Here in Central Florida we have so many amazing places to eat, with a choice of food that's pretty hard to beat, from award winning restaurants, to hole in the wall places, to food trucks and more, it was only this week that Henry Moso of Kabooki Sushi was named a 2023 James Beard Award finalist!
Bearing that in mind, we are pretty surprised to see Yelp's latest list of the top 100 restaurants in Florida, and only 14 Central Florida restaurants made the cut, surely it should be more we say!
We might just have to create our own list...
Anyway, here is how Yelp formulate their list:
Yelp identified businesses in the restaurants category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews between January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023.
The restaurants who made the list are all wonderful places to eat, we just think a few more local choices should be on the list!!
Did your favorite restaurant make it into Florida’s Top 100?
Here's what Central Florida restaurants made the list and where they are ranked on the list:
4. JAM Hot Chicken, Winter Park
Everything at JAM Hot Chicken is spicy, from the “hot, fresh, [and] juicy” fried-chicken sandwiches to the bright-red picnic-table umbrellas and rockin’ playlist.Local fans line up at chef-owner Andrew Scala’s good-vibes “chicken shack” for his signature Sando (which Yelpers call “the best”), chicken tenders, and Hot Fries. The Orlando native really knows how to turn up the heat—first brining and hand-tenderizing a Bell & Evans boneless breast in hot oil, then dipping it in buttermilk batter, and finishing with spice to match your taste and tolerance. Guests get to choose from 5 heat levels, from plain (no heat) to JAM (you’ve been warned!). The golden-fried bird is then tucked into a “buttery and slightly sweet” bun with housemade dill pickles and cabbage-red onion slaw for “the perfect crunch.” Not into the burn? Several Yelp insiders suggest ordering the off-menu “Franco style,” which is a heat level between plain and mild.
10. Chicken Fire, Orlando
Spicy boneless poultry is the specialty of this Orlando spot, where Yelpers warn: “Chicken Fire can be FIRE!” Choose tenders or sliders (on buttery brioche buns), and any of 6 heat levels—the staff will guide you to the right amount of burn. The most extreme, Hot X, costs an extra $2 and is described on the menu as “straight LAVA.” Bread and pickles help ease the “pain,” but watch out: Yelp Elite Ashley O. says that when her husband tried Hot X, he had to use “a piece of bread to wipe the sweat off of his face.”
17. Stasio’s Italian Deli & Market, Orlando
Huge sandwiches oozing cheese and red sauce are the main event at this “lively, bustling, and loud” Italiandeli and market. Yelpers gobble up subs, lasagna, and chicken parmigiana doused with Stasio’s own marinara, as well as housemade Italian sausage, gigantic meatballs, and heat-and-eat meals. Chef-owner Louie Palo arrives at 2 am to bake the Italian bread for subs and poppy-seed rolls used in “out-of-this-world-delicious” breakfast sammies with egg, cheese, and your choice of 7 meats. The shop also sells fresh baked goods and imported groceries. Fan favorites include cannoli filled with the house cream, along with scratch-made pistachio “lobster tail” pastries. “It’s a crime if you don’t get dessert; they’re just that good!” says Yelp Elite Daniel H.
32. The Red Bud Cafe, Daytona Beach
37. Mel’s Tiki Cafe, Indialantic
48. MA-SE SUSHI EATERY, Longwood
53. Bombay Street Kitchen, Orlando
65. Selam Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine, Orlando
68. SoDough Square, Orlando
70. The Mexican Camel, Orlando
77. The Porch South Orange, Orlando
81. Café Tu Tu Tango, Orlando
98. Adega Gaucha, Orlando
99. Ziggie’s Pizza, Orlando
View the full list of Top 100 Florida Restaurants by clicking here.
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