Orlando's best restaurants of 2021, as chosen by our readers

Even in a year as weird as this last one, the fact remains: you gotta eat. Luckily, Orlando has plenty of stellar places to chow down in the strangest of times. Weekly readers have spent the past several months letting us know what their favorite restaurants are and the result is an overview of the best culinary options that the city has to offer.

Here you'll find star chefs, coffee spots, theme park snacks, buzzy food trucks and plenty of old favorites. Every choice was picked by our readers, who came out in swarms to support their faves.

 

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Best Local Chef
First: Henry Moso, Kabooki Sushi, kabookisushi.com
Second: Wendy Lopez, Reyes Mezcaleria, reyesmex.com
Third: Jason Campbell, Luke's Kitchen and Bar, eatatlukes.com
Photo courtesy of Kabooki Sushi

Best Local Chef

First: Henry Moso, Kabooki Sushi, kabookisushi.com

Second: Wendy Lopez, Reyes Mezcaleria, reyesmex.com

Third: Jason Campbell, Luke's Kitchen and Bar, eatatlukes.com

Photo courtesy of Kabooki Sushi

Best Curbside Service
First: 4 Rivers Smokehouse, 4rsmokehouse.com
Second: Tijuana Flats, tijuanaflats.com
Third: Hawkers, eathawkers.com
Photo courtesy of 4 Rivers.

Best Curbside Service

First: 4 Rivers Smokehouse, 4rsmokehouse.com

Second: Tijuana Flats, tijuanaflats.com

Third: Hawkers, eathawkers.com

Photo courtesy of 4 Rivers.

Best Breakfast
First: Se7en Bites, se7enbites.com
Second: The Briarpatch, thebriarpatchrestaurant.com
Third: First Watch, firstwatch.com
Photo by James Dechert

Best Breakfast

First: Se7en Bites, se7enbites.com

Second: The Briarpatch, thebriarpatchrestaurant.com

Third: First Watch, firstwatch.com

Photo by James Dechert

Best Brunch
First: Santiago's Bodega, santiagosbodega.com
Second: Maxine's on Shine, maxinesonshine.com
Third: Briarpatch, thebriarpatchrestaurant.com
Photo by Savannah Herring

Best Brunch

First: Santiago's Bodega, santiagosbodega.com

Second: Maxine's on Shine, maxinesonshine.com

Third: Briarpatch, thebriarpatchrestaurant.com

Photo by Savannah Herring

Best Lunch
First: Yellow Dog Eats, yellowdogeats.com
Second: Beefy King, beefyking.com
Third: Black Bean Deli, blackbeandeli.com
Photo via Yellow Dog Eats/Facebook

Best Lunch

First: Yellow Dog Eats, yellowdogeats.com

Second: Beefy King, beefyking.com

Third: Black Bean Deli, blackbeandeli.com

Photo via Yellow Dog Eats/Facebook


Best Date Restaurant
First: Hillstone, hillstonerestaurant.com
Second: Better Than Sex, betterthansexdesserts.com
Third: Prato, prato-wp.com
Photo via Hillstone/Facebook

Best Date Restaurant

First: Hillstone, hillstonerestaurant.com

Second: Better Than Sex, betterthansexdesserts.com

Third: Prato, prato-wp.com

Photo via Hillstone/Facebook

Best Cheap Eats
First: Gringos Locos, gringoslocos.com
Second: Beefy King, beefyking.com
Third: Lazy Moon, lazymoonpizza.com
Photo via Gringos Locos/Facebook

Best Cheap Eats

First: Gringos Locos, gringoslocos.com

Second: Beefy King, beefyking.com

Third: Lazy Moon, lazymoonpizza.com

Photo via Gringos Locos/Facebook

Best Outdoor Dining
First: Hillstone, hillstonerestaurant.com
Second: Grills Lakeside, grillsseafood.com
Third: Ravenous Pig, theravenouspig.com
Photo via Hillstone

Best Outdoor Dining

First: Hillstone, hillstonerestaurant.com

Second: Grills Lakeside, grillsseafood.com

Third: Ravenous Pig, theravenouspig.com

Photo via Hillstone

Best Late-Night Restaurant
(serving after 11 p.m.)
First: Gringos Locos, gringoslocos.com
Second: Pom Pom's Teahouse & Sandwicheria, pompomsteahouse.com
Third: Lazy Moon, lazymoonpizza.com
Photo via Gringos Locos/Facebook

Best Late-Night Restaurant (serving after 11 p.m.)

First: Gringos Locos, gringoslocos.com

Second: Pom Pom's Teahouse & Sandwicheria, pompomsteahouse.com

Third: Lazy Moon, lazymoonpizza.com

Photo via Gringos Locos/Facebook

Best Splurge Restaurant 
First: Hillstone, hillstonerestaurant.com
Second: Christner's Prime Steak & Lobster, christnersprimesteakandlobster.com
Third: Kabooki Sushi, kabookisushi.com
Photo via Hillstone/Facebook

Best Splurge Restaurant

First: Hillstone, hillstonerestaurant.com

Second: Christner's Prime Steak & Lobster, christnersprimesteakandlobster.com

Third: Kabooki Sushi, kabookisushi.com

Photo via Hillstone/Facebook


Best Place to Eat Gluten-free
First: Ethos Vegan Kitchen, ethosvegankitchen.com
Second: Hungry Pants, eathungrypants.com
Third: Bolay, bolay.com
Photo by Rob Bartlett

Best Place to Eat Gluten-free

First: Ethos Vegan Kitchen, ethosvegankitchen.com

Second: Hungry Pants, eathungrypants.com

Third: Bolay, bolay.com

Photo by Rob Bartlett


Best Bakery
First: Gideon's Bakehouse, gideonsbakehouse.com
Second: The Glass Knife, theglassknife.com
Third: Se7en Bites, se7enbites.com
Photo by Sierra Williams

Best Bakery

First: Gideon's Bakehouse, gideonsbakehouse.com

Second: The Glass Knife, theglassknife.com

Third: Se7en Bites, se7enbites.com

Photo by Sierra Williams


Best Barbecue Restaurant 
First: 4 Rivers Smokehouse, 4rsmokehouse.com
Second: Pig Floyd's Urban Barbakoa, pigfloyds.com
Third: Yellow Dog Eats, yellowdogeats.com
Photo via 4 Rivers

Best Barbecue Restaurant

First: 4 Rivers Smokehouse, 4rsmokehouse.com

Second: Pig Floyd's Urban Barbakoa, pigfloyds.com

Third: Yellow Dog Eats, yellowdogeats.com

Photo via 4 Rivers

Best Caribbean Restaurant
First: Black Bean Deli, blackbeandeli.com
Second: Bahama Breeze, bahamabreeze.com
Third: DaJen Eats, dajeneats.com
Photo via Black Bean Deli/Facebook

Best Caribbean Restaurant

First: Black Bean Deli, blackbeandeli.com

Second: Bahama Breeze, bahamabreeze.com

Third: DaJen Eats, dajeneats.com

Photo via Black Bean Deli/Facebook


Best Chinese Restaurant
First: Hawkers Asian Street Food, eathawkers.com
Second: Peter's Kitchen China Bistro, peterskitchencb.business.site
Third: Chuan Lu Garden, chuanlugardenfl.com
Photo courtesy of Hawkers

Best Chinese Restaurant

First: Hawkers Asian Street Food, eathawkers.com

Second: Peter's Kitchen China Bistro, peterskitchencb.business.site

Third: Chuan Lu Garden, chuanlugardenfl.com

Photo courtesy of Hawkers


Best Coffee Bar
First: Foxtail Coffee Co., foxtailcoffee.com
Second: Drunken Monkey, drunkenmonkeycoffee.com
Third: Lineage Coffee Roasting, lineageroasting.com
Photo courtesy of Foxtail

Best Coffee Bar

First: Foxtail Coffee Co., foxtailcoffee.com

Second: Drunken Monkey, drunkenmonkeycoffee.com

Third: Lineage Coffee Roasting, lineageroasting.com

Photo courtesy of Foxtail


Best Diner
First: Metro Diner, metrodiner.com
Second: Christo's Café, facebook.com/christoscafeorlando
Third: Linda's Winter Park Diner, winterparkdiner.com
Photo via Metro Diner/Facebook

Best Diner

First: Metro Diner, metrodiner.com

Second: Christo's Café, facebook.com/christoscafeorlando

Third: Linda's Winter Park Diner, winterparkdiner.com

Photo via Metro Diner/Facebook


Best Food Truck
First: Chicken Fire, facebook.com/eatchickenfire
Second: Korean BBQ Taco Box, facebook.com/kbbqbox
Third: Smoke & Donuts, smokeanddonuts.com
Photo by Rob Bartlett

Best Food Truck

First: Chicken Fire, facebook.com/eatchickenfire

Second: Korean BBQ Taco Box, facebook.com/kbbqbox

Third: Smoke & Donuts, smokeanddonuts.com

Photo by Rob Bartlett


Best French Restaurant
First: Le Coq Au Vin, lecoqauvinrestaurant.com
Second: Chez Vincent, chezvincent.com
Third: DoveCote, dovecoteorlando.com
Photo by Rob Bartlett

Best French Restaurant

First: Le Coq Au Vin, lecoqauvinrestaurant.com

Second: Chez Vincent, chezvincent.com

Third: DoveCote, dovecoteorlando.com

Photo by Rob Bartlett


Best Greek Restaurant
First: Little Greek Fresh Grill, littlegreekfreshgrill.com
Second: The Greek Corner, thegreekcorner.net
Third: Mediterranean Blue, mediterraneanblue.net
Photo via Little Greek Fresh Grill/Facebook

Best Greek Restaurant

First: Little Greek Fresh Grill, littlegreekfreshgrill.com

Second: The Greek Corner, thegreekcorner.net

Third: Mediterranean Blue, mediterraneanblue.net

Photo via Little Greek Fresh Grill/Facebook

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