I've been coming to Cattle Ranch for about 25 years, and somehow it's so good every time. From the…read moreoutside, it's super unassuming, but locals know this place is a true Sanford staple. One of my favorite things about it is that it hasn't changed much over the years, but in the best way. It's family-run, the vibe is comfortable and familiar, and the staff has always been amazing. We've had countless dinners here with big groups (10+ people), and they deliver every single time. That kind of consistency is rare. What I order every single visit: Salad with house dressing, it's honestly one of my favorite dressings anywhere. Loaded Buckskins - You have to get these. Think a cross between a steak fry and a potato wedge, loaded with cheese and bacon, addictively good. Petite strip steak - Perfect portion, cooked and seasoned just right every time. Simple, consistent, and exactly what you want. They also bring out warm brown bread with your meal that just hits, and a side of applesauce that I've come to think of as the perfect little palate cleanser, such a simple touch, but it makes the experience feel even more classic. This is one of those places that feels like home. No frills, no trends, just really good food, great people, and decades of consistency. This will absolutely be a staple for me as long as I live in Sanford.

After picking up family at the Sanford Airport everyone was hungry when they landed. We found the…read moreCattle Ranch after Google said it was close by. The outside of the building isn't much to look at. Some might pass by, we didn't. I rated the Cattle Ranch 4 stars but if 3.5 was allowed, it would be my choice. We were greeted right away and was seated. The inside of the building needs a refresh even more than the outside. However, the restaurant was busy, families eating, people laughing, sometimes the locals know, it's one of the locally owned restaurants, not a chain. This is a good sign. I'm all in on the local, hole in the wall places. Our Server and our service was excellent. Good menu, plenty of choices and the eight of us had just about everything, Porterhouse, Ribeyes, fillets, burgers, salads. Food was very good, no complaints, ample amounts on sides. Rest rooms were also in need of a refresh but the were working. All in all and after our experience we would return.

My fiancé and I have been regulars at the Salted Goat for over a year and we cannot recommend this…read moreplace enough! We come here minimum once a week. The food, the service and the quality here is top tier so I'm here to break them down for you. THE FOOD I love knowing we support a local family owned business and also the local farms they buy from. For the quality and care put into the menu, the prices are absolutely more than reasonable. The menu also changes so there are always new things to try including yummy desserts! We've had quite a lot on the menu and a few of our favorites include: the brisket smash burger, the build your own chicken/burger, the Tuscan piggy pasta, onion bahji, the steak bruschetta flatbread, the caprese, chicken and waffles, the third best breakfast sandwich (yes that's the name), the sweet crepes, the Argentinian reds and probably more I can't think of right now. THE SERVICE Everyone here is amazing. I think everyone has waited on us at least once and we always have a wonderful experience. We typically are waited on by Mandi - shout out to her for always being so lovely and accommodating! One time for my graduation, they allowed my fiancé to come in the day prior to set up balloons as a surprise for our table when I walked in. They are always going above and beyond. I often brings out of town friends and family here and they are always impressed. I can't have dairy and will sometimes forget to remove cheese, but they never forget even when I do. They are friendly, attentive and overall amazing. THE ENVIRONMENT You choose a table that is comfortable for where and what you want rather than being seated. It's a casual and comfortable environment, no judgement zone. I've come in wearing a dress and heels after my graduation to celebrate with family, dressed up for New Year's Even dinner and I've also come in wearing sweatpants and t-shirt or workout attire. That's what makes this place great, you can be yourself and enjoy delicious farm to table food. It's always clean and they play great music. You will catch me jamming out while eating my chicken sandwich with the mouth watering aioli on top. CONS Sometimes I crave them on Mondays are they're closed!! :(

What a gem. We found this place on the way out of Orlando and were pleasantly surprised. From the…read moremoment we walked in, to the recommendations on what to order, to chatting about what we'll try next time, the staff was wonderful. We arrived just before noon and were able to grab a table inside, though the patio looked like a fun option as well. I went with the brisket bánh mì, the Mrs. had the papa rellena, and our son chose the traditional eggs and bacon. Each meal was cooked perfectly, packed with flavor, and portioned just right. This is definitely a stop we'll add to the list the next time we're passing through.

We came here for dinner after work and ended up staying longer than planned because the food and…read moreatmosphere made it easy to settle in. The burger was cooked well, with a nicely toasted bun and crisp toppings, and the fries had a good crunch. I also liked the selection of drinks, which gave everyone at the table something different to choose from. It felt like a comfortable place for a casual meal without being too loud or formal.

What an absolutely fantastic, surprising find in the heart of downtown old historic Sanford. " Make…read more2nd your 1st choice," is the perfect slogan! In town on a work trip, my husband, and I decided to try this place out! What a wonderful surprise! From the moment you walked in the eclectic, industrial, modernized, warm, cozy feel welcomes you in. Our server was friendly and attentive, and we knew right away that this place was a find! A wonderful happy hour menu, led us to a full menu of what felt like a farm to table experience. I sadly didn't get to snap a photo of the excellent appetizer buratta, but it was a perfect blend of balsamic tomato and creamy cheese! I am a true foodie, and this was hands-down the best burger I've ever eaten. My husband absolutely loved his shrimp and grits, perfectly cooked and well balanced flavor. Well, I know everyone recommends the chocolate cake, I can't rave enough about the crème brûlée. Do yourself a favor and go out of your way to enjoy a " private chef experience" meal! You will be glad you did!

Service was great and the food even better! Our sever Debbie took care of us quickly and was very…read morenice. Really, really good food.

This restaurant was simply fabulous. From the service to the decor to the delicious food and…read morebottomless sangrias, this place sparkled as much as the decorations. We came here from my friends breakfast brunch and I'm so glad she chose this restaurant. I was happy to see the unique dishes they offered. It was really hard to decide on what I wanted to eat with all the tempting options. I settled on chilaquiles because this dish is very hard to find. I am so glad I chose it as it hit the spot. It paired nicely with the bottomless mimosas and sangrias. Their restaurant is beautiful and has many photo worthy spots. They also have a bar towards the back of the restaurant and patio seedings as well. This place was located in downtown Sanford and gives you an opportunity to walk off all the delicious food you just inhaled. I definitely want to revisit this location and try the rest of the menu.

The ambiance, service, and food were outstanding!…read more Kyle was our server, and couldn't have been more attentive, and pleasant. It was the beginning of dinner time, and a little slow, but the wait staff was very responsive to all the diners in the restaurant. We started with the focaccia w/ leftover oil, and it was quite good. For dinner, my wife had the chicken pot pie w/ grilled chicken, and I had the shrimp and grits... delicious. I highly recommend The Old Jailhouse!

I've been to a lot of places in Sanford but had never tried The Old Jailhouse, so my wife and I…read moredecided to check it out for dinner one night. As someone who is big into breweries, I was happy to see they had a solid selection of craft beer on draft. For dinner, I got the salmon and rice, and it was really good. My wife had the shrimp and grits, and those were on point too. Overall, a solid experience. Definitely a place I would visit again one day.

It's always a good time at the Sullivan House. This is at least, but the best - place to get a nice…read morepint of Guinness poured. Great service and great atmosphere. The community of this pub is respectful which is so much appreciated. The bartenders do look out after you and are aware of their surroundings. Love it here. Shoutout Jared for being an awesome bar tender! My half and half was poured perfectly.

Tasty Small menu options s…read moreGiod food Amazing bar Good atmosphere Liked the servers Fair prices We will be back

We went on a Thursday evening for dinner…read more It was EMPTY they told us that was due to bike week and all the other things going on around town. We were sat right away and our waiter was a young guy who seemed to be working the 5 table by him self. We order chicken dinner with a salad, and two steak dinners one had a salad, He did forget one of the salads, table bread other wise everything was as expected. cooke as requested

I have driven past this restaurant so many times and quite frankly I wasn't even sure that it was…read moreopen. My coworkers and I came here for a team building event and I pleasantly surprised. The decor is a bit dated but quaint and the service was great. We made it in time for Happy hour and their special was 2 for 1 drinks. We ordered fried pickles and onion rings for the table to share and both were very delicious. For dinner I order the ribeye with broccoli and mashed potatoes. The steak was cooked to perfection, juicy and full of flavor. The sides of broccoli and mashed potatoes were delicious but in my opinion on the smaller side. The service was great. Our server made sure our party had everything we needed, refilling our drinks and bringing out any additional toppings, sauces, ketchup. I had a great dinning experience and would recommend this restaurant if you're in Sanford/Lake Mary area.

We had been here years ago when it was F&D Kitchen, and we enjoyed the new F&D Prime experience so…read moremuch more. The restaurant has been beautifully redone and feels elevated without being overly stuffy. We made reservations through OpenTable and the service was spectacular. We did Magical Dining, $60 per person for a three course prix fixe menu. We both started with the Caesar salad, then tried the short rib and filet with cocktails alongside dinner. The short rib was rich and fall apart tender, and the filet was cooked beautifully. Finished with the olive oil cake and crème brûlée cheesecake. The cheesecake was my favorite of the two! They also have happy hour from 4-6 PM, which is definitely worth knowing. Beautiful atmosphere, fantastic service, good cocktails and really well executed food. We were genuinely impressed with what they've done with the place and will definitely be back.

We have been here many times but this was our first time for magical dining. We were informed that…read morethey do not allow magical dining for parties more than 6, but our waitress persuaded the management to allow us. I thought that was weird. Besides- not all of us were doing it anyways and we always order a ton of stuff. Some lady came over and informed my friend that she could take her baby outside because it was crying. I was annoyed by that because the kid wasn't being terrible and was consolable AND it's Sunday night- not Friday date night or whatever. The audacity of that woman. Kids need to learn to behave at the table, yes, and the kid is one and he was doing pretty well. He deserved more of a chance. I don't have kids nor do I like them but I was not on board with that lady basically telling my friend to take a walk with her kid. Besides that- our server was great although she seemed a bit rushed. When we needed like a second to think she was immediately like - would you like more time? Do you need more time? Like ok lady. Go do whatever you need to do and come back. Stop making us feel rushed. Cocktails and drinks came out slow. I was glad to see a change in their cocktail menu. I feel like that is a weak spot for them, historically. I had a killer bee, which was awesome. My husband had the nutty old fashioned. We had two orders of the milk bread which comes w that citrus butter- yum. We also had their fabulous deviled eggs. One person had the French onion soup- looked good. For magical dining app, I did the magical dining w the tuna crudo, one gal got the beet salad, and her husband got the house salad. For magical dining dinner, all three of us got the Bakkafrost Scottish salmon. It came w roasted tomatoes and a piece of grilled fennel and lemon beurre blanc on the side. Yum. The rest of the table had the regular menu- an order of pork chop, the seabass, an 8 oz filet, New York strip and a ribeye. We ordered family style sides- French fries, broccolini, lobster Mac and cheese. For dessert, we had key lime pie x2, cheesecake x3, and brownie x1. The key lime has a whipped consistency- not traditional. The flavor is good but the texture was not my fave. Everything else was standard. All in all we had a nice dinner and good conversation. Service was great and attentive- coming back to refill water and get the next round of drinks and clear plates. She even boxed our food for us. I just think management needs a reality check. Don't deny large tables the magical dining. Only 3 out of 8 of us actually did it. And don't encourage your staff to tell customers with kids to take a walk.

Service was quick and friendly, a busy local restaurant with great view over the waterread more

One of my favorite things about St. Johns River Steak & Seafood is that you're not just going there…read morefor dinner -- the location makes the whole experience. Sitting right on Lake Monroe with that view of the water, especially around sunset, is hard to beat in Sanford. The food is excellent too. They have a huge selection, so whether you're in the mood for seafood or a steak, there's something for everybody. The seafood always seems fresh, the portions are generous, and they don't skimp on the good stuff. The blackened fish with shrimp and crab risotto is a standout, and you hear people constantly talking about the grouper, shrimp and grits, conch fritters, gator bites and seafood combinations. Their steaks are also legitimately good, so you don't feel like you have to order seafood just because it's on the water. The atmosphere is probably what keeps me coming back. It's casual enough that you can bring the family, but the view makes it nice enough for a date night or special occasion. There's just something relaxing about eating dinner and looking out over the lake. Service has always been another big positive. The staff is friendly and attentive without hovering over you, and even when the restaurant is busy, they do a good job taking care of everyone. That seems to be something a lot of other people mention in their reviews as well. Good food, cold drinks, great service and one of the best restaurant views in Sanford. If somebody was visiting town and asked me where they could get some seafood and actually feel like they were in Florida, this would definitely be on my list.

I went to The Tennessee Truffle with a friend recently and cannot stop thinking about it…read more It's a cute and cozy spot located in downtown Sanford. If you're planning to go be sure to make a reservation. The brunch options weren't overwhelming and I had the French roast with the smoked syrup. It was interesting since I've never had smoked syrup but the meal overall was great. Service was excellent. I will definitely be back.

This place was fine dining without the price tag! Small and quaint. Unique selections and variety…read more They have specials as well, so every experience can be different! I wanted everything on the menu. This was more than southern comfort. I was very impressed and each dish had the perfect balance of flavor. Portions were perfect and it's always nice to be satisfied without feeling sick after like so many "comfort" foods can. I got the Korean seabass special and it was slightly pan fried with a crisp I the edges and meaty center. The pickled peaches were excellent! The ice cream is house made and very unique. We had the popcorn, buttermilk and brown sugar. I liked the brown sugar the best. :) The drink selections were great. I really enjoyed this orange beer that had over 5 % abv and is a good contender to OBP! We will be back next month because I've got to try the ragu and gnocchi!