Restaurants near Sand Lake

“Vegan Friendly 🌱! Had an amazing experience last night. Randomly found this wonderful restaurant. From the outside you would never know how beautiful it is inside. We were seated right away for 7 people. Half of our group are vegan and the menu had a huge selection for us. We mentioned we were celebrating a birthday and our waiter was very excited to bring a delicious dessert as well as play a happy birthday song over the sound system. We are already talking about going again for lunch this weekend because the food was just so good! We were amazed at how busy the place was on a Monday night and impressed with how well the staff handled it. Thank you to the wonderful staff especially our waiter Reagan. We look forward to our next visit!”

“Pizza was great but needs more cheese the garlic knots could use a little less butter and parm and that says a lot coming from me but overall great spot for dinner”

“Papa Llama, 2840 Curry Ford Road, Orlando- 4-Stars Michelin Recommended- Bib Gourmand! Peruvian immigrants, Kevin and Maria Ruiz, say they founded Papa Llama in 2016 as an experimental pop up and opened the doors of this location in August 2020. In 2022, they earned the Michelin Guide's coveted "Bib Gourmand" award for establishments that serve good food at reasonable prices so naturally, I got excited. Paulina, my server, was well prepared and knowledgeable, making for an auspicious beginning in a gorgeous environment featuring good prices for dishes that could be made to satisfy both carnivores and herbivores alike. I ordered the entire family style menu which was, according to Papa Llama, "designed to be tasted together, shared, and fought over." So much food for just over a hundred dollars. The prices may have been cheap but the taste and quality of (most) victuals valieron un Perú! A hearty Big Boy Thank You (Sulpayki!) to Kevin and Maria and the culinary dactylograms of their ancestors, on this amazing cuisine (Somaq Mihuna!). The first item on the menu was Olives--whole green Castelvetrano olives marinated in house with aji panca--which were so delectable I could eat them all day. Next, the Red + Gold Beets, a minty beet salad with honey ají amarillo vinaigrette, queso fresco, and candied pistachio, which started out smooth and creamy and ended with a pleasantly piquant bite. Papas a la Huancaína followed, a fingerling potato dish with spicy aji amarillo cream, wakatay (black mint) salsa verde, and beef chicharron, topped with a fried egg. The potatoes themselves were not the star, but the combination of flavors in the sauce were amazing, unctuous but smooth. Papa Llama carries a long list of natural wines, more wines than food items, actually. That evening, I chose the Yuzu Sake, and may I say, "Holy smokes!" How refreshing after consuming so many peppers. The rest of the dishes I would give 4.5 to 5-Stars, EXCEPT for the side of frozen Sysco French fries which almost ruined an otherwise stellar meal. There are over 300 kinds of potatoes in Peru. Over 300! Perhaps in the United States we don't have the same abundance as found in El Valle Sagrado (the Sacred Valley) but, por favor, do not stoop to this! The Big Boy says, "Eat here. All the authentic Peruvian flavors at Papa Llama are 5-Star, but skip the fries, which are a corporate conglomerate frozen food disappointment."”

“I am back after a few years. The food is still delicious, 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Our server, Kimo, 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
He is full of energy, explained the dishes, gave us suggestions and was very attentive.
My favorite from his suggestions, Maguro Truffle, Sticky Ribs, Hawaii XO Roll and the Double Tekka Roll. For dessert we had the Ube Cheese Cake. Sweet, smooth, perfect to share with two. Yes! I would order it all again.
The ambiance, 4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The decor is cheeky/romantic with dim lights. But noise level was pretty high. It’s ok if you are sitting right next to each other. I can hear larger parties speaking louder to be able to carry a conversation.
Restroom situation, 2 ⭐️ ⭐️
There is 1 bathroom for females and 1 bathroom for males. I didn’t really noticed it until the line came out of the bathroom area and people were standing near our table. When I needed to use it, wow, I was next in line but it took forever. Something to consider upgrading or maybe make them unisex so both stalls can be used.
The restaurant added a lounge next door. It has its own door or you can access through the restaurant. It also has its own cocktail menu that you can order from while dining.
These are suggestions for improvement but not important enough to stop me from coming back.”

“It was a pleasure to sit, relax and enjoy Brasilian cuisine. So happy for this wonderful delicious experience. Very happy for this restaurant and I also have been to Orlando as well as Kissimmee. Thank you for the professional service.”

“Chef David and team do an Outstanding job preparing, serving and delivering the best sushi around! The food is second to none! Always a pleasure seeing the team and especially dining with all of the sushi choices which were all 5 out 5! Can't wait to go back!”

“What a cool place! From the incredibly-tasty and distinctive cuisine, to the unique and attractive design, to spending some time with the owner Maxine; this is a must-dine experience! Can’t wait to return!”

“Passport to Dominican Republic is hereeee omg I felt like I was in my carribean island!!! The food and music took me back! Such a great experience and authentic food! Andrea our waitress was the best! She was energetic and helped us order exactly what we were looking for and engaged in conversation and very friendly!”

“Valeria was a wonderful server. She was very attentive to special requests and food restrictions needs due to allergies. The food was excellent too. Get the trifasico and ask for all the sauces!”

“Great spot! Fabulous food I try octopus wherever I can find it on the menu and I've not had any as good. Exceptional service at the bar with Justin. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”

“Delicious sushi! I got the baller set which was very good and nice to try once, but I’ll probably just order from the regular menu in the future.

It is standing room only and doesn’t feel crowded tho the place is quite small.

The only thing I really didn’t care for was the 1 hour slot, I feel like it could be 1.5 hours and that might be better because it felt a bit rushed at the end when getting the last pieces, soup, and s’mores. I felt like I had to scarf my s’mores down quickly to get out on time.

Overall, the place is great and I would come back again in the future!!”

“Sushi nota 10 e atendimento nota 100000 super recomendooo ❤️”

“Love! Best truly Mexican food in a long while!”

“Nos gustó mucho, pedimos clvarios platos, lo único que nos encontramos poca cantidad es en los Chicharrones bites en comparación precio-porcion. pero muy rica la comida y buen servicio.”

“Delicious Asian food served in casual atmosphere. Service was friendly.”

“We love coming here to eat. Food is excellent”

“Hands down our favorite South Asian restaurant in Orlando. Everything about this place is perfection. Every. Single. Thing.”

“We had the most amazing dining experience for our anniversary!!! Some of the best food in the Orlando area!”

“Wonderful atmosphere; patio seating was lovely and dog friendly; wait staff is superb!”

“Thanks Emily A for the amazing service. We had a fantastic meal!”

“My husband found this gem online and figured we’d enjoy it since we are fans of shareable and tapas style dishes. Brendan (sp?) was our server. He was kind and attentive. The food options were healthy, fun, and creative. I especially enjoyed the dumplings and my husband devoured his mochi Wangz. We also tried Mr. Rice Guy which didn’t quite give the oomph we were looking forward to. Drunken Belly was pretty decent (a few pieces were a tad too fatty to fully enjoy). We’d 100% go back for the atmosphere and aesthetics alone. Service was phenomenal and the vibes were super chill.”

“Una comida deliciosa, atención al cliente perfecta por Estefania quien nos atendió. Recomendamos este restaurante a todos quien como nosotros estamos de visita por Orlando. Comparando precio con calidad y cantidad muy bueno. Le daría 10 estrellas. Además tienen un pequeño espacio para que los niños jueguen.”

“I chose to come here for my birthday, because I like eating at Michelin Starred places for my birthday. I also like omakases. There seems to be more and more places all offering their own omakases, so they all start to run together, makes it hard to differentiate them. So instead of detailing every aspect of Natsu, I wanna just highlight what makes them different from everyone else.

Ambiance is so beautiful, peaceful, stoic. You enter this space, and you're in instant tranquility. A simple countertop with no view of the kitchen. Very comfortable high-top bar stools welcomed my behind. And a very nice card personally wishing me a happy birthday also welcomed me. A very nice touch. Super classy.

The service was also stellar. It wasn't the well-choreographed show that you see at two or three star places. But each person had their dedicated duties, and they did a really good job of making comfortable small talk with us. Very friendly folks.

Now for the food. The very good food. It was a very familiar setup. The light bites, the palate cleanser, the nigiri, and then the dessert.
This place doesn't have any of the big meat dishes like a seared duck or an A5 Wagyu, so if you're needing that, this place won't have that. I didn't need it, so I just sat back and enjoyed this mainly seafood inspired menu.

The light bite portion was nice. I got introduced to a small fish that I'd never eaten before. There was of course a dish that was the obligatory showered-in-truffles dish, but this one wasn't an upcharge, which was very appreciated. In fact, there were no upcharge opportunities at all that evening. Very appreciated.

As for the nigiri portion of the meal, I was actually very surprised that the literal slice of fish that was on the rice was a larger portion than other sushi places. I'm not kidding. The portion size was tangibly larger, which had it's advantages. A thicker slice gives you more of an appreciation for the texture of the seafood. I was actually blown away by this pleasant surprise.

We ended the meal with a special birthday candle in my dessert. So nice.

Overall, I couldn't have been more pleased with my birthday evening here. They set the mood, they treated me really nice, but not in a snooty way, and the food was varied, fresh, and delicious. I can't see myself not coming back. I love this place.”

“I love coming to this place when I come to Orlando, plenty of variety fresh homemade food and desserts. Definitely recommend for some good old-fashioned Brazilian food.”

“We are from Lakeland and always drive up here to enjoy the food and atmosphere. Our waiter Moe this evening was very nice and Ethan, the host, was also kind and great to talk to. The food here is delicious and the people are nice. We got the 4 for $40 deal which is an amazing promotion going on for the summer. I highly recommend this place! Shoutout to both Moe and Ethan! Definitely tell Moe I say dankje, which is thank you in Dutch. We will be back soon.”

“We attended the show tonight and it was AMAZING. The magic was grea, the jokes were fantastic. 100% added to out must do's. Can't thank you enough for a wonderful evening 😊”

“The Brunch is great and the appetizer are delicious”

“Care Bear and Kristina took great care of us at the inside bar! Happy New Year!”

“Delicious! Cute aesthetic! Happy hour on cocktails and dumplings! Wendy was a gem and took the time to explain the rewards program. Nobody’s ever done that before and I’ve been a few times. So sad I’m moving away :(”