Seminole County Dining Guide
Brick-walled taprooms, lakeside fish camps and family restaurants north of Orlando.
Most of the county's independent restaurants are in a few clusters. Historic downtown Sanford has the densest concentration, with dozens of places to eat and drink within walking distance of the marina, and it is the best choice for an evening out with a stroll afterward. Lake Mary's small downtown and the Uptown area around Cranes Roost Park in Altamonte Springs come next, and the suburban corridors along State Road 434 and U.S. 17-92 hold long-running family businesses that locals have supported for decades.
Craft beer is a big part of the scene, especially in Sanford, where breweries and beer bars sit side by side in the old storefronts. On weekends, expect live music on patios and waits at the most popular spots; reservations help for dinner at the larger restaurants.
Downtown Sanford
Restaurants within a short walk of First Street and the marina.
A family-run German restaurant on East First Street since 2001, with German beer, schnitzel and live German music on weekends.
A restaurant where some tables sit inside the cells of a historic building that once served as the city jail; open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
A seafood restaurant on First Street that began as a fish counter, known for raw bar plates and fresh catch.
A family-owned restaurant on West Second Street serving scratch-made plates with craft beer and cocktails.
A First Street restaurant with an open-air patio and live music, serving seafood and Southern dishes.
A European-style pub on Sanford Avenue open since 2013, known for Belgian and international beers and hand-cut double-fried frites.
Steaks and seafood at the Sanford marina, with views across Lake Monroe.
Taprooms and Sweets
Sanford's beer scene, a Longwood brewery and a marshmallow maker.
A downtown beer bar and garden named for the town's farming past, with more than fifty rotating taps and live music.
A First Street brewery taproom with award-winning beers; pizza and cheesesteaks come from the kitchen next door.
A family-owned brewery whose Longwood taproom on Ronald Reagan Boulevard is its flagship.
Artisan marshmallows made in Sanford since 2012, sold at the First Street shop in a long list of flavors.
Lake Mary, Altamonte Springs and Casselberry
Local favorites along the Interstate 4 and U.S. 17-92 corridors.
A dinner restaurant cooking seafood and aged steaks over a citrus and oak wood fire, along with slow-roasted prime rib.
A small local group of Vietnamese restaurants; the Lake Mary location on West Lake Mary Boulevard serves fast-casual pho, banh mi and rice bowls.
Greek and Mediterranean dishes on West Lakeview Avenue, with a terrace looking over Central Park.
A family-owned New Orleans-style restaurant serving po'boys, gumbo and a Sunday brunch with live music.
A Cuban kitchen on U.S. 17-92 known for Cuban sandwiches, roast pork and cafecito.
Longwood, Oviedo and the Lakes
Lakeside dining and neighborhood institutions.
A long-running Italian restaurant in a lakeside house with gardens and a dock, a local choice for special occasions.
A New York-style deli on State Road 434 known for piled-high corned beef and pastrami.
A family-run Greek restaurant that regularly places among Longwood favorites in local readers' polls.
A waterfront fish-camp restaurant and bar on Lake Jesup, with airboat rides from the dock.
An Italian-inspired wine bar with small plates at Oviedo on the Park.
Restaurants change hours, menus and ownership often — check with the restaurant before you go. Listings are editorial picks, not paid placements.
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Where is the best area to eat in Seminole County?
Historic downtown Sanford has the most independent restaurants in one walkable area, from seafood and German food to breweries. Lake Mary's downtown and Uptown Altamonte around Cranes Roost Park are good second choices.
Are there breweries in Seminole County?
Yes. Downtown Sanford has several breweries and beer bars within a few blocks, and Hourglass Brewing has its flagship taproom in Longwood.
Is there waterfront dining?
St. Johns River Steak and Seafood sits at the Sanford marina on Lake Monroe, The Black Hammock is on the shore of Lake Jesup near Oviedo, and Enzo's on the Lake in Longwood overlooks a small lake.