Breakfast they say is the most important meal of the day. This meal also happens to be the pickiest. There are a variety of items that just don’t match with breakfast, which includes meatier, heavier foods, pasta, bbq, burgers, and more. On the other hand, food that is strongly associated with breakfast can be eaten at any part of the day without you feeling strange. Your IHOPs, Dennys and Waffle Houses of the world strive and thrive off of this realization. So with breakfast food being offered 24 hours by all these chains, you rarely will find an eatery that specializes and makes its good success off of the wee-early morning. The Townhouse Restaurant is an exception.
The Townhouse Restaurant has been a Central Florida smash hit since the 1940s, a popular icon in the Oviedo area. When I visited there, I actually heard a waitress say “So, will you need the menu this time?” to a customer. This means the amount of repeat visitors is quite heavy. Also helping the restaurant are the slew of large churches close by; what better way to continue a day after mass than visit an acclaimed restaurant a few feet away?
Locals recommended me this place, and so there I went. Arriving there, the small parking lot was full and all the surrounding space not belonging to the Townhouse building was occupied. Inside, the place was jumping, as there were locals, young and old occupying every single table except for one---the one I was seated at. My main goal was to try their country fried steak, which the place said was the most popular item in their menu. I ordered the double, just in case the size of the steak wasn’t phenomenal. I ordered the orange juice, which was surprisingly rich and delicious. Not sure if it was fresh or if its from a brand, but it was darn good. My brother ordered the apple juice and seemed to take a liking to it.
My brother orders the fried bacon and egg sandwich, which sounded amazing. However, his sandwich wasn’t what it seemed. It may have been my fault, but it sounded like the bread was involved in the frying process. For example, I use skillets for my grilled cheese sandwich, and I usually douse the bread in vegetable or olive oil to enhance the flavor of the whole thing. With the sandwich here, the egg and bacon was fried, but the bread was toasted. It was not bad, but I expected something utterly different. Michael enjoyed it as well, but was staring at my dish the entire time.
This is because the country fried steak was fantastic. While it is merely half the size of the country fried steak that you can find in IHOPs everywhere, it was thicker, juicier, and much softer than the IHOP counterpart. The “Double Your Pleasure” dish comes with two eggs, homefries (or grits), and bread. At 9 bucks, it’s a decent dish size-wise. My regret was sharing with my brother some of the steak, because like I said before, it was good stuff. The eggs were decent but nothing outstanding; but then again very few places out there have fantastic eggs (535 IHOP being the lone exception).
Our breakfast was definitely filling, and the price wasn’t ridiculous either. The old-school flavor was very present at this place, whether it was the friendly staff, the friendly customers, or the all-around homey feeling that you receive the instant you step inside. Be warned though, this spot is very popular and does not support the demand. By the time I walked out of the place, there was a line of people waiting at the door for a seat. It is a classic example of a restaurant becoming bigger than it could have anticipated. A lot of history and tradition surrounds this place, and the great breakfast was icing on the old-school cake.
Bottom Line: One of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had outside my home, The Townhouse Restaurant is a superb location for breakfast-dining, as it rises above the norm with great food, great service, and a delightful atmosphere. The only breakfast place I can truly say is superior is the 535 IHOP, which has produced the best midnight food I’ve ever had—as their breakfast is just as good at midnight as during the early morning. But, this is about Townhouse, and I strongly recommend if you are searching for the best country fried steak in the state. While it is hard to justify getting up early to go out to eat, luckily this place offers breakfast all the time, developing the successful Waffle House Syndrome. When even the juice is good, you know you have something special here.
The Townhouse Restaurant
9 E. Broadway Street
Oviedo, Fl
407-365-5151
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