[EndersDrift]

Then you and those people haven't spent much time in Orlando. This thread is for a comparison not of people who have merely visited one or both of the cities but have spent significant time there.

For example I've spent 20 years in Orlando and 5 years in Miami. I still commute between the two fairly regularly. I have a very good idea of the food in both and believe Orlando is better. It is not at all based on preconceived notions or what people think of about either city. The quality of food isn't determined by what a select few (tourists) experience in high end miami dining or in disney world resorts. Its what the locals eat on their day to day.

If you still think Miami that's fine but it sounds to me like you've not spent enough time in the actual city of Orlando (that is usually downtown Orlando and north into Seminole county which is the primary Orlando Metro). It would be like me visiting just one area of Miami and judging the entire Dade County area based on that area.

What are some restaurants you've eaten at in Miami or Orlando?

[EndersDrift]

And I'm really not trying to say Orlando is the better city or convince people that Orlando has better food. I just want people's opinions who have spent significant time in both. When I hear comments like all Orlando has is the tourist area it makes me believe the person speaking hasn't spent a significant amount of time in both areas to really be a fair judge.

[intelfan11315]

I can't recommend good pizza in Miami.. I am not originally from Miami and I have searched and searched for good pizza and I have given up, that is one thing Miami does not have is good pizza... anything else its great!

[niceguy19125]

Originally Posted by EndersDrift

Of course the guy from Philly knows more about Florida than locals.. Thats why I made this in the Florida forum and not the City -vs- City forum. To see what the real answer is not what people from Philly think based on stereotypes and media's depiction of the places.

Actually, I grew up in Hollywood, Florida and after school lived for 8 years in Orlando. My Mom still lives in the Orlando area and I visit a few times a year. I've also been to the Miami area once a year on average for the past 10 years...so lets rethink your brilliant observation then shall we?

[EndersDrift]

Not if you believe Orlando is only Disney which is less than 1/4 of the Orlando city area let alone the metro area. Give me reasons - name some restaurants.

[niceguy19125]

Also, as an FYI...in common thought (versus your parallel universe), Miami is seen as more of a dining destination/city than Orlando. Zagat (the restaurant ratings site), lists Miami as one of its 20 most popular cities (in terms of website use). That puts Miami in with the likes of NYC, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Washington DC and Boston. There are 514 rated establishments in the Miami-Dade County section. Orlando meanwhile has 263 rated, which includes both Orange and Seminole County. A majority of the Orlando area establishments are national chain restaurants. Perhaps you consider that type of food superior (the more the better?), but for those familiar with more skilled preparations, it sucks.

Though if it helps any, outside of the Miami area, the dining scene in Florida is pretty bad in comparison to other more civilized areas of the country. I attribute that to the droves who moved out of more expensive areas to live someplace less expensive. People who spend time obsessing about cost rarely care as much for quality. And how do I come to this conclusion? I was a restaurant manager, waiter and bartender for 19 years...mostly in Florida and then later in NC and Washington DC. I highly recommend leaving the state once or twice to compare. If you have and this is still your view, heaven help you.

[Granny Sue]

I always feel that when one claims that Orlando only has chain restaurants, they really don't know what they are talking about.
I often wonder if it's out of laziness.
It's easy to sit at a computer and make people think you know something about a city but when statements like that are made, all credibility goes out the window.
You could easily eat out three meals a day in a different non chain restaurant for over a month and not repeat one.
While you can get great cuban food in O'town, I would have to tip the hat to Miami on that one.

[EndersDrift]

No doubt Miami has better Latin cuisine. But Orlando certainly has better BBQ. Mmm BBQ.

oh and Niceguy, on the one hand you say quantity does not equal quality on the other hand you cite number of Zagat restaurants regardless of how well they actually scored.

Zagat rates many restaurants and honestly I'm not sure how to search their site for only Zagat rated, many of the ones it returns are User Rated.

AAA Four Star Diamond Restaurants:
21 restaurants in Miami-Dade County
8 restaurants in Orlando

AAA Five Star Diamond Restaurants:
0 in Miami-Dade County
1 in Orlando

Miami won on Quantity - Orlando won on quality.

Some of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at are in nice hotels in Miami. Not South Beach which has crap food but good hotels. I've eaten at Azul in the Mandarin Oriental and as said already the Biltmore Brunch in the Biltmore Hotel. I've also eaten some fantastic meals in the tourism area of Orlando such as Emeril's and Saana. But outside of the really nice areas of Miami -vs- outside of the tourist areas of Orlando I find much better food overall in Orlando.

I mean food in Sweetwater, Kendall, Hialeah, Dadeland aren't exactly high quality. Meanwhile in my tiny burb of Orlando there is Korean, Columbian, Peruvian, Cuban, American, Greek, German, and Italian places many of which are Zagat rated. In fact I can't think of a single chain restaurant in my immediate vicinity except for real fast food places like Quiznos and Burger King. Correction I know of one Outback within a 5 mile radius of where I live. In the 7 mile radius I can think of the one other Outback and a Bahama Breeze.

If this is any indication: (this is Orlando Metro -vs- only Miami-Dade county not including Homestead/Florida City
In Orlando there are 8 Olive Gardens
In Miami there is 1 Olive Garden
In Orlando there 9 Red Lobsters
In Miami there are 6 Red Lobsters
In Orlando there are 10 Outbacks
In Miami there are 6 Outbacks
In Orlando there are 45 Burgerkings
In Miami there are 66 Burgerkings
In Orlando there are 9 Pollo Tropical
In Miami there are 31 Pollo Tropical

I don't think this is a simple Miami wins or Orlando wins. The poll certainly indicates that but I find it interesting that people immediately think of Orlando as some Chain restaurant mecca when Miami really isnt that far behind and considering Darden was founded in Orlando we have far less Darden's than Miami has Pollo Tropical.

[flyers29]

Originally Posted by niceguy19125

Also, as an FYI...in common thought (versus your parallel universe), Miami is seen as more of a dining destination/city than Orlando. Zagat (the restaurant ratings site), lists Miami as one of its 20 most popular cities (in terms of website use). That puts Miami in with the likes of NYC, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Washington DC and Boston. There are 514 rated establishments in the Miami-Dade County section. Orlando meanwhile has 263 rated, which includes both Orange and Seminole County. A majority of the Orlando area establishments are national chain restaurants. Perhaps you consider that type of food superior (the more the better?), but for those familiar with more skilled preparations, it sucks.

Though if it helps any, outside of the Miami area, the dining scene in Florida is pretty bad in comparison to other more civilized areas of the country. I attribute that to the droves who moved out of more expensive areas to live someplace less expensive. People who spend time obsessing about cost rarely care as much for quality. And how do I come to this conclusion? I was a restaurant manager, waiter and bartender for 19 years...mostly in Florida and then later in NC and Washington DC. I highly recommend leaving the state once or twice to compare. If you have and this is still your view, heaven help you.

Interesting points all around, but that doesn't tell the whole story. I would venture to say that Miami beats Orlando in higher-end restaurants, hands down. But once you eliminate that as well as anything Latin American then Miami's cuisine isn't really any better than anywhere else.

[Coconut1]

Pollo Tropical is fast food. I wouldn't consider that in the 'restaurant' category, it's just fast food.

BK's headquarters are in Miami, so I would think they probably would have more there, but again, that's fast food.

I think the Darden and Outback numbers are very telling. I'd also be interested in the number of Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, Applebees, etc. in Orlando compared to Miami.