I have a deep love of alligators so I was delighted to find Old Joe across from Gilbert Park…read more According to legend, 15 foot Old Joe terrified local residents at the turn of the 19th century by consuming livestock and other small animals. He was well known by the steamboat captains and was the most respected alligator on the lake. Today Old Joe's offspring can still be found swimming in the area. In 2018 two local residents, dentist Loyd "Mike" Kiernan and Richard MacSherry decided to commemorate Old Joe with a donated $52,000, 15 foot, bronze statue. Joe was unveiled on February 20, 2018. The 1,200 ton statue now sits next to Lake Beauclaire, one of Old Joe's old haunts. The American Bronze Foundry In Sanford created the statue of the conch blowing greeter at the southern most point in Key West and they also made Old Joe. Old Joe sits on the ground so people can climb on him for a photo. The only thing dangerous about this Joe is he is made of metal that can burn your legs on a hot summer day.

Viva La Frida is a charming, small art festival in Mount Dora that's still new but has great…read morepotential. Tickets are required, but you get plenty in return, live music, food trucks, and a selection of art to browse and buy. I enjoyed some drinks, tasty bites from the trucks, and even picked up a few goodies to take home. It's a great way to spend an afternoon, especially if you're looking for something new to do. Very kid-friendly, too. One thing to note: parking in Mount Dora on a weekend with an event can be a challenge. Plan ahead or arrive early, we ended up parking pretty far from the event, which was the only downside of the day. Still, we had a good time and got to explore more of Mount Dora in the process.

We're currently at the Mount Dora art festival, but it took us around 15-20 minutes to find…read moreavailable parking spot. After finally finding a parking spot, we had to walk for about a mile to reach the location of the festival. If you're planning to attend this festival, it's advisable to come early when they first open to avoid parking and walking issues. There are lots of food stalls, vendors, and amazing artwork to admire. In addition, there's live music playing at the center of the art festival.

My bf and I went to KKO chocolate in Mount Dora. The day was little bit cold so we went there to…read moreget some nice hot chocolate. I hav tried many different hi chocolate. The hot chocolate at this shop was beyond my imagination. Very rich yet very tasty. Because you don't need to drink a lot to enjoy. Richness of chocolate yet you can enjoy it in your month for a long time. We also got a box of 6 chocolates. Each of them was delicious. I got raspberry and coffee ganache. The staffs were very friendly and the shop has cute yet elegant vibe. Those chocolates are great for gifts for others and yourself. Highly recommended!

This bakery / pastry shop is located in Mt. Dora. The selection isn't huge, but it doesn't need to…read morebe when the treats are delectable. I got the key lime tart and it was scrumptious. I enjoyed every bite as I walked around Mt. Dora. The service was great! The place is small but super nice. I enjoyed my treat and will definitely return.

Cute and spacious restaurant in downtown Mt. Dora with indoor and outdoor seating and a decent…read morelunch menu. We ordered the burger and gyro platters from the lunch menu and were not disappointed at their size and flavor. The coleslaw was a bit too sweet for my taste though. Our server was very nice and attentive, and the food did not take too long to arrive. I loved the fact that they allow dogs, even if you are seating inside, so we were able to bring our furry friend with us. :)

Not impressed with this place. Its a great location with potential but they have some things to…read moreimprove. First, It didn't seem like the food was fresh, the fries tasted stale, the spinach pie was a huge blob and the presentation was awkward. The spinach pie was nearly the size of the plate and was nearly flat as a pancake. I was so confused why they even bothered placing it on a bed of lettuce. I ended up with wilted lettuce at the end. My biggest complaint is they need to pay attention to their cleanliness. I had something floating in my glass, there was a large cobweb hanging from the main light fixture, and when my food was brought out, the tray was covered in crumbs. At least wipe it down after clearing a table.

Today was my first & impromptu experience at Cafe Gianni. Historic intimate setting & with the…read moreoption of an alfresco experience. The service is exceptional! My water glass never got below half full. The menu selection includes a few classics along with a few hard-to-find dishes. My rigatoni bolognese was extraordinary. I purposely did not order a drink, appetizer or dessert as I want to experience all the aforementioned next time with my wife. I'm looking forward to my next experience at Cafe Gianni. Continued success!!

We went to Cafe Gianni tonight. The service was excellent and so was the food. We started with a…read morewith a dish of Italian cold cuts, cheese and olives. It was enough for three people along with the grilled bread. I had Veal Marcella and it was excellent. It had a good sized piece of veal and thin cut mushrooms.??My husband had the Linguine Fra Diavola with mussels, our grandson had the Carbonara. Their dinners were excellent. For desert we shared two orders on cannolis, they were very good, not too sweet. I recommend that you try this restaurant.

5 Enormous Stars! I can't believe that this business did not have a Yelp listing already set up…read more This is, by far, one of the best walking food and wine tours I have ever taken, and I've taken over twenty. Our group had 12 people in it; she said the most she'll do is groups of 16. Cost was approximately $100 per person. Communication was excellent regarding meeting time, place, etc. The business is owned and operated by Jimberly, (yes, Jimberly) who used to be a chef, and owned her own small restaurant... 'til Covid came along. She prides herself on the fact that none of the places we stop at have pre-made, bar/generic food. Let her know ahead of time if you have any dietary restrictions, and she'll do her best to make special arrangements for you. She has been a Mount Dora native for many years, and had so many great local stories, gave a bunch of great recommendations, and knew people and dogs almost everywhere we went. Each food tour Jimberly does varies, depending on restaurant availability, but this is the one we took: Stop 1: Olive Branch - half glass of red, half glass of white, house salad, penne alla vodka. Stop 2: Lakeside Inn Gift Shop - shot of peach wine, shot of pomegranate wine, shot of chocolate liquor. We got a discount if we bought anything. Stop 3: Las Palmas Cuban Restaurant - scoop of mofongo, piece of skirt steak, piece of cuban, tostone with ropa vieja, piece of flan, piece of tres leches cake, small mojito! This place was outstanding! Stop 4: White Orchid Market Gift Shop - chip with dip, ramekin of pasta, small piece of fudge. Discount, so I bought a candle. Stop 5: Magical Meat Boutique - This is a British Pub, so we had fish and chips, and a cocktail. So good! So full! Absolutely a great experience, and a "must" do if you visit Mount Dora.

From the moment we sat down, Juan was absolutely phenomenal! My husband and I go out to eat quite a…read morebit, and we can honestly say we have never experienced service quite like we did with Juan. He was incredibly attentive without ever being overbearing, made us feel genuinely welcomed, and had us laughing throughout our entire dinner. He has such a great personality and clearly takes pride in making sure his guests have an amazing experience. It's rare to come across someone who can make a simple dinner feel so memorable, but Juan absolutely did that for us. We left dinner talking about how amazing he was and how much we wished we could have a "Juan" at every restaurant we go to! We will absolutely be back and honestly, we hope we get Juan as our server again. He is truly a gem and an incredible asset to this restaurant. If you have the opportunity to be served by Juan, you are in for a treat! Thank you, Juan, for making our night so enjoyable!

We've always enjoyed coming to Vincent's Italian Restaurant--pizza and meatballs are consistently…read morefantastic, and it's been a reliable spot for our regular "Pizza Friday" rotation. Unfortunately, this visit left us a bit disappointed. We later noticed that a 20% gratuity had already been added to each of our tabs, which was not clearly disclosed. As a result, we unknowingly left our usual 20% tip on top of that. We absolutely respect and support fair compensation for servers, but automatic gratuity should be clearly communicated upfront. When we casually mentioned it--without asking for anything to be removed--the response we received felt dismissive. More concerning, our waitress (Becca) then appeared to discuss the situation with another table in a way that felt unprofessional. We still appreciate the quality of the food and have enjoyed many visits here, but transparency and professionalism matter. Since we rotate local restaurants for our weekly outings, experiences like this do influence where we choose to return.

Another perfect pizza pie, Greek salad, garlic knots and hot honey wings!! The staff is friendly…read moreand the food is delicious:)

Nice little pizza joint out of the main business district. Just a few tables inside this little…read morestorefront pizza/Italian restaurant, but definitely a good choice in the Tavares area. We got an antipasto salad and a pizza. The salad was plenty to share and featured generous helpings of deli meats and cheese. The pizza had a nice crust with a crispy exterior and chewy interior. Service was friendly and attentive.

My favorite place since I moved to Mount Dora. Love the pizza it's brings me back memories from…read morebank home in NYC. The ladies and everyone there always so pleasant and friendly and welcoming. I will definitely recommend this place. They service is amazing and outstanding.

Went for a girls lunch with my ex coworkers and one of our customers Nell was our server! Always…read moreamazing good and company! Thanks Nell for taking great care of us!!

A Lake County favorite for sure. Delicious every time, great service and a family friendly…read moreenvironment. Stavros is a no brainer. Oh and don't forget to check out the delicious deserts either...

The pizza tasted like bisquick, not pizza crust, and had very limited toppings. The Stromboli was…read moreterrible. Scarce amount of items spread thinly around inside, and dough was bland, cold and hard. My husbands garlic bread barely tasted like it had garlic on it and was hard. He also dislike the taste of his ravioli. The Stavros in Fruitland Park never disappoints like this one in Eustis did.