Frank Giacobbe

I stopped into the Whiskey at happy hour and ordered off of that menu. Had the Small Batch Whiskey Burger, medium well done, and it was an incredibly good burger in every way. The meat was moist, well-seasoned and flavorful, and everything else on it is elevated compared to other restaurants. This had smoked Gouda, arugula, tomato, smoked bacon, whiskey onions and a dill aioli. The combo was outstanding and one of the best burgers I’ve had anywhere. Obviously, they have great whiskey/bourbon and nice cocktails overall. Atmosphere is casually sophisticated and moody in a good way. Highly recommend, would repeat.

We decided to give Tapa Toro a try tonight and what a terrible disappointment. When we walked in, the live dancer and decor seemed promising. We were seated and it took quite some time for a waitress to come to our table even though someone had stopped by multiple times to ask if anyone had taken our order yet. The music was ridiculously loud. Well above what was necessary and when the waitress did come over, we could barely hear her. Meanwhile, every 3 or 4th song playing was “Happy Birthday” making it feel like the Chuck E. Cheese of Tapas. We ordered an assortment of tapas, none of which were authentic Spanish cuisine and none of which were very good. We’ve been to several tapas places in the area and this was by far the worst. Head over to Disney Springs if you want tapas. That’s just one place that comes to mind that is incredibly better than Tapa Toro. This place feels like they’re barely making any kind of effort because they’re on International Drive and know people will just come. They’ve single handedly made me rethink going to restaurants on I-Drive at all. Our waitress barely came to our table after we ordered and once we were done, the wait to get the bill was unbelievable. They had a QR code on the table to leave feedback. When I tried that, I got a page that said “Well this is embarrassing. This page can’t be found.” That says it all and I wish I had done the same and not found this place. I definitely won’t repeat and I strongly suggest somewhere else. Anywhere else, unless you’re looking for below average food, poor service and the inability to hear anyone at your table.

The Half Wall has a great selection of beer with many on tap. Atmosphere is basically a sports bar in a old building with good character. The food is pretty good. I normally get the French Dip with a side of fresh horseradish. I would say that while the food is always good, it can be a little inconsistent and sometimes it’s better than others. The Fried Green Tomato Stack was incredible. I would repeat that every time now.

Slate is a classy, intimate restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere, complete with gas lanterns. I’ve been there 10+ times. They have fantastic cocktails and a small rotating menu of good food and wood fired pizza. Their food tends to be elevated and usually very flavorful. They’re on the verge of 5-star in my book but you shouldn’t be disappointed here and I will definitely return. I would recommend reservations.

I’ve been to Margaritaville a couple of times and the experience is definitely better indoors since the restaurant is themed and the outside is just a deck. This last time I went, we got the margarita flight and these were all really good. Food on the other hand was just average and about what you’d expect from a lower-end chain restaurant. Not a lot of flavor and nothing memorable. Bottom line, stay inside and stick to drinks.