Orena Sports Bar — Restaurant in Dr. Phillips

This local dive bar very close to Sea WorldAnd the Orlando convention center was recommended to me by a local patron who said she loved the ambience, Service, and Food. I asked her if they serve wings and she said that they did and they were the best that she’s had locally.

I usually just go to Buffalo wild wings since they have so many convenient locations and I really do love the garlic Parmesan seasoning. I decided to try this place but since they allow smoking inside, and I’m not a smoker except for the occasional cigar or two, I decided to go last week on a Saturday a few minutes after they opened to try to avoid crowds and a bar full of smokers.

There were only a dozen or less people and most of them were sitting around the bar with about three or four people playing darts towards the back. I decided to sit by the bar since there are only two employees so I could order quickly and make sure that my drinks were refilled quickly. I wanted to try the garlic Parmesan wings.I really like mine crispy so I ordered them extra crispy with a side of fries. It came out faster than what I usually have to wait at Buffalo wild wings and I was pleasantly surprised when they were served on a metal pizza tray and they were mounds of Parmesan cheese on top!

The wings were perfectly crunchy/crispy but the insides were moist and flavorful! You could really taste the garlic and the mounds of Parmesan cheese on top of it seem to be better quality than the average Parmesan that they seem to use at other establishments. The french fries came in their own basket and we’re perfectly golden brown and perfectly crispy/crunchy but still moist and tender on the inside.

I was served by one of the bartenders and she was phenomenal and always checking in on me and making sure that my drinks were fresh and refilled. Right before I was getting ready to leave, more patrons were coming in and I’m assuming there are locals because they were greeted by the staff just as I was.

I was so impressed with the quality of food, price, and service that I will definitely keep coming here for wings. I ordered the same flavor, Parmesan cheese from Buffalo wild wings about a quarter-mile away only because it was more convenient last week later at night but they were not as good as far as being extra crispy the way I ordered them as the ones I received at Orena, and they took almost half an hour to get so I will definitely continue to go to Orena from now on for wings!

So their Lemmon pepper wings were recommended and I tried them and they are just as flavorful as the garlic Parmesan! I had them for the first time last Saturday and will definitely have them again!

Several regulars have been recommending the French Dip so I tried it and am very impressed! The bun was toasted perfectly and they included side of fries was perfectly crunchy and obviously fresh. I was honestly worried about the au jus dip because most bars that I’ve tried French dip use an obviously canned sauce. I was pleasantly surprised that this au jus tastes very similar to French onion soup which I love. I don’t know if this is canned or bottled but it is delicious! The steak is grilled and seasoned to perfection and the cheese adds a great complimentary flavor. I’ll add a pic to the...

11/9/2023

Much of this was chance but I guess the stars were in alignment or something. Once upon a time there were best friends that had a falling out then one random day, they each went to Orena Sports Bar with someone else. Even more coincidentally, the estranged friend was meeting the other's brother. For over an hour, the brothers sat side by side at the bar, one not knowing the other was at his back. Finally, after a couple beers, a bit of liquid courage, the estranged friend says out loud, "dude, hello" even though he may be risking a fight. And then they all drank beers together happily ever after.

Did Orena cause this chance meeting, no, but it was the place this crazy reunion happened and it's now part of my, the estranged friend's, life story.

Seriously, from a review standpoint, the bar staff was really nice. It was busy do there was a few times we waited but I was with friends so not s big deal. The garlic Parmesan wings were tasty. It's closer to i-drive so I think it's a couple dollars more than you'll find some other places, but not crazy expensive. They have pool tables and darts.

Great night!...

This place has SEVERELY gone downhill over the past few years. I’ve been coming here since before the pandemic and have seen this place go from a great hole in the wall dive bar, to an overpriced dreaded last resort bar. They started charging a 3% credit card fee, which should NEVER be put on the patron. Pool tables are $1.50, which is the highest I’ve seen, and most of their pool sticks are broken or messed up. They started a late night menu which is overpriced and super limited. I used to come here lookIng forward to have a good meal after a long day at work. Their liquor selection is horrendous and they got rid of all the draft beers so all they have is like 10 beers by the bottle. They have a regular with a bun that walks around closing doors and blocking them at 1am and goes behind the service station and helps himself to whatever. It’s insane.

I used to be a loyal customer, but after last night, I’m probably not coming back. This place is a...