Bauern-Stube: Sehr Gut, Sehr Sehr Gut

Just outside the airport, outside the outskirts of Downtown Orlando, in an area that is usually passed as opposed to explored, lies a German restaurant. Yes folks, Orlando has a low-budget, extremely small legitimate German restaurant. Bauern Stube has claimed its small speck of space since 1987, and literally consists of a restaurant shaped like a house, a small parking lot, and an even smaller patio. Inside however is quite the experience.

Bauern Stube is decorated to the maximum with posters, letters, pictures (Mostly German, some American) all over the walls, while you can also find dozens of wooden tables with chairs containing pillows on top of them. It looks like I am about to dine with a massive, massive family. The place is open just a couple hours for lunch, looking like they get most of their business in dinner. Their menu is extensive, massive, and has a little bit for everybody. Nonetheless, if you are heading to a German restaurant then it has to be for hearty meat and potatoes. And son, Bauern Stube bietet viel Geschmack!!

The Bayrisches Fest is three types of bratwurst with two sides and a hearty sampling of fresh mustard (very potent) and horseradish to compliment it. The two sides I picked was the classic mashed potatoes and gravy and their kase spatzle (egg noodles with cheese). $17 and you get three massive German sausages and two sides. It was a good deal, and overall it was quite delicious. The three bratwursts had their own flavor, their own texture, and each were simply delicious. The mashed potatoes and gravy were also phenomenal, as the gravy wasn’t too runny and even works well with the sausage and noodles. The spatzle however was fantastic. Simple mix of fresh noodles and gooey cheese makes this a fantastic dish all on its own.

If it’s not the ambiance, the German aura, the sausage, the beer, or the nice service that will draw you in here, it’s the flawless potato pancakes. These beauties are the roided-up version of your typical hash brown. These beauties are thick, are massive, and has phenomenal potato flavor stemming from the pores. Adding to the joyous mayhem is the plentiful portions of applesauce and sour cream. I can eat 12 of these and not get tired of it. Seriously. I might do that the next time I visit, after all they are only $6.25 for a pack of 3.

Bottom Line: Bauern Stube is one of the hidden surprises of the Orlando suburbs as what looks like a cozy cottage on the outside is actually a delightful, engaging, and wonderful restaurant with lots of options, lots of good food, and plenty of German flair----and beer. You know its an inviting place when a German restaurant, usually known for its meat/potatoes approach, actually has a diverse vegetarian menu. Take plenty of people and join the German housewarming party as good food, good prices, and a good time awaits you once you enter through the door.



Final Verdict: Recommend

Bauern Stube
8015 South Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32809

Toasted: Simple Fun College Cuisine

Winter Park is an interesting blend of laid-back old-school Florida with a rising college town presence. Thanks to the likes of UCF and Rollins College being Central Florida success stories, we have seen an influx of hipster youngster restaurants that deviates a bit from the norm. With Toasted, it’s a place that specializes in….grilled cheese sandwiches. Yea, I know, might as well open a cereal bar, right?




Wait…..that actually doesn’t sound bad.



*jots down idea*

Anyways, Toasted has an entourage of grilled cheese, burger, and vegan options, and is served quick and painless. Nestled in a very busy plaza in a busy part of Central Florida, it’s a very hidden building that happens to be sandwiched (ha…ha…ha..) in between a cupcake spot, and other small eateries. The place inside is narrow but comfortable, with a scientific cheese chart and good college music in the background. I feel like I should be studying for an exam.

I went with their basic grilled cheese sandwich with black pepper, arugula, and Havarti cheese. Mainly because I want to know what $6.25 grilled cheese tastes like. Now, this is where the restaurant disappoints. There isn’t more bread, there isn’t an entourage of cheese, no strong supporting flavor from the pepper or the arugula, nothing really stands out in general. Grilled cheese is one of the easier things to make at home, so if you are charging a side-less sandwich at $6, deliver. Epically. Please.

Toasted however has a secret weapon: their burgers. The Southern Comfort burger is absolutely legit. At $7, you get a nice juicy burger with cheddar, bacon, BBQ sauce, and macaroni and cheese. Notice that with just 75 cents more, you can upgrade a decent grilled cheese for a legit stick-to-your-sides burger that delivers all the goods. It could really use some sides though. Had to pay an extra $2 for some macaroni and cheese. This mac does the classic crispy on top, gooey inside technique and it works. Wish they had a larger size, because I would definitely be willing to pay more to get a larger portion. Macaroni and cheese should never be in sample size.

Bottom Line: Toasted is a quick-service spot with a Florida college personality. It’s a good spot to grab a nice bite in the midst of the hustle and bustle of college life. Their grilled cheese is mildly pricy as it stands toe to toe with the more filling (and tastier) burgers, but the overall place won’t create too nasty a dent in your wallet. Add in a nice personality, good service, and painless menu and you have yourself a respectable place in the midst of Central Florida. If you live close by, give it a shot, it just might make you a believer and a fan.



Final Verdict: Slightly Recommend

Toasted
1945 Aloma Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32792





P.S. They had Mexican Fanta. Earned several points in my book.

Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ: Simple.

There is very little decent BBQ in Orlando. I am not joking. There are plenty of options for BBQ in Orlando, that part is also true. Between the entourage of Sonnys, Smokey Bones, and 4Rivers Smokehouses, you are never too far away from BBQ. But unlike other genres of food like seafood and Italian, it remains a challenge to find a spot that will conquer your soul and pretty much force you to return.

Bubbalous is no exception. The right idea, but not the right stuff.

Already on the Zagat survey it claims the spot had lost some of its old-school fans saying it’s not the same. Rather jarring to see that on the front of the door. Not a good sign of hope. There were plenty of options on the menu and the range is quite extensive. Its aura of BBQ isn’t quite as strong as your usual spots, and I was trying to figure out why. I went with this platter that had ribs, shrimp, garlic bread, fries and macaroni and cheese. This was considered their most popular item. The dish has a heavy…Sonny’s feel.

One of my biggest (most random and douchy) complaints about these types of places is that they never dare to put the sauce on their items, pretty much making you do the extra work. If a place believes in their sauce, they will lather their meat with their condiments, fully knowing how much you are going to enjoy it. This is why Yellow Dog Eats remains the top BBQ place as well as one of the best sandwich places in all of Florida. Bubbalou’s delivers their meat and sides dry, with the sauces in each of the tables. Which would explain the lack of intoxicating smell.

Everything on my plate was decent and feasable, but nothing really special. The ribs were the best part, but without the layer of sauce already caked in there it comes rather dry until you use their signature sauce. The fries were very….Sonnys-ish. The macaroni and cheese has seen better days. The garlic bread also had the taint of Sonnys. By the end of the meal, what I determined was that this place was the local equivalent of a Sonnys. Which is a shame, because the place had been quite hyped up to me.

I am running out of words, because I am running out of reason to talk about this place. It was recommended to me, I spent the money, and I felt empty by the time the lunch had finished. There was nothing very Floridian about this place. There was nothing Orlandonian about this place either. If its close to you and you truly crave BBQ, go for it. If you want to go the extra mile and aim for something more fulfilling, seek elsewhere.



Final Verdict: Do Not Recommend

Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ
5818 Conroy Rd
Orlando, FL