Asian sweet potato shaved ice - if you enjoyed their hot koko, you'll definitely enjoy this one…read more Its exactly the same flavor notes, but refreshing and subtly sweet from the fruits and warabimochi. Viet iced coffee - I really enjoyed this drink alot, as it had strong caffeine content, and the coffee was bold and sweet and gave me the boost of energy I needed for the day when I was sleep deprived.

This place was such a disappointment…read more It took over 30mins to get this, it's like did you go to Iceland to get this ice??? The lady stated 10mins ..... Then on the menu this strawberry milk did not mention having matcha. As I was eating it, the center was green and it was matcha and gross. For $18 not worth it. And lastly they didn't even apologize for the extreme long wait. There's better places servicing this kind of dessert.

Came for the first time tonight and had no idea how many times I've passed by as it's very…read moreunassuming in a strip mall. The vibe is very small and intimate run entirely by a husband and wife staff of two. They had 5 parties dining at the same time and seemed to be their only searing for the Friday evening. The wife was our server and was super friendly. They had reached out to me ahead of time due to my crustacean allergy originally saying one of the courses was shrimp which they had no substitute for and so I asked if I could double up on something else and they said they would see what they could do. Not only did they have a substitute (we got to be the first ones to try a brand new chicken dish) but they made sure everyone at the table also got a serving. The meal was 3 courses made up of 5 dishes and they had a 3 and 5 wine glass pairing. The shrimp were huge and I loved the crunch kernels in the salad. The chicken was juicy and had a nice kick. The steak was so tender and the mushrooms were crunchy and flavorful. The sauce in the dessert was also surprisingly flavorful. The meal took a couple of hours and the portion sizes were pretty large for a tasting menu!

Had to reserve and pay the entire bill in advance, which is weird in that even tip/service charges…read morewere included, but it was nice not having to worry about paying at the end of the meal. The only time available for reservation is at 7pm, and only a set number of tables are served at that time. We start with olives as the appetizer, which were surprisingly enjoyable, I normally hate olives but these taste more like olive oil rather than actual olives. Only thing was it was a little saltier than I would have liked. Next was the salad, which was one of the better dishes. It was light, refreshing, and different tastes and textures with the crunchy corn. For the proteins, overall lots of great flavors and is cooked to perfection. My only complaint, again, is that too much salt is used for my liking. The first bite is the best, but then you start to feel it, the need for water. Finally the dessert were picarones, fried sweet potato with a fruit syrup. I was not a fan of the donut to syrup ratio, theres way too much syrup, but at least it's a nice contrast of sweet and crispy golden on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside. I also liked the quantity of the food, had leftovers to take back which is a lot for a Michellin star restaurant.

This is your neighbor local bbq spot. My friends and I arrived on a busy Sunday right when they…read moreopened. Shortly after the line was close to the door. Recently acquired Michelin Guide status this place lives up to the hype. We loved the pork sausage, burnt ends, Dino rib brisket and the Mac and cheese. All of the bbq was made fresh and tender. We liked the bbq sauces offered at the table as well. The interior features dining room tables, condiment station and memorabilia. The line moved quickly and is recommend coming early in the day or pre order if you plan on ordering a lot. I'll definitely be back to try some of their other seasonal items. Prices were fair and we paid around $30 per person for 5 bbq items and 3 medium sides.

I have to be honest I wasn't impressed by my visit to Smoke Made Meats on Crystal Lake Drive…read more I had the brisket sandwich, but the meat was almost a paste, and the BBQ sauces didn't really deliver, super watery. The mac and cheese also left me wanting more it just wasn't as rich as I hoped. That said, their collard greens were outstanding truly the star of the show. And the butter gooey cake? That was a sweet win. I also tried their Frisco fries, and they were decent, but I wouldn't rush back just for those. The ambience is really laid-back. It's like any regular barbecue place. I saw at least 3 to 4 tables of people sitting down and enjoying their barbecue and they seem to have a steady stream of traffic. The cashier who is also getting our food order together seemed really nice. She had a great personality. I honestly don't feel the need to go back and visit again. I feel like I would enjoy barbecue more from four rivers.

Our meal was phenomenal. Located inside the Ritz hotel our group of 3 had outstanding service and…read moreI'm still thinking about how delicious everything was. Scallops and burrata, beet and strawberry salad were amazing. Cocktails creative and well executed, I thoroughly enjoyed the heat wave which had watermelon and pepper ice cubes. I recommend!

Our family of four had dinner at Highball & Harvest last night. This was our third dinner at the…read moreRitz/JW Grande Lakes and possibly one of my least favorite meals. Let's focus on the positives first: the atmosphere is incredibly fun and the live music Saturday night was a perfect touch at the bar. There were plenty of fun activities for the kids and there was an all-you-can-eat buffet for the kids with fried chicken and shrimp, macaroni and cheese, fries, and red velvet cupcakes. $25 is a deal if your child would chow down on shrimp, but it might not be a great deal if your child is usually full after four bites. Our server was absolutely fantastic, friendly and very attentive. We started off the dinner with some fantastic deviled eggs and a lemon cello cocktail. I ordered the shrimp and grits and was really disappointed with the tiny, overcooked shrimp and crawfish that accompanied the slightly bland grits. The shrimp on the kids buffet was at least four times larger than the sad little shrimp in my dish. I think the sausage was cut into smaller chunks just so it wouldn't be so obvious how small the shrimp was. My husband didn't love his heirloom tomato salad and said the Wagyu appetizer was disgusting. Dessert was mediocre. The macarons that accompanied my crème brûlée were stale and chewy. This is a fun spot for a drink and appetizer, but I would skip eating dinner at Highball & Harvest.

Delicious beyond measure. Maybe the best burger in Orlando. It's obvious these guys care about…read moretheir product. Excited to see them grow to a truck!

The burger was good but it had a hair in it, the fries were super salty and I like salt, my wife…read moreask for more ketchup packs and they only gave her a 2 more said they couldn't give any more. Keep your cash and buy some where else. Sorry guys

I think how busy they always are speaks to how good they are…read more While they don't allow reservations and your party must all be present before being seated, the food is delicious. Their wings are so crispy, I think they're some of the best wings I've had. I also highly recommend their Tokyo Ramen. The chicken thighs in the ramen are crispy and have great flavor. I only wish there was more broth because it was so yummy. Food came out fast and service was great.

Amazing Japanese spot!!…read more Once you enter, you are met with a huge seating area including a bar where you can only get drinks. Most people in there are waiting for a table inside the main restaurant. Once we got called back, we sat at another bar area where you can see the kitchen. Very interesting layout. We started with the famous domu wings and I seriously will be thinking about the wings until I go back. So much flavor in those things. I love that the noodles are made in house so I wanted to try the ramen of course. I got the Richie Rich ramen which was tasteful but I wish you could choose to add some spice in it. Still great though. My sister got the tonkotsu with black garlic and she almost ate the entire thing. Also got some shishito peppers and that was also just as good as everything else. I kept seeing the lychee martini being ordered to I got that and it was as good as everyone mentioned. It does have popping boba at the bottom which I loved but I know not everyone likes it so just an fyi. My sister got the Roddy pom. The place is pretty small and they don't take reservations so be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes. We got there 25 minutes after opening and waited 40 minutes. The parking gets filled fast along with overflow parking being full so be prepared to find a spot.

Our first time trying Foreign and everything was so yummy! I tried the blueberry haze matcha, and…read moremy partners tried the strawberry haze matcha and the golden peel latte. All of these drinks were so good but my favorite had to be the strawberry haze matcha - perfectly balanced strawberry sweetness and creamy matcha! I definitely recommend want to try their coffee next time! Taylor was working at the cart and she was super friendly and welcoming to us! She was kind to chat with and gave us each a stamp card when she found out we are locals. Love that the cart is located inside Redlight Redlight - it's one of our favorite spots!

Foreign Grounds is hands-down one of the coolest additions to the Orlando coffee scene. I stopped…read moreby their mobile cart recently and had a shaken espresso (my first time ever trying one) and I'm not exaggerating when I say it instantly became one of my new favorite drinks. It was perfectly balanced, just sweet enough, and so smooth. You can taste the intention and creativity that goes into every cup. Their menu has a level of originality you don't find often, especially with both their coffee and matcha options. Everything feels handcrafted, thoughtful, and elevated without being pretentious. If you see their cart at a pop-up, don't hesitate, just stop. And if you're hosting an event, booking them is a no-brainer. They bring an energy and quality that people will remember long after.

The service was outstanding and friendly! The food was freshly made upon order and full of…read moredelicious flavors!

Wow these portions!…read more What Ofcourse I got the 2 signature meals. The jerk chicken and also the fried chicken with honey. The jerk chicken, I got with rice and peas, mixed veggies and cabbage. The cabbage was a little strange to me- not as I imagined from Jamaica steamed cabbage. The mixed veggies were also basic - like boiled frozen mixed veggies. The rice and peas were overall good but tasted a little on the hard side. The chicken though! This was the highlight - it was very flavorful, though I wish I would be able to have the sauce on the side.. For the fried chicken meal - the fried chicken was nice and hot. I got this to-go and was worried it would get soggy but it still tasted great when I got home. Environment This is located in a plaza tucked away near the corner. It seems to be a more takeout restaurant. There is some seats inside for your to enjoy the food. Since it is in a plaza, there is plenty of parking available, but in front of the restaurant could be a bit tricky. Niceness of the staff I would say she was not on the nice side. No one greeted me upon entering also they seemed preoccupied and did not once gave eye-contact. Definitely not friendly.. but nonetheless I got my food. Dollar It is like the bang for your buck. I ordered via UnderEats and there are deals, it was very reasonable as you get 2 leg quarters! Yes I would definitely order takeout again

I was lucky enough to check out The Daily City Pop Up shop at a media preview event as a Yelp Elite…read moremember. I loved the location as it highlighted SODO (South of Downtown) and brought a hipster sorta vibe. Access to the location was super easy and parking was plentiful. You could try for a spot in front of the suite (across from TJ Maxx) or do what I did and park in the Target parking garage. The goal of this pop up shop is to highlight local and small businesses and artisans . There was a little of something for everything: Project Pop and their organic popcorn Cloak and Dapper had clothing and grooming tools for purchase Wondermade marshmallows Rifle Paper Co. (Stationary and cards) Whisk & Bowl (cooking & kitchen tools) J&G Chocolates (yay for samples) Orlando Doesn't Suck t-shirts These are only a handful of the businesses that were represented. Spa Privee was also there providing mini massages. It's definitely a great way to check out all those small businesses you see around town but all in one place. I also noticed they are offering special craft/art workshops(for a fee) throughout the weekend event so definitely worth checking out the schedule. For purchases, you pay at the front table next to the front door. Unfortunately only credit cards are accepted so keep that in mind. Looks like they are bringing out a few food trucks for the weekend event open to the public so it's a great way to incorporate date night with food and shopping! Plus you can get cute photos taken of yourselves playing shuffleboard!

The Daily City Pop Up Shop is cool... possibly a little too cool for me. But if you are in the SoDo…read morearea this week I'd recommend checking it out. The folks from the Daily City have brought together an interesting mix of local businesses in a very hipster-ish format. This is a great chance to check out some smaller businesses you may miss otherwise. I was able to go to the preview night last night with some friends. The shop was easy to find on the corner by the Target and TJ Maxx. There was street parking and also parking in the Target garage. The shop is set up with creative window displays and signs outside to let you know you've found the place. The format of the shop wasn't what I was expecting at all. I was expecting something more like a traditional market with different stalls for each business. There was a variety of businesses represented but the products were displayed like a traditional store with all of the products mixed together, not divided by brand. Since I am a super planner I had looked at the Daily City site before going to the shop and had an idea of the products I was interested in buying. The selection in the shop turned out to be pretty small and there weren't salespeople, so I ended up not buying anything. I specifically wanted to pick up an "Orlando Doesn't Suck" shirt. I completely missed the shirts on my first pass through the store until someone pointed out a small selection of them in the bottom drawer of a dresser. It was a pretty display, but not very functional. I honestly didn't want to mess up the display, so I ended up skipping the shirt (maybe I'll go back later in the week and get one once somebody else has messed up the nice folding). There were a ton of great products, fancy marshmallows, cool clothes, flower headbands, stationary, etc. And if you don't feel like shopping, there's shuffleboard. It's a fun and unique shopping experience.

I've been a big fan of Irregular Smash since they set up shop for a good run of time right outside…read moreof Ivanhoe Brewery. While I was a little slow to hop on the Smash Burger bandwagon, I am so glad I finally caught up, because wow! And Irregular Smash has really cornered the market on their smash burger selections. With them setting shop just outside the Ivanhoe Brewery parking lot, the owners got to know quite a few of us because our social tennis league (Tennis on Tap) would meet every Tuesday evening for our seasonal matches. This meant we were no strangers at Irregular Smash. By the time they left, which was a couple of months ago now, my teammates and I had tried nearly everything on their menu, and not one thing we tried was bad. The quality of food their team provided was exceptional. Everything tasted amazing. They were awesome and always just fun and supportive of our tennis trials and tribulations. I also loved that they got to learn our names, too. Made the experience of patronizing their business even more special. Price points were reasonable as well. If you don't eat meat, they also offer an Impossible Smash Burger option - great for the vegan folks (like my mom)! I was a regular patron of their OG Smash and Truffle Attack Fries. I am definitely sad to see them leave the parking lot of Ivanhoe Brewery, but I am happy to know they will be coordinating pop-ups all throughout the Orlando and surrounding areas in the coming days. I look forward to seeing how they grow, and maybe one day they will have their own brick-and-mortar. Until then, I'll be on the lookout via their social media account for where they'll be next because they made a lifetime fan out of me.

Irregular Smash is the resident food truck at Ivanhoe Brewing. What better combination is there…read morethan craft beer and a smash burger?! We did take our food to-go but enjoyed a beer from the brewery while we waited for our food. The staff at Irregular Smash were so kind and had me smiling through our whole process of ordering. Genuinely some really nice people work there! The burgers were SO DANG GOOD. I would absolutely come back here, but I think I would rather eat there because the whole area is a vibe. The Firestarter is a bit spicy so just be aware of that when you order. The Truffle Freak was my absolute favorite!! I am a sl*t for anything that has truffle in it, and their truffle aioli is FANTASTIC. My only piece of advice when visiting here would be to check the events happening at the brewery before going. Sometimes there are markets or events occurring that limit the parking. The events also usually add to the fun environment though!