Florida is a state in the Southern borders, but rarely qualifies as a true Southern state because of its insane diversity, Disney effect, and very unique set of cities that each carries its own personality. Florida is a melting pot that meshes cultures from all over the world and establishes itself as its own separate entity in the United States much like Texas and California. With that being said, there is a lack of true-blue Southern cooking out here. Unlike your Georgias and Mississippis, you won’t find Southern comfort food left and right. I had been clamoring for chicken and waffles for quite some time, as it’s an odd soul food dish that combines a classic breakfast item with a classic lunch meal.
Bananas is the answer to my prayer. This restaurant classifies itself as a Modern American Diner, but more importantly has chicken and waffles as one of their signature dishes. Located in the infamous Mills Ave area in Downtown Orlando, this place is tucked away in the area sandwiched between a couple small businesses and a seafood joint. On the outside this place boasts several pride flags, pretty much signifying that they do not, will not, and shall not discriminate or incriminate anyone. Seeing that Orlando is one of the 15 most culturally diverse and accepting cities in the country, it makes plenty of sense that the staff is just as diverse as most of the South. The inside had a funky décor, dim colors, a fish tank tucked away in the corner, and lastly 90s music blasting away.
The menu has a very diners touch as it combines breakfast classics with an array of burgers and plenty of other options. The interesting one I even thought of trying was the Garbage Plate: Chicken (or hot dogs or burgers) layered with hash browns, mac salad, and plenty of fixings to top it off. Sounds like a crazy array of food---but I came here for the soul food so I stuck to my plan. I ordered one of their unusually-expensive milkshakes (Death by Chocolate: yoo-hoo syrup, chocolate chips left and right, and chocolate ice cream) and of course the chicken and waffles. After a decent amount of waiting, the milkshake arrives first.
One of the thickest and biggest milkshakes I’ve ever fought, this milkshake is chocolate goodness with a heavy dosage of the Yoo-Hoo touch while also pitting you with dozens upon dozens of chocolate chips. It was a sight to behold as even the very bottom of the milkshake was about 2 centimeters of chocolate chips. Yoo-hoo is a very hit-and-miss drink amongst the chocolate milk consumers, but I personally am a fan. It was a fantastic thick drink that can pose as a dessert that will comatose you by the end. This is among the best milkshakes/smoothies in Florida, ranking way up there with the Princess Marigold at Margaritaville and the milkshakes of Jaxson’s Ice Cream.
The chicken and waffles finally arrive; one of my foods in my cuisine bucket list can be scratched off. Next up, gator ribs. Anyways, the waffles were big, very fluffy, and makes for a very easy chew. The chicken itself gives you plenty of fight (You can’t cut through this chicken with any regular knife) but once you dig past the tough exterior you have some juicy chicken as a reward. The outside was tough, but it was nice and tender on the inside. Combining the chicken with the sweet waffle makes for an interesting combination that tickles most of the taste buds. Helping the chicken was the gravy, which was fantastic—creamy, smooth, and danced with the chicken like the best of em’. Now I fully understand the appeal of mixing chicken and waffles.
Bottom Line: Bananas is an interesting place because it has the food, atmosphere, and pricing of a typical diner, but has a modern touch with its 90s music, diverse cast of workers, and a hipster décor that can definitely appeal to the inner counterculturalist in you. The food is fantastic, the service was phenomenal (Morgan was great), and with a very friendly atmosphere and overall vibe this definitely warrants a repeat visit from me. Unlike most of my restaurant picks, this one was chosen by Orlando Sentinel as being the best diner in the Greater Orlando area. While I disagree with most (almost all) of their stuff in the paper (See note on the bottom), they definitely got Bananas correct.
Verdict: Recommend
Bananas: Modern American Diner
924 N. Mills Ave.
Orlando, FL 32803
P.S. On a sort-of cuisine note, Orlando Sentinel once gave Ratatouille 3/5. I still have not forgiven them on that one.
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