There’s no shortage of new culinary endeavors already setting up shop in Orlando, and there’s plenty more on the way. Just this summer, the City Beautiful can look forward to new spots (and new locations) for celebrity-inspired fried chicken, bao buns, sushi doughnuts and even a new food hall.
Here are 17 highly anticipated restaurants coming to Orlando this summer.
Great Southern Food Box Hall
Princeton Street and North Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando
The old Great Southern Box Company building on the southeast corner of Princeton Street and North Orange Blossom Trail is being preserved and repurposed into a 22,400-square-foot food hall featuring an elevated plaza with outdoor green space (read: shade). Hospitality HQ, run by award-winning chef Akhtar Nawab, whose restaurant Alta Calidad in Brooklyn earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2018, has been selected to operate the hall with 11 vendors focusing on “immigrant cuisine.” Credit: Image via Packing District Orlando/FacebookMandola’s Italian Kitchen
601 Trelago Way, Maitland
The Texas-based chain will serve a bevy of Italian comfort classics as well as pizzas and soups at the soon-to-open Maitland retail complex. Panini will be served until 4 p.m. Credit: Photo via Mandola's Italian Florida/FacebookBig Chicken
250 E. Michigan St.
The slam dunk of chicken into fryers, Shaq-style, is looming ever closer for Orlando. The casual chicken spot’s menu is a combination of Shaq’s home-cooked childhood favorites and the hottest trending flavors, chock-full of chicken sandwiches, tendies and more. Credit: Photo via Big Chicken/Facebook
204 S. Sanford Ave., Sanford If you’ve sunk your teeth into Jimmy Nguyen’s and Chau Vo’s KFC bao with gochujang, nori, scallions and a creamy slaw, you’ll likely make a beeline to Sanford when they open their baoery in the old Moon’s Subs space. BTW: Their bao are handmade in small batches using all-natural ingredients free of preservatives. Credit: Photo via Hot Asian Buns/FacebookLamp & Shade Craft Kitchen
1336 N. Mills Ave., Orlando
The new concept from Thriving Hospitality, who run Thrive Cocktail Lounge & Eatery downtown, will move into the old Lamp & Shade Fair building in Mills 50 with chef Ryan Stewart serving an “Asian-influenced, tapas-style menu.” Tiki-inspired craft cocktails will also be offered. Credit: Image courtesy of Thriving HospitalityCorazón by Baires
8126 International Drive, Orlando
Corazón by Baires, described as “an immersive journey into the heart of Argentina’s globally inspired culinary heritage,” will debut inside Mango’s Tropical Café. Corazón is a collaboration between Mango’s and the soon-to-open Baires Grill, an Argentinian steakhouse slated to open on the ground floor of the Hollywood Plaza Garage entertainment complex on International Drive this fall. It will serve dinner Wednesdays through Sundays from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Credit: Image via Google MapsPizza Bruno
360 E. Horatio Ave., Maitland
The much-vaunted pizzeria will open a location inside the Maitland Social, taking over the 1,400-square-foot space initially slotted for Vitality Bowls Superfood Cafe. (An açai lover’s loss is a pizza lover’s gain.) The Maitland outpost will serve neo-Neapolitan pies of the sort fired up at the original Curry Ford location, not the Jersey-style pies served at Pizza Bruno College Park. Credit: Photo via Pizza Bruno/FacebookSchmankerl Stub’n
131 N. Orange Ave., Orlando
From the folks behind Dan’s Bavarian Takeout comes “Orlando’s only authentic German restaurant,” promising scratch-made German classics and modern dishes. Credit: Image via Google MapsShin Jung
7379 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando
The Korean restaurant that’s served East Colonial Drive for 30 years will open a second location on West Colonial Drive. The new digs (in the old Seoulicious/Miller’s Ale House space) will incorporate a decidedly modern vibe with neon signage. Credit: Photo via Shin Jung/Facebook
7988 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando Lewis Lin (Susuru, Juju) will have a busy year ahead of him with Mao Mao opening in the fall but, prior to the handroll eatery, he and investor partners Khoa Nguyen and Keren Swanson will open this 100-seater specializing in wagyu shabu-shabu next door to Peperoncino in the Dellagio Town Center. Nabe will also offer premium seafood, as well as cocktails and a sake program. Nola’s Ice Cream will be situated in front of the almost 3,000-square-foot space. Credit: Image via Google Maps
360 E. Horatio Ave., Maitland “When I heard they opened a second location in Maitland I knew I needed to go try them out. This place has been on my ‘to-eat’ list for so long and I’m very happy I got to try the sushi burger or specifically the ‘SOFLOFOOODIE Burger,’ which has large slices of salmon covered in krab salad and seaweed salad in between two ginormous rice ‘buns’ coated in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Sounds like a dream and it sure looked like one. The salmon was fresh and the other ingredients complemented each bite. I was hoping for more heat from the flamin’ hot Cheeto rice buns but I couldn’t taste much of those delicious chips unfortunately. Otherwise this would’ve been a solid sushi burger.” — Kevin P. Credit: Image via Google Maps
Best Winter Garden Restaurant
Winner: The Hangry Bison Finalists: Chef’s Table, The Whole Enchilada Fresh Mexican Grill and Bar Credit: Photo via Hangry Bison/FacebookCloudhop Bakeshop
1737 S. Orange Ave., Orlando
Cloudhop Bakeshop, offering gourmet cookies and cupcakes, will open next to Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ in SoDo. The whimsical bakeshop offers colorful, over-the-top sweet treats and dessert creations. Credit: Photo via Cloudhop Bakeshop/InstagramUnicorn Scoops
3577 Lake Emma Road, Lake Mary
Unicorn Scoops, a Wisconsin-based shop offering more than 80 flavors of “super premium” high butterfat ice cream, will open in June at the Lake Mary Centre. Credit: Photo via Unicorn Scoops/Facebook
Various locations With Central Florida locations in College Park, Ocoee, Winter Park, Clermont and Oviedo, the New York-style bagel shop is hard to miss. The chainlet’s classic and more over-the-top bagel flavors and coffees continue to draw in the crowds. Check their social media for weekly flavor specials. Credit: Photo via Jeff's Bagel Run/FacebookMelt Brownie
110 N. Orlando Ave., Maitland
On the heels of opening their first store in Winter Springs, Melt Brownie’s second location will open in the old Sourdough Bread House space on the corner of Horatio and North Orlando avenues in Maitland. They’ll offer four unique flavors of artisanal, bite-sized brownies each week in such flavors as churro, birthday cake and chocolate Oreo. Credit: Photo via Melt Brownie/InstagramYao’s
15 Alafaya Woods Boulevard, Oviedo
Look for Yao’s, an “elevated contemporary Shanghainese” concept from siblings George, Eddie and Diane Yiu, and Chris Chen and Phil Nguyen of Viet-Nomz, to open this summer in the old Bento Asian Kitchen space. Credit: Photo via Yao's/Facebook
