Al Fresco

Where do I start? First, if you live near here and haven’t tried their food, you’re a idiot. If you have been here and left a poor review you’re a bigger idiot. This place is amazingly ridiculous. Foodie heaven! Words like delicious, yummy and tasty DO NOT capture the dining experience here at Al fresco. We went for lunch, which is open seating. The tables are topped with a linen tablecloth, which gives it a more than causal feel, but over all it’s a farm to table comfortable atmosphere.
Our server was friendly and well-​versed on the menu. To start we ordered the arancinis (deep fried risotto croquettes in a pomodoro sauce) recommended by our server. That was just the tip of the iceberg of amazingness! For entrees we decided on the moroccan bolognese and mancini sand-​which with farro salad. Like I said before the usual adjectives don’t do these dishes justice. The mancini stole the show, I can honestly say my life is better because I’ve had this sandwich.
Everything was so amazing we decided we couldn’t miss out on trying a dessert. So we ordered the vanilla tres leche, a dessert I often order if I spy it offered on a menu. This was above average all around. Portion enough for two to share and not too soaked in the leche. perfection!
Come hungry, portions are good size! Prices were reasonable ranging from $ 5-​$ 15 dollars. They also have wine selections and a full bar, but we didn’t order anything from there this trip.
Thankful to find this place! Can hardly wait to come dine here again!

I’ve eaten here a handful of times in the last few weeks trying to get them to redeem themselves. We’ve only ever had good service once by a young girl named Candy. She was sweet, attentive and we never went without refills. Before meeting Candy, we had been served by Edna and Allyson, and last night was served by Carlo. Edna was awful. The host refilled our water the entire night. Edna did not once. She didn’t run her own food or even check on us. The only thing we saw her do all night was boss the other servers around. Allyson wasn’t nearly as bad as Edna, just a little ditzy. And Carlo is very odd, annoying and could be overheard making rude comments about his fellow coworkers and patrons. The meat has been undercooked each time, the cocktails watered down and the salads are dry and wilted. The key lime cheesecake didn’t even taste like key lime! We already decided that last night was going to be our last night if things weren’t better and they weren’t! On top of the spotty service and bad food, we could actually overhead the chef yelling at one (or more?) of the front of house girls because another server (Dawn?) didn’t take care of her table and instead of discussing it with the server, went off on the other girls. Hearing FU across the dining room from the chef was the icing on the cake. We will never return. If you’re thinking of checking this place out, run!

Terrible. Terrible and expensive. Lots of employees walking around clueless. Had to send food back. Twice. Terrible. Don’t waste your money.

My bf and I stopped here on an impromptu day date. We got there early and were the only ones in the restaurant. It was so nice and intimate. Or hostess and waitress were so pleasant. I had the farm to table special (t-​bone steak) my bf had the lasagna. Awesome! Can’t wait to go again.

This place was amazing. Sat at the kitchen table & had fantastic service by both the wait staff & the chef. Would recommend to all my friends. The food is incredibly flavorful & I left stuffed!

I’ve been up and down Plant Street in downtown Winter Garden and never knew of this cozy Italian gem tucked behind Axum Coffee in the alley. A co-​worker of mine ended up telling me about alFresco and one Saturday afternoon my date Chad and I stopped in for lunch. The atmosphere is so warm and inviting, we were looking forward to a nice meal.
The first item we ordered was the Spicy Feta Dip with grilled pita. While it wasn’t very spicy, if at all, the dip was very flavorful. Smooth, creamy and tangy– a great way to start our lunch.
I ordered the soup and salad– the soup being a vegetarian based veggie soup and a half Farmer’s Market Salad. When my plate arrived, I could immediately smell the meat in the soup and upon further inspection, I noticed large chunks of what I thought was maybe sausage. When our server had returned to the table I asked him again what the soup of the day was and he didn’t miss a beat to say «oh it was veggie soup but they changed it to lamb soup». The server knew the soup had been changed before it had been served and didn’t bother to let me know. Though he removed the soup from the table, it had not been removed from our bill.
The Farmer’s Market Salad was actually delicious. Seasonal fruit (in this case fresh peaches) was tossed with spinach, goat cheese, walnuts and caramelized onions in a pomegranate vinaigrette. The peaches were amazing when mixed with goat cheese and walnuts. I loved this salad.
I had also ordered a half size of the Farro Salad– arugula, green beans, kalamata olives, tomatoes, red peppers and red onions in a citrus vinaigrette. I enjoyed this salad as well and the half size was perfect, especially since I ended up with no soup– my two half salads made a delicious and filling meal.
Chad ordered the Fish-​n-​Chips. One large piece of grouper was hand-​battered and fried then served with fries and house made tartar sauce. I think we both agreed that this was the best fish and chips that we have ever experienced. I do not know if it was the grouper (most fish and chips are made with cod), the seasoning or the love coming from the kitchen but it was a heavenly platter. Thank goodness Chad was willing to share.
Our bill was a whole other story. Though I was served only a half farro salad I had been charged for a full one, in addition to the soup that was still on the check.
While the food gets a solid 5 sprouts, the server could have been a little more attentive to our order. I was a little upset that the soup had changed and my server brought it to me like I was just supposed to accept lamb instead of veggies (thank goodness we are not true Vegetarians). It was also slightly inconvenient to have to wait for the check to be adjusted, something our server should have caught before presenting it to us.

Overall our party of 6 had mixed feelings about this restaurant. The service was really good and the restaurant itself is spacious and cleanly decorated. The location seemed to be right in the middle of all the action in downtown Winter Garden.
We ordered the octopus, muscles and empanadas as our appetizers. The octopus was just mediocre for our liking. The texture was ok but the dish really lacked flavor. The empanada were quite tasty and well seasoned. The muscles were completely inedible. They were not fresh had an odor to them so we left almost the whole dish.
For our meals we ordered the sea scallops, lamb bolognese and the chef’s paella. The scallops and the bolognese were good but the paella had more of those muscles which again, were not fresh and quite pungent.
Our friends gave up and decided to complain about both dishes that contained the muscles. The response from our waiter was very professional. He apologized and didn’t hesitate to get the chef and manager involved. The
Chef made up the issue with some added meats for the paella and an additional appetizer. He personally delivered these items to our table and apologized! They also didn’t charge us for the muscles appetizer.
We were not upset when we left due to the spectacular service. This type of acknowledgment to a customer’s concern just doesn’t happen often these days so I gave them an extra star for the efforts. Overall though we were still a bit disappointed with the quality of the seafood used here.

Absolutely delicious! We actually came 5 mins before closing and they all were gracious and welcoming. Our server, Kerry was kind, pleasant and informative. The food was spectacular and I don’t say that lightly. I couldn’t help but be appreciative to them for allowing us in to taste their wares! We’ll be back with friends! Thank you!!!

What a fabulous time, we did the cocktail infusion paring and had a blast. Lynn was our hostess and she was excellent all the cocktails were great and the food was to die for especially the risotto.

My husband and I came here on 10÷7÷2015 as we thought it would be a nice restaurant to eat at for our second wedding anniversary. We had read all the great reviews online about the food and service.
We paid for our dinner with a debit card $ 71.64 including tip. But then another charge showed up for $ 38.95. My husband was only able to talk to the owner once where he offered to send her screen shots of the transactions that posted to the account on 10÷16÷15. We never heard back.
Each time we call to follow up we are told she is not available and there is no manager or assistant manager who works there. There is only one owner and she pops in whenever. Finally, after trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, decided to dispute the charge with the bank.
Needless to say, we would not recommend this restaurant to anyone and are very disappointed at the lack of service in regards to being overcharged. If you decide to go, please make sure you bring cash.
Also, we tried the paella and it was not all it’s cracked up to be.
**buyer beware** this should be zero stars but Unilocal won’t allow you to post without at least 1 star.

We have eaten here three times now, and the food is always excellent. Great menu and great specials, highly recommended.

I came here for the first time with some friends before seeing a show next door. Overall, I was not blown away by my experience here, particularly when we had to wait almost 40 minutes for our main course, which did not leave us much time to enjoy the meal. Along with a shared appetizer, we started off with a carafe of their red sangria. Sadly, I was not impressed. I have very high standards for Sangria, having grown up in a Catalan home. What was served did not have the light, fruity and sweet flavor I have come to expect.
For the meal, I ordered the Spaghettini Pescatore. Typically when I order a seafood pasta, I expect it to be served with a white wine sauce. Knowing that it was served with a tomato sauce, I still decided to give it a try. The sauce did not complement the shrimp, muscles, and clams well at all, as it overpowered their flavor. In the end, I did not feel as though it was worth the $ 25 that I spent for the dish.
For a restaurant that also advertises itself as being Spanish/​Mediterranean, I was disappointed that the bread served with the appetizer and main course was more like a breadstick, and they only gave you one. They charge about $ 4 extra for a bread basket, and even then you only get 4 rolls. Bread is a staple of Spanish and Mediterranean meals. I can understand them charging for it, but a better selection should have been provided.
In all, the saving grace of this experience was not the food, but rather the company I was with. I would not go out of my way to eat here again, unless it is was with friends truly want to go.

Came here for lunch and tried a salad. They have a garden upstairs on the roof which is a really great concept and you can tell the ingredients are fresh. The food was good, but seems to be overhyped and overpriced for what’s supposed to be a farm to table restaurant. Might come back for dinner to see if I change my mind.

We just happened upon this place walking out of the Farmers Market in Wintergarden.
The food is very fresh as are all farm to table restaurants. They have a variety of choices with a Mediterranean flare. I had the falafel wrap with a side salad. It was delicious. I hear the brunch is wonderful, and we will be back.
If you are looking for something with great atmosphere and fresh food, you have found your tucked away gem in Wintergarden.

What a fantastic brunch! There are two options to choose from, either the brunch buffet with unlimited mimosas and house sangria or you can order from the menu. We went for the buffet because everything looked amazing! The selection is good because the different stations cater to those who eat everything (me!), vegetarian and gluten free options. It’s brunch with a Mediterranean flare. I started with their bread and dipping station with freshly made hummus and other dipping sauces, then the fresh smoked salmon. Meats & cheeses were fresh, the chef carving station had lamb and overnight roasted turkey breast. My friend made little mini gyros with the shaved lamb, fresh tzatziki sauce and pita bread which was delicious.
They were constantly putting out fresh grilled asparagus, squash, and other yummy veggies with roasted potatoes, and paella so everything was tasty and hot. You can order a few items a la carte as part of the fixed price such as pancakes, omelets or their stuffed French toast which is stuffed with cream cheese nutty goodness. It was so good, we ordered an extra one and felt no shame. I was so stuffed, I never made it to the salad, pasta or dessert station but will be back.
Very attentive, friendly servers who keep that delicious sangria glasses topped off so you are never running empty.
The only strange thing is the restrooms are outside and you have to take elevator to 2^nd floor. Certainly not a big deal, just different.

I am giving alFresco 4 stars based on the dinner my gf and I experienced several months ago, however, the lunch my friends and I received today was only slightly above average.
Today we started the meal with their hummus, marinated olives and great Spicy Feta dip. The hummus was average, couldn’t say how it really differed from hummus you’d buy at the supermarket though. The olives were tasty, but probably not worth another purchase. Now the spicy feta was truly delicious; it was a nice creamy dip with large feta crumbles and a slight spice.
I ordered the Signature Burger, which is a generously sized party of beef/​chorizo topped with onions, red pepper sauce and manchego cheese. The burger was tasty, but surprisingly what stood out was my side Farro Salad. I’m not really one to be impressed by a salad, but the citrus vinaigrette really worked well with the farro and onions. My gf ordered the Falafel wrap with a side of their potato wedges. The wedges were seasoned well and tasted even better when dipped into the previously mentioned spicy feta dip, but the wrap itself was bland based off the bites she let me steal.
I don’t recall the service being stellar or horrible during our first meal here, but the service today was a bit of a let down. There were several open tables, but for some reason the food took much too long to arrive. I’d also say that our beverages were not refilled in a timely manner. If they were slammed then I’d understand, but at half capacity I don’t see why we can’t receive the attentive service any diner would deserve.

This place has always been my favorite in WG. Fresh veggies and always seasoned well. Love their salads.
It is also nice that they are tucked in the back for privacy and quite. I hear they have their own garden at the rooftop top. That is very awesome.

My husband, son, and I stopped into Al Fresco this evening after picking up my husband’s race packet for the Winter Garden 10K. We wanted to grab an early dinner before heading home, and having been to Al Fresco at least a dozen times, it was our first choice while we were in the neighborhood.
We walked into the restaurant within minutes of it opening at 5:00pm. The entire restaurant was empty outside of a couple already seated. After asking the hostess for a table and a highchair, we were essentially scolded for not having reservations since they had a «busy night ahead of them». After checking with the manager, the hostess informed us that they could seat us at a high top or the chef’s table… which I would have loved… but neither could accommodate a high chair for my son. In the midst of the awkwardness in which I wondered if they would just ask us to leave already, my husband and I decided to dine somewhere else.
Two hours later, after dining elsewhere, we had to walk past Al Fresco to return to our car. We expected to see it fully seated with diners, perhaps celebrating an early Valentine’s Day. Instead, what we saw was less than a third of the restaurant populated. Empty tables! This was appalling.
Call it poor planning, poor management, or complete discrimination… this has yet to be determined. What I will say is this: this kind treatment is unacceptable in a family-​oriented city such as Winter Garden, and a restaurant that continues to conduct business in this manner will not be well-​received in our community.
My husband and I will never return to this restaurant and we will urge our friends and neighbors to do the same.

I was introduced to this culinary splendor named alFresco during a video shoot that I was doing with Sysco Central Florida. The head chef, Edwin Martinez, was one of their clients. What I quickly realized was that he had some of the most striking blue eyes I’d ever seen… and one glorious beard… Why is this guy NOT on Food Network?! He played so well on camera that I wondered how well his kitchen skills matched his good looks (Ok, enough of my five-​second man crush…)
Holy cow… my crew and I were treated by Chef Edwin to an off-​the-​menu manchego cheese flatbread with blackened chicken, arugula, and a (for-​the-​life-​of-​me-​I-​cannot-​remember-​what-​kind-​of) fruity glaze… it was incredible! But since we had to share it amongst the four of us, we were left hungry for more food (well played, Chef!!) I ordered the Signature Burger, which is made of beef and chorizo suasage, and came with these marvelously seasoned (flashed) fries. This was honestly one of the best burgers I’ve had. So tender and fresh, with the right amount of kick, and a great balance between the two meats. I was convinced that I’d be back again.
After raving my wife to death about alFresco, we finally found the time last Friday to trek across town and try it out for dinner. Here’s what we had…
— The Spicy Feta Dip… a semi-​hot blend of feta cheese with chunks of olives and grilled pita bread. It was fantastic.
— The Florida Shrimp… made with a garlic and wine glaze. Good overall, plus the presentation was top-​notch. But the taste was not nearly as great as the feta dip.
— The Southern Gentleman… one of their signature cocktails, infusing whiskey with locally-​grown strawberries, mixed with maple syrup and lemon juice. While I do appreciate the creativity, this drink was a little too sweet for me.
— The Chef’s Signature Paella… a ring of juicy mussels surounded a bright and delightful mountain of rice with chorizo chunks, clams, shrimp, and peas. This time the presentation was matched (perhaps even outdone) by the flavor. It was so filling (the 2-​person portion can probably serve 3) that we had to take some home with us.
— The Chocolate Mousse Cake and Sweet Potato Flan… the flan (a brand-​new menu item) was perfect… not too sweet, nor too soft or soggy. The mousse was a bit too heavy for both of us. But A-​HA… double-​dipping these desserts yields an interesting combination, with every bite melting nicely in my mouth (and hers). Go ahead… give it a whirl… I dare ya. ;-)
All in all, we were very pleased with our experience. The menu was moderately priced too (our bill was $ 85). We definitely plan to return soon (would love to give the braised short ribs a try). My advice… if you’re doing Winter Garden, do alFresco, and make sure to thank Chef Edwin and his heavenly eyes for brightening your day (or evening)! ;-)

Thanks to Unilocal,we chose another perfect spot. We ate at the bar, as usual. Bartender, Kelsey, was very helpful and personal. We love her! If we lived her we would come every week.
We chose two dips for our apps. Spicy feta and the hummus. Comes with toasted pita. If you love feta get this dip. After that, we tried two of the soups. The house Chicken, Lemon, and Rice was great. Again, if you love lemon try it.
Then comes the burgers. We had the signature burger and the Greek burger. The signature burger has chorizo ground into it w a red pepper ranch spread. Check out my pics. Food was amazing!!! I need a nap after this one.
All food is cooked to order, lots of local products, no freezer in the kitchen so everything is very fresh. They close down for a couple hours between lunch and dinner to prepare for dinner. Service and staff amazing. So happy with this place. A must go!