Of all the locations I have visited since I started this blog, this location is easily the friendliest for the locals. It was a pain to find, a pain to get to, and was embedded nicely in the center of a beautiful neighborhood that looks (and feels like) is miles upon miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city—when its actually right next door. This building was made purely for the surrounding neighbors, not to attract outside visitors. I almost felt like an outsider finding the spot and occupying one of its half-dozen parking spaces. 903 Mills Market has been part of Orlando since 2003, but the building has stood around since 1903, carrying a heavy history amongst the locals.
I mention the difficulty of finding the spot because Downtown Orlando’s notorious assortment of one-way streets and constant construction within them. As you can tell, I am not the biggest fan of the Downtown area when compared to the southern end of Orlando---which features the edges of Kissimmee, Sea World, International Drive, and the Disney area. I had to rely on a guess-and-check method and weaving in-and-out of the Downtown area in order to find this spot. A bit irritating, but I am sure this is beneficial to the locals, as they don’t want too many people finding this place and realizing its worth. Le Tub in Hollywood, Florida suffered this fate after a popular magazine announced that it has the best cheeseburger in the country—resulting in visitors traveling from around the United States and forcing 2-hour waits to get their meals.
903 Mills Market is in a beautiful location. The neighborhood is gorgeous, as it has nice houses, and visually delightful lakes. The local scene contained a bit of eye candy, which is always an added plus. Dogs are allowed in the outdoor area, just not inside the building. Inside the restaurant is where you order, and you get to se its extensive lineup of alcohol. In a mature manner, they present the variety of wines that they offer as well as a few options of beer. The other coolers contain a great variety of drinks, ranging from your typical sodas to healthier options, to the classic Yoo-Hoo. The menu itself is quite extensive, as they offer breakfast as well as lunch, and over 60 items.
It was quite difficult selecting just one sandwich, so I decided my luck on two of them. I ordered the Grateful Bread, which was their most popular item. This sandwich is the handheld version of Thanksgiving, as it offers turkey, cranberry mayonnaise, bleu cheese stuffing, and red onion. That is all on wheat bread. The other item I ordered was the 903 Club, simply because I am such a big fan of sourdough bread (Why Burger King, why did you get rid of that burger?). The 903 Club features ham, turkey, bacon, swiss, lettuce, and tomato on good ol’ sourdough bread. Both sandwiches cost $6.89 each, excluding the sides.
Michael and Josh ordered the same sandwich, which was the Roger Dodger ($6.89). The Roger Dodger consists of roast and corned beef mixed with swiss cheese and thousand-island dressing; topped off with lettuce and tomato. The other sandwiches that sounded awesome included the Crazy Bird, the Italian, and the Tuna Salad Chocky. We sit outside, and were greeted by bees. They seem to like the food too. After about seven minutes of waiting, we all receive our sandwiches.
The Grateful Bread was spectacular by all means. I did not have onions on mine, but it definitely did not need it. The sandwich was very tall, but when you hold it altogether and take a bite, it doesn’t feel thick. It was very soft, and very easy to chew. The turkey was plentiful, the cranberry mayo was interestingly delicious, and the stuffing was a great addition to the sandwich. I’m not even a fan of stuffing, but the bleu stuffing was incredible. I was temporarily transported to mid-November, when the leaves start fall----never mind, I live in Florida, nothing major happens. It was clearly one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had; no ingredient was out of place. Michael and Josh enjoyed their Roger Dodgers, as it was a warm and gooey heavenly mix of meat, cheese, and dressing. It was a super-powerful Reuben, with more flavor (and no sauerkraut).
Moving on to the 903 Club, that was also a magnificent sandwich. Before 903 Mills Market, I was a bit hesitant to pay nearly 7 bucks for a sandwich, a type of food that is among the easiest to make at home (My grilled cheese sandwich is the greatest you’ll ever eat). But the Grateful and the Club convinced me that you can get a good deal for a sandwich outside of home. The Club was packed with meats, there was no cutting back. And, most importantly, it has bacon (Therefore continuing the Golden Rule of Bacon). The mix with mayo and sourdough bread made this is a success for the taste buds. Josh shared the Club with me, and also loved the combination. We were all thoroughly satisfied, with the overall meal and the overall experience. There were even some friendly dogs that wanted to join in on our meal.
Bottom Line: While I might be delivering more harm than good in mentioning this hidden treasure to the masses outside of Downtown Orlando, 903 Mills Market is a must-visit if you are a fan of sandwiches. They have among the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten outside my household. The Grateful Bread was definitely interesting, as it’s literally Thanksgiving packed in between two pieces of wheat bread. While I am not a drinker, the crazy assortment of wine and beer is an added bonus as you can sit back outside, relax, observe the nice scenery, and partake in a glass of red wine and let the day pass by. That, my friends, is a total contrast to the neighboring atmosphere of Downtown Orlando. If you live closeby and want a true escape from the modern-day Orlando and temporarily experience a calmer, older Orlando, this is the place to visit.
Just beware the #(*&#&@@ one-way streets.
903 Mills Market
903 South Mills Avenue
Orlando, FL 32806
(407) 898-4392
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