22 Best Places to Eat In Orlando for Families (Updated 2024)
Searching for the best places to eat in Orlando as a family? I’ve been to Orlando more than ten times, as such, I’ve eaten in many restaurants across the city and wanted to share my favourites.
Not got the time to look through the entire list? No problem. Here are my three favourite restaurants in Orlando for families.
BEST THEMED RESTAURANT
American Girl Bistro
Situated inside the Florida Mall, the American Girl Bistro is a themed restaurant where you can dine with your American Girl doll.
If you don’t have an American Girl doll don’t worry as the store will let you borrow one during your dining experience.
BEST RESTAURANT AT DISNEY SPRINGS
T-Rex Café
The T-Rex Café is a must-visit restaurant for kids who love dinosaurs. This restaurant is located in Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort.
BEST RESTAURANT AT UNIVERSAL CITYWALK
Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savoury Feast Kitchen
This fun steampunk-themed restaurant serves delicious savoury meals and incredible desserts.
Not convinced by my top three picks? Having visited Orlando more than ten times in the past decade, I know all of the best places for families to eat in Orlando.
1. American Girl Bistro
📍 Location: Florida Mall
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: American Girl
Inside the American Girl store in the Florida Mall, you’ll find the American Girl Bistro. This is the best-themed restaurant in Orlando. Here, children can dine with their dolls in a unique dining experience.
Meals served at the American Girl Bistro include:
- Afternoon Tea
- Build-Your-Own Burgers
- Family Sized Pizzas
You can bring your own American Girl doll to dine with you at the American Girl Bistro. Alternatively, the restaurant has dolls you can borrow to dine with you during your visit.
2. T-Rex Café
📍 Location: Disney Springs
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Dinosaurs
T-Rex Café is the best family restaurant in Disney Springs. Here, you’ll find animatronic dinosaurs, mammoths and even a simulated meteor shower.
Plus, as you wait for the food to arrive, kids can have fun digging around for precious stones and hidden bones in the Paleo zone or even Build-A-Dino.
3. The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
📍 Location: Universal CityWalk
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Steampunk
The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen is the best place to eat at Universal CityWalk.
Don’t let the name put you off visiting this steampunk-inspired restaurant, as its menu is filled with delicious savoury dishes. However, save room for dessert, as its over-the-top milkshakes and sharable sweet feasts are incredible.
4. Sugar Factory
📍 Location: ICON Park
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Sweets
The Sugar Factory rose to fame with visits from celebrities including Kylie Jenner, Drake, Logan Paul, Adam Sandler, and more.
The restaurant is best known for its over-the-top desserts and colourful cocktails. But it also offers an extensive savoury menu, including burgers, sandwiches, and salads.
5. Rainforest Café
📍 Location: Disney Springs
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Jungle
Rainforest Cafe is one of the most popular family restaurants in Orlando. There are two restaurants in Orlando, one just outside the Animal Kingdom theme park and another at Disney Springs.
This restaurant is set in an Amazon Rainforest, complete with animatronic animals. Meanwhile, the food menu includes a delicious range of American Italian dishes.
6. Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
📍 Location: International Drive
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Medieval
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament is a two-hour dinner show set in Medieval Spain. If you want to combine live entertainment with a delicious feast, this is the place!
Both food and drink are included with the price of admission. This includes a feast of garlic bread, tomato bisque soup, and roasted chicken, as well as coffee and soft drinks.
7. Hot Dog Hall of Fame
📍 Location: Universal CityWalk
🍴 Cuisine: Hot Dogs
🤹♀️ Theme: Baseball
The Hot Dog Hall of Fame is an excellent quick-service casual restaurant at Universal CityWalk. This restaurant serves delicious hot dogs inspired by America’s most iconic ballparks at a very affordable price.
8. Chef Mickey’s
📍 Location: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Mickey Mouse
Chef Mickey’s is a great place to eat if your kids are into Disney, as this restaurant combines character meet-and-greets with a buffet.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served here, and kids under three eat free. However, it’s very popular, so you’ll want to book at least 30 days in advance.
9. Ford’s Garage
📍 Location: Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Ford Cars
Ford’s Garage was inspired by Henry Ford’s passion for cars. As such, the restaurant features a range of vintage car decor and memorabilia.
The atmosphere isn’t the only thing that makes Ford’s Garage a great place to eat, as the modern twist on American classics here makes it a tasty one, too!
10. NYPD Pizza
📍 Location: Metro West, Hunters Creek, Lake Cay
🍴 Cuisine: Pizza
🤹♀️ Theme: New York Pizza Department
NYPD Pizza is a great spot for authentic New York-style pizza in Orlando. Founded in 1996, NYPD Pizza has three stores in the city, all serving freshly made pizza, garlic knots, wings, meatballs, and cannoli.
11. Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food
📍 Location: Universal CityWalk
🍴 Cuisine: Mexican
🤹♀️ Theme: Mexico
Antojitos is an authentic Mexican restaurant serving up delicious tacos and burritos. Although its theming isn’t as heavy as others, Antojitos does have a four-sided VW bus bar, an open kitchen, and a live Mariachi band.
12. Sanaa
📍 Location: Kidani Village, Animal Kingdom Lodge
🍴 Cuisine: Indian-African
🤹♀️ Theme: African
Sanaa is my favourite restaurant at Walt Disney World. Located in Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge, this restaurant overlooks the animals in the savanna.
However, it’s more than the location of Saana that makes it great, as the Indian-African is some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Reservations here are hard to come by, so be sure to book in advance.
13. Hash House A Go Go
📍 Location: International Drive
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Midwest Farming
Hash House A Go Go is one of Orlando’s most popular budget restaurants. Here, you’ll find Midwest-inspired food, including egg scramble, waffles, shrimp scampi and more.
14. IHOP
📍 Location: International Drive & Windhover
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: American
IHOP doesn’t need much of an introduction. This family-friendly pancake house has served Americans for 80 years and has three locations in Orlando.
The best part of visiting IHOP is that you know exactly what to expect, which is perfect for fussy eaters. The extensive menu at IHOP includes pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, burgers, and steaks.
15. Mythos
📍 Location: Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando Resort
🍴 Cuisine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Mythic
Mythos Restaurant is the best family restaurant at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. This is one of the few full-service restaurants inside the theme park and has won several awards.
The menu at Mythos is a fusion of Mediterranean, Asian, and American fare, including Beef Loin, Pad Thai and Souvlaki Couscous.
16. The Cheesecake Factory
📍 Location: Mall at Millenia & Vineland Pointe
🍴 Cusine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: American
The Cheesecake Factory is another familiar, casual restaurant in Orlando. Several stores across the city all serve an extensive menu of salads, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, and pasta dishes.
17. Olive Garden
📍 Location: International Drive, Vineland, Sky Lake & Millenia
🍴 Cusine: Italian
🤹♀️ Theme: Italian
Olive Garden is a casual Italian restaurant with several locations in Orlando. Menu items include shrimp alfredo, ravioli carbonara, and herb-grilled salmon. There’s also a kids menu for children under 12.
18. Bread Box
📍 Location: Universal CityWalk
🍴 Cusine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: None
Bread Box is a casual, quick-service restaurant at Universal CityWalk. Here, you’ll find handcrafted sandwiches, salads, soups and milkshakes that are all great value for money.
19. Earl of Sandwich
📍 Location: Disney Springs
🍴 Cusine: Sandwiches
🤹♀️ Theme: None
The casual restaurant Earl of Sandwich needs no introduction. This place is one of the cheapest places to eat at Disney Springs and offers a range of sandwiches, wraps and salads.
20. Shake Shack
📍 Location: International Drive, Florida Mall & Mall at Millenia
🍴 Cusine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: None
Shake Shack is a famous American fast-food restaurant that needs no introduction. There are several Shake Shacks in Orlando, all serving delicious burgers, fries and milkshakes.
21. Dave & Busters
📍 Location: International Drive
🍴 Cusine: American
🤹♀️ Theme: Video Games / Arcade
Dave & Buster’s is one of the best places to visit in Orlando with teens. This fun-filled entertainment venue offers thrilling games alongside a full-service restaurant & bar.
Popular dishes here include burgers and pizzas. However, I’d come here with the games in mind, not the food. That’s not to say it’s not delicious; instead, it’s just a small part of the Dave & Buster’s experience.
22. Leaky Cauldron
📍 Location: Universal Studios Florida, Universal Orlando Resort
🍴 Cusine: British
🤹♀️ Theme: Harry Potter
The Leaky Cauldron is one of the best places to eat at Universal Orlando. Located inside Diagon Alley, this Harry Potter inspired restaurant serves a range of British cuisine. Popular dishes include Fish & Chips, Bangers & Mash and Butterbeer.
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