TooJay's Gourmet Deli -- Best casual restaurant in Orlando
Written: Dec 04 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: FANTASTIC food, catering, good service, good prices
Cons: Inconvenient waiting area, the occasional long wait
The Bottom Line: Looking for great food at moderate prices in a family-friendly restaurant in Orlando? Look no further than TooJay's Gourmet Deli!
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| gatorgirlie's Full Review: TooJay's |
Ah, the beginning of December... the time of year that the Orlando Sentinel does its annual Foodie Awards (where people vote for their best restaurants in various categories). Most of the winners are obvious (at least to a well-traveled restaurant-goer), but I really think one fantastic restaurant got snubbed in the Best Casual category -- TooJay's Gourmet Deli. Part Deli, part catering and part restaurant, TooJay's offers a variety of excellent food at reasonable prices.
Location
First of all, I believe you can only find them in Florida. I've been to two -- the one on Highway 50 in Orlando (by the Babies R Us) and the one in the Waterford Lakes Towne Center on Alafaya Trail. Since I routinely go to the Waterford Lakes location, that will be the one I'm reviewing here.
Location: 715 North Alafaya Trail, Orlando, FL 32828
Phone: (407) 249-9475
Hours: 8 am - 9 pm Sunday through Thursday
8 am - 10 pm Friday and Saturday
So, what is TooJay's
Just like I said, TooJay's is a gourmet, New York-style (read: Jewish) deli that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees (breakfast is served all day I believe). They serve traditional items like corned beef, blintzes and potato pancakes. In addition to their selection of entrees, they have a dessert list that is to die for. They have a selection of traditional Jewish fare along with quite a few delicious vegetarian options.
They also offer take-out and delivery service in addition to a full catering menu.
Atmosphere, Cleanliness and Service
The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, the tables close together and the noise volume fairly high. The seats are comfortable and the tables are a fairly decent size, even though they are packed close. Because of the narrowness of the walkway aisles, they're really strict about where they'll put high chairs so sometimes the wait is a bit inconvenient when eating out with my toddler. They do give crayons and a paper menu to young children, so that's definitely a plus. One other inconvenience is the fact there's almost always a wait, and the wait can be decent if you go at heavy traffic times (like lunch). While there are tables outside, you can't get service at them because they're only "to go" order tables (which I find silly) and there are no seats, so you have to wait in line to be seated. The line is small, so those with strollers and wheelchairs might feel inconvenienced... in addition the lack of chairs puts a serious cramp on the elderly and young that have to stand for an extended wait. Also, for those with strollers... there really isn't any convenient place to store it once you sit down, so keep that in mind as well.
That being said, the service has always been unfailingly polite. The people are all good with toddlers and the noise level is loud enough that my son isn't usually a bother. While the waits to get a seat can be long, I've never had to wait an extended period of time for my food. The waiters/waitresses are prompt and attentive yet not obnoxious.
I've always found the TooJay's in Waterford Lakes to be exceptionally clean. Rarely are tables left for too long before being bussed and the bathrooms are always in pretty good shape. I've seen them vacuum the floor during the day, so they're pretty conscientious about the carpet.
Food
Now, good service or bad... long waits or short... the reason I keep returning again... and again... and again... is the food. Absolutely top-notch. The kid's menu is nicely stocked with staples like peanut butter and jelly, hamburgers, mac and cheese, chicken fingers and grilled cheese. I will say that the PB&J was way too big for my 2-year old to eat it since it was made on thick-cut challah bread. It seriously couldn't fit into his mouth. Their meals come with french fries and a black/white cookie, but they will allow me to substitute fresh fruit for the french fries. They have a kid's milk that comes in a take home plastic cup with a bendy straw. Aidan enjoys the chicken fingers and grilled cheese the best, so that's usually what we order him. The prices on kid's meals aren't too bad, ranging from $2.99 to $3.99 and the portions are nicely sized for young kids. They also will cut any of their sandwiches down to child size, for those who are not interested in the kid's menu.
For lunch, their entrees are an impressive collection of soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, melts, and chicken/fish. My mother usually orders the Matzo Ball soup, which both she and Aidan enjoy enormously. The cup is $2.65 and the bowl is $3.75. As for me, when I go there for lunch I'm torn between my two favorites... Do I order the Blintzes (which come with two blintzes, fruit and sour cream) for $6.75 or the Gorgonzola-Bacon Burger with a side of their fabulous potato pancakes for $8? When I say they have the *best* burger I've tasted in the Orlando area, I'm not lying. I love my burgers and TooJay's makes one of the best I've ever had. They're usually spot-on with Medium, though sometimes it's medium-well. I have noticed that their burgers tend to come out more done than less, so if you're a stickler for medium burgers, make sure your waiter knows it. Their blintzes are no slouch either, with the crepe being the perfect light-and-fluffy-with-bite that corresponds well with the sweet cheese filling. While TooJay's fries are good, their potato pancakes are out of this world. They're served with a side of sour cream and a side of applesauce and they have the perfect hint of nutmeg-y sweetness that's supposed to be there. Besides ordering them as a replacement for the fries, you can order them as an appetizer for $4.50 for two. The portions are a nice size for the price with just the right amount of food to satisfy.
Since my mother and I visit there for lunch so often, I rarely go there for dinner... but the times we have visited have been equally as delicious. The dinner entree sizes are so large I've never felt the need to order an appetizer, though their appetizer list is fairly large and includes items from smoked salmon to quesadillas to potato skins. One time we went I tried "Mom's Meatloaf" for $11 and it was delicious. Not too dry, not falling apart -- meatloaf like my mom (sorry mom) never could make! My husband ordered the Liver & Onions ($9) and he really enjoyed it (gag). I can also remember eating the Pot Roast ($11-ish) and enjoying it as well. Really, thinking on it... I can't think of one thing I haven't liked there in the two years (or so) I've been frequenting it. The most expensive item on their dinner menu is the London Broil at $14, so you know it's an affordable place to dine.
I will say this, I have never really eaten any dessert at TooJays (unless you count the black and white cookies I take from my son) because I'm so stuffed it's inconceivable. They look delicious, though, and judging by those cookies they'll taste delicious as well.
Catering
I wanted to mention this because they do offer catering for virtually any event. They'll deliver it (for a small charge) and even set it up for you, or you can pick it up yourself. Their large catering menus are located at the tables and the prices aren't really that bad. For my son's birthday we ordered 5 orders of the Blintzes and 5 orders of their Cinnamon Nut French Toast. The blintzes were three per person at a cost of $6.95 which, considering that if you dine *at* TooJays it costs $10.25/person, is a steal. It comes with sides of sour cream and fruit (either apple, cherry or blueberry... what you get depends on the day and we had cherry). The french toast was equally as delicious and came with 3 - 4 slices of thick toast, along with syrup, butter and your choice of sausage/bacon/ham for $6.95. I only ordered them to accompany the eggs and other brunch items we had at the party, but virtually everyone there wanted to know where I had gotten the food (we're talking around 30 adults). People were raving about the french toast even more than the blintzes (mostly because everyone there already knew about how wonderful TooJay's blintzes are).
The order was ready at the time specified and came with everything we needed (they even offered us plastic forks/etc, but I already had them). They came in sturdy aluminum trays that we could easily set over our sternos at home. The amount of food that came for $70 was pretty surprising and probably led to the over-abundance of leftover bagels and turnovers we had at the end of the day (everyone wanted the TooJays food!). They request a 48 hour notice in scheduling catering orders, but have stated they'll accommodate last-minute requests as best they can.
I will absolutely use TooJay's catering again!
Overall
An inconvenient waiting area and the occasional long wait time are just not enough to deter me from eating a filling, moderately-priced lunch that tastes delicious. If I could eat at TooJays every day I would (though I'd be really fat). Their restaurant is clean, atmosphere casual and the restaurant staff friendly. Is it on par with Season's 52, Fleming's Steakhosue or Emeril's? No, but then it doesn't pretend to be in competition with them. If you're looking for a place like that, you're looking at the wrong restaurant. The name says it all -- it's a gourmet deli, filled with really good food at good prices.
If you're looking for the best burgers in Orlando, or just some good, hearty comfort food, check out TooJay's Gourmet Deli in Waterford Lakes... you won't be disappointed!
Recommended:
Yes
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gatorgirlie
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Location: Orlando, FL
Reviews written: 248
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