Best Restaurants out of the "World"

[bethian]

Tonight, in all our practicalness we decided to cancel our Le Cellier reservations, which was sure to cost us $200+ and opt for a night at good ole Outback, one of our family favorites. Do you guys have any out of WDW recommendations for good eats in the WDW area??
Less than 6 weeks to go!!!!

[Crow]

usually eat onsite. but last yr i did try Sweet Tomatoes in the Crossroads shopping center and thought it wasnt bad, salad bar and some hot items. and had a coupon which made it even better

[1DisneyNut]

We really enjoyed Miller's Orlando Ale House on International Dr. on our last trip. They have daily entree and drink specials with entrees around $12-$15. It was really good and the price was great. It was better than any meal we had inside of WDW and at about 1/3 of the price. We have been going offsite for dinner a lot on our recent trips.

[Twinsowner]

A couple of years ago we did some research and found a place called Bahama Breeze. It is apparently a chain in that area but we really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. It isnt cheap but no more than Outback or any other chain of that caliber. It has a carribean vibe with music and the food was excellent. its not far from the parks either.

[Gator]

If you ask my son, it would be IHOP. But we really liked Shula's Steakhouse on our honeymoon 10 years ago.

[PlutoToo]

I'll second Orlando Ale House. Monday's special is baby back ribs, and Thursday is prime rib.

[PETE FROM NYC]

When eating off property, we usually hit one of the chains.
We like Perkins, Red Lobster, and that seafood buffet ( forget the name) on 192, its on the left, one of the first places you hit going west from WDW.

[hauntedmansiongirl]

We love The Cracker Barrel on 192 next to Olde Towne. We know that they are common in the US but we don't have them in Canada, so they are a big treat. Plus if you go on a Friday or a Saturday you can wander over to Olde Towne and see the car cruise nights. Newer cars are Friday and older cars are on Saturday. Plus the shops are different and fun to look in.

Have a great time!

[BigRedDad]

We really enjoyed Miller's Orlando Ale House on International Dr.

We went to this Ale House twice on our Sea World trip last Summer. This place was excellent and do not hate tourists. We encountered several restaurants that simply do not care because they most likely will not see the same people again. Not the case for Miller's Ale House. They treated us like locals and regulars. Excellent prices, a huge menu, excellent service.

[BrerGnat]

It's a little far off property, but we love BJ's Brewhouse and Elephant Bar (these are two restaurants we used to frequent when we lived in California, and they don't have them where we live anymore). They are both located sort of up by the Convention Center, heading towards the airport.

I have to say, my uncle, who lives in Orlando, took us to Miller's Ale House one time for dinner and I was underwhelmed. It's a local favorite, but it was just greasy bar food, for the most part. Drinks were good, but it's not what I'd call a "family" atmosphere at all. It's basically a bar.

We also ate at Sweet Tomatoes, and it was quite good (another chain we used to frequent in CA, that we don't have locally in VA). This s a "soup, salads, muffins" type place. It's low on protein, high on veggies and carbs. You can fill up here for a decent price per person, but we consider this a "light" dinner place. It woudn't replace Le Cellier, if you are looking for meat and potatoes. But, it's close by at the Crossroads and it's a great choice.

We have a rule on vacation...we don't eat at restaurants we have at home, if we can help it.

[Jen1984]

We regularly stay on International Drive, our favourite places are Cafe Tu Tu Tango (various tapas style bits with a lovely atmosphere), Bahama Breeze (can sit outside with live music and fantastic cocktails) and for a real treat either Fish Bones on Sand Lake Road or Tchoup Tchoup which is in one of the Universal hotels (forget which one!) There are so many other fantastic restaurants in Orlando, which 1: you don't have to book 6 months in advance, and 2: tend to be cheaper and more exciting! Hope you find somewhere you enjoy!

[1DisneyNut]

I have to say, my uncle, who lives in Orlando, took us to Miller's Ale House one time for dinner and I was underwhelmed. It's a local favorite, but it was just greasy bar food, for the most part. Drinks were good, but it's not what I'd call a "family" atmosphere at all. It's basically a bar.

We also ate at Sweet Tomatoes, and it was quite good (another chain we used to frequent in CA, that we don't have locally in VA). This s a "soup, salads, muffins" type place. It's low on protein, high on veggies and carbs. You can fill up here for a decent price per person, but we consider this a "light" dinner place. It woudn't replace Le Cellier, if you are looking for meat and potatoes. But, it's close by at the Crossroads and it's a great choice.

We have a rule on vacation...we don't eat at restaurants we have at home, if we can help it.

Hmmmm, your assessment of Miller's Orlando Ale House doesn't sound anything at all like our experiences there. We have been several times to the one on International Dr. and the seafood and steaks have been almost perfection every time. They may have regular bar food on the menu, I couldn't say as I never look at burgers and sandwiches. I always order fresh seafood entrees and my wife either orders seafood or steak.

It definitely isn't "just a bar", it does have a full bar but there are numerous tables and booths. It is actually are fairly large restaurant. It has always been perfectly fine for families as well when we went, is was actually mostly families dining. Maybe you went on a Friday or Saturday night a little later and the bar scene comes into play?

We have been to Le Cellier a few times and personally I would take Miller's Ale House over it any day. I just never have been all that impressed with Le Cellier. It is okay but nothing all that special, especially at it's price point.

[BrerGnat]

We did go on a weeknight around happy hour. We were seated at a very high table with stools for seats. We were not that close to the bar, but my feeling was that the entire place felt like a large bar. It was quite loud. I didn't mind at all, but just wanted to share my experience.

[jonahbear2006]

The Ravenous Pig!

[tadcd]

I second Bahama Breeze! Tropical drinks are yummy, fresh ingredients, delicious soup, and great theming!