| Pub | Comments | Location |
|---|---|---|
| ORLANDO | ||
| Chicago Bar and Grill |
A nicely done out pizza and pasta restaurant and bar, with bare brick decor. The usual range of international draughts. Plenty of TVs showing sports and CNN.
Last visited October 2001. |
8250 International Drive |
| Coco Oasis |
A rather upmarket plastic airport bar serving three or four draught beers. The wrought iron railings have a nice palm tree design.
Last visited October 2001.
|
Orlando Airport, Gate 110 |
| Cricketers Arms | I did a double take as I entered this oak beamed English pub. There on the bar was a row of four hand pumps offering Fullers London Pride and ESB, Old Speckled Hen, and Tetley Bitter! I was too amazed after 18 months in the US to ask the barman how they got the beer there (I guess it's hand pumped keg?), even more so after he said "cheers mate" when I paid him! Other beers on draught included Fullers IPA, Boddingtons, Newcastle Brown, Guinness, Bass and Michelob Amber Bock. The menu included such delights as shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, steak and Guinness pie, fish and chips and a chip butty. All the customers were British. A poster advertised a visit two weeks later by Jack Charlton, Roger Hunt, Alan Ball and George Cohen! I'm told the oak beams are over 600 years old, imported from the UK.
Customer (Essex accent): Have you got any lager? Barman: Yes mate, Fosters or Carlsberg. Me: Bloody Hell! Last visited October 2001.
|
Mercardo Complex, International Drive |
| Crocodile Reef Grill | This plain friendly bar/restaurant has 16 beers on tap, although the more interesting ones (i.e. Floridian brews) seemed to be off most of the time. Plenty of TVs showing sports and CNN around the place, along with some video games and a pool table. The menu was not particularly exciting but the food was nicely done. A very noisy karaoke three or four nights a week could drive you to distraction or entertain you depending on your attitude (or alcohol level).
Last visited October 2001.
|
Best Western Movieland, International Drive, opposite Wet & Wild |
| The Groove | This night club plays different music on different nights of the week. When I visited it was stuck in the seventies, which is before even my time! (The DJ cheated and played some 90s remixes - Tut tut!) Great fun nonetheless. At the back is a splendid chill-out room with candles and leather armchairs.
One of the rare places around the world where I have been seen to "dance"! Last visited October 2001.
|
City Walk, Universal Studios |
| Hard Rock Cafe | Someone had warned me that a Hard Rock Cafe was MacDonalds food at Savoy Grill prices, so my expectations were not high, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The food was fine and they had some fairly good local beer on draught. Decor was, of course, rock memorabilia, including a pink Cadillac revolving slowly above the bar. Our waiter's name was Bull - we didn't like to ask what his second name was!
Last visited October 2001.
|
City Walk, Universal Studios |
| Johnny Rivers |
A small airport bar with Bud and Killians Red on draught.
Last visited October 2001.
|
Orlando Airport, Gate 106 |
| Latin Quarter | Another night club in the City Walk complex, nicely decorated (I think - it was very dark) in a Latin American style with a giant inca-style totem next to the dance floor and lots of people dancing to the lively music (Can't stand it myself!). I presume they allow under-21s in because we couldn't buy a round of drinks unless all of us went to the bar together! The most remarkable thing about this place, though, was that all the people on the dance floor could actually dance!
Last visited October 2001.
|
City Walk, Universal Studios |
| Lucky Leprechaun | This is a true British pub at its best, with families getting drunk around a table stacked up with empty glasses, a tiled floor, a high panelled ceiling, a real wooden bar back and, good grief, they've even got British pub wallpaper! The karaoke was entertaining and the chicken and mushroom pie was very good, I'm told.
Last visited October 2001.
|
International Drive / Carrier Drive |
| Murphy's Arms Pub | Another direct transplant from the UK, but this time a little more down market - I felt like I'd gone back to Waterloo or Bootle. A plain L-shaped not-very-Irish bar with fake bare brick decor, full of British tourists. The walls are covered with a mixture of British soccer memorabilia and US flags. Draught beers include Guinness, Budwieser, Newcastle Brown, Harp, Fosters, Heineken, Carling Black Label and Miller Light. Oasis on the jukebox and soccer on the telly. How to travel 3,000 miles and go nowhere!
(Some of the signs call this Murphy's Arm Pub.) Last visited October 2001.
|
International Drive / Carrier Drive |
| Pastamore |
A very plastic (and so was the dinner) "Italian" bar / restaurant. Nice breakfast though!
Last visited October 2001.
|
City Walk, Universal Studios |
| Pat O'Brien's | This noisy lively three bar pub had karaoke on in one room when I visited. I was pleased to discover the decor was not overly "Oirish". Draft beers include Guinness, Fosters and Bass as well as the usual domestics. The bar staff seemed to be slow and inefficient. To the rear is a terrace with an amazing flaming fountain. Apparently this bar is one of a chain which started in New Orleans.
Last visited October 2001.
|
City Walk, Universal Studios |
| Pub | Budweiser and Sam Adams on draught in this plain, clean and tidy bar / pool hall with shed roof, bare brick and neon decor. Food is limited to pizza and hot dogs. Last visited October 2001.
|
International Drive |
| Tikki Bar | Budweiser only at this small hut by the pool.
Last visited October 2001.
|
Best Western Movieland Hotel |
| Wall Street Cantina | A wide selection of bottled beer but no drafts in this pleasant Tex/Mex restaurant/bar. The dopey waitress provided slow service, but eventually we got some good food.
Last visited October 2001.
|
Orange Avenue / Washington Street |
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