36 Best Southern Restaurants in Orlando

“Everyone truly needs to check this place out. The food was absolutely 🔥. We order the Pork Ribs w/ Greens, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans and Loaded Fries w/ Brisket! Everything was on point! The meat was so juicy & tender and the sauce was amazing. The sides were equally delicious. On a scale 1-10 with no problem Smoky Jay BBQ gets a 10 from us!! 🔥🔥🔥 Best bbq spot in Orlando!! A must check out!! Will be back soon!“

“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.“

“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.“

“One of the best homemade food you will ever eat I recommend this place to anyone looking for good quality and clean food just give it a shot and thank me later 😎👍🏽“

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

“Came here with a group of 8 and was easily accommodated. Server came by right on schedule and got us started. I had the hot honey chicken sandwich and took almost half home! The beer selection was amazing. Friendly stafff an even a visit from the owner. As for the one star reviews… I read them all and also dove deeper into those commenting. Many seems to tsk great pleasure in berating an establishment after leaving instead of bringing it up to the management to make adjustments. Restaurants are rarely perfect and mistakes happen. It’s always appreciated when you let someone know before you leave a bad review. They are not knowingly trying to disappoint. We had a great meal and the food portions were great. Definitely will return.“

“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.“

“Food is delicious! Atmosphere is great, place is clean and quick service. Staff is not friendly and they rush you as you’re trying to order. I’ve recently discovered the place and have visited a few times over the month and it’s been consistently the same with staff not being friendly.“

“We celebrated our daughters 5 year seizure free on Valentine’s Day and we brought a cake and it had fallen sideways- I asked the waiter if it was at all possible to be fixed and they said it could not but they would try and come up with something. They ended up making her a whole new cake and it was beautiful!! It was so special! They truly went above and beyond for our daughter !! Thank you so much!“

“For adult dining this beats the poolside option. The prices are relatively reasonable. The smash burger was very filling and tasted great. The ambiance is much quieter. Plenty of drink choices. Beers start at $10, which is steep, but no higher than what they charge in the pantry. The French fries were frozen crinkle fries, the lone low point in the experience.“

“Food was absolutely delicious. And everyone was super nice and helpful. I’ll definitely be back.“

“We had such a great experience at The Monroe. This place honestly deserves the hype. The food overall was excellent. Nothing we had was bad, but some dishes definitely stood out more than others. The jalapeño popper deviled eggs were insane and easily my favorite. The General Tso cauliflower was perfectly crispy and flavorful and ended up being my husband’s favorite. The fried chicken is huge and comes with what feels like four sides, so it’s more than enough to share. I’m very picky about mac and cheese and theirs was genuinely impressive. The bread pudding was unreal, it comes out like a crispy brick on the outside and soft and gooey inside. Drinks were great too. The Flamingo drink was really good, and their iced lattes were surprisingly amazing, not just good for a restaurant but actually good. If I had to be picky, the s’mores and the warm potato salad were just okay compared to everything else. Service really made the experience. Our server Sarah was so bubbly and kind, and her recommendations were mostly spot on. We also had a situation where a child tried getting into our car. We mentioned it casually and didn’t expect anything to come of it, but she immediately took it seriously, got the manager, and he went out right away to handle it. That level of awareness made us feel taken care of and able to actually relax and enjoy the rest of our night. The pricing was honestly kind of shocking in a good way. We ordered three appetizers, a large entrée, two alcoholic drinks, two coffees, and dessert and it was right around $100. Overall, great food, great service, great pricing. A couple things I wouldn’t reorder, but the things that were good were really good. We’ll definitely be back.“

“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!“

“An Airport Eatery With Really Good Food
We had a long stop over in Orlando and wanted a little more substantial meal. I read about this place on various review sites so we gave it a try. It’s a fairly large place with comfortable inviting décor. Jason R. was our server and was very personable. I had a couple draft beers that come with airport beer prices – Yuengling $12.50 and a Lone Palm Ale $14.50. Fountain Pepsi runs $4.25. For our meals we had a Southern Cuban Sandwich ($20.50) and a Smoked Turkey Wrap ($17.50). The Cuban was pressed and toasted perfectly and had all the right ingredients - ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread. Totally delicious! It was served with twice fried French Fries that were great! The Wrap had smoked turkey, sweet pepper brie spread, arugula and marinated tomatoes rolled in a flour tortilla, served with kettle style potato chips. My wife loved it and it is a large wrap. Jason made sure we never went dry and provided top notch service. And he had a great smile. Check it out if you’re looking for good airport food.“

“I went to a Josh Ross and Nate Smith country concert at the House of Blues on April 9th, 2026. It was my first time ever there, and to say I enjoyed my time would be an understatement. Not only is it right in downtown Disney Springs, which was awesome, so you can explore that before your concert, but it was a smaller, intimate-type of concert venue, with an open floor area, main upper level area, and second floor balcony area, which provided more than enough room for standing and still having excellent views of the stage and artists. The drinks were good and I didn’t get sick at this venue from alcohol poisoning, expensive though, but it is right in Disney Springs, so understandable. Service was VERY friendly, and security precautions were A+++ They had everyone go through metal detectors, and were scanned head to toe, all bags and purses thoroughly checked, and there were sheriffs and security actively present all throughout the venue from beginning to end. I will MOST DEFINITELY come back here for future concerts. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“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 am a regular there. The Hanger steak is awesome“

“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.“

“Great service, great food“

“Bubba gump orlando is THE best!! literally like an hr ago, they gave us an ice cream sandwich with sprinkles and wished us a happy anniversary!!!!! in the whole city walk, they have THE best gift shop! Just cannot get enough of the place! GO there!“

“Worth visiting! Food, atmosphere and service were all great! Donna is amazing and so welcoming and kind. The best chef! We went back multiple times because of her.“

“¡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.“

“Best boiled peanuts ever!“

“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“

“Been eating here 8 years in a row. Drive a hour to get something to eat then right back home. Souldfood with beets yams and other traditional sides. Different lunch specials throughout the week.“

“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.“

“I really wish you could get just the tenders because they are the star here. Hot, flavorful and a good size. Tried 3 different sauces (sweet chili, spicy magoo’s and bbq) the sweet chili was the clear winner. The spicy magoos is just your typical cane’s sauce with buffalo sauce mixed in and the bbq is just sweet baby ray’s. The fries are regular crinkle cut fries and they claim that they also give you Texas toast but it’s just a piece of toasted white American bread. Nothing Texas about it. So come for the fantastic tenders and then just eat as much of the normal stuff as you can. The 4 stars comes from just the incredibly nice staff and the tenders AND be sure to at least try their sweet watermelon tea, that was fantastic too.“

“Great dining for families. It’s hard to get a good value these days. Great food and service. Plenty of variety with food and desserts. Love the rolls! This location is clean and friendly. I enjoy dining in but take out when I don’t have as much time.“

“I love the food ,love the price ,love the good services !staff members are wonderful! I was in orlando for 4day and I came here for 3 days in a row! My first day I have dinner at the hotel I was staying and spent $90 on junk food, here I spent $65 for ribs and chicken and the sides and I have left over !“

“Cracker is my go to for all things breakfast! I am never disappointed!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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 !“

“Omg the southern food here is delicious! Been awhile since I had southern food this good!“