34 Best Southern Restaurants in Orlando

“The Monroe was fantastic! From the atmosphere to the food and service, everything was spot on.“

“So delicious! Excellent service from everyone, especially our server Shaun. He was so thorough and answered all our questions. The Cedar Key clams were to die for! I had the scallops and my husband had the burger for dinner- so freaking amazing ! I can’t say enough about this place! The owner was walking through the dining room checking on everyone, greeting everyone - thank you Carol for an exceptional experience!“

“Was very impressed. My date and I had the cornbread , oyster rockefeller and the truffle deviled eggs, impressive intricate cajun menu“

“The BEST BBQ I have had in years. The brisket and pulled pork were extremely tender and flavorful, the baked beans and Mac & cheese were insane, and the red velvet cake was to die for. 10/10 recommend!“

“Tired of cooking? Can't cook? Then give Kookin' with Kim a try. You will be glad that you did! Reasonably priced. Hefty sized portions.“

“Tori is the best! Service was fast and friendly. The beer was cold, the band was hot and the whole place rocks. I’ll be back.“

“If you haven't made it to Soco's Sunday Brunch yet, what are you waiting for?! Grab a friend or two and get a sampling of a few plates to share, you won't be disappointed! Today we had the fresh made biscuits with house jams, fried green tomatoes, Pork Belly Sliders, fried chicken & French toast and breakfast tacos. Talk about flavor and the portions were great. The French toast was downright orgasmic, that bourbon maple syrup will bless your soul. Seriously, go see for yourself, best brunch in Orlando or any other meal for that matter.“

“I LOVE this joint, reminds of my mom’s cooking back in Egypt. Honestly, probably the best Orlando bite. That’s it. Three Michelin Star Flavor. Homemade, fresh, made with love. The servings are generous and the prices are affordable for the quality of food you’re getting knowing that Middle Eastern food is a ton. of. Labor. Thank you Madame and Sir for the amazing food!!“

“Decided to give this a try and i was quiet surprised how good it was. Can't remember which chicken salad I got but it was very tasty especially with the bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes that came on it. Got the loaded potato soup and that too was very tasty and cheesy. Was not filled at all when we got there and the decor felt like I was at someone's home. I would definitely go back as the food was tasty, filling, and didnt have that heavy feeling after eating.“

“This is my favorite restaurant in Orlando. I came for dinner tonight, but I prefer breakfast because of the beautiful lagoon view. Tonight our server wasn't paying attention to us unfortunately. The food is excellent especially Cipolla E Fanghi.“

“Had lunch here during a conference, which we thankfully made a reservation for. Although the restaurant was very busy, we were seated promptly and had great service. The market fish sandwich with caesar salad on the side was delicious. Our server was kind enough to provide individual checks and we ate and made it back to the conference within an hour. Would recommend.“

“Try Uncle Tony’s Backyard BBQ it is so delicious. I tried the Beef ribs- briskets- bake beans- black eyed peas-corn bread- banana pudding- and the lemon pound cake. Everything was so good - i can’t wait to go back. Also their customer service was amazing that’s very important. Thanks Uncle Tony’s hurry to Apopka“

“Stopped at Cask & Larder at the Orlando airport on my way to Syracuse for Thanksgiving with my daughter, and our bartender/server Lauren was amazing. She was super friendly and really on top of everything.

I ordered the blueberry mule with elderflower, and it was honestly so good. One drink to calm the nerves, right?
She checked in on us just the right amount and made the whole morning feel easy. Girl was hustling, it looked busy.

Great service and a great start to our trip. I’d definitely look for her again next time we fly.“

“Just called Rivers Lakeland to place a pick up order. Man answered the phone. Stated they don't take orders by phone have to do online. Told him I tried that wouldn't work. Said that's how they do take out. I've been going to 4 Rivers for years. Was ordering for six people over $100. Told him I'll find some place else to order from. Won't be back.“

“Always the best! A friendly but serious restaurant. Great everything.“

“I’m selling 4 Lake Street Dive Tickets for tonight show September 28th at House of Blues Orlando - Orlando, FL. If anyone interested in buying please send me a message ASAP unfortunately we cannot attend anymore. Willing to transfer them via Ticketmaster“

“We loved the food but sad we didn’t get to do the trivia quiz we have heard about. We had a lovely meal tonight and cocktails but unfortunately it wasn’t the experience we had hoped for. As we are from England it’s a very rare chance we would be able to visit. We have heard about the forest gump quiz but unfortunately our server didn’t do this with us. It wasn’t busy as we had just walked in so we were hoping for the full experience. If we have had the full experience we would have given a top rating.“

“Highball & Harvest - Orlando - 4.5 Stars "If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst forth at once in the sky, that would be like the splendor." -- Gita Highball & Harvest is a restaurant inside the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The Ritz works very hard to deliver an amazing overall experience whether in lodging or in dining. While I did not stay at the hotel itself, the opulence that surrounds you upon entering the restaurant is sumptuous. You have to take a circuitous route to get to this eatery but once seated you have great views of lush flora and fauna that are carefully manicured. The attention to detail is astounding. The only downside to this spot is that the open air nature of this area caused sound to reverberate. Normally, this is not a big deal, but there was a gaggle of men hard-pitching what sounded like a Ponzi-like scheme to some young adults nearby. I tried to ignore them, but the leader of the pitch had a bellowing voice that carried throughout the place. He looked and sounded just like Marty Funkhouser from "Curb Your Enthusiasm." It was hard to avert my eyes because he apparently had obtained hair transplants years ago and did not have the foresight to consider future baldness. So he had perfect rows of wispy red hair on his head, a complete ring of baldness, and then more hair. Anyway, while this is a major digression from the point it was hilarious to watch and listen. I didn't need to stick my head in my phone for entertainment. Now, back to my culinary experience. Highball & Harvest has, like all modern American restaurants, a craft drink menu. A highball is another name for cocktail, which was big in usage at the turn of the last century. I chose to imbibe and picked the Industrialist from the menu. This consisted of Woodford Reserve double bourbon, Creme de' Menthe, and Fernet Branca. How they came up with this combination is beyond me but WOW! - it works. I ordered three sides instead of a full meal this time, choosing brussel sprouts with sherry-maple gastrique, Jimmy Red's goat cheese grits, and red cabbage deviled eggs. At first I was worried about the maple gastrique but my worry was for naught. The maple was barely noticeable but the sugars gave a potent punch on the finish. Now, as far as cheese grits go, I will eat them whenever they're on the menu. These Jimmy Red's had so much wonderful cheese I almost want to call it cheese with grits - truly amazing. Finally the deviled eggs: The chef who designed these eggs should get national recognition. The filling was smooth and creamy. The red cabbage finish topped with the pumpernickel crouton is the kind of crisp, clean, simple dish I so enjoy. I can't say enough good things about Highball & Harvest. Their dishes are simple, yet complex, and contain the right balance of flavors with recipes that are outside of the proverbial box. Please, I implore you to go experience Highball & Harvest, so sayeth the Big Bo“

“¡Una experiencia deliciosa! Este restaurante de BBQ combina lo mejor de las parrilladas tradicionales con sabores auténticos. Las carnes estaban perfectamente ahumadas, jugosas y llenas de sabor. Probé el pernil y el brisket. ¡Increíbles! Los acompañamientos como los plátanos maduros, el arroz con frijoles y la ensalada, el plato a la perfección. El ambiente es acogedor, el personal fue muy amable y conocía bien el menú, lo cual se agradece. Sin duda, un lugar al que volveré. Recomendado para quienes quieran disfrutar de una BBQ con un toque único.“

“Hands down the best seafood I have had in a very long time. I was lucky to try this great food at a food truck Friday. The chicken and shrimp, my wife and 3 year old enjoyed. I went with the shrimp and crab. It was amazing. Fresh cooked to order. It came with potatoes, sausage and an ear of corn all smothered in this amazing homemade butter.I could go on and on about how great this meal was. And normally I don’t write about food, but this deserves 5 stars and more.I hope they are back in my town again next month because I really want to try the lobster.Great customer service and great people all around. Give them a try and you will not be disappointed.“

“Doordash needs to update their menu. Because there’s nothing worse than calling to confirm correct order with staff that’s most of the time rude. Every time I call it’s a problem but nothing I can do when I’m just trying to order food correctly and spend money there.“

“Great service, great food“

“An amazing surprise. Who would have thought you'd find excellent food and service in an airport restaurant. There were 4 in our party. We each ordered something different and every plate was outstanding. Miguel was our server. He was excellent! Big thanks to Miguel and the entire team. You really made a long layover 1000x better.
Happy Holidays“

“Prob my new favorite restaurant. Very affordable and large portions of food. I got a chicken sandwich and the trio option with 3 tenders and a huge pile of cheese bites. For less than $25. Thats two entrees. The butter croissant they give you is really good and their coke is really good. Food tasted excellent and was plentiful as well as very affordable.“

“Great food and service. Love the general store and frequently purchase my dresses there.“

“Once you navigate through the various rules associated with the all-you-can-eat menu (explained by the server), be prepared for some awesome Korean/Sushi cuisine! Come hungry to get the most bang for the $50 per person. Our group tried a combination of meats and sushi. I gorged myself on tuna nigiri, which was very good. The meats were also excellent. I particularly liked the marinated sirloin. Salad bar and bread selections were good. Our waiter was attentive, which always makes a big difference.“

“Visited for the first time and was greeted right away with a warm welcome. Even though I had no idea what to order, the staff was super helpful and offered great suggestions. The food was delicious! The tenders were absolutely amazing, and the sauces were just as good. I’ll definitely be coming back!“

“Love my server especially with large group of ladies from church. The food was excellent and so many choices. Compliment to the chef especially on my Key West flavored shrimp and chicken. The Cesaer salad very good as well and the strawberry 🍓 lemonade 🍋. 5 stars quality with having food all over Florida, US, and the world.“

“Good food and nice staff. Down said in the week they don’t open to about 10am what’s a shame as I would go there more then just the weekend.“

“Cheddars has become our favorite restaurant in the Central Florida area! Last night again, it did not disappoint! The blackened chicken got rave reviews from my friends, as did the salmon, and I got my usual blackened white fish on rice with a loaded baked potato and house salad. Friends raved about the carrots and the broccoli casserole. And oh yeah, the chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream -- out of this world! Ample portions, reasonably priced, nice staff, and upscale environment.“

“The Chicken and the mash potatoes with gravy!!“

“Amazing food and great customer service“

“I finally visited this location on today. The food is good, but the plating could be better when separating sides“

“Great staff. Made my 3 year old buttered noodles !“