It’s been a whirlwind of a year in Orlando’s culinary scene, with longstanding restaurants shuttering and new concepts popping up where you least expect them. And like always, Orlandoans have a lot to say about what they’re chewing on.
Whether it’s a tallow-grilled burger joint, Philly cheesesteak hotspot, dirty soda purveyor, kitty café or elevated Mexican eats, opinions have been formed.
Here are the hottest new restaurants in Orlando, according to the city’s hungriest Yelp users.
Jay Lucy’s
1030 N. Mills Ave., Orlando
“Same building and décor and I enjoyed the vegan burgers previously sold here but this grass fed burger was just as tasty. They seemed a bit thicker than the average smash burger which was nice. The bun made me feel like it was similar to a shake shack burger.
Staff was friendly and they seemed to have a good crowd too. I want to go back and try the milkshake.” — Ralph E.
Di Vilma
5455 Gateway Village Circle, Orlando
“This is cinnamon bun heaven! They have big cinnamon buns that tastes as good as they look! Be ready to put on a few pounds because you can’t just get one here. You gotta try them all because it’s that good! I popped it in the microwave for a bit and it was just perfection.
I really liked the classic, Nutella, and Biscoff one. I gotta come back and try the pecan caramel one. Check it out if you’re a cinnamon bun lover like me!” — Vanessa H.
Heart of Jerusalem
12200 Menta St.,Orlando
“I checked out this restaurant when it was pretty new. I had heard great things about the Winter Springs location, so I was excited to have one close to my house. There is not another restaurant like this in the area, so it is a welcome addition. The staff was very welcoming and seemed excited to share their cuisine with my group. The baba ganoush was the best I’ve had and I really liked the multi grain pitas. I got the Heart of Jerusalem salad and it was massive and delicious. I really enjoyed the sage tea and the presentation was really nice. Baklava was also very yummy. Prices were reasonable and portions were big. We will definitely be back soon!” — Ashley L.
Los Primos
3100 Alafaya Trail, Oviedo
“It looks like they recently opened and are still getting their bearings. We just had a couple of appetizers and drinks. We had the ceviche, yucca and tostones. I had an old fashioned and my husband had a beer. The food was delicious, we really like the Peruvian ceviche. The drinks were good. Service was great they were very nice but if anything checked in too much, we couldn’t have a conversation because they kept checking on us.” — Kathryn R.
Sujuo Korean Eatery
5474 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando
“Anyone living or staying near the Williamsburg downs Shopping Center on Central Florida parkway,there is a new Gem of a restaurant that opened. This location is just brilliant and beautiful. We were able to stop in on Saturday afternoon and was quite delighted that we did. We ordered a few things off of the menu such as their Sweet and Spicy chicken winggs, street corn ribs, and the signature bowl that came with the eggand bulgogi meat.” — Dan J.
Philly Shack Curry Ford
4205 Curry Ford Road, Orlando
“I wouldn’t describe it as authentic, but I would describe it as delicious!
They took the old Bad As’s Burgers site and used it pretty much verbatim with little-to-no renovations to open a cheesesteak sandwich place and they do cheesesteaks and fries only, but they do both very well, with very thick fries and bacon and melty cheese. The staff/owner are very engaged and clearly believe in their product and are excited to show it off to new customers. This location is a bit hidden and small, so I hope enough folks discover it so they stick around for a while.” — Louis I.
Seoul Hotteok
7501 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando
“Stopped to have dessert after shopping at H Mart. We both got the Cookies Butter sundae and it was super yummy! The person work was friendly and we got our order quickly. Plenty of open seating in the food court area.” — Sara L.
Casa Mezcal
8267 International Drive, Orlando
“Casa Mezcal is a fantastic place for a great overall experience! The entire space is beautifully designed, elegant, and full of character. The dancers performing throughout the night add so much energy and create an amazing atmosphere. The food was delicious and refreshing, the drinks were very good, and the service was friendly and welcoming.” — Tony C.
Six Ravens
1486 E. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista
“I loved my experience today at Six Ravens in Disney Springs! Since the hype had worn down a little bit, I was able to easily walk in on a Saturday around 12:30pm and order what I desired. The decor is very whimsical and feels like you are stepping into a stone castle with drawbridge like doors. We ordered the Peasant’s Pasty, which is basically like a Big Mac w Mac sauce. It was so incredibly fresh and delicious! And there was plenty of sauce since it is provided in an individual cup rather than simply a pre-made packet. I also tried the root beer and thought that it was ok, a little bit under carbonated and too spicy in my opinion.” — Heidi B.
The Greenery Creamery
7053 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando
“Loved this new location of The Greenery Creamery. Plenty of parking in the lot.
Located next to the Orlando Racket Sports, close to The Florida Mall.
There’s a nice amount of inside seating here with great A/C.
They Have Homemade Ice Cream and baked goods here. Their ice cream flavors are ones that you can’t find just anywhere.” — Rachel M.
Fables and Fur
445 W. State Road 436, Altamonte Springs
“Wow, I have been excited to visit this Cat Cafe and Bookstore for months prior to them opening and today I finally had a chance to visit.
To start, my expectations were not only met but honestly exceeded. For starters, the owner Meg is wonderful and has great customer service. Additionally, the rest of the staff also were super friendly and helpful when it came to my questions regarding the cat lounge reservation and adoption process.
Note that the cafe itself was well run, and the Fables & Fur Ube Latte was delicious! I also thoroughly enjoyed my vanilla cat cake pop. Additionally, the bookstore itself is real cutesy and I loved the theming throughout the entire store. I even found a new book to add to my TBR.” — Alexa T.
BaBbi BaBbi Korean Kitchen
10799 Moss Park Road, Orlando
“First time visiting for lunch and it was amazing!! You have to order the beef bulgogi bowl it’s so tasty. We ordered it to share with the kimchi rice. I loved all the toppings it comes with and the toppings on the bowl itself. Kimbap rolls with spicy pork, also very unique. Both of these meals I’ll be dreaming about, I love how special they were.” — Marisa C.
Viet-Nomz
1330 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park
“I usually order Viet-Nomz on Uber Eats, but I was actually out and about for the day and decided to stop in and try something new and I’m so glad I did!
The location was clean, the prices were reasonable, and the staff was SO nice when I came in basically admitting that I wanted to branch out and try something different. I went with the wa-pho fries, a pork banh mi, and beef pho. The fries were crispy, delicious, and honestly might have been my favorite part of the meal. The banh mi was solid, and you really can’t go wrong with a good bowl of pho.” — Sheeka B.
Zola Bar and Tables
1185 Spring Centre S. Blvd., Altamonte Springs
“My husband and I stopped in here tonight and wow! We were so impressed. The place is so inviting, sophisticated and relaxed. The service by Ace was amazing. The Food even better. The fish dip was the best we had ever had. We had the Alexandrine salad with salmon and the pebble salad as well. Both amazing!!! Dressings are house made. The food is quality. Great job Chef!” — Tony A.
Legend Sushi AYCE
5300 S. Kirkman Road, Orlando
“A very pretty restaurant. Comfy booths and and good theming. We were seated quickly and our server was attentive and explained thing clearly. We went for lunch and everything on the menu was included, sushi, Nigiri, rice, noodles, rolls, hand rolls, hibachi, dim sum, and dessert.the food came out quickly and was well prepared. A pretty delightful experience all in all.” — Debra F.
Aroma Indian Bar and Grill
330 Denton Ave., Auburndale
“Absolutely delicious. So happy to have this new restaurant in Auburndale!! The food was amazing and the staff is fantastic, more than happy to help you navigate the menu and really enjoy what you do decide to order! Can’t wait to go back again soon!” — Carly S.
Swig
306 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando
“I really appreciate this lovely brand making its way to Orlando area and opening near UCF. If you’ve been to Utah then you will understand my excitement.
You won’t go wrong with trying out a dirty soda or fun lemonade here. I’ve spotted here 3x since it opened and everyone has always been super friendly! My favorite go to drink is The Tropic. My oldest loves The Unlucky Ducky. You might as well get the 44oz for the small price difference.
Right now they are accepting donations towards Breast Cancer! They are planning to use the money to give back to the community to help those families pay off medical debt. You have the option of donating $1 or $5.” — Heather W.
Crooked Can Brewery
1600 Crooked Can Loop, Minneola
“Checked out the new Crooked Can Brewery and it’s HUGE! There are two floors, outdoor seating, a big turf area, and even a splash pad for the kids. They already have several food vendors with lots of options, and more are coming.” — Amarah B.
PCG Burgers
5683 Red Bug Lake Road, Winter Springs
“The restaurant is clean and staff was pleasant. The ordering took a minute or two but I can appreciate that when the order comes out exactly as what we ordered My wife got the chicken tender sandwich and I actually stole a bite as she let me know it was flavorful and juicy. Which it was! I got the classic burger and loved every bite, it didn’t last long. I highly recommend coming to PCG if you want a quality hot burger.” — John G.
Pienezza Pizza
422 N. Terry Ave., Orlando
“AUTHENTIC PIES! The owners love NY styled pizza and it shows. This is their 2nd location and it’s even better than before. Friendly, fast service paired with outstanding pizza. Ambiance is that local but polished pizza joint that families, business professionals and college students alike will feel at home. I can show you the pics but you have to stop in for the smells and flavors!!! Take the word from this Brooklyn boy, get here soon!!” — Kaming L.
Pho Chu 4
2320 S. Kirkman Road, Orlando
“What a wonderful dining experience! I really enjoyed the flavor of the pho and love that they’re open later! We were scrambling for a place to eat and everything near us was on the verge of closing. If you don’t know, most restaurants close their kitchen before the restaurant actual closing time. So whatever you see online about their closing time, yea you need to get there sometimes at least an hour earlier or you aren’t getting any food.” — Jade K.