With the mammoth numbers of Ale Houses that sprinkle Central Florida, it can get pretty tough to find a local bar/hangout spot that can compete with the multitude of other drinking/eating options. With the chains increasing their repertoire on food and alcohol, many of the smaller bars and pubs die out. We even had an extremely popular billiards location in the South Orange Blossom Trail area die out because of the zillions of options elsewhere.
One spot that has survived all this though is Sloppy Taco Palace, a uniquely named bar that is known for serving up great food as well as offers a nice local young-at-heart atmosphere. A guest at Disney World actually recommended this place to me years ago. I finally gave it a shot. The outside fascinates me because the sign is so gosh-darn small. This place comes off as almost like an exclusive club that relies thoroughly on word-of-mouth.
Sloppy Taco Palace is located in the smack middle of a big plaza that is hidden behind restaurants in the front, a busy intersection, and a tall bridge that rises right next to it. Indiana Jones would have trouble finding this spot. The inside is decked out through vintage license plates, pictures everywhere, a small bar, a few tables, and of course a stage for live music. Despite the name, there is much less Mexican and much more Bar going on around here.
The menu is small on the food side, while very creative and expansive for the alcohol end—over 30 types of beers are mentioned on the menu, and that doesn’t include all the extra alcohol they most likely possess at the bar itself. I went with their sloppy taco basket, and got it with chips and queso dip. Nothing major. What makes their tacos different is that besides making everything fresh and to order, they lightly fry their tortilla shells before decking it with the toppings and fixings.
Sloppy’s tacos are legit, even if they are outside of the usual taco box. Your usual tacos come with the meat, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, etc. These bad boys come with the meat, some of the queso sauce, and a heavy dosage of pico de gallo. I am not a fan of pico de gallo in the least bit, but “when in Rome,” might as well try it anyway. The quality of the meat in the tacos was astounding, as I ordered one with chicken and the other with ground beef. The meat was plentiful, and was filling to say the least, with the ground beef being far superior. The pico didn’t distract but it didn’t enhance either—I wished there wasn’t so much. The shell itself was good, the chicken was good, and the consuming itself is quite an adventure as the food isn’t afraid of getting all over you.
The tacos weren’t the hit of the meal though; it was those decent chips combined with the spectacular queso dip. The queso dip felt, smelled, and tasted straight out of Mexican food heaven, as it was extremely thick, very creamy, and rich enough to flush away any negative thoughts. I avoided the salsa altogether because my heart was set on queso and was not going to let go. All this happened at less than $10. The prices inside this eatery are phenomenal with plenty of specials flying around. In here, you can definitely get your money’s worth.
Bottom Line: Not many bars can double as a good place to find good food. Sloppy Taco Palace defies the norm and defies the competition by becoming a low-key staple in the Universal area with good prices, good food, and good times. While I am not a drinker by any means (Despite being a Dolphins fan) I still recommend this place because you can still get a kick out of this joint without the help of an ounce of alcohol. Here’s to more years of continued success in the Sloppy Palace.
*holds up messy taco*
Final Verdict: Recommend
Sloppy Taco Palace
4892 South Kirkman Road
Orlando, FL 32811
(407) 574-6474
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