Yellow Dog Eats

1236 Hempel Avenue, Windermere, FL - (407) 296-0609

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Posted By Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch on 1/14/2013 2:40:00 PM

Since it’s home to the biggest commercial theme parks in the country, no one would think that Orlando might have an incredible Roadfood presence. Its greater metropolitan area boasts over two million people, with strip mall after strip mall of chain restaurants dominating the landscape. But there are indeed worthwhile local eateries if the intrepid traveler does a little digging. Thanks to RF moderator Tony Bad, we didn’t have to do much research to understand that he, armed with a list of potential O-Town stops, went back to Yellow Dog Eats four times on a recent trip!

Housed in a century-old general store in a largely residential area in the Gotha neighborhood of Windermere, Yellow Dog Eats is an amazing find, with creative sandwiches, BBQ and homemade desserts featured prominently on the menu. We were immediately drawn to the Florida Cracker: house pulled pork served on Sunbeam white bread with coleslaw, Gouda cheese, bacon, pickles and French fried onions. But cheese on pulled pork? With that heinous thought aside, this sandwich was amazingly delicious, with the pork, bacon, tangy sauce, and fabulous cole slaw reaching optimal flavor equilibrium — and reinforcing a truly textural bonanza on the palate.

The Holy Crap (honey mesquite turkey, red onions, avocado, goat cheese and basil mayo on grilled multi-grain bread) had us muttering just that, due to the freshness of the meat, veggies, and housemade condiments. Our friends loved the Classic Mexican Mutt (Southwestern chipotle wrap with oven-roasted potatoes, black bean spread, shredded lettuce, local tomatoes, homemade chunky salsa, caramelized onions, cilantro sour cream and a gourmet three-cheese blend), and all of us quickly realized that we couldn’t finish these large portions.

After one glance at the dessert case, we couldn’t resist taking them to eat later, and the butterscotch brownie sandwich with mocha frosting was divine later in the day. The Yellow Dog menu is such that when your eyes are reading each description, your brain is already calculating how many meals you have left on your trip—and how many menu items you can try before you leave. This casual suburban bistro is truly a Roadfood gem and a must-stop while in Orlando. Yellow Dog is open every day from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Scorecard

Overall: One of the Best - Worth a Trip

Florida Cracker	Brownie Sandwich
Holy Crap	Classic Mexican Mutt

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"Though we refuse to even think about putting cheese on pulled pork, the Florida Cracker blew our socks off with tender meat, bacon, Gouda, pickles, and really wonderful cole slaw."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"The grilled Holy Crap (conclusively named after the exclamation of tastebud glee after your first bite) is another example of freshness of ingredients, tasty combinations, and the textural counterpoints of crunch and softness."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"The Classic Mexican Mutt is a meatless burrito with black beans, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, homemade salsa and veggies."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"This butterscotch brownie sandwich with mocha icing is a phenomenal dessert and certainly big enough to share."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"The décor of Yellow Dog Eats is anything but ordinary, and this whimsical chandelier is one of the many eclectic items found inside the restaurant."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"Yellow Dog Eats is a must-stop for visitors to Orlando…for multiple meals."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch