Raglan Road at Downtown Disney

Raglan Road is the premier Irish restaurant and pub in Downtown Disney.  Featuring the culinary works of famed Irish chef, Kevin Dundon, Raglan Road is the 5-star Irish experience this side of the Atlantic.

Starting March 8-10 and March 14-17, Raglan Road begins the celebration of St. Patrick's Day with it's usual fine dining and fantastic drink choices coupled with some great entertainment.  Beginning at 6:00pm on select nights, Raglan Road will feature such acts as The Willis Clan, Nova Celtic, Celtic Wave, and the ever-popular Raglan Road Irish Dancers.

Access on most nights is a small charge of $5 each and on the 17th the cover will be $10 each.  Come and enjoy the best Ireland has to offer, have a superb dinner, and revel in Irish culture through music and dancing,. Have a Guinness at the 135 year old bars and make some friends.  Make sure you wear your green.  No orange allowed!!

Reservations can be made at 1-407-938-0300.  Enjoy.

Meg O'Malley's Irish Pub - Downtown Melbourne Florida

Meg O'Malley's Irish Pub & Grill is s typical Irish pub. Located in the downtown shopping area on Strawbridge Avenue, Meg's has for years been a wonderful place to hang around, have some drinks, make friends, and enjoy some great food.

Good luck finding a seat at the bar any day of the week but there is plenty of sating in the dining room.  The wait staff is very pleasant and the service is excellent.  Enjoy some Irish food such as shepherd's pie, (my favorite), or Irish stew.  They also have a very good selection of appetizers, one of which is Irish sausage wrapped in dough.  They also have burgers and standard food for the kids.

Any given night they have Irish music and sing-a-longs.  The atmosphere is lively but not obnoxious.  Any time we go there we always enjoy the food and the clientele is what we like, folks who like to have a good time but not to get too rowdy.  Meg's has various celebrations through the year but, if you want to go there for St. Patrick's Day, buy tickets and be prepared for a crowd!

Nolan's Irish Pub - Cocoa Beach Florida

If you're in Orlando on vacation and head east toward the beaches I recommend stopping for a drink and a bite at Nolan's Irish Pub in Cocoa Beach.  A half block from the ocean, Nolan's is an authentic Irish pub run by your charming hosts, John and Mary Nolan.

As you enter, the bar is to your left adjoining a sitting nook compete with bookshelves, couches, and a fireplace.  Tables are plentiful and there's a bar seating where you can eat and watch the entertainment.  The place is loaded with photos, memorabilia, and autographs, some of which are very old.  I noticed an autographed picture of Eamon De Valera probably in his last years in office.

The menu is not too varied but that's typical for pub fare.  We had Guinness stew, Reuben sandwiches, shepherd's pie, and grilled ham & cheese.  All were very good and served by a charming waitress who was quite affable.  They made us feel quite at home for first time visitors and the place had a relaxed atmosphere but not sleepy.  The patrons were engaged in good conversation but not a rowdy crowd.  We had our teenagers with us and they were quite welcome.

Irish singer Cahir O'Doherty, was there to play at 8:00pm but, although we love his performances, we didn't stay to hear him this time.

The experience was well worth it for my family.  I give the place an "A".  It was clean, well-attended, friendly and clean.  The food, although not a vast menu, was delicious and well-prepared. Prices are what a family can afford.  We didn't drink but the bar was beautiful and had three bartenders working it so service was great.  Altogether, a great experience and I recommend it highly.  A place like this is good for the soul!

Raglan Road Irish Restaurant - Downtown Disney

My son and I went to Raglan Road again Saturday night.  We haven't been there in a few months but we were very pleased.  Our waiter was Vinny.  He looked out of place but was quick to tell us he was half  Irish with a grandmother who came from Cork.  He was a good man - gave us exceptional service with some great "Irish-Italian" personality.

We started with an appetizer of breaded skewered sausages ($11).  Haven't tried them before but will certainly have them again. They come on upturned forks , 9 of them, and a semi-spicy sauce.  They also serve a generous portion of soda bread with a honey and oil dipping plate.  Very good.  Ryan had a cheeseburger with chips ($15) and I had Bangers and Booz ($18).  Never tried it before but it was quite good.  Bangers and mash they call it in the old country with a serving of stew on the corner and a suggestion of rosemary. I really liked it found it to be as close to authentic as I've ever had in the States.  I took a picture of my plate to the annoyance of those seated around me.

I got the photos a little out of sync but the picture above shows the Irish dancers stepping.  We usually don't go in the evening but this day we did.  After hours, say 7:00 pm, there is entertainment in the form of dancing, singing, or a 3 piece band singing old and new Irish tunes. The atmosphere is one of "we're all here - let's enjoy this life".  Everybody loves the setting in an Irish Pub.  I give the place an "A".  I didn't add the plus because my seat was very uncomfortable.  Ever sit on a bench and there's an uneven board up your behind?  They must know this but plop you there anyway.  Oh, well.  Everything else was fine so I just sat there.  If you visit try Raglan Road.  I hope you find me telling you the truth!  Thanks again for reading.  More to come.

Hard Rock Cafe Universal Studios Orlando

When you go to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure one stop you really want to make is the Hard Rock Cafe.  If you're even remotely in to music this is the best place to visit other than the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  One step inside and you instantly feel the energy and adrenalin that permeates the rock universe.  Hard Rock is an "in your face" dining experience that the whole family will enjoy.  Whenever we go to Universal Studios we eat there more than any other of the fabulous restaurants.

Hard Rock has a commanding presence on the walkway between Universal and Islands of Adventure.  It overlooks the river that runs right down the middle of the vast Universal complex.  As you approach you're immediately attracted to the Roman Coliseum architecture with a pink Cadillac jammed right into the side of it.  When you enter you are greeted by one of the finest serving staffs I've ever encountered.  My family and I have been there dozens of times in recent years and the staff is always friendly and high speed.  Rock music is always playing and the atmosphere is vibrant without being oppressive.  The cafe is more like a museum with hundreds of pieces of rock memorabilia prominently displayed on the walls and ceilings.  The kids will love it and so will the parents.  There is an interactive wall on one side of the main bar where children of all ages can touch images and learn rock facts all night. 

There is a round full service bar in the middle of the cafe with a mezzanine floor accessible by stairs or elevator.  You can browse and wander all you like before, during, or after your meal.  High-Def TVs's are everywhere broadcasting various concerts by all the legendary bands.  We never have to wait long to be seated and are always greeted by a wait staff who always seems glad to be serving.  Either they hire real happy people or have a super training program (or both). 

The menu is large and varied.  You can choose from a full page of appetizers if you're in to that.  We have settled on the Hard Rock Nachos that come loaded with everything and you can also add meat, chicken, or pulled pork.  It's not a light dish so only order it if you think the whole family will eat it.  If you can't finish it take it back to your room.  (Note: Only the restaurants on City Walk let you take doggie bags.  The restaurants inside the parks don't allow it)  The menu has entrees, burgers, smokehouse, and sandwiches.  They also have sandwiches and salads with a few vegan ideas mixed in.  As a family we usually steer away from the entrees because they can get pricey when you're on a vacation budget but we always have tremendous burgers and there's a full kids menu to include the classic hot dog plate for the kid who eats nothing else!  When we go, if we avoid the high end platters and get an appetizer with nothing from the bar, our tab comes to about $75.00-$95.00. Not a cheap ticket for some families but if you figure in the convenience, experience, and not driving out in a town you don't know, looking for something you have no idea what, it's worth the lack of stress for Mom, Dad, and the kids.  I'm still looking for one of the photos I have of Hard Rock but if you go to their website  http://www.hardrock.com/ or www.universalstudios/citywalk you can take the 360 degree virtual tour and see if it doesn't look like what I'm describing. 

Our experiences there have always been fun and eating at Hard Rock Orlando is an outing by itself.  Think of us when you go there and let me know if your time there wasn't just superb!  Thanks for reading and more to come.....

Raglan Road Irish Restaurant at Disney Village Orlando

My son and I went to Disney Village today for a guy day.  We went to dinner at a fantastic Irish Restaurant called Raglan Road that has an authentic an authentic Irish theme.   If you're ever there it's definitely worth checking out.  A good idea up front is to make reservations if you are a routine diner and want to seat at a particular time but they also have walk in seats at the bar and around the dining room.  The atmosphere is certainly authentic and the bars,  there are two of them, are over 130 years old so some good drinking has gone on there.  The place is aesthetically beautiful with Irish design and memorabilia but not so much that it looks tacky.  We checked in and were seated in a decent amount of time.  Our waiter, Allen, was as good as they come.  His appearance and manners were good along with impeccable timing.  He took care of everything in a highly efficient manner but didn't hover.  He was genuine, not canned or rushed, a real pro.  Raglan Road has a wide variety of appetizers and full liquor bars.  We didn't drink but dinner was perfect.  I had smoked salmon with mashed potatoes and Ryan had the cheeseburger with fries that earned a "thumbs up".   The plates are delivered in a gourmet fashion.  Dinner prices are between $15.00 and $28.00 so, if you're visiting I might recommend the Disney Dining Plan which we don't use since we're local.  We've dined there several times over the last few years and have never had a manager stop by our table, however, they are highly visible throughout the establishment.  The restaurant has live entertainment nightly at 7:00pm with Irish music and dancing.  The experience overall is wonderful and, being Irish, especially meaningful for me.  If you don't want full fare or just looking for lunch then Cooke's of Dublin is just around the corner.  It's standard - no frills fish-n-chips and I believe they also have a chicken finger basket for kids.  There are two outside "street corner" pavilions where you can eat or drink and there is music everywhere.  Wrought iron gates and a lot of green in the decor give it an O'Connell Street look which is hard to achieve here in the subtropics but they did a great job.  Don't forget the gift shop!  If you want a great dinner experience with quality of fair and atmosphere you must give it a try.  Raglan Road won't disappoint you.