Every once in a while, there comes a restaurant that reexamines the way you look at institutions that serves food. Every once in a while you see a place that alters your stance on food. Manny’s Original Chophouse does just that. This place is an insane combination of success and quality that I seldom see. This place has so much good food that one visit is definitely, undoubtedly, unexpectedly, and overwhelmingly not enough. That last sentence didn’t make much sense, but it’s only to continue grabbing your attention as I announce this: Manny’s Original Chophouse is one of the best restaurants in all of central Florida.Driving down Haines City (Population: small, but expanding), further and further away from the Disneyesque atmosphere you’ll see several cars pulling up to the restaurant from a distance. This restaurant has been a smash hit ever since it’s opening a few years ago, and it’s apparent through its incredible influx of cars filling up the parking lot and taking the space in the vacant lot behind it. There were people waiting outside their cars, outside the building, inside the restaurant, and any other cranny and nook that was not occupied by tables and servers. Not saying this restaurant is slow, but it’s just so darn busy. While I am not a patient man usually, I was willing to wait the half an hour. The fact that this restaurant is crowded despite being virtually in the middle of nowhere is really saying something.
The hostesses were lovely, easy to talk to, and full of smiles despite a quarter of Haines City invading the place. After a little research (i.o.w., asking a few questions), I learned that thanks to word-of-mouth, this restaurant actually receives a slew of tourists from England and the Northeastern states, as well as visitors from neighboring cities Clermont and Plant City. After some waiting, subtle flirting, and just observing the chaos surrounding me, I was finally seated to my table. The menu was massive in terms of range of the prices, types of foods, and sheer amount of options.
The menu here was like a steroid-frenzied mix of TGI Fridays, Chilis, Applebees, and Ale House. So many items to pick from, its not every day you hear of a chophouse having seven different types of seafood. There were at least a dozen different options of steak, including one wrapped in bacon. Yes, I just said that there is a steak wrapped in bacon. Also unlike most restaurants I’ve visited, there’s a slew of specials every day and on different hours throughout the day. Stop drooling now, there’s more.
Almost every item on the menu is served with endless salad, endless bread, and also with the choice of potatoes. I ordered the Manny’s Sirloin Steak, which according to the menu was a favorite. Kyle orders the Bacon Big Cheeseburger, while Michael orders the Rib Eye Steak, which I learned later that it’s also one of the favorites. Christian (the pickiest of all) orders the in adult order of chicken strips. The salad arrived first, and it was quite possibly the most interesting blend of ingredients I’ve ever seen: lettuce, onions, eggs, peppers, croutons, cucumbers, cheese, carrots, dressing, and more dressing. You have the option of mixing all this together. While I am not a fan of over half the items in the salad, the healthy beginner was actually quite scrumptious. No ingredient overpowered the other, they all blended perfectly. And then…..the bread.
Holy mackerel (not one of the fish options). This bread is the best I’ve ever had in a restaurant with the lonestar exception of the Red Lobster on Crossroads in Lake Buena Vista. The bread in Manny’s is always fresh, always soft, always warm, and the major kicker is the cinnamon butter. Cinnamon and butter works so well together, I am shocked that I don’t see it more often in this world. It is amazing, creamy, rich, sweet, and oh-so-bad for you. I didn’t care though, as I drowned my already-great bread into a succulent blend of butter and sweet spice. As I was praising the angels over the starters, the coconut shrimp arrived. The taste of this shrimp was quite interesting, as it was a lot sweeter than your usual shrimp. But most of the flavoring came from the breaded coconut as opposed to the seafood. It was unique, but still satisfying. Their sweet-and-sour orange sauce was a nice touch too.
Kyle’s cheeseburger he claims was up there with Le Tub as among the best he’s ever had. I took a piece and tried it. The meat was juicy and thick, but he was exaggerating on the Le Tub part. Nonetheless, it’s up there on the level of a good Five Guys and a good Fuddruckers. Michael fell in love with his steak, just as much as Christian fell in love with his chicken. Michael claims it was easily the juiciest steak he’s ever had, and he even went to Charley’s Steakhouse, which was voted #1 in the country not too long ago in terms of steakhouses. Charley just may have to watch out for Manny. My sirloin was juicy, tender, nicely done. Easily among the best I've ever had. The mashed potatoes were typical, but a classy addition to the fantastic steak. The juices from the steak were nicely garnished underneath the food, enhancing the flavor of the potatoes.
On my second visit, I had to try the one item that had to be explored before completing my opinion about this restaurant. The bacon wrapped filet mignon. Bacon, steak; how can this combination possibly fail? There is just no way. I already enjoyed the mignon the first time, and bacon is enjoyable no matter what---so what happens when you mix them together? The potential would be more epic than a Chuck Norris/Jackie Chan/Christopher Walken/Cote de Pablo/Lucy Liu movie about ninjas engaging in war against samurai and zombie pirates in rural Asia. I ordered the steak while pounding my chest and proclaiming myself as the alpha male of blogspot (this statement is half-true). After the typical wait for good steak it arrived. Dear God it has arrived. My answer to all problems in life.
It was a smaller sirloin steak with an outer ring of bacon. I was about ready to cry in happiness when I took the first bite. Heaven. The second bite. More heaven. Third bite with more bacon attached to the fork. Spiritual Nirvana. The only gripe that I had with this steak was that it was much too small. If you are already going to do the best idea since Salma Hayek dancing with a snake, might as well go the whole nine yards and apply this masterful plan involving bacon to larger steak. They have steak in 16, 20, and 24 oz, so why is my amazing mignon in such a decent-but-still-not-enough-because-its-so-good 7 oz.? Why? Porque? Doushite? Pourquoi?
Bottom Line: Manny’s Original Chophouse is one of the best restaurants I’ve ever visited, and contained one of the best dinners I’ve ever experienced. The fact that their wonderful salad and bread is endless was enough to warrant this place a good score. Now add the sheer amount of items to order, the amazing service, the excellent steak, and you have yourself a place you are willing visit multiple times---by any means necessary. One last thing to point out, the prices are incredibly reasonable, and with the specials lurking everywhere, you can easily be fully satisfied at less than $20 bucks…and I am including good steak to that equation.
With the only drawbacks being the fries and the distance from my house, I will definitely give this place the highest recognition and honor imaginable, as this is grade-A quality stuff, from the presentation to the execution. If you enjoy a very good steak, come here. If you enjoy good food, come here. If you enjoy reasonable prices…never mind, I’ll stop repeating. Come here, enjoy, and thank me later.
DIAC's Verdict: Strongly Recommend
Manny's Original Chophouse
35496 Hwy 27
Haines City, FL 33844
(863) 422-3910
P.S. i.o.w: in other words
P.P.S. The movie will be simply called “Epic”
P.P.P.S. Award yourself 15 points if you caught the “From Dusk Till’ Dawn reference
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