Good Southern Style Restaurant with Grits?

[Scotch]

We're pretty much native Californians who (until recently) had never been exposed to southern food. My spouse recently discovered grits when he had several business trips in a couple of southern states and he LOVES it! (I accompanied him on one trip, tasted the grits, and concluded that it is really not my thing.) Since then, I've purchased one of those boxed grits from the supermarket and have served him plain grits for breakfast about once a week. I've read about all these grits combo meals, e.g., shrimp and grits, but we've never tried them. Can someone recommend a good restaurant in WDW area for good grits? I'm thinking about surprising my spouse with a good southern meal during our upcoming stay. (My spouse did say that he did not think the grits he tried in Florida was as good as the grits in Georgia or South Carolina.)

 

[Debbie-TN]

You should go to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. It's a restaurant and a sort of gift shop. They have great county cooking. I personally don't eat grits, but I'm sure they have them. They have the best hashbrown casserole. I know there is one on Hwy 192 but I'm not sure where any others are. They probably have a web site telling all the locations.

 

[jgates]

Cracker Barrel has good grits. No argument.

But to get a real taste of Americana, you HAVE to eat at a Waffle House. I do believe there is one east on the big major tourist trap road (?I Bronson?).. I know WH has a website out there. Be prepared. They are early 1970's tacky. They are true diner lifestyle. They have some of the most talented cooks in the country-the waitresses just holler the orders at them. I have never been served the wrong food, even with the weird way they do it.

My son feels like he is in a time warp and hates to go in there. My mom, myself and my daughter love it. Don't believe I have ever subjected my dh to eating there.

Warning: Cash only-no credit cards.

Huddle House - a little higher class version of Waffle House but also good grits and the last one I was at took credit cards.

 

[Robinrs]

I agree with the Waffle House. I grew up on grits and HATE them but my family loves them, they make oatmeal for me! When I went to Orlando in 1999 with my son's babysitter who was born and raised in Atlanta, she and her kids ate a HUGE bowl of cheese grits at the Waffle House for dinner one night... They seemed to love it though I was grossed out!

 

[simonmunro]

I'm guessing, never been. Have you thought about going to the gospel brunch? I've only heard rave reviews about it. Will you be there on a Sunday. Isn't that House of Blues? Somebody here will know, I think you need advance tickets. I've read post where they go on and on about the great food.

 

[Scotch]

Thanks for the recommendations; I'll check them out. (If anyone has more, please keep them coming!)

As for the House of Blues, there is one practically in our back yard (L.A.) so travelling across country to go there does not appeal. In any event, I recall checking out the L.A. House of Blues menu years ago and I don't recall seeing grits; though perhaps the Orlando menu differs.

 

[DVC California]

..there is one practically in our back yard (L.A.) so travelling across country to go there does not appeal...

But going to Disney World instead of Disneyland makes more sense?!?



Just kidding, we always get ribbed by friends and family about travelling way out to Florida, when we could simply hop Southwest for $35 and be in So. Cal. within an hour. It's just not the same.

BTW - I believe most WDW breakfast buffets have plain hot grits on the menu. Jazz it up to your taste.

 

[EyesandEarsJami]

If you want to go on property check out the House of Blues at the West Side Downtown Disney. Also, you mentioned shrimp and grits. If you ever see anything on the menu that says shrimp and polenta, polenta is the same thing, at least in the south it is. (not sure of the spelling.)

 

[Dr.Mickey]

Sorry --- too lazy to logout and login as MissingMickey. Don't tell DH, DrMickey!

This thread really cracked me up. We got home this morning around 1am from 7 days in the world. Grits are fairly easy to find. You might try Fulton's Crab House down at Downtown Disney for Shrimp and Grits. Another real possibility would be over at Port Orleans at the sit down restaurant there.

Most breakfast buffets on property DO have grits --- even Cape May. However, my sweet very Southern husband who adores grits and spent 4 years in Charleston learning to love low country shrimp and grits dishes found out the hard way at Boma's (at the Animal Kingdom Lodge) that grits may LOOK like cream of wheat, but they don't taste the same. If you could have seen his face!

I had grits at both Cracker Barrel and Waffle House while down there. CB's are consistenly better (pardon my grammar). Another thing to try would be sweet tea. We have the dickens of a time finding it in FL -- that is the main reason we went to CB and WH if the truth be known. Again, CBs was better to me -- sweeter. The sweeter the better. Another good place for sweet tea and even grits is Chick-Fil-A. I guess you can tell I grew up in GA, did 4 years of college in AL, 3 more in GA, and married into SC!

Tip: If they taste bad-- add butter and salt. Makes everything better. Glad your DH branched out and tried grits. I just wish I had the nerve to try oatmeal or cream of wheat. Hominy I can do . . .