THE DOUGH SHOW - Orlando — Restaurant in Alafaya

Looks like the show is over. I have enjoyed the Dough Show on many occasions since it opened. It has been a great addition to the Middle Eastern culinary landscape in Orlando. However the last few visits have been subpar, and lackluster, and this visit was a complete disaster. We arrived around 7:20 to a 70% full dining room. Not terrible, but busy. Breezed through the order line, due to the surly man taking orders and brushing people aside the second the order was taken. This man was neither pleasant nor friendly and not what I've typically experienced at the Dough Show. Considering there is at least four different ways to order shawarma on the menu, I needed to know which one came with hummus. He pointed at the picture on the menu, so I ordered the platter. Here is where the Show fell apart. The order was placed at 7:28, this was the only item that arrived about 15 minutes later. In addition to this, a mixed meat pie and a strawberry juice were ordered. As my partner received the platter, there was no hummus on it. So I went back to our "Friendly" cashier to ask him about hummus. He said it didn't come with any, I said but you pointed at the picture that shows hummus, he said "no Hummus is 9.99". So I ordered Hummus. Still no drink or pie. At some point, my dining partner mentioned the drink to the man cleaning tables and he got someone to make it. It was delivered at 7:57. Meanwhile, my partner, decided to order a shawarma to go. This was delivered before my pie. I got in line to request a refund. As I got to the register, my pie was delivered, I said I didn't want it anymore after waiting 50 minutes and they put it in a to-go box and walked away. I didn't even get to eat my food. I only had a drink. It seems like another party had the same issues because we saw a very animated man who appeared to be shouting and throwing his receipt at the staff as we got in the car. Seems like this show needs some new actors before the curtains close on...

I recently dined here and unfortunately; my experience was far from satisfactory. One of the most glaring issues was the complete absence of table service. Upon entering, we were not greeted by anyone and had to figure out on our own that it was a self-service establishment. This would not have been a major issue if the prices reflected the level of service provided, but that was certainly not the case here.

The prices here are exorbitant, to say the least. Expecting customers to pay premium rates for the privilege of serving themselves is utterly unreasonable. I ordered a simple dish and was shocked to see it priced as if it were a gourmet meal prepared by a renowned chef. The food, while adequate, did nothing to justify the high cost. It was a basic meal that one could easily prepare at home for a fraction of the price.

Additionally, the ambiance of the restaurant does nothing to enhance the dining experience. The decor is uninspired, and the seating arrangement is cramped and uncomfortable. Given the lack of service and the high prices, one would at least expect a more inviting atmosphere.

In conclusion, this place misses the mark on several fronts. The absence of table service combined with unjustifiably high prices and a lackluster dining environment makes it a place I cannot recommend. There are numerous other dining options in the area that provide better value and a more enjoyable experience. I hope the management takes this feedback to heart and considers making significant improvements.

lmao.... the owner responds make me laugh... just because you're local doesn't mean I have to support your if your food and service is subpar. Maybe stop paying people to leave 5...

I have been to the Middle East and I know Mediterranean (especially Egyptian) food well, and The Dough Show is just…decent. All the Orlando food Instagram people were raving about it so we decided to give it a shot. We very much think this place was overhyped and it further goes to show you can’t always trust these social media people. The food was pretty average Mediterranean food (some things were better than others), and the service was pretty disappointing. All the employees looked miserable, no one smiled and said hello and it kinda had that feeling of “here’s your food, now eat it and just don’t talk to me”. Perhaps it was an off day, but we drove all the way from Ocoee, and it definitely wasn’t worth the drive, especially given the price.

We tried their lemon mint and date milk juices - those were actually very good. Super refreshing, and something we would order over and over again! We definitely recommend these two drinks if you visit. We got the hummus with meat appetizer, mixed grill platter, and we had to try an Egyptian pizza, so we got the mixed meat pizza as well. The hummus with meat appetizer was our favorite (this was actually good), but the mixed grill platter was disappointing. The meats weren’t as good as many other Mediterranean restaurants we’ve been to in Orlando, and the price was way too high!! The mixed meat pizza was kinda weird as well - it had a very odd taste and we almost think it was old…maybe one of the meats inside was off. Overall, none of the food tasted fresh at all, and it just wasn’t worth the visit. Check out other Mediterranean restaurants in Orlando before this one - from the food to the service, others are...