Current Website: http://www.julieswaterfront.biz/. New Website (Under Construction): http://www.julieswaterfront.net/
On a recent trip down South Orange Av, I was in the hunt for a food truck, guess I must have missed it because I was almost to Sand Lake Rd. The blue shack on the lake winked. Mind u, I have passed this shack for years and never went in. I always wondered, but never crossed the threshold. It so happens that my dining companion was starving.
The exterior looks like a swamp side shack one would find in the Florida Everglades or the back roads of the vast Southern US. Very colorful, old, aged, beaten by time and weather. The kind of place that the “good ole” boys and girls frequent. Walking in was even as eclectic as the outside. Simple tables and chairs adorn the quaint dining room. Fanciful wall art covered years of wear and tear. There is a cashier’s register and ordering counter. Walking out the back door, which by the way is steps from the front door, leads to a vast covered veranda and lakeside al fresco tables. Be warned there is a fake alligator right by the tree next to the stairs that leads to the water’s edge.
The menu here is simple swamp food, deep fried everything, burgers, salads, and seafood. There are simple grilled items and gallons of beer. Yes, it is rustic Florida simple. They also have all you can eat shrimps for lunch. Sticking to the sandwich specials we got Chicken Steak and Philly Cheese Steak. Both had ample meat, well cooked and was very flavorful. The seasoned accompanied fries were surprisingly fresh and great.
A view from the veranda of Lake Jennie Jewel is spectacular. I am sure that there are no other restaurants in Orlando that you can dine lakeside for this price. The simplicity here reminds us all why lakeside views are so high priced. A little note…the website directs to a new website, online menu looks different than menu in the restaurant. It appears as if there is new management or owners. Maybe I caught this gem before it is knocked over for a bright shinny new yuppie restaurant or some other fancy development with prime lakeside views. Or, my hope is it stays the same and we can have a piece of Old Rustic Florida in our own backyard.
Traveler Foodie 