Courtesy Lettuce.com
IT’S NEVER WINTER IN ORLANDO, and that’s why Summer House, Lettuce Entertain You’s California-inspired restaurant, fits in so well here: the theme is “never-ending summer.”
The brand became popular in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas for its sunny coastal feel and cuisine. You’ll really feel that at the brand’s new location at Disney Springs—it sits on Lake Buena Vista, where you can say yes to gentle breezes, sun-soaked afternoons and frosé every day. That’s right, Summer House on the Lake has its very own rosé cart. While tasty in its original form, we love anything slushie, and rosé lends itself so well to the creation. Take advantage of your hotel shuttle or Disney transportation to kick back on the patio and drink to your heart’s content. Along the way, though, supplement those cocktails with some great cuisine (and plenty of water)—the choices are abundant, and you’ll want to try one of everything. Why not?
Courtesy Lettuce.com
And when you do, you can be sure you’re getting the freshest product around. “We can lean into the Florida weather, we’re in a place where we have beautiful produce all year round,” says Rich Kaufman, Summer House’s general manager. “In D.C., we might feature tomatoes two months out of the year, but here, we’re getting great stuff all year round.” “One thing I love about our menu concept is that you can have a very healthy day and have a kale salad and a beautiful fresh tuna tostada one day, and the next you can be more indulgent and have the pizza or our beautiful Angry Crab Bucatini. And obviously, you want to finish with a cookie or one of our beautiful desserts,” he adds.
Ahi Tuna Toastada, Courtesy of Lettuce.com
What We Sampled
In the spirit of discovery, we strategically sampled the lunch menu. First up, the Ahi Tuna & Watermelon Tostadas, served on a crisp corn tortilla. These small bites are the perfect taste of summer, with their flawless ahi and a little bit of heat from the Thai chili garnish. We skipped the guacamole in favor of the Grilled Avocado, but if you want to go for too much of a good thing, you can add Dungeness crab to your guac—yes please! The sampling continued with the Potato Salad Deviled Eggs—so good, we wondered why we never tried to whip up such a tasty concoction in our own kitchens (but we’ll leave it to the pros). The Shaved Mushroom Pizza was equally enticing, and like everything before it, super fresh. For the entrée, we went with a quintessentially Floridian dish, Grouper Fish ‘n’ Chips, which was light and flavorful.
The Cookie Bar Debuts In Orlando
Be sure you save room for dessert, because Summer House on the Lake debuted The Cookie Bar at this restaurant. You’ll want at least one of these large, decadent cookies; we tried the creamy Lemon, the restaurant’s best seller, and the Oatmeal Scotchie, the perfect blend of sweet and salty.
Courtesy Keni Rosales
If you’re coming in just for a cookie, there’s a separate entrance where you can just grab them and go. “Disney is a lot of people waiting in lines,” says Kaufman. “We don’t want people to deal with that here.”
Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie, Courtesy of Lettuce.com
The restaurant’s gorgeous design was a collaboration with the renowned Rockwell Group, and you’ll find lush fauna throughout, making the atmosphere even more sunny. With lots of white and seafoam green, Kaufman says the color scheme is an impactful part of the brand.
Summer House on the Lake is located on the West Side at Disney Springs and is open Mon.-Fri. from 11 a.m. and Sat.-Sun. from 9 a.m. For more information, visit summerhouserestaurants.com/disney-springs