The Strand

Great choice in the downtown area of Orlando.
Feels like mom is serving you a home cooked meal.
Eaten here probably 10 times and it is always fresh and delicious.
Rotating menu so keep coming back for new dishes like braised rabbit and bacon breadcrumb crusted grouper.
Closes after lunch and reopens for dinner. Check the times first.

I’ve heard all kinds of rave on social media and from locals about the The Strand. One night I decided I wanted to be spontaneous and try a new place rather than at my favorite local dines.
Showed up on a Friday night at around 6:20 and every bar spot and table had been filled except for the community table. A party had been reserved there for 7 PM, so I decided that we would try it out instead of waiting for another table that would take around 30 minutes (and you’d be sitting so close to each other regardless of community table or not because of how small the restaurant is.)
The largest downfall is the size of the restaurant, the awkward seating arrangements, and lack of waiting area. It increases the wait time and proximity to others while enjoying your meal and having conversations. The food also too a quite a bit of time for the simple Fish and Chips, and Buttermilk chicken. The service was average, for such a small restaurant and considering there were several staff in both kitchen, bar, and those servicing the tables. We waited quite a bit to order our food and at first our server brushed us off after not ordering «alcoholic drinks» even though she didn’t offer any of their sodas or other bottled drinks. I didn’t find them listed either which was a bit disappointing.
What makes this place great though is the atmosphere, although it is small, the lighting makes the mood very cosy. The food is not out of this world amazing but it is definitely tasty. Your tastebuds will be delighted with all the different flavors and the freshness of the ingredients. Both of our plates were fried but the food was not greasy or stale.
I would say what makes this place worth visiting is the array of items like Pana Cotta, and Croquetas that you can’t quite find anywhere. Although it was good, I don’t think it’s a place I would find myself visiting multiple times. Definitely worth a try once though!

Farm to table; fresh; excellent service. Small menu; smallish portions. Everything was delicious. Hot pretzel with house made pimento cheese to start. Fish and chips done right, not greasy. House made slaw was perfect. Good vibe. Nice place to chill with fresh food that will meet expectati

I went to The Strand on a Saturday around 1pm for lunch. Parking was available on the street in front of the building. When I arrived, all of the tables and bar seats were full but it looked like a few parties would be leaving soon. I waited for about 5 minutes. It is a tiny little restaurant and does not have a large indoor waiting area.
I had my eyes set on a sandwich I had seen online but was told they only serve lunch Tuesday to Friday, and brunch on Saturdays. My eyes then went to the Monte Cristo french toast sandwich but I was informed by waiter they were out of french toast and croissants.
I chose an salmon eggs-​benedict type dish with 2 poached eggs, fresh flaky salmon and a citrus cream sauce over biscuits (I can’t remember the name of the sauce). Grits came on the side. My meal was delicious, rich, and filling; I couldn’t finish everything.
I love that the ingredients are local and fresh. I would definitely come back again to see how the menu changes.

Fresh local delicious, perfectly cooked and presented. Happened in and glad we did. Kale soup, the kind they serve on the Cape with Portuguese sausage. fish and chips served with homemade tartar sauce, malt vinegar with kale coleslaw. Olive oil cake for dessert with fresh citrus on top, loved it! Would definitely come back.
And… The service was the best I have had!!!

I love The Strand. The food is great. They have a partially open kitchen and on any given night you can see the owner leading the kitchen crew. That’s almost always a good sign. I really like the menu, it feels really well balanced. Fish N Chips, Lamb, Olive Oil Cake, it’s all so good. They have a great bar too. It’s a small dining room, so it feels cozy on a busy night.

5 stars for great food, great service, great atmosphere and great portions!
We FINALLY came here! I’ve been dying to eat at this place after hearing so many great things. And I can say, I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.
We came for Saturday brunch with friends. We got there a bit early — 15 minutes to be exact. However, a fee minutes before they opened one of the servers unlocked the door and let us in. That was nice of her.
The décor follows the trend of a lot of hipster places: lots of handmade accents, wood everywhere, rustic appeal. No burlap. I guess that’s old hat these days. But, seriously, it’s a really nice place. The outside, street front does it no justice.
The menu isn’t huge, but it’s not tiny either. It’s Goldilocks. My friend ordered the buttermilk chicken with sausage gravy and biscuits. His girlfriend had a special consisting of a bowl of eggs, potatoes, and some other stuff I can’t recall. I add the breakfast croissant sandwich thing: scrambled eggs, bacon, brie, avocado with a side of their home fries.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The croissant was perfect. I will say the portions are perfect. Goldilocks again. Often, I’ll get portions at other places that are huge. That can be a blessing and a curse. The Strand does a good job of balancing it so you’re fulfilled but not stuffed. It’s also smart business, as you DO have room for dessert. So, my buddy ordered the bread pudding which features candied orange peels. He said it was really freaking good.
I’ll definitely be back, probably for brunch, but I would also like to try their dinner menu as well.
Love this great addition to the Mills 50 neighborhood!

Loved our first visit to the strand! Sat at the bar. Snapper cakes were awesome. Service was great! Snapper and kale salad so good!!!

Loved the experience. Make a reservation as it’s always busy. They use local ingredients and with the exception of my prime rib, everything was enjoyable. The rest of our party had excellent food.
The restaurant was packed but, front of house team was most excellent and kept it a stress free environment.
Well Done!

The Strand has been on my restaurant «wish list» for quite some time now. I had heard so many rave reviews about it and was dying to check it out for myself. I finally made it over there today for lunch with a few co-​workers.
The Strand lives up to all the hype. It was everything I expected and more. I only wish I had made it over sooner. My taste buds have soooo been missing out!
The vibe is very friendly and intimate. No frills. Just amazing food. The food is fresh and local, and changes seasonally. Some of their specials even change daily. I had the Avocado & Brie sandwich and oh my goodness was it amazing! You also must try their coleslaw. It is out of this world awesome. And that’s coming from someone that doesn’t generally care for coleslaw all that much. My coworkers had the Buttermilk Chicken and the Fish & Chips and they loved those as well. We also sampled their soup of the days, which was equally as amazing.
The Strand also has a good selection of beer and wine. And they serve kombucha, which just happens to be one of my favorite beverages. The variety they had available today was a cream soda kombucha. Very different than anything I had tried before, but incredibly delightful.
The location is super convenient to Downtown so it’s a great lunch option for the working crowd. There isn’t a ton of parking, though, so you may need to park across the street. I also recommend going around 1:00 if you can to miss the lunch rush. It’s not a super large restaurant, so save this outing for when you’re not dining out with a large group.
Bottom line: The hype about this place is true. Believe all of it! And get your butt over to try it out for yourself! I can’t wait to go back to try their dinner and brunch menus!

I can’t believe it took us so long to try this place! We’ve been living less than a mile away for 5 months, and just walked in last week.
The Strand is a tiny little place, in a tiny little building, that you could easily miss. Inside is warm and cute.
Our server was great, and really helped us decide what we wanted.
Our apps were the real start… croquettes and a snapper cake. Both were so flavorful and were everything i was hoping for.
The bf and I split an entrée; backened snapper with grits and okra. The snapper was cooked perfectly and the grits were quite good. I don’t think i really like okra, and their’s wasn’t enough to convert me.
Our dessert was the buttermilk pie. It was like a custard-​type pie and was okay. Not worth all the calories it had i’m sure. Next time, i will pick dessert.
The Strand overall was a winner and i will definitely add it to my growing list of go-​to places.

You would never think anything of this restaurant if you were just passing by… and you would be missing out. The unassuming diner set-​up is really a façade: this is a restaurant with excellent, elevated cuisine.
The food is a twist on American classics and I have never, ever had anything bad here. You also don’t want to pass up dessert here.
They don’t take reservations, and there is not much seating, so the best idea is to arrive early, around opening time.

We had one hour to eat before a play and knew this was the place. We sat at the bar and had a perfect experience. Casey was our server and did great job getting us lots of food in a short time. We had a lovely bottle of nebbiolo that she suggested. We started with a pâté board that was amazing, the chicken liver pâté was excellent. We also chose fried green tomatoes with a shrimp salad topping that was amazing, a really nice combination of flavors. We chose the ribeye with blue cheese topping and a snapper for our entrees. I wish I could explain how pretty my plate was, the phone was dead… so no pictures. This was no standard blue cheese. It was the best I have ever had, sliced thin… not crumbled. The beans looked like art that you wanted to eat! The food was great and the service was spectacular. Thanks Casey and The Strand for a memorable birthday meal.

Anytime I crave a burger, I always stop by this place since it’s near my house. Their Strand Burger is probably one of the best things you’ll put in your mouth. The fries that accompany the burger are pretty good too. Their prices at dinner time are a little more than I want to pay for what you get, but the food never disappoints. It’s a small place so you definitely get more attention from your servers and every person I’ve had was really nice. One of my other favorite things to get here is their grilled peach salad. All of their greens were fresh (and locally sourced) and crisp. If you add chicken, it’s an extra $ 3.50 but it works nicely with the rest of the salad.

I took my dad here for lunch the other day while we were out looking at houses! I really enjoy The Strand because of it’s low key, cute vibe inside and the way they use all local companies to source their food. Their taps are always temptingly written on the wall and it’s hard not to indulge in a tasty brew every time I stop in! Their service can be a little slow sometimes, but I don’t mind it because the food comes out fresh and piping hot… and SO GOOD.
I’m obsessed with their coleslaw… and I DON’T even like coleslaw to begin with! That’s really saying something, guys. It is out of this world good, try it! Take my word for it, it’s awesome. It goes perfectly with their Fish & Chips which are pretty darn good in and of themselves.
I’m super bummed that their Olive Oil Cake is out of season right now as that is one of my all-​time favorite things in the world, but I still think this adorable little gem is worthy of five stars. Check this place out, it’s a real staple to the Mills 50 area.

We finally got to eat here for dinner! We had really enjoyed our lunch last time, but every time we thought to head over to The Strand for dinner, there was a line out the door so we kept driving. This time we were determined though and showed up earlier, about half an hour after they opened for dinner, and the place was almost empty. In less than half an hour after we arrived, it was at capacity with people waiting by the door for a table. So the lesson learned: Show up early!
We ordered the Snapper Cakes appetizer, which we really enjoyed, although $ 7 for two small cakes really seemed a bit steep to me. For the entrée I opted for the grouper, which was perfectly cooked, light, and flaky. It was dusted with bacon bread crumbs, on top of mustard mashed potatoes in a tomato broth, flanked by grilled asparagus, and it looked as good as it tasted.
Great service and a small but interesting beer selection rounded out the dining experience, and it ensures that I’ll be back soon.

I’ve been meaning/​wanting to try this place for ages. Friends and folks I’m connected with in Social Media have been raving about it, and I decided it was something I couldn’t ignore. So a friend and I made a plan to start out a recent evening here followed by a performance at our new arts center.
Like many of the other places I review about on Unilocal,this is a local joint, and I always love supporting local. Situated on the tail end of a little shopping strip in one of our «artsy» neighborhoods, I was a bit underwhelmed by the atmosphere when first stepping in. Honestly, though, it grew on me more as I spent more time in the dining area, and I think it takes on more of a personality in the evening after the sun goes down.
When it came to deciding what to order off the menu I kept it plain, simple, and delicious: Pork chop, mashed taters, and green beans. And I must say each was packed full of flavor and left me completely satisfied. Food does always have to be fancy to be enjoyed — just made with love and flavor.
I’ll definitely be going back to The Strand for another visit… for five! I’m interested to check out their lunch menu, so that’ll be coming soon.

We had kind of been avoiding coming here — every time I looked at a menu online, nothing really spoke to me. Randomly the other day I looked again and realized they have Saturday brunch! That won me over because there’s not too many places with brunch on a Saturday. The menu looked pretty tasty and I was excited to check it out.
I ordered the Salmon Scramble (scrambled eggs with house cured salmon, dill and cream cheese) which comes with cheese grits and toast. I asked for a biscuit instead of toast and an additional side of potatoes. I really wanted fruit but it’s only sometimes available and wasn’t available today. My meal was delicious! The eggs were creamy and seasoned well, the potatoes were also perfectly cooked and slightly crispy. The cheese grits were really delicious, even my BF who doesn’t like grits said they were good. The biscuit had a strong baking soda and flour flavor and was less dense than most biscuits I’ve had recently but none of that was bad, it was quite good.
The BF had the Monte Cristo and really enjoyed it. I couldn’t have a bite because it was filled with prosciutto which I don’t eat. It looked yummy though.
Our food came to $ 26 which wasn’t terrible for how much we ate. I didn’t have the mimosa I wanted and having those would have put us closer to $ 36 which is expensive for brunch but I’m still glad we went.
Honestly, I’d go again for brunch and I’d consider lunch/​dinner now that I know the food is good but I’d have to check a menu out before we sat down. The sandwiches seemed kind of boring and I bet they are good but I want something more inspired for how much they cost. That is really what has kept me from eating there in the past so I’m hoping I find something next time and can try a different meal!

A-​OK.
I think The Strand deserves another try. I came with a large party, so expediting our food was a bit of an issue. It really took awhile for us to receive our appetizers and main plates. Someone had to send their burger back because it was well done and dry instead of medium rare.
I really wanted to try the crab cakes and the oyster rockefeller, but they were both 86’d! So I went with the Cesar salad, which was pretty good. Maybe a bit heavy on the dressing, but overall good.
Since 80% of our party ordered the ribeye, I opted for the red snapper with cheese grits and the vegetable of the day, which was grilled zucchini. The snapper was cooked perfectly, but it was bland. The cheese grits were bland as well. At this point I was just too hungry to care.
Nice wine selection and they are generous with their pours.
Our server Bryan/​Brian was very patient with our party and provided great service.
I’d like to give The Strand another try, next time with just my fiancée and not a large party. I think the experience might be different.

I had to do an update on my initial review because it seems that after every visit I leave even more impressed than the time before. The execution on the food and flavor combinations is in a word; exquisite.
The Strand is very much like a bistro in the sense that the focus is not on having a huge menu but rather an assortment of seasonal items that compliment each other well. Many of the items on the menu are from local farms and that really shines through in the overall flavor of the food.
They have an impressive assortment of beer and wine, and I love that they offer daily drink specials of white and red wines as well as beer.
Quite honestly; I have never had a bad meal here and when friends and family want to go somewhere The Strand is one of my top recommendations. From their salads, sandwiches and their lamb was. To.Die. For. AND!!! What makes it possible for me to frequent as often as I do is that their price point is excellent, check out their online menu and you’ll agree that it’s definitely worth a visit; see you there!

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Get the panna cotta, do it!
The shrimp salad & porkzilla were very tasty!