Brunch at The District GastroBar in downtown Orlando was such a genuinely good experience for my friends and me this past Saturday. It is a small, intimate space with a cozy energy that immediately makes you feel comfortable. It is the kind of place where conversation flows easily and brunch feels intentional instead of rushed. I do want to be transparent. They appeared slightly understaffed during our visit. However, what stood out was the effort. The team moved with intention and did their best to make sure everyone felt acknowledged and taken care of. That effort goes a long way. Jordan, our waiter, was truly a highlight. He was warm, attentive, and patient, and he made our table feel welcomed rather than managed. That distinction matters. As for the food, the Lobster Wontons were unforgettable. Perfectly crisp and flavorful. I also had the Smash Breakfast Burger with breakfast potatoes, and it was hearty, well seasoned, and satisfying in every bite. The drinks were just as enjoyable. The Lemonade Sangria was refreshing, the Sunrise Tequila had the perfect brunch vibe, and the shot of strawberry tequila with grenadine was a fun, flavorful addition to the table. A practical note for future guests. A party of more than eight might be a lot for the staff to operate smoothly depending on the day or time you go, especially when downtown is busy or the arena has an event. They also automatically include a 20 percent gratuity, so keep that in mind. If you go in with patience and realistic expectations for a small venue, you will likely have a great time. It is a spot worth trying, especially on a quieter day. read more

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Everything! They offer OpenTable reservations and I made a reservation for 9:30 PM. We arrive at the restaurant at 9:31 PM and the doors are closed. I called and a young lady told me that her manager said they decided to close at 9 PM. She went to put the manager on the phone and they hung up. In the meantime, there are many people coming towards the door trying to get some food because we were just at the Kia center watching a show and everybody had the same idea..to grab a snack or a bite to eat after the show. Now it's 9:45 PM and we have to find another place to go eat and the guy wasn't even sorry when he came to the door to remove the sign that was still outside... Saying open OpenTable shows no more reservation reservations after 8:30 PM because they close at 10 PM. There must have been 15-20 people trying to get in. If there is a show at the Kia why would you close early that day? If anything stay open later to make more money. They are literally less than a block from the arena Will never be back! read more

Went by this location for taco Tues and happy hour. It's located near the arena and luckily we were able to find free street parking. The tacos are 2 for 1 on Tuesdays with the exception of the seafood ones. They have several specialty cocktails for $10 from 4-7 pm. The cocktails were good, but the happy hour margaritas were really small. They have a full bar with all of the top shelf choices. The lobster tacos were absolutely delicious. We liked the fried over the grilled, but both were packed with flavor and outstanding. The gumbo was terrible. It was thick and didn't taste good at all and it was expensive at $16 for a bowl! The establishment was clean and they have a huge speak easy behind the bookshelf where they have live entertainment on the weekends. The bartender was brand new so the service wasn't perfect, but she was nice and learning. I would definitely go back to try more. read more

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Stopped in before going to Hardy concert at the KIA Center. Good drinks, good food and awesome staff! read more

I went to The District GastroBar for brunch with a friend, and we had a great time! She ordered the shrimp and grits with a strawberry margarita, and I went with the steak and eggs paired with a strawberry lemonade sangria. Everything came out quickly, fresh, and flavorful. We had reservations, which worked out perfectly because the place started getting busy a little after 1 p.m. The vibes were great, good food, good drinks, and a lively atmosphere without feeling overcrowded. Definitely a solid spot for brunch. I'd go back again! read more

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Walked in and was greeted with a smile. I wasn't sure what to eat from the menu so I asked the main waitress who was very helpful in the area of what's good on the menu and what they've tried. Note there were 2 who and both indicate everything was good on the menu, but there were certain meals that they loved. After reviewing the menu. I decided on a few things. A starter appetizer, a Bloody Mary and then of course some entrées. All of which were very flavorful right temperature. (We enjoyed everything) While eating brunch, there was music playing in the background not too loud not too soft nothing offensive while TV's surrounded the room for additional visual. All together a good vibe. Note the venue is not a huge but a good size and they take reservations. When I came in I was seating quickly, but I can recall trying to come and eat during a certain sports seasons being it is down the street from the arena and soccer stadium and it being packed. They have large booths that can sit between 5 to 6 people possible more. They also have tables and hightop tables if you have a smaller group and a nice size bar if you don't want to sit at a table. I really love the fact that the staff was very attentive and happy to offer their assistance on food choices. They came back on a regular to check to make sure everything was good and if there was something else that was needed. You may think that's what they are suppose to do, however, I have experienced eating out a lot some people don't like their job or just don't care. So this is always a plus for me. After eating and drinking my bloody Mary I will have to note the food had me already thinking when I'm gonna come back again for brunch to try more items on the menu and or try their dinner menu. For those that normally tip more than 18-20% there is a line on the bill that you can add more. Looking forward to trying them out again read more

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I want to start out with the positive. Our server was amazing. She was so nice to our group and helpful. In addition our happy hour drinks were very tasty. The location is great being right next to both the Orlando City Stadium and the Kia Center. However, the food is just blah. We were so excited to hear of a New Orleans based restaurant. We started with the artichoke dip which had a weird flavor to it. I have no idea what it was I was tasting. At least the chips were good. We then got a buffalo chicken sandwich, which was just a normal chicken breast and a bland hot sauce. It does have a mound of blue cheese. The sweet potato tarts is a good add on and I strongly recommend adding these to your meal. I had a pimento burger which barely had any pimento cheese on it. The burger was very greasy and since their plate is just a board the grease was everywhere. If you want some drinks before a game I would say come here. Hopefully it was a bad day for the kitchen, but I was very hopeful for a good restaurant in this area of town. read more

Came here for an impromptu brunch. This was my first time having brunch here but I had come by for taco Tuesday before. The food and service is satisfactory overall and they run frequent deals on drinks and food. I had the shrimp and grits for brunch and they were easily the most well seasoned entree I've had in a very long time. I enjoyed it very much. I also had the strawberry margarita and I was very pleased. The bartender was very accommodating and even played the music we asked for. Also noted that even though this location is downtown, the parking was surprisingly easy and convenient read more

District GastroBar - Shrimp & Grits - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Came here on a basketball night--place was crowded, but we were able to get seats at the bar fairly quickly. Unfortunately, that's where the positive experience ended. The bartender, Margarita, was shockingly rude--not just to us, but to nearly every customer she interacted with. Her behavior was dismissive, unprofessional, and at times outright disrespectful. At one point, another guest even questioned whether there was a language barrier because Margarita would laugh and simply stare instead of responding. This level of service is completely unacceptable. Management should seriously reconsider who they put in front-facing roles, as this kind of behavior reflects poorly on the entire establishment. read more

Worst Service for lunch as no manager and waited 30 Min at Bar for vegetable panini to find out then don't have ingredients. And on top of that charge 3.54 service charge. Totally unacceptable Poor choice and stand clear read more

Worst customer service. No host. Random chaos. Waited. 30 minutes to be seated. Just to have a random group of people grab an OpenTable and sit and get helped. Avoid. read more

Cute bar with delicious food. We went for NYE and were worried we wouldn't get a reservation but the location was not as close to the main events downtown and was pretty light. We didn't realize it (not sure it was disclosed on Open Table) but there was a limited menu for NYE. I was disappointed at that but the option I choose in the $75 3 course bundle (stuffed salmon) was yummy. The appetizer fried shrimp was blah, but the Philly cheesesteak egg rolls and aioli sauce was delicious. The desserts were 50/50. Very plentiful (a cheesecake slice, red velvet slice, and ice cream). I liked the cheesecake and the ice cream but the red velvet's cake had low flavor and the icing was not good at all. My martini was strong but I was expecting more flavor. My friend had a lavender infused mimosa with tequila and it was so good! It was smooth with no aftertaste. We also felt the pictures and videos were deceiving. This place is very small! Our server was friendly and likely new. He hadn't tasted a dessert item to recommend (butter cake) and also had some trouble entering the order in the device used. He was attentive and had a great personality. read more

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Food = good Waitstaff / Service = good Workflow / Process = bad This place would be amazing if they could figure out the workflow. Bar drinks sit on the counter. Food is missed (my truffle fries came out when we were ready to leave). Food tasted GREAT! But, if the workflow problems aren't fixed, not sure we'll be back. read more

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The food was good ! The gator bites, the nachos to-tones with steak and my Cajun chicken pasta was BOMB! I would come back here again!! It did not disappoint and waiter was so patient and nice !! Deff coming back again! read more

The service of the bar tenders was amazing. They were very personalable and recommended different menu items for us to try. Wings were ok, temperature could have been a little hotter, but the buffalo was spicy (Spicy Habanero was better per my wife...) good little vibe if you are looking for somewhere nice in downtown area. read more

District GastroBar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Landen was our bartender/server and was on point with all of his suggestions.. thoughtfully explained the menu as we were visiting from out of town. He made a strawberry henny margarita that was 10/10 and suggested the sticky Asian wings as an app which we ordered more to go! ALL OF THE FOOD WAS AMAZING! Far beyond expectations of "bar food" the New Orleans inspired cuisine was absolutely better than most ... we had the lobster Mac , shrimp and grits and surf and turf... and OMG the butter cake for desert... I don't know how I made it out of there! read more

District GastroBar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This an amazing black owned and operated restaurant/gastrobar that has incredible food and drinks. I HIGHLY recommend this establishment to visitors as well as locals. Stay tuned for a potential cigar bar and speakeasy in the near future too. Love this establishment!!! read more

Went before a concert at the Kia Center, place was busy! Our server was very attentive , but getting drinks and food took forever! Would not go again! read more

Amazing atmosphere and food! Melissa is amazing behind the bar and attentive to all her customers. Her cheerful attitude and recommendations for food were top notch. The food was AMAZING (wings and crab cake sliders were phenomenal). Would 10000000% recommend!!!! read more

I've ordered food from here, but that only happened because I was at the other restaurant to the side of this restaurant. However, I must say the old bay chicken seasoning is absolutely delicious. I didn't realize how good he could potentially be and it's delicious to the point where I would order it every single time. But I recommended it to a friend that came to the restaurant with me, and he ordered it and demolished it. I ordered the chicken pasta and that was actually delicious. It was a recommendation from the hostess and she got it right on the money super flavorful, packed with sauce, and cheese was just the right amount. I don't have the pictures here listed. However, the shrimp and grits was an absolute yes. My friends loved it. However, the tacos were not good whatsoever. It's very rare that my friend sent food back. But if they sent back the tacos that it wasn't good, and I never got a chance to taste it to really say if it's bad or not. But if it was replaced by the shrimp and grits, and that was delicious, because it was eating all the way down To The last scrapes of the plate. I actually really like this place for the time that I have come. Subtle, relaxing, good drinks, and good food. So I'll probably be back in about a month or so. read more

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Service was really bad.. We sat for about 15 minutes before having to go inside to ask if our server would be coming by, no napkins or silverware provided. The food was good so it wasn't a total loss. Automatic 20% gratuity is fine when the service matches. This really didn't. read more

So the website is definitely misleading. The menu also lies. I booked a reservation for 130pm on a Saturday before an event at Kia. On their hours it says nothing about brunch being served until 4pm on the weekends. Whatever, we decide to stay. It then takes FOREVER for the waitress to come back after seating us. We finally order and I get the French Toast Platter. The menu states it comes with fresh fruit and a flight of syrups, cool. We get our food and my fresh fruit is 6 blueberries on my French toast, 6..... and my flight of syrups is literally 1 small cup of syrup. About halfway throughly eating my French toast with my 6 blueberries I ask for more syrup which I never got and had to eat the rest dry. We watched multiple people come in, sit down at the bar, get ZERO attention and get up and leave. This place only has 10 tables inside and 4 outside and the bar seats about 15. They had two girls working when we got there and another came in later. Highly DO NOT recommend unless you feel like sitting there all day. Food was decent but definitely not worth the terrible service! read more

We've been here twice now. Both times were before a concert at the Amway Center. Definitely a great place to hang out before a concert, and for an after drink as well. One of my complaints would be that the owner needs to have more than one bartender on concert evenings. For our Stevie Nicks concert, there was one bartender, and the place was packed to the brim with people. Next time, for the Brooks and Dunn concert, it was packed, but not as busy as the first time. Take note... anticipate being slammed on concert nights!! Now, for the food. Most of the entrées that we have tried have been pretty good. We tried the burgers, the sliders, the grilled cheese, and a Caesar salad with grilled chicken. They add an additional 18% gratuity onto your bill, automatically, so pay attention for that unexpected little thing. read more

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The food service is great! All items were delicious and the ambiance is very chill and smooth. Went during happy hour which 4-8pm, Monday through Friday! read more

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Great food and attentive waitstaff. Will definitely go there again. Their burger was juicy and flavorful!

Waitress was nice and quick with what we needed. Gator bites were decent. Tacos were messy and the plate they serve them on is too small so food gets all over. Atmosphere is pretty good so I will give a point for that. read more

We just stumbled upon this place very last minute and it was a great find! The jambalaya was good, there is a kick to it so if you don't like spice, then it's not for you. It's not the same type of jambalaya I've had in New Orleans or home made but it still tasted good. The burger was delicious and so was the flatbread. Ordered the flatbread for the kids and they devoured it. The drinks are a bit pricey, but overall, they know how to do drinks! I would definitely go back for the food! read more

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Great Food, Great Drinks, even better personable staff. Place gets super busy due to its proximity to the Kia Center and Soccer stadium but staff handles the rush with ease even with rude impatient patrons. Hidden Gem! read more

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Wow, just in for a drink, but the vibe and bartender (Malcom) blew me away with his attitude and efficiency. Had to stay for a bite, parm truffle fries. When I asked if the Lychee martini was sweet, he said I can adjust it however you like Ma'am! I was in and it was THE BEST martini ever!!! In brief convo he appears to be one great guy, so if you can keep him great, if not, don't hold him back!!!! read more

Four of us went in before a game at the Kia Center. We all agreed that the food was good but the service was almost nonexistent. The restaurant was not at all busy, therefore, being short staffed or overcrowded was not the issue. The wait staff simply did not pay attention to us and were very slow to take our order. From the time we walked in the door until we received our food was nearly 45 minutes. Again, the restaurant was not busy. Anytime we needed something at our table, we had to initiate contact with the wait staff as they rarely came by to check on us. In addition, this restaurant assesses a 20% "service fee". When they bring the check, there is a section that calculates the appropriate tip, which is in addition to the service fee. Particularly insulting is that the tip amount is calculated with the service fee added on top of the food. Further, three of the four of us decided to get pizza and flatbread menu items. When they finally came to take our order is when we were told the oven was not working, therefore, those menu items were not available. Obviously not the fault of the wait staff that the oven was not working, however, we should have been made aware when we were handed the menus. One nice touch, however...my wife's meal was not cooked as ordered. That said, someone from the kitchen staff came out and apologized for the mistake, ensured the food was then cooked properly and then brought the meal back out and ensured it was to her satisfaction. read more

Definitely a chill vibes type of bar. Cocktails are $15 each. Bartender Terrance really nice guy and full of energy. He made a drink for my friend and she said it was DELICIOUS!! I saw a group of people sitting at a booth enjoying the food so I'm sure the food is good there. It does says they have Jazz nights but at the money they don't and I'm sure they'll update that once they start it up again. Would definitely come back to watch a sports game and order food. Thank you for the hospitality Terrance. Until we meet again! read more

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Making a reservation is highly suggested. Seating is very limiting here. Especially if it is a concert, soccer game or basketball game. Service is great. The hostess and servers were nice and professional. Food was a little slow coming out but not too bad. The food was good and I feel like the food pricing was not bad. The side of asparagus was the only thing I side eyed. A small portion for $7. Drinks were a little expensive but they do have a Happy hour menu. They automatically add 20% to your bill, but it states this on the menu. I would go back but not rushing back. read more

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There was an event going on and service was SLOOOOOOW. We watched our drinks sit at the bar for 15-20 minutes. During that time, there were patrons talking over our drinks. When we finally got them, I returned the drinks to the bar requesting for fresh ones. The bartender, (which I later learned was the owner) asked me who my server was. I pointed her out and he asked him to give him a moment, I went back to my seat. We were sitting next to the bar, so we saw the interaction with our server and the owner as he was reprimanding her in front of the entire bar. Our drinks were remade, we could tell he did NOT want to remake them. Food took about 45 minutes to come out after our remade drinks. I got the Asian sticky wings with the caramelized brussel sprouts. The wings were just okay, the brussel sprouts were drowning in maple syrup. The atmosphere is nice, music was great, but customer service and food were awful. They did not have enough staff, and the staff wasn't working together. Drinks were being made at the bar but not being delivered. Instead of the owner stepping in to deliver drinks, he was yelling at the 2 servers that were on the floor overwhelmed with guests. The concept is great, but they need to adjust some things to create a better experience. read more

Can I preface this by saying that I was overly excited to visit this establishment? I've been waiting for a few months to come here and I decided Juneteenth was an amazing date to come by. So the restaurant is a shared space, there is a separate event side that's connected and there was an event going on, on this day. So, it was busy! Which I expected, BUT I don't think management expected it to be THIS busy . I ordered Cajun pasta and 12 piece wings. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement. I was truly saddened to see the to go container that my Cajun pasta with chicken came in. Maybe shocked is a better word. I did mention this to my server and 2 managers and they accommodated me, but then I tasted my dish. It was like no salt was put in the pasta water and the small pieces of bread had the most flavor. My partner ordered the wings and you can see in the picture that they were cooked well done. There was flavor there but it was over powered by how hard and dry the wings were. I wanted to be IN LOVE with this place but maybe my expectations were too high. PLUS my receipt came back with an additional 18% because my order was a ToGo order. Which was only because they didn't have seating on the restaurant side due to the event happening. I spoke with the owner. I will make another visit and I'm almost sure that this review will be adjusted. read more

District GastroBar - Lemon Obey wings - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

32 minutes for happy hour shrimp cocktail and Philly egg-rolls. I don't know why they serve food for the bar next door when they can't handle their own capacity. read more

District GastroBar - Front - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Happy hour was nice. Love the grown folks music and vibe. Food was tasty but that bartender Natasha is da One... not the 2 but da One. Steady crowd but she made us feel like we were the only customers. Loved it! read more

This place is like a hidden Gem ! Its a great place to have brunch , partake in happy hour or pre game before a Amway event... this is right next to Amway and we had the pleasure of visiting for a pregame prior to a Amway concert... It was also the middle of happy hour so it was really packed. The music was phenomenal, I love me some 90'S R&B & they were playing all the back to back hits. It was hard to get the attention of the bartender , but once we did the food & drinks did not disappoint. We even came back after this for a after church Sunday brunch. You can even get reward points with them when using the Amex card for payment. This place even turns into a Speakeasy ... When you push the bookshelf it opens up to the bar & lounge area next door... I would recommended this place the food and ambiance was great. read more

My last visit here was great compared to prior visits. In the past the food quality and service was not all that. The food was great and the service was actually good. I may can now add this restaurant into my rotation lol. read more

Beyond disappointed and frustrated with this place. Our party of 5 was seated immediately on one of the warmest days of the year so far. The AC was not cooling the place so it was hot. I ordered a draft Ultra that tasted like it was contaminated with a fruity IPA. I let it go. We ordered dinner ... a lobster roll and 3 Buffalo chicken sandwiches with pimento cheese. The food arrived - portions were small - Lille a CFA chicken biscuit size. Instead if pimento, the chicken sandwich was topped with blue cheese crumbles. When we brought this to our servers attention, she asked us if we were sure we were supposed to have pimento on our buffalo chicken sandwiches and if we were sure the menu said pimento cheese. She then went to check with the manager; she returned to the table to tell us that they are in the process of changing the menu. She then offered to let us scrape the blue cheese and she would bring us pimento. Dumbfounded, we did that. Another server stopped to see if we needed anything and pre-bussed the table. I asked if he was the manager. He told us the manger was cooking on the line but he would have the manager come to the table. Our server brought the check and I asked her to wait to charge us until we spoke to the manager. She followed up and told us the manager was too busy and wasn't coming but I could call the next day. We paid the tab only to find out that the gratuity is already included in the bill with no opportunity to adjust. WHAT?!?! When I explained to the server that she needed to explain the menu transition, she gave a bunch of excuses. Without a doubt, we had a less than pleasurable experience. We won't be going back. read more

The crab cake sliders were amazing and the lobster bisque (not pictured because I devoured it) was the best I've ever had! read more