While this was a banner year for new restaurants (see “Top tables of 2014,” our favorite five restaurants that opened this year), we also had to say goodbye to quite a few eateries as well. We were super-sad to see some of them go; some of them had overstayed their welcome. (And, frankly, a few of them never had a chance.) But it’s always a bummer to see any business close. Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
OK, we’re starting off with a cheat: Technically, Atlas House closed in late 2013, but we never got a proper chance to mourn Orlando’s only Uzbek restaurant. All the dumplings!
Babycakes NYC: The only outpost of the beloved Lower East Side vegan bakery thrived in the Downtown Disney Marketplace, until they closed the building to begin the transformation into Disney Springs. image via
Big Italy: This tourist haunt on I-Drive just never quite found its feet. image via
Blackfin, we hardly knew ye: You were on the cover of our 2014 BITE magazine, but you closed after just five weeks. (There are rumored plans to move to a new location.)
In the same Downtown Disney building as Babycakes NYC, Bodie’s All-American (the place for “brilliant burgers” and “signature salads”) went bye-bye as part of the Disney Springs renovation. image via
Café Red was one of those downtown spots that pops up and then disappears, leaving a few nearby office-lunchers quite sad, no doubt. image via
Caffe Divina in Ivanhoe Village was one of those quirky little spots that kind of felt like sitting in your nutty aunt’s dining room – which has its good and its bad points.
Even Cantina Laredo’s mega-popular tableside guacamole service couldn’t overcome price competition on Restaurant row. image via
We sensed trouble at Cave Inn BBQ from the beginning – as did cable TV show Restaurant: Impossible.
Chalet Suzanne: The super-quirky inn, a Central Florida fixture for decades, finally wound down. image via
Chomp Chomp Pizza, on Fairbanks Avenue near Rollins College, bit the dust. image via
It was a shocker for many when the Millenia Mall-adjacent Crave closed its doors – including the employees, some say.
Culpepper’s: UCF quarterback Daunte Culpepper was a star on the gridiron, not the griddle. image via
Dylan’s Deli: Their departure left a French-accented pressed-sandwich-shaped hole in our hearts.
Was it a bar? A restaurant? Chinese? Latin? Altamonters gave up on trying to figure it out, though the Millenia location is still swinging.image via Elephant Bar
Elliott’s Public House closed after less than four months. We liked the food coming from chef Karl Elliott’s kitchen, but customers just weren’t drawn to the space that housed Brian’s Restaurant for many years.
Fresh: The quaint little eatery in Hannibal Square has closed. According to owner Gina Bugayong, however, “bigger and better things are on the horizon.”
Greens & Grille: The Millenia Mall location is still going strong, but to the dismay of many Full Sail and UCF students and staff, the University Avenue one is gone & gone. image via Greens & Grille
For the longest time this Mills 50 space was Vinh’s, then oh-so-briefly it was Ha Long Bistro. Now it’s hopping every night as Mamak Asian Street Food.
Our review said it all, sadly: Hangar Bar & Grille does not give you wings.
Hawaiian Grindz near UCF has closed; with creative plating like this we hate to see it go. image via
They made a valiant effort (two, in fact: closing, then reopening, only to close again), but Holy Smoke BBQ gave up the ghost in 2014. image via
Thornton Park’s Iza Tapas Bar has closed, but according to their last Facebook post, they’re in the process of relocating.
Kouzzina: Even Mickey couldn’t help keep Iron Chef Cat Cora’s (very decent) Downtown Disney restaurant from shuttering. image via
La Fogata was proud to be ranked in our 2013 Best of Orlando category for Best Latin, but just couldn’t keep the doors open.
Our reviewer praised Lima 41’s pollo a la brasa, but they didn’t make it through the year in their spiffy Curry Ford Road space.
Loudmouth Grill shut up in 2014. image via
We tried to warn Matilda’s on Park about The Curse of 358 N. Park Ave., but they didn’t listen.
When McKnight’s closed in the same spot that had claimed Fishes N Loaves and Johnson’s, we had to wonder why it seems impossible to keep a soul-food restaurant open at 595 W. Church St. image via
Meltz: the short-lived sandwich joint in the Chase Plaza has closed, which surprised us, because we could happily live on grilled-cheese sandwiches. image via
Memories of India served its last plate in 2014. According to the owners, there simply wasn’t enough business to stay open on Turkey Lake Road any longer. image via
Mills Brewpub, which was not in fact a brew pub, never matched the popularity of Bananas Diner, the previous tenant. So the owners pivoted again and brought back what was good about Bananas (the floor show) with Divas Dinner Theatre. image via
Our review asked, “Can Mingos establish itself on this hard-to-please corner?” The answer: no.
NASCAR Sports Grille ran its last race at Universal Citywalk Orlando this year. image via
When Nordstrom at Florida Mall closed, so did its beloved Cafe Bistro, which served the best herbed frites in town. image via
It’s a miracle! OLV Cafe, the popular SoDo wine bar and brunch spot, closed due to a “management shakeup” but reopened just weeks later. image via
All of the sparring over the name of the sports bar that eventually settled on O’Town Pizza and Wings seems to have left them not enough energy to be a successful restaurant. image via
As a longtime mainstay of night owls and families alike, Patsio’s Diner caused howls of dismay from generations of Orlandoans when they closed.image via Patsio’s
Pollo Campero was the third restaurant in this Downtown Disney restaurant complex that had to make way for Disney Springs. image via
Oh, no big deal, only the best freaking sandwiches in town. Yeah, we were irked when Primo Hoagies closed. image via Primo Hoagies
It’s not goodbye, it’s “so long for now”: Thornton park’s Qarma Crepes claims they will reopen near UCF. image via
We were never quite sure about Raga, the upscale Sand Lake Indian fusion restaurant – and sure enough, it folded in roughly a year.
We really kinda liked Regional Grill and Bayou (OK, the name was odd), but Curry Ford Road seems to be a brutal live-or-die location for restaurants.
Housed in the once-gorgeous former Flavors of India space on South Kirkman Road, Santos’ lunchtime buffet is sure to be missed by those who spend their 9-to-5s in that area. image via
Soul-food staple Sharon’s Place had a terrible fire that took them out of the running – here’s hoping they bounce back somewhere, someday. image via
SoNapa Grille: Open since late 2011, the restaurant that started as a wine club among friends grew into a full-service restaurant in the former Maitland Steak & Ale location. Free drink coupons weren’t enough to keep this location alive, sadly.
Superburger: Delicious, messy Colombian burgers and hot dogs were the specialty, but this UCF-area joint didn’t make it. image via
It was with a very sad stomach that we reported that Tasty Thai, an Orlando institution for almost 20 years, served its very last meal on April 12, 2014. Another Curry Ford casualty.
A cute name and a Pan-Asian menu weren’t enough to keep Thaitanic Sushi from crashing into an iceberg.
A Mills 50 favorite for years, Tony’s offered the best shawarma platter and fresh Middle Eastern salads in town, and it was just a few blocks from our office. The Sanford location is still open, but that’s pretty far to trek for lunch. image via
Turkish Kitchen: The North Semoran Boulevard spot couldn’t stick it out. image via
Urban Flats: The wine-centric chainlet seemed like a world-beater when it first popped up a few years ago, but it has since closed several locations, including downtown Orlando. image via
Virgin Olive Market: After first occupying a rickety old building on the corner of Clay Street and Minnesota Avenue, the market moved to North Orange Avenue, where it dished up excellent sandwiches and soups for five years. No plans for a new store opening. image via