The Strand — Restaurant in Orlando

Orlando has a lot of hyped up restaurants, but very few of them have been hyped up as much as The Strand has been. It has been featured on many lists across many websites, it has been awarded by many local periodicals, and it has been placed on the Michelin Guide since it started in Orlando. That's a lot of hype. I decided to finally come and see what the fuss was all about one day.

We made a reservation for right when it opened at 5PM, and there was a line out the door of other like-minded people. We shuffled in, got seated, and started browsing the small but very intention, and delicious, menu. I ordered a mocktail. I forgot what is what exactly, but I remembered that I liked it a lot. They did a good job.

The ambiance of the building was very nice. It's a super small dining room, and the giant front windows let in just enough light to elegantly light the tables, the plant décor, the open concept tiny little kitchen. It was very nice. Classy. The service was good, too. We had a guy, and he was very friendly. He didn't come by too often, but just often enough to provide us a very pleasant experience.

As for the food, the menu was simultaneously small, but widely varied. I believe that anyone of every food preference could find something good to eat here. Their chicken dish even sounded good enough to get me to consider it, and I never eat chicken dishes when I'm out and about.

We started off with the Snapper Cakes (comeback sauce). These cakes were wide, pressed, crispy, bursting with snapper flavor, and that Mississippi-esque comeback sauce was a welcome zing to the whole dish. A lovely start!

Next up were the Fried Local Mushrooms (dashi aioli, honey, togarashi). They were definitely tempura-esque, in that they were delectably crispy and delicate. The mushrooms were solid and meaty and cooked through. The meatiness was accentuated by the aioli and countered by the sweetness of the honey. Really was the most surprising bite of food I've had in a long time. Very impressed with this dish.

Next was some even more fish, the Red Snapper (blackened with lime compound butter, Anson Mills cheese grits, seasonal vegetables). Per-fect-ly blackened. Still moist throughout. The grits were a little bland, but perhaps on purpose, because it helped tamp down the seasoning from the fish. A perfect pairing!

And I also got to try the Seared Duck Breast (eggplant panzanella, pickled ramp, peach & white wine reduction). Perfectly cooked. I cannot believe how this place nailed every single protein 100% on the cook. A nice pairing with the eggplant. You gotta mix it all up in one bite, though, with the reduction, too, as that duck needs that fruit to help balance it out. Lovely.

Overall, this place shook me to my core with how good it was. It didn't rely on any groundbreaking techniques or and trendy dishes or anything, but the elevated Southern dishes they did provide us were nailed 100% and just left you with no critiques.

I will say, if you're considering coming here, and you see a menu dish you're really wanting, don't wait. Since I've been, half of the dishes I had are already not on the menu anymore. This menu is super seasonal and fresh. Which I...

This is my favorite spot in Orlando. The food is fantastic, healthy and the staff is wonderful. I really wish they made it easier to visit. I'll put details below not that you, the reader care, but maybe the restaurant does.

The first few times i went i fell in love with a particular plate. I was eating it a few times a week. The next few times i went i was told various things like it was discontinued, it was only at brunch, it went up in cost. There seemed to be confusion. The final answer was it's only available on Saturdays at brunch.

This process was frustrating for my family bc we definitely had the plate during the work week originally. We couldn't get a straight answer for a while, I even spoke with the mgr to clear it up. Plus they aren't open on Sundays so now I'm down to once a week for this plate. I didn't have any Saturdays free so a month went by.

We go again on a Saturday, i want to say it was 1pm, and I'm told it's no longer brunch. So you open at 11am when exactly is brunch? We leave.

We traveled the 30 mins again in May on a Saturday to find a sign that they were closed for the week to celebrate graduates. Inconvenient but sweet, ok. We leave. But hey! They posted the menu now in the window and my plate is back. The menu doesn't say brunch only. Fantastic I'm excited.

We make the trek again the next Weds, I'm told again my plate is only available at brunch on Saturday. Additionally they have one last four top table available and we told are have to sit at the community table, that table is reserved in case a party of four come in. Again, were told with the nicest customer service ever. But there's a table available and my 6 foot tall bf isn't going to squeeze well into that community spot. So we leave again.

We've now driven the 30 mins 4 times only to leave. The place is full so the policies might not be slowing business. But they haven't been able to get our businesses 4 times in a row now.

I'll come back bc i love it there. But my family refuses. They feel that the restaurant is just making it unnecessarily difficult. I agree. And it's a shame bc they're great people, with a great vibe....

The Strand Orlando is a lovely neighborhood restaurant. Beyond the unassuming exterior awaits a cozy, intimate, relaxed dining environment. The staff are all friendly and attentive and the open kitchen allows you to see the kitchen team working non-stop to keep the delicious dishes of food coming. The pricing is reasonable and the menu offers a nice array of options to choose from.

The restaurant did not have any reservations available on a Thursday evening, but they reserve the bar for walk-ins. I was seated quickly at the last remaining bar seat and quickly greeted by Kristen, who was a lovely server who provided an excellent review of the menu.

The Old Fashioned was a solid accompaniment to the first course and the Jouves & Croisille Malbec de Soif Cahors was an excellent companion to the NY Strip.

The food was outstanding. The Pasta Nero (housemade squid-ink past served cold with chunks of crab meat, fried scallions, and a creamy truffle sauce) was a unique entry point into the meal, all of the flavors really came together well in a creamy, earthy, combination. The coffee rubbed NY Strip was excellent, the coffee ground crust providing a textural and flavor component to a perfectly cooked steak. The pickled Zucchini provided a bit of acidity to complement the steak, while the aioli clad patatas bravas provided a starchy, roasted, creamy counterpoint. The Tres Leches was a lovely finish to the meal and stood out as one of the more interesting flavor combinations in a dessert in recent meals out. The passion fruit is sort of a syrup covering a creamy, moist Tres Leches cake, with crushed macademia nuts offering a nutty counterpoint to the habanero dust offers just the right amount of heat. All of the flavors came together in a delightful way to end a wonderful dining experience.

Highly recommend The Strand for a nice evening out in Orlando - based on the reservation availability, probably important...