36 Best Southern Restaurants in Orlando

“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!“

“✨ Orlando Day Date Vibes ✨ Hidden gem alert! Authentic New Orleans soul food that SLAYS. Cornbread, fried chicken, red fish, and that speakeasy entrance? Date night perfection!“

“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!“

“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.“

“Absolutely amazing! Definitely one of the best meals of my life. Everything was top notch from beginning to end!“

“I love chicken salad. This is THE place to get fresh made, quality ingredients chicken salad. So many types to choose from! I absolutely LOVED the Fancy Nancy. The croissant bread was flaking and delicious. I got it with the potato soup- creamy and fresh! Next time I visit Orlando, I am definitely going back!“

“The food here for breakfast and lunch never disappoints. Neing located right in the hotel was a very nice to have also. I wanted to point out the exceptional customer service of Nicolus, Cathy, and Juan. They went above and beyond to ensure we had a great dining experience, and that was very much appreciated!

Parking: We parking lot is located in the back of the hotel and you need to take a shuttle to get there as it's a far walk. We preferred valet and paid a little more for the convenience and less headache“

“Best food ever and excellent service, I really recommend to eat here. I love it a lot“

“The food is amazing here! There are not a ton of classic Italian meals here but everything is made in house. The pizza is delicious, along with the arancini. The property is absolutely beautiful here as well. Indoor and outdoor seating at a great restaurant! Will definitely be visiting again.“

“This was probably my favorite place in Orlando. The burgers were juicy, loaded, and they offered interesting sauces (like the peach for the sloppy joe). The Nashville hawt burger is a must! The fried pickles were on point: I chose tartare which was the perfect sauce for them. Updated from previous review on 2025-03-10“

“Wonderful experience at the House of Blues Orlando. All staff were super friendly, helpful and accommodating for our large group. Portions are plentiful and everyone's meal was delicious!“

“Very expensive place to have to try to enjoy dinner due to flight delays. You would think the airline would be responsible to pay for your meal after sticking you at the airport for 10hrs - however they responded with "mechanical issues are beyond their control"
Cask and Larder is a nice place that has a hot waitress (michelle) who is a great gal...she made our dinner experience a bit better because she had a great positive attitude. The food was OK but better than most airport places.
The price is very high and almost unreasonable but people flock to eat here....so if your willing to pay- your the dummy like I was too.“

“Great feel, even better food and staff that has you planning your next visit before you leave. Thank you Chef Nikk and Fred!!“

“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.“

“Great service, great food“

“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“

“This was probably my favorite place in Orlando. The burgers were juicy, loaded, and they offered interesting sauces (like the peach for the sloppy joe). The Nashville hawt burger is a must! The fried pickles were on point: I chose tartare which was the perfect sauce for them. Updated from previous review on 2025-03-10“

“Great experience at Bubba Gump in Orlando today! Finished up at Universal with my wife and daughter (her 9th birthday) and our daughter wanted to eat here. Doug was our waiter, he was very nice, knowledgeable of the menu, played a little trivia with us and responsive! Great server! Spinach artichoke dip was tasty, shrimp ravioli was fantastic and bourbon street mahi was good too! To top it off the staff came out and sang a birthday song with an ice cream sandwich. Great time all around! Thanks Doug for being a rockstar waiter and making our meal that much better!“

“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.“

“Absolutely amazing food! We went for my boyfriend’s birthday and had a larger group, they treated us so well! And even gave complimentary sides! Always a 10/10 when we go☺️“

“Beautifully decor, great staff, and amazing food. The owners are wonderful ppl. Highly recommend their food! Very reasonable prices and hours are 6am -2pm.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Dinner after a very overstimulated day. This place was busy and the noise from other parties was too much. Our server Mendoza got us settled with drinks and an order of onion rings ( "only 10 min"....but it was definitely a 25 min wait). The honey butter croissant was nothing to brag about, but when you're hungry, you don't argue.
Overall, food was good. I had tilapia and shrimp in cream garlic sauce....that sauce was the bomb!! I really wish that was over grits instead of rice!“

“When we’re on the road we always stop at a Cracker Barrel for dinner! We can always count on excellent food, clean bathrooms and even a little shopping for gifts before we head back on the road!! 👍“

“I am not sure what it is with this place. There is no music. It is quiet. People come in and at with to-go orders. There is the occasional person that comes into the place to sit and it. It is a very weird vibe - can’t explain it. The chicken is phenomenal and the fries and ranch are on another level. Amazing food. Just the atmosphere and service is non-existent.“

“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.“

“Love Cheddar's Family meals for my sales lunches. Great food, Great value, and I have always received Great service. Now, if I can figure out how to reset my password so I can use all the points I've earned for a years worth of lunches! I've tried, but I never get the "reset your password " email and yes, I checked my Spam folder. I get the confirmation of order emails so I know it's what they have on file. 🤔“

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

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

“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“

“Amazing food and great customer service“

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