With so many great places to eat in Kissimmee, I thought I’d commit them to a blog post just in case anybody was looking for a fabulous meal. When Experience Kissimmee took me out to show me some of the marvellous places to eat around the area, at first I wasn’t sure what sort of quality it would be. There are a few misconceptions that the restaurants around the touristy part of Kissimmee are the same high profile chains but with a little bit of research, you can find some absolute gems.
The Edison
What can I say about The Edison? I could honestly swoon about it all day long! I think this place has pushed it’s way into my top 5 table service restaurants at Disney World. Located at Disney Springs, The Edison is a lavish ” Industrial Gothic” themed restaurant and entertainment venue.
Set in an abandoned power plant, The Edison features classic American cuisine, including Prime Rib, steaks and burgers. Their cocktails are also pretty good too! I highly recommend the ‘Samantha Sterling!’ Dinner is a family affair but the real magic happens after 10pm when the entire venue transforms into an adults-only cabaret which includes singers, dancers, live musicians and some pretty spectacular aerialists.
Food wise, it was pretty on par with what I’d expect from a Disney Springs restaurant. We started with the ‘Electri-fries’; fries covered in ‘Edison Special Sauce’ bacon, grated parmesan cheese and chopped green onion. OH. MY. WORD. I could have eaten them all to myself they were that good – whatever that sauce is, I’ll have it delivered by the truckload, please! We also shared the DB ‘Clothesline Candied Bacon’ which as you can see from the picture is maple bacon on a small washing line. Again really good!
For mains, I went for Centennial Steak; a NY Strip Steak with hand cut fries. While it was a good steak, they’ve taken it off the menu from what I can see. I do believe you can get better steaks on Disney (Yachtsman 4 Lyf!) – but I think the food at The Edison is only half the fun of going there. Mum had the old-fashioned meatloaf and gravy which she really enjoyed. Dessert for me was the banana split which had so much ice cream and cream, I’m pretty sure I was in a sugar coma by the end (definitely not complaining here!)
After dinner, we enjoyed some of the acts in the cabaret. I highly recommend The Edison for an adults-only night out and it’s also available on the Disney Dining Plan.
In the heart of the town of Celebration, lies the Columbia Restaurant. We ate here after getting off the plane and before heading to Magic Kingdom to catch the fireworks. Columbia offers Spanish-Cuban cuisine in a relaxed Mediterranean setting. You can eat inside or outside. Outside overlooks the lake of Celebration which let me tell you, is a fantastic dinner view! They have a very large menu full of seafood, paella and various other Spanish dishes. There’s also an extensive wine menu but as I was driving, I, unfortunately, couldn’t sample the delights this time around!
They bring a warm (and very large) bread roll to your table with fresh butter for you to heap on! For starters, we had a few tapas dishes
Mum opted for Pollo Milanesa as her main; tender chicken breast, breaded and pan-fried, topped with our Catalana tomato sauce. Garnished with peas and Spanish red pimientos and served with yellow rice and fresh vegetables. I went for a pasta and shrimp dish and then finished with churros which came with three individual dips which were YUMMMMMM! Also I don’t feel I’ve given the pasta dish enough credit, It was huge, seriously the portion was the side of my head! It was also very fresh and flavoursome and I need it in my life again!
I’d really like to go back and spend some more time at Columbia Restaurant. My understanding is that they have a few locations across Florida and mum and I are keen to go back next time we’re there. The prices were reasonable, the food was delicious and the wine was great (so Mum says!). What more can you ask for
Holler and Dash
If you’re looking for a good America breakfast, look no further than Holler and Dash. Located in Celebration, Holler and Dash is a southern style biscuit house and you can get practically anything on a biscuit. I went for one of their signature biscuits, the ‘Hollerback Club’ (the name!!) as it came with avocado and bacon which is always a winner in my book. It also came with a side of tots which just made me need it even more. Mum opted for the classic ‘Sausage Egg Cheese’. With plenty of variety and fairly priced, Holler and Dash is the perfect breakfast before taking on a day at the parks.
Celebration Tea Room
If Afternoon Tea is your thing, I think you’d like afternoon tea at Celebration Tea Room. Firstly let’s get it out the way, American afternoon tea is not the same as a British afternoon tea. They’ve put their own unique twist on it – the scones aren’t the scones we British would think of (we’d call them muffins). But that’s OK, we’ll let them off cause they still know how to do a bloody good cake!
Part of the charm of Celebration tea rooms is the theming. We sat in the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ room which the Cheshire Cat who would drop in and out when he felt like it (seriously, he disappeared).
Onto the afternoon tea. There are over 30 loose leaf teas to choose from (Tooti fruit, bohemium raspberry and bubblegum are all flavours on the menu) and my Mum took great delight in teaching the people we were with how to correct pour loose leaf tea (my Mum owns a tea shop so it’s kinda her thing!)
We had ‘The Cheshire Cat’ package ($23.95) which included a pot of tea each, sandwiches, cheeses, scones and pastries and desserts. You were able to pick a selection of sandwiches from the menu (no ending up with ones you don’t like). The cake and biscuits were tasty and the sandwiches weren’t bad either.
If you can get past it being ‘not your regular British afternoon tea, you’ll certainly enjoy it. The setting is great, the food is lovely and the tea’s not bad either… and that’s according to my expert Mum!
Island Grove Wine Company at Formosa Gardens
If you’re more into wine than rides, then you absolutely must head to Island Grove Wine Company at Formosa Gardens. Located just off Highway 192 (a quick Uber ride from Magic Village resort) Island Grove carries a number of traditional wines, craft beers and wine you may have never heard of (blueberry wine anybody?). They offer wine tastings which can be a great alternative to a night in the parks – one for the grown-ups! They also have a bistro which produces warm fresh bread, pastries and artisanal food. For nibbles, we had the Salmon platter before I went for the seasonal Ceaser salad which you can add chicken or salmon too is you wish. You can happily eat and drink to your heart’s content and mark your thought on the wines down on a sheet for later. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the wines in the tasting, the food was nice.
So those are some options for eating out in the Kissimmee area. I have to admit that my favourites were the Columbia Restaurant and The Edison and I’m keen to revisit both of them in the future.
Where is your favourite place to eat in Kissimmee?
*Meals above provided by Experience Kissimmee. As always all views and experience are my own.
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