu here. Landry’s is another good sea food restaurant we’ve frequented in the past and has a kids play area outside. It’s just at the bottom of I-Drive on Vineland Avenue not far from the Outlet Mall. The link to their website is here.
Bahama Breeze is another nice chain of restaurants. All dishes have a Caribbean influence and the bar has a comprehensive list of cocktails and happy means discounts on selected drinks!
All of the above are chain restaurants found all over the state of Florida and the USA. If you want something that’s not from a chain then head on down to the town of Celebration. The lake front and Market Street has many independent shops and restaurants. The Downtown Diner (we visited when it was called Market Street Diner) is a good place and you can sit outside looking across Lake Rianhard.
Quick bites
Much of the westbound side of Hwy192 where it runs from the junction with World Drive along to where it meets Hwy27 has all the fast food restaurants you could ever need. All too handy if you need a bite when you’re heading back from WDW.
Chick-Fil-A is a chicken only fast food restaurant. Most have a small indoor play area and they have friendly staff who refill your drinks while you’re sitting inside.
Wendys is a long standing burger chain which does good grub on the go. A drive thru Wendy’s is on Hwy192 with another just off I-Drive on the Central Florida Parkway not far from Sea World.
Panda Express is great if you need something quick but want to avoid burgers. You can choose from Chinese style rice or noodles with one or two main meat or vegetable dishes. Another place our kids always have clean plates! There are 2 drive-thru Pandas on the westbound Hwy192 – one at the WDW end not far from Margaritaville and another at Target Boulevard. And the one we most frequently visit is upstairs, above Cinnabon’s in Universal CityWalk.
Of course there’s restaurants you’ll know from the UK like McDonald’s, Burger King and Pizza Hut but why not try something different. Although that said International Drive does feature the world’s largest McDonalds which has, along side the usual burgers, an expanded menu with pizza, omelettes and a large dessert station plus a video game arcade area and soft play.
Desserts
Cinnabon is amazing for cakes with cinnamon and cream cheese frosting. Always have them warm – straight from the shop or reheat them when you’re back in the villa. Islands Of Adventure have a Cinnabon not far inside the park near the bridge to the Marvel Comics area. The one we always visit is in CityWalk as we’re making our way back to the car park.
Dairy Queen is out number 1 spot for ice cream and has lots of outlets all over Florida but only one near to the theme parks on I-Drive not far from Universal. The kids love the vanilla cone dipped in chocolate. The signature ‘Blizzard’ cups is a must for us adults. We always find the customer service excellent at every DQ we’ve visited.
Twistee Treat is another well established ice cream outlet. They’re easy to spot as the stand is in the shape of an ice cream! Outdoor seating only here. There are 2 on Hwy192, one not far from Westside Boulevard and another near Celebration. A third is also on I-Drive not far from Universal opposite Dairy Queen.
Take Me To ORLANDO! 