Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Southeast Eatery

    3.7 (83 reviews)
    InexpensiveAmerican
    Closed 6:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Southeast Eatery Photos

    Business Info

    SOUTHEAST EATERY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like Southeast Eatery

    Recommended Reviews - Southeast Eatery

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Anthony P.

    Great breakfast spot near Legoland! Affordable and great service. It was my son's birthday and the waitress made it special for him. Nice decor inside and the food was yummy. I got the biscuits and gravy that really enjoyed. Definitely be back if I am in the area.

    Daniel P.

    The restaurant is ruled by a rude owner picture below. She has lost a lot of full-time patron because of her rudeness. Also, she has raised the prices so high. It's one of the most expensive places to eat in all of Polk County and tell the truth. The food is not as good as it used to be, she has bought a lowerof food. She also will not hire male waiters because she thinks that that attracts gay people. Aléjate de este lugar. La dueña es muy grosera y la única persona que le gusta es ella misma. Ella se cree una reina y dirige un imperio, muy deteriorado. Imperio, es muy triste porque este solía ser un muy buen lugar para ir a comer y el horario muy conveniente lo cambia todo.

    Chicken and waffle and eggs bacon and grits
    Chris S.

    Food is good service is always excellent but the prices sure went up it seems like they went a few dollars or more per meal.

    Menu

    Breakfast was delicious! Had the Alex Special. 2eggs, 2 pancakes, 2 bacon and 2 sausage. Great price!

    Cheeseburger Platter
    Nhi B.

    Southern comfort food and southern hospitality, can it get any better? I don't know, but Southeast Eatery does it right. Like previous reviewers have stated, portion sizes are generous and service is amazing. You walk in, they smile, and then you're seated. Maybe you have to wait a little like my group of six did, but we came at peak hours and didn't wait longer than ten minutes. It's loud and raucous, but the good kind. Everyone, from the kitchen and restaurant staff to the patrons are happy. You can literally feel the goodwill the moment you walk in the door. Inside, the diner has a bit of an eclectic feel. It's like a typical American diner, with a Mediterranean feel almost. Though that may be the influence of the Greek owners. Did I forget to mention that Southeast Eatery is owned and operated by the same people who own Manny's? That's guaranteed good food. lol. During this particular visit, I had the Cheeseburger Platter, which came with amazing waffle fries. I swear, they were like Chik Fil A, Arby's, and Checker's fries combined. My aunt and cousin had the steak tips, and said they were amazing as well. Heck, even my grandmother likes the food here; and if it's got grandma's seal of approval, you know it's good.

    a half eaten plate of food
    Micayla C.

    My mom and I went to grab some food at this place, this is her review. So...Micayla & I ran to grab some food. Half way through my salad I find a bug. I politely tell the waitress and she said she will tell the manager. She returns (much later) with our chicken (I figured that would be safe since it was fried). Mediocre food, horrible service and when the bill came it was the full amount! I was in shock. So I asked her to at least remove my meal and I would gladly pay for . She said I will talk to the manager and let you know. She returned and said that since my salad was included as part of my meal and the bug wasn't on my meal food (that was paid for) all they could do was remove ONE drink! And she was nice, not her fault! But I made sure to tell her that was really bad management! Bottom line, I would suggest not going there!

    The kiddos
    Skip G.

    We've been here a few times, it used to be our "get out of the house" breakfast spot. The food is okay for a local diner, we found a better option just down the road and switched our weekly breakfast to them. No real personality here, wait staff is average, food is average, place is okay, could use a good cleaning because it's dusty. I don't know that we'd really have a reason to come back, but it's a little lower than average in our opinion, but a good alternative to fast food.

    Daniel R.

    I was an a roadtrip to tampa and I stopped here to eat breakfast. I know my southern food growing up in kentucky and it was okay. My first dish was the biscut and gravy and it was huge. The gravy was not homemade and the biscuts were like those powdered ones. The nutella stuffed french toast was great, but not really southern. The omlete was bad! Straight up bad. My afterall experience was okay.

    Corned beef hash, eggs, and hashbrowns

    See all

    19 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Generous portions, friendly and attentive service, and a brightly lit dining room make for a very pleasant experience.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Very good breakfast, very hospitable help, Huge portions, wish I lived in the area I'd make it a dairy diner

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    watch the prices. they have a way of charging you more than the menu price and pay with cash. food was not that good for the price

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kat K.
    0
    11
    12

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jim S.
    0
    124
    7

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Nhi B.
    316
    526
    2216

    14 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Maureen D.
    1
    131
    173

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Daniel R.
    3
    94
    168

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John R.
    3
    17
    146

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alex R.
    582
    228
    1081

    10 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Yeah 30% increase is too much (covid) simple sausage, eggs, toast and coffee $13 ? I'd rather go to Ihop

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hugh P.
    2808
    492
    5647

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hina S.
    3
    24
    25

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dianne H.
    44
    27
    20

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Krissy S.
    38
    18
    19

    7 years ago

    Great prices, great food, great staff. My family and I have been here quite a few times and we've never had a negative experience.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Southeast Eatery

    Review Highlights - Southeast Eatery

    Met up with some friends near Legoland, needed a good breakfast place that was family friendly and a good value.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for American 428 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Legoland Shipwreck Restaurant - Plant based dinner platter

    Legoland Shipwreck Restaurant

    4.5(72 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    Loved until they changed their tomato and peppercini brand. Not as fresh…read more Especially loved the Greek Salad with Salmon

    Ok so we came here for convenience after the park…read more We walked in and saw its $40 per person for an adult. I was like oof. But we sat down and met our waitress Michelle. She is very nice. Older lady, you can tell she's been around as a waitress for a while. Kind of reminds me of like the old diner waitresses "What are you having" lol. Anyway, she was awesome. She let us pick off both options. We ordered the pirate one which is BBQ choices and we got some of the sea dog options for the seafood side. So sweet. We first got our bread. It was good. Tasted like a yeast bread. Came oiled and with sweet butter. It also came with a salad as well for the table which had cheese, tomatoes onion and greens. The salad dressing was light and sweet. The main food came. It came with ribs, flank steak, pulled pork, brisket, beans, string beans, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, sausage, and shrimp. 3 sauces came with it, regular bbq, mango bbq and mustard. The mango bbq had real mango in it. Now, preface by saying I understand this isn't a 5 star Michelin chef meal and I wasn't expecting much. However, this was actually very good. The steak was very good. Not dry. The brisket was good. The ribs were good not dry. The pulled pork was dry. The salmon was good, The shrimp was good, Sausage was good, the string beans were ok, the macaroni was very heavy but good and the mashed potatoes were good. Overall I was very impressed. Then for dessert came our chocolate chip covered ice cream with heath bar bits. So very fattening.

    Photos
    Legoland Shipwreck Restaurant - Outside of pirate hotel

    Outside of pirate hotel

    Legoland Shipwreck Restaurant
    Legoland Shipwreck Restaurant - Excavators also get towed by us

    See all

    Excavators also get towed by us

    Lucille's American Cafe - Maui tacos with fries

    Lucille's American Cafe

    4.5(297 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$

    It's always a clear knockout when we eat here…read more There's no way we will ever go to Winter Haven without stopping at Lucille's. It is just that good. We take a trip to Legoland every now and again and every time we do we come and eat dinner here. We have loved every single meal. This time I branched out and tried another drink, I tried the sincerely, Lucille. It is vodka with fresh strawberries and basil, and it is amazing. Future Christina this is your new go to drink. My husband got his standard old-fashioned and enjoyed it. For food, I got the chimichurri steak, next time I should remember to get the chimichurri on the side just because my younger son didn't like the green stuff on the steak. The chimichurri is delicious. It was cooked perfectly at medium rare, I got their homemade chips as one of my sides because my kids wanted it. Their chips are so good that was definitely the way to go. I also got green beans which were amazing as well. My older son got the kids mac & cheese with a side of fries. I even loved his mac & cheese. It's definitely not the Kraft mac & cheese. My husband got the barbecue plate. He had mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes and loved all of it. My younger son ate off of all of our plates and we pretty much finished all our food. My younger son then got a dessert of vanilla ice cream with Oreos and he scarfed it down. We've never had a problem getting a seat here because it is a good size restaurant. The staff is very friendly and the food comes out pretty quickly. If you're anywhere close to this restaurant, you should be eating here.

    We sat at the bar to order takeout for our families. My friend wanted a drink and the bartender,…read moreMina, was professional and friendly. I watched her talk to my friend while her teammates worked around her. Mina was interesting and engaging, which is what my friend was hoping for in a bartender. Mina correctly put our order in (remembering to read our order back to us) she even placed the extra sides of butter next to our order to be packed. We got the butter but the side of mashed potatoes it was intended for never made it in our bag. When we got back to the hotel we were missing mashed potatoes & balsamic dressing for the side salad we paid extra for. Not Minas fault but definitely whomever packaged up our order. Before we left the manager brought out a second kids burger I guess they missed. The food was good but it's really a bummer to get "home" and you don't have everything you paid for. A little girl didn't get her side of mashed potatoes. She'll be fine but what a bummer. I got a strawberry mocktail and it was pretty good.

    Photos
    Lucille's American Cafe - So comfortable

    So comfortable

    Lucille's American Cafe - Onion rings with delicious dipping sauce!

    Onion rings with delicious dipping sauce!

    Lucille's American Cafe - Grove Roots beer

    See all

    Grove Roots beer

    Nutwood - Green Eggs & Ham

    Nutwood

    4.6(165 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$

    I visited this quaint establishment when I was celebrating my parent's anniversary. Upon arrival I…read moredid miss the parking lot because the drive way into the lot is pretty small but managed to quickly turn around and park on the gravel lot. The outside patio is beautifully decorated with lights, tables and chairs and greenery with foliage to create that natural outdoor vibe. When you enter, it's like walking into a small home where you greeted and seated by a hostess or server. There's a main great room and 2 smaller rooms that have seating as well and ambiance lighting throughout for intimate gatherings. The bathrooms are clean and fully stocked with necessities. As for the food, I got the Brussel sprouts salad without goat cheese which was delicious . It was about the size of my fist for $13. I assumed it was more of a tasting menu. My mother got the gnocchi which was described as delicious but lukewarm in temperature. She loved the beet salad however and the side of sour dough bread. My dad got a 13oz steak with potato purée. His steak was good in flavor however he described it as a bit too tough, and could have been more tender. Since he is a retired chef of 40 years I value his input. My other family members ordered the egg yolk ravioli which seemed a bit of a strange combination but certainly worked out in flavor. The labneh that was with the beet salad was also paired and eaten with the sourdough bread which seemed to be a great idea. Unfortunately the bolognese pasta was not tender enough for my family's liking. If you like pasta that way then you should be just fine. Over all it was fine dining and good. If you would like to go to a place where the portions are a bit larger I would suggest another place. But this is a nice casual dining intimate place for any special small occasion. Last but not least, Beth our server was kind and sweet. She was patient and very accommodating with great table manner and should certainly be recognized for her gracious nature and hospitality.

    I recently visited Nutwood with co-workers for lunch and tried the Open Faced Steak Sandwich. Crisp…read moretoast was topped with a creamy aioli, crisp arugula, tangy pickled red onion and tender nicely salted steak. The side of chips were nicely crisp and salty. Overall, it was a quality lunch.

    Photos
    Nutwood
    Nutwood
    Nutwood - Interior

    See all

    Interior

    Sandy's Castle Restaurant - Breakfast included with stay at Lego Beach Retreat. They bring out a tray of food for family style breakfast.

    Sandy's Castle Restaurant

    3.3(13 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Food is ok, coffee terrible, but kids love the Lego area…read more Breakfast is no longer always free with the hotel. It is worth going if it's free. It definitely is not for like $22 for adults and $17 for kids (which I think is the price I saw). It's the exact same breakfast you get at the Legoland hotel/pirate hotel. It's AYCE eggs, biscuits, sausage and bacon (or veggie sausage if you request it), French toast sticks and breakfast potatoes. Fruit, cereal and yogurt is available upon request. For me, the biscuits are delicious (we should always request extra since the kids like it.) I also like the vegan sausage. The kids like the bacon and sausage and sometimes the French toast sticks. Nobody likes the eggs. My husband loves the biscuit and gravy (the gravy has pork) and liked the potatoes. The coffee is atrocious, be warned. You might as well make it in the room and bring it. There is a Lego place for the kids at the back of the restaurant. The kids love the Lego area and it buys us some peace and quiet. Our server was fantastic. Service can be hit or miss, but I really liked ours this morning. We got there at 9 am and it was about a 25 minute wait. If it's free you might as well do it, if you don't get it free with the room you should skip.

    We came for breakfast while staying in Legoland and we really loved the family style food service!…read moreThe food was very good and fresh (our favorite was the breakfast potatoes and the biscuits), it was quick, our server was very nice and helpful! We really enjoy the fresh and hot coffee in the morning! One of my favorite parts is that is all decorated with lego things and has a play area for the little ones so they get to eat and enjoy as well... win-win for all the family! Tip: they serve you for the whole table but if you want more they will keep it coming also they have extra sides like yogurt and oatmeal that you can ask as well!

    Photos
    Sandy's Castle Restaurant - Breakfast platter to share with the family

    Breakfast platter to share with the family

    Sandy's Castle Restaurant - Family-style Breakfast Platter

    Family-style Breakfast Platter

    Sandy's Castle Restaurant - Breakfast Platter

    See all

    Breakfast Platter

    Ovation Bistro & Bar

    Ovation Bistro & Bar

    4.0(409 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    It was our first visit in 10 years and now I'm wondering why. Dinner was AMAZING! We ordered the…read moreloaded smokehouse handheld with brisket. Perfectly cooked brisket, 2 huge yummy onion rings, juicy and crunchy coleslaw, and delicious pickles! I had the honey drizzled sweat potato fries, my sister had a garden salad. They have 3 different sauces to complement your meal (I tried all 3!) The only thing better than the food was the service. Izzy was our server and he was above and beyond the expectation. Attentive, knowledgeable and personable, definitely ask to be sat in his section for an excellent experience. Restaurant was well lit but soft and the floor was quiet enough to enjoy conversation. They do have a bar that seemed lively and fun and I saw advertisements for happy hour drinks and plates. Looking forward to going back soon. Prime Rib on Thursday nights seems to be calling my name.

    We accidentally ended up at Ovation Bistro thanks to our GPS choosing chaos... and honestly, I hope…read moreit continues to mislead me like this forever. The second we walked in, the smell hit me like, "Cancel your goals. You live here now." Smoky, delicious, slightly illegal levels of good. We were greeted and seated by a super nice guy who said, "Patrick will be right with you." Two minutes later... Patrick shows up. Five minutes later... Patrick brings drinks. Ten minutes later... Patrick brings food. At some point I leaned over to Ross and whispered, "Where is the original guy?? Did Patrick eat him??" Nope. SAME MAN. Sir is host, server, possibly chef, and I'm 90% sure he rotated the earth slightly to speed up our service. Patrick sold me on the Prime Rib sandwich like a seasoned car salesman and I folded immediately. Ross got the loaded smokehouse sandwich because he likes to pretend he makes responsible decisions. The food came out fast and looking disrespectfully good. I blacked out somewhere between bite one and "I should stop." I did not stop. I have no regrets. My diet has filed a missing persons report. And let's circle back to Patrick--this man has the energy of three employees, a double espresso, and unresolved childhood dreams. I want whatever he's having. I would follow him into battle... or at least back for dessert. As The Terminator once said, "I'll be back." Mostly because I found out Patrick works Wednesday-Saturday... and apparently those are now my "nutritional delusion" days. Would 100% trust my GPS to ruin my plans again.

    Photos
    Ovation Bistro & Bar - Sign on back wall.

    Sign on back wall.

    Ovation Bistro & Bar - BBQ FLATBREAD

    BBQ FLATBREAD

    Ovation Bistro & Bar - Blackberry Mojito

    See all

    Blackberry Mojito

    First Watch

    First Watch

    3.8(97 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$
    Casual dining
    Gluten-free friendly

    Just want to start by saying, this First Watch in Winter Haven Florida has the best coffee I have…read moreever had at a First Watch. The very best coffee! We went on the site ahead of time and our wait list wait was less than what they estimated. I felt like that was a win. Also, our server was both attentive and pleasant and they were super slammed this Father's Day morning. And I need to back track just a little, because that first cup was really good and then they brought out a new pot of the First Watch dishwasher coffee that I have grown accustomed to. So there is that. We ordered two has meals. I got the summer special hash which had a Mexican inspired theme. The flavors were great, especially the queso. The meal was a tad above room temperature which had me thinking it had been sitting. Especially because the over easy eggs were luke warm. The other hash was about the same. Overall the food was not so good, especially for the price. But it was edible and I finished mine and it filled me so mission accomplished. Honestly though no where near amazing and other than it's uniqueness, a visit to Denny's or IHOP would have done just as good and for about a little over half the price. Still though our server was Dynamite and if it weren't for her I would be giving two stars instead of three. If the coffee didn't revert back to its weak state, it might have almost pushed it over 3 starts. Alas, here is where we are.

    Basing this entirely off my DoorDash experience--I'm a big fan of First Watch, and I hadn't tried…read morethe one near my new job. This morning I had the opportunity to order myself some breakfast and I have to say I was so impressed with how it arrived. It was beautifully packaged with all the necessities, my substitutions were correct and the portion of fruit they gave me was fantastic! It's unlikely I'll ever dine in but I absolutely trust ordering delivery based on this experience.

    Photos
    First Watch
    First Watch
    First Watch

    See all

    Glory Days Grill

    Glory Days Grill

    3.2(118 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    This Glory Days in Winter Haven Florida is a typical sports bar with neighborhood bar energy. We…read moresat at the bar, but there is a whole dining area with plenty of booths, tables and high tops. Just to get this out of the way, the restrooms were clean and individual which was awesome. As awesome in fact as the service. As I said earlier, we sat at the bar and Erica was our server. She took customer service to the next level. She was super pleasant, engaging and most importantly helpful. She gave recommendations for drinks and food. And it didn't feel fake like at some places. Erica was so very genuinely awesome! We ordered 10 wings, half buffalo mild and half honey old bay. They sounded good in theory, but the first batch was a tad under cooked for me. The honey old bay was meh, but the buffalo mild was decent. Luckily we were able to send them back and the second batch was way better. If you are going to order wings here, ask for them extra cooked or extra crispy. While we were waiting we were given some fries by Erica. And, the 2nd set of wings was fantastic! They have a QR code to pay your bill, but I couldn't get it to work so I had to pay the server. All and all a pretty good experience even with the huccups.

    This was our second visit to this location, and it definitely won't be our last! We love the…read morelocation--there's plenty of parking, it's in the same plaza as Publix, and it's also located across the street from Legoland. We were seated immediately upon arrival, and the restaurant was clean and welcoming. Both times we've visited, it hasn't been overly busy, which made for a relaxing dining experience. Personally I find that shocking as I would think it would be a tourist trap but it's mostly locals. We started with Homerun Margaritas, and they were delicious! They tasted a little on the light side at first, but our server happily added an extra shot, which was a nice bonus! For food, we ordered the mozzarella sticks, cheeseburger sliders, the Merica Burger, and chicken wings. Everything was cooked fresh, came out hot, and tasted fantastic. We really enjoyed every bite. Overall, another great experience with friendly service, delicious food, and a comfortable atmosphere. We look forward to coming back again!

    Photos
    Glory Days Grill - Inside

    Inside

    Glory Days Grill - Mozzarella sticks

    Mozzarella sticks

    Glory Days Grill - Sunset over legoland from glory days parking lot

    See all

    Sunset over legoland from glory days parking lot

    Southeast Eatery - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...