The Stubborn Mule — Restaurant in Orlando

I have a friend couple aren't the best at exploring or seeking out new things. They have found what they like, and they are sticking to it. One of those places they have found is the Stubborn Mule. I think they come here about once a month, and now I understand why.

This place is in downtown Orlando, but not the obnoxious part of downtown Orlando. It's near the peaceful part that is surrounded by Lake Eola and Thornton Park. A beautiful part of town. And they know it, too, because they have about as much outdoor seating than they do indoor seating. It makes for such good views and people watching, my friends say they have never sat inside. I don't think I ever will now, either.

The service was off this night. The guy just wasn't very attentive to us, even though the dinner rush was not there yet. But I'm not going to hold anything against him or the Mule.

I skipped any apps and went right to food food. I ordered the Belgian Waffle Burger (8oz. Angus Beef, Cheddar Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper Jam, and Maple Pepper Bacon Served Between Two Sugar Pearls Belgian Waffles). The medium rare patty was actually very flavorful; I tasted salt and pepper and a nice char from a grill.

With only three other toppings, each one got to shine, the cheddar cheese was nice and cheddary, the jam was that sweet veggie taste that you love from plant jams, and the bacon was added in such a way that actually made it relevant. The Belgian waffles being perfectly textured and not too sweet, wow. I was a big, big fan of this.

So the other thing I got to taste is the reason I cemented my decision to give this place five stars. I usually don't like flatbreads. I find them tasting like the crust is store-bought, the toppings way too skimpy, and the topping combinations themselves not unique enough to make me order them. I'd just go to Pizza Hut if I wanted normal combinations.

But the Shrimply The Best Flatbread (Shrimp, Basil-Walnut Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes, Shaved Parmesan Cheese, and Red Onions, Topped with a Balsamic Drizzle) was a real winner here. The crust wasn't exactly artisan, but the plentiful toppings atop it more than made up for it. Each of the toppings were very well represented, and I don't think I've ever seen this particular combo, either. Well done, Mule.

Overall, I can see why my friends love it here. A+ food in an A+ atmosphere. I'll have to come back soon to try more of their...

Good evening,

I’m going to start by saying I rarely leave reviews on restaurants or any establishment. However, I came to this spot while on vacation, and figured I’d try something new and different. After arriving at this restaurant I did not wait long in the lobby, however after being seated outside, I ended up waiting for quite some time.

No refreshments or anything, my server didn’t even make contact with me. Then a young lady, said “are you still waiting” and luckily she brought me some water until my server arrived!

I got my food and drinks, I ordered ribs, with no sesame seeds. They brought out ribs with sesame seeds, I have an allergy so I really didn’t appreciate it! However the young man corrected it luckily! Since I was seated outside, I couldn’t help but notice flies flying around and near my food and drinks. I think that it would be beneficial for the restaurant to invest into putting fans on the outside of the restaurant to deter the flys and keep its employees and customers cool.

The rest of my food arrived! The steak was cooked well, however it was greasy unfortunately.

I noticed rain coming in, my server didn’t check in with me in about 10-12 minutes, she was no where to be found, so I alerted another employee to see if I could get my check and Togo bags due to the incoming weather. She said she would see about it, but, it took another 10 mins for her to come back outside to check on me. She seemed that she had no clue.

The other young lady was making an attempt to put customers in an area that would protect them from the rain which I admire so much.

Key take aways, the restaurant really needs to adopt some Lean Six Sigma attributes on process improvement. My server took my silverware by accident, and when I asked for another one she had to go inside to retrieve it. They should have those in there aprons. Zoning, there needs to be more communication and coverage on the outside of the restaurant. Servers should also be periodically checking in every 5-8 minutes to ensure the customers are okay. Lastly there was a gentleman who was also helping wearing casual attire, I didn’t know if he was a employee or a manager but, adopting some company shirts would look wayyy more professional and cohesive in my opinion.

This restaurant has soooo much potential! Do...

If 4.5 stars was possible that’s what I would actually rate this place. We called for a party of 15 reservation for 5pm same day around noon on a Saturday and they were able to accommodate us which was amazing. The table was ready when we arrived which is very hit or miss with restaurants with big parties. They had waters on the table ready for us already. When we arrived they said half of our party needed to be there before we were seated which I thought was very fair since many places make the whole party be present before seating. The prices were fair for the place and area and food. I dream about their bruschetta still, it’s not on hard bread! Almost impossible to find that. The drinks were well made and not weak but not over poweringly strong. Our server was very friendly, was very accommodating, and handled the annoyance of a group of 15 splitting the check multiple ways and ordering at different times, which I know is a nightmare for most servers, but she handled it well. She took a group photo for us and even stood up on a chair to get us all in the photo. The location was great and right next to a parking garage and next to the abbey, which we were going to for an event afterwards. The only reason I would give 4.5 stars and not 5 is because the drinks and food came out very slow from the time we got there until the time we left (we stayed about 2.5 hours ordering various apps drinks and food). The first round of drinks took a long time to come, and so did the food. I’m not sure if this was just because we had a large party, or if kitchen staff was behind. Besides the wait for things, no one in our group had any...