Memorable | One of the Best
Yellow Dog Eats
Review by: ayersian
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.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $$ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch, Dinner, Dessert |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | Yes |
What To Eat
Yellow Dog Eats Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Yellow Dog Eats?
2 Responses to “Yellow Dog Eats”
Steven Barrett
June 16th, 2013
Charming atmosphere in a funky, hipster-chic kind of way, with mismatched furniture and decorations from many eras. I had the “Holy Crap” sandwich, which was very good. The ingredients were fresh and of high quality, especially the bacon and the perfectly ripe avocado. It was accompanied by a bag of good potato chips and a condiment-size cup of cole slaw. Service was reasonably quick and appropriately casual. I was a bit disappointed at the size of the sandwich; for what they charged, it wasn’t a great value.
Chris Ollendorf
April 21st, 2013
Yellow Dog Eats is one of the best hidden places you will ever find. I found Chef Fish and his wonderful eatery due to word of mouth. It’s located in a small town called Gotha, in an old general store that he bought and redid to house his restaurant.
He has many great dishes but I always seem to get his BBQ pork sandwiches. I have tried his Fire Pig, which is a pulled pork wrap with applewood-smoked bacon, Gouda cheese, coleslaw, and sriracha topped with citrus BBQ sauce and fried onions. It’s excellent! I have also tried the Blue Suede Shoes, which is pulled pork topped with blue cheese, bacon, scallions, and red onions, all on a soft bun; delicious.
But the main reason I go, and the thing I eat about 90% of the time, is The Rufus. This sandwich is a monster! It’s pulled pork topped with brie cheese, cherry ring peppers, and raspberry melba sauce. But you can also get it “frisky”-style, which adds shoestring potatoes, fried onions, and smoked applewood bacon. Holy moly, this has to be the best BBQ I have ever had. I always like BBQ places, and we have plenty in the area, but this is gourmet BBQ.
The desserts are just as wonderful so, IF you have room, enjoy a brownie or cupcake.
If Chef Fish is there (which is most of the time) he will come over, say hello, and thank you for being there. He is a super-nice guy and we do all we can to support him and this wonderful place. Next time you are in the Orlando area visiting a certain mouse, take a few hours to visit Yellow Dog Eats. It just might be the best part of your whole vacation!