House of Blues - Orlando

House of Blues, Orlando, is a place where you can see top quality entertainment and enjoy a good meal.  Good name acts like Tesla, Cinderella, and Guns and Roses, have played on stage recently.  The inside is like an old time saloon, lots of wood, stairs, 2 bars, and a mezzanine with benches for those who don't want to stand at stage side (like me). I believe it only holds about 1500 people and tickets are general admission.  The good part is the tickets are reasonable (usually $45-$90/each), but if you don't like standing with the rest of the herd it may not be for you.  I prefer seating but I'll stand in a mob to see the artists from 10 feet away.

If you aren't somebody who likes concerts but enjoy good food try Cross Roads at  House of Blues, an award winning restaurant championed by world-class chef Aaron Sanchez.  He perfected dishes like Voodoo Shrimp and Jambalaya.

They also create a New York Strip steak and they have great burgers.  So, visit the House of Blues for whatever reason.  They are located at the west end of Downtown Disney right across from Cirque de Soleil. If you're not sure when you get there, look for the Big Top and the Water Tower.  You'll be glad you did.  Thanks again for reading.

Crossroads at House of Blues Orlando - Downtown Disney

Another great place to eat is the Crossroads at the House of Blues in Orlando.  Although every one's heard of HOB not everyone knows there is also an award-winning restaurant attached.  If you want to do dinner and a show without going broke this is worth looking into.

The menu is a mix of grill and New Orleans style casual dining.  Chef Aaron Sanchez has a great lineup of spicy, mild, and barbecue that will please most anybody.  The House of Blues is set up for the greatest in customer service.  You can go to the website and make dinner and concert reservations in the same transaction.  Another perk is that with dinner on concert night your party gets early entrance to the same day show.  This is great since most concerts are general admission and you can get right to the stage.

I cut off the menu on the left but most of it's still readable.  The variety is impressive with plenty of starters and some southern favorites like shrimp with grits and lobster mac.  I always go for the jambalaya but you can get a great steak or just sandwiches if you like. I also recommend the voodoo shrimp.  Nobody cooks like Cajuns!

I give it an overall "A" for location, service, food quality, and atmosphere.  The prices are good and you don't have to spend a fortune for a great night on the town.  The convenience of planning your evening is A+ all the way.  They really do it all for you.  Enjoy.

TESLA Concert 2/23/12 House of Blues Orlando

House of Blues, Orlando - Tesla Concert

On Thursday the 23rd I took my middle son to his first rock concert at the House of Blues in Orlando.  He is an accomplished guitarist and clarinet player and he loves all the old time rock bands that I grew up on.  We saw Tesla who I saw in 2005 in Tampa when they headlined for Def Leppard.  They billed it as an acoustic show and they are a great instrumental band but they play and sing equally in my opinion.  Their opening act was a band called "Built By Stereo".  They're some young guys from Sacramento who are on the way up.