I’ve been going to Kissimmee since I was a little child. My parents, who honeymooned in neighboring Clearwater while Walt Disney World was still under construction, made WDW our first great family excursion back when tickets per ride were the norm rather than a day pass.
For many years, many people only recognized Kissimmee as the gateway to Walt Disney World.
The city, which is expected to have a population of 80,000 by 2020, is located on the northwest coast of Lake Tohopekaliga, also known as Lake Toho by the inhabitants.
Kissimmee began as a swamp nearby, horse town, then Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Orlando, but it remains a little town in the historic center, with its own restaurant row. According to the downtown Kissimmee Tourist Center, this row is home to 32 eateries, all of which are independently or family-owned. There isn’t a single chain in the region.
Old-timers remember the distinct vibe of the communities, away from the increasing expansion that keeps the Kissimmee postal address, and there are many things to explore in addition to the great worlds of Walt Disney and Harry Potter.
Several of your local restaurant franchises will make you feel perfectly at home outside of historic downtown. BJ’s, Charley’s Steakhouse, Carrabba’s, Chili’s, Checkers, Red Lobster, LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Panera, and TGI Fridays are some of the restaurants. You get the picture. If you want to try something different from what you’ve had at home or in a few other places throughout the nation, you should check out these Kissimmee eateries.
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Contents
Kissimmee’s Top 7 Restaurants
The Italian Restaurant Joint
Broadway +14074837031215
Entering this Italian pizzeria, a chef favorite, is like seeing an old friend. On your left, in front of the pizza oven, are cases packed with fresh bread. Pizza is the order of the day for me today. There are gluten-free choices available.
The Margherita does not let you down. The San Marzano tomato sauce tastes like fresh tomatoes. The mozzarella is evenly scattered throughout the crust, and the fresh basil is neither salted or grilled, but is just fresh. Absolutely delicious!
You may make your own pizza or choose one with a more descriptive name. They have the Verdura, Formaggio, Alba, Goat, Carne, Double Jointed (pepperoni and more pepperoni), Calzone, Stromboli, or Build Your Own choice, as well as specialized Argentine pizzas.
If you’re looking for amazing Italian cuisine that isn’t pizza, my server suggests starting with their Garlic Bombs, Crispy Calamari for my foodie, and Grandmas Goodness: Spaghetti on Sunday the way you remember. I think I’ve already decided on my next dinner.
Until the Chef’s Special triumphs. It’s Da Vinci Chicken right now. Stir-fried chicken with notes of northern Italian wines, braised peppers, and mushrooms served over penne rigatti. That seems to be delectable. One of the other customers stated she liked it, but we all ate out or had takeout, so we couldn’t locate it.
The Gobbler (turkey), The Chooch Burger (Angus Beef and Pork Belly), The Hot Gardener (veggie), and The Porky Sandwich are among the hand-crafted sandwich alternatives. It’s difficult to imagine making a terrible sandwich with their freshly made bread.
Oh, sure, soup and salad are available. Spaghetti E Fagioli and Makin Me Caprese Salad were two names that made me grin. That reminded me of how many things drove me insane when I was living in Italy. But one of them was the meal. I discovered the tastiest gluten-free bread sticks in the world not in the frozen department of a store. If you have celiac disease, you understand how significant this is.
Dessert. Delicious dessert. Cheesecake, crème brulee, tiramisu, lemon cake with mascarpone, cannoli, chocolate with gelato, or sampling desserts are available. It’s simple to picture how much pleasure it would be to just walk in and sample the treats.
Bakery Tainos
W. Vine Street +140748224044150 W. Vine Street
You should go out of your way to enjoy the meals and baked products at this fantastic local restaurant with outlets in Kissimmee and Orlando that has been bringing Puerto Rico’s unique flavors to Central Florida since 2006.
Since my Spanish is weak at best, the original server required the assistance of a manager. They’re famous for their all-day breakfast and gourmet sandwiches. The manager informed me that their catering company is expanding. The way she described the birthday cake and pastry selections made me wish it was my turn to celebrate here.
Their menu, which spans the whole length of the restaurant, might be very daunting at first. That made me feel better when I discovered it was only half that long when repeated over the supper area and then again over the baked products part. Pancakes, egg dishes, ham and eggs, toast, waffles, and breakfast burritos are among the choices available all day.
Burgers, rice and bean plates with your choice of protein (served with sweet plantains), mofongos rellenos, and jibaritos are available later in the day. If you’re really hungry, get a triplets sandwich, which has ham, steak, pulled pork, and Swiss cheese. Taino’s pulled pork is a house specialty. They even have a Montecristo. I was on a train the last time I saw it.
I ordered the empanadilla pollo, which was flawless in its simplicity. They seem to have taken every culinary show judge’s instructions to heart. If you’re going to build anything easy, make sure it’s flawless. It had the flavor of a double crust, crunchy on the exterior and flaky on the inside, stuffed with diced chicken in a light sauce.
The only issue? It smelled so delicious that I forgot to take a picture.
If you look at the baked goods display cases, you could think you’ve gained five pounds. The apple turnover and the Bizcocho de Oreo were both quite appealing. I must return with my hunger to taste more foods.
Diane’s Crafts & Tea Room
Broadway +14072014733114
As you walk into this charming tea establishment, you’ll see a festive, twinkle-light adorned ceiling with chandeliers from front to back. The tables are arranged at various heights, with elegantly mismatched chairs. Take caution, though, while photographing. They are disliked by the proprietress. Too many individuals have attempted to imitate her design.
Come for lunch or high tea (two days advance necessary) and enjoy a delicious meal accompanied by your favorite cup of tea. If you’re up for it, try a new tea. The list includes 43 hot tea selections, and the tea sommelier will offer them to you by number.
For example, I’ve been a fan of English and Irish Breakfast teas for nearly a year and have had more than my fair share of Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas. He suggested #33, a British Mixture that wasn’t as overpowering as the morning teas, and I agreed.
The teapot comes with a beautiful fine china cup and saucer. If you ask for water, you will be given a pleasant water (not tap) in fine-cut crystal. The teabag comes with its own container for simple reuse.
The water is so hot that it’s apparent the teapot was pre-heated with hot water before being filled with my. It took an ice cube to chill the first cup sufficiently for me to consume it. As I came to the third cup, it didn’t take me nearly as long to drink it.
There are four iced teas available, as well as lemonade, cans of soda (Pepsi goods), coffee, hot chocolate, beer, and wine. You may also get a White or Black Russian.
In addition to the regular food of chicken, tuna, or egg salad, deli ham, or turkey breast, a cup of soup or speciality of the day is often available. The soup of the day was tomato, and the special was a Reuben, or thinly sliced beef on a handmade Kaiser bun. A selection of double-deep quiches (think Chicago-style pizza in depth) and stuffed tomatoes are also available.
Today, I went with the chicken salad. It tasted as fresh as anything I’ve ever eaten when served on a croissant bun. It was a generous serving, enough for two, with a green olive and a gherkin-sized pickle on top. A tiny slice of watermelon served as a palette cleanser.
You may order potato chips, fresh seasonal fruit, or one of their side dishes as an accompaniment. Several people around me appreciated their tomato, green bean, and onion salad with homemade dressing. The macaroni salad was also delicious. I ordered the potato salad after checking it was mayonnaise-based with just a hint of mustard.
But, given the exquisite desserts and scones advertised on the menu, request dessert alternatives first. The winner was a blueberry scone with clotted cream. The server joked that the Queen of England had come by and that they just hadn’t brought it back home yet. There are numerous tourists from other countries who notice that their scones are not the same. The scones have a medium density, served warm and immediately devoured, and are served with clotted cream alone (rather than butter or jam as is usual in Europe). Yummy.
I could barely eat half the tuna and a few of nibbles of potato salad after the scone. If you ever decide to go to Florida, surviving on leftovers might not be a terrible job (theres no state income tax here, just saying).
If you’re alone, as I was this day, you may feast your eyes on the things on sale at the shop while you eat, or you can people watch and marvel at the tea sommeliers expertise. Another young lady entered and, while waiting for her friends, engaged in a long conversation about her tea selection. She chose #26, a real blueberry herbal decaf. That reminds me of overhearing discussions about great wine.
Speakeasy 3 Sisters
Broadway +14072013270220
According to legend, the photographs of the three ladies along the bar are of sisters Dodie, Fannie, and Ruth, who served exquisite beverages and hors d’oeuvres when prohibition was repealed in 1920. What is the Speakeasy’s password? Pie with apples. Customers were welcome to visit and soak in the sisters’ warmth of communal spirit.
The restaurant has been owned and sold many times, and there is no longer a secret chamber for a speakeasy, but the enthusiasm for the community does not seem to have altered. Everyone was polite and open to a newcomer.
This meal was exceptionally enjoyable since the chef, Jeff, was accessible for conversation. He took me through the lengthy menu. They have roughly twenty-two different varieties of sushi rolls. Which Sisters Special is most likely to pique your interest? Prohibition Philadelphia with your choice of protein (steak or chicken), grilled onions, mushrooms, and peppers, and provolone cheese on an amoroso bun.
Ruthies Best Burgers, 3 Sisters Tacos, and their entrees, which include fish, chicken, pot roast, sirloin steak, Argentinian flank steak, and baby back ribs, drew my interest.
My favorite kid wasn’t with me, so I couldn’t taste the Firecracker Shrimp, but it was certainly on her list.
Dodies DLite includes salad and lighter alternatives. The salmon salad was a close second. I can just see my favorite daughter eating pot stickers, calamari, and fried pickles with the Firecracker Shrimp. It’s a good thing we’re a Disney family and intend to visit often.
When it came down to two options, Jeff assisted me in selecting the fish tacos (tilapia, not breaded, hooray!) and replaced mashed potatoes for yellow rice. He’d also provided French fries. You’ll have the choice of having the fish blackened, but I opted for grilled, and it was great. The taco shell is a little sloppy, which is to be expected given how loaded it is with tilapia, shredded cabbage, mango salsa, tomatoes, and a zesty chimichurri sauce. That is a true treat for the senses.
There was too much for one lunch, so I brought a taco and the potato salad home with me. I’m amazed that it was just as excellent the next day.
The bar boasts a Tiffany-style light fixture that is said to be original to the structure. I wish the walls could speak.
Roll N Crack
260 Vineland Rd Suite 109 +140750726673
We stopped at this Cajun Seafood restaurant in a strip mall near our flat early in our visit. My kid was captivated by their Facebook photographs of snow crab and sushi.
They were out of crab that day, but they had plenty of sushi. I like edamame, so that would keep me going until our next meal. They featured sixteen signature rolls, each with eight pieces, including avocado, shrimp, lettuce, spicy mayo, sesame seed, crab, cream cheese, eel sauce, asparagus, baked hot sauce, and mushroom. You know I’m not the most adventurous eater, so I was curious to see what my favorite daughter decided to accompany her Mango Green Tea.
Broadway Pizza Shop
Broadway +14078477050403
This is the place to go if you enjoy thin crusted pizza.
There’s always plenty to gaze at, from the quirky chair statue outside to the regulars in the bar. The distinction is made by prompt service and courteous bartenders. The aroma of delicious pizza filled the air, making me realize how hungry I was.
You may get garlic knots (my weakness), garlic bread, cheesy garlic bread, or mozzarella sticks as appetizers. Do you like olives or mushrooms? They also have those. Also soup and chicken wings if you have a taste for them.
Apart from pizza, they provide 10 penne dishes, a dozen salads, eight different sandwiches, and five different desserts. I was tempted by the Zeppole, an Italian dessert similar to a beignet made of deep-fried dough covered with powdered sugar, but I knew I needed to save room for my pizza.
I went a bit farther after ordering my margherita. There’s a wine room in the corner with excellent labels and a table that’s ideal for a tasting area.
When the pizza came, it was put on a bar stand to keep it high and near, and I was amazed by the scent, which reached me before I could see the distribution of mozzarella and basil, and then the touch of the crisp crust, and feel and hear the crunchiness with the first bite. It is what I refer to as five sense eating.
It didn’t taste as salty as I was used to, which made me reconsider some of the pizza sauces I’d been eating.
Even with a Coke, the pricing was pretty reasonable, and there was enough to take home as leftovers (perfect fresh from the oven).
Steakhouse 2 Brothers
E. Dakin Ave.
As I arrived at 2 Brothers Steakhouse, my final visit among the individually owned eateries in historic downtown Kissimmee, the crew was busy putting up extra outside seats. When I walked in, they were kind and enthusiastic, offering me their favorite foods.
Inside, the cow with the glasses made me grin as I glanced about at the existing customers and workers. There seems to be more seating outdoors than inside, and many people continue to buy takeout.
I’d never seen miniCordon Blue on a menu before. It wasn’t the only odd thing I saw. They provide filled potato balls as well as blood sausage. Empanadas with beef, chicken, shrimp, or picanha have become favorites of mine (still beef, but a cut popular in Argentina). The stuffed plantain cups, which may be filled with top sirloin, chicken, or shrimp, reminded me of my travels in Central America.
They provide wings with eight different sauce options, three different varieties of salad, nachos, and samplers for two or four people.
The grilled steaks continue to be the piece de resistance. It’s a filling dinner that comes with one side and the house salad. Porterhouse, boneless ribeye, sirloin strip, NY Sirloin strip, Filet Mignon, top sirloin, or boneless ribeye are among the finest cuts.
My preference must remain the filet. It’s a nice size at eight ounces, so I requested that it be butterflied so that it cooks evenly and doesn’t get overcooked or dry. They performed a good job and were quick with their service and water glass refills. I picked grilled asparagus as my side dish. The fried plantain looked tantalizing, but I chose vegetables over fruit.
The house salad was fresh and excellent. I can see myself coming often to this eatery.