• Pad Thai at Thai Place. There’s many great Thai restaurants in Orlando, this just happens to be my favorite. I like the free salad with peanut dressing here too.
• Baja Burrito at Baja Burrito. Their namesake, it’s delicious.
• Gyro platter (includes a bag of chips and a drink) at New York Deli. They’ve been doing it for more than 30 years.
• 1/3lb. or 1/2lb. Burger at Fuddrucker’s
• Lunch Special Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box at Seito Sushi – does not include a soft drink or tip, but you can have the complimentary green tea.
• Beef Brisket platter at 4 Rivers Smokehouse
• Jumbo Chicago Dog with fries and a drink at Hot Dog Heaven
• Wings and Things Meal at Zaxby’s, at lot of food for the money. It includes 3 chicken fingers, 5 chicken wings, fries and a slice of Texas toast for under $7. It does not include a drink though.
•  Boxcar Willy (1 slice of pizza and a pint of Pabst Blue Ribbon) at Lazy Moon Pizza. This one is actually under $5.
• The extra large BBQ beef combo meal (includes tater tots and a drink) at Beefy King

Let us know your favorite meal in Orlando for under $10.

• Price: $4 – $8

Mama B’s serves a variety of subs and sandwiches. I had their house special, the Italian sub. The food was good, but nothing special. Mama B’s is cash or check only. I found that out after I ordered my food. They informed me that there was a Bank of America a few blocks south (I don’t particularly care to walk a few blocks in the Florida heat). Luckily I remembered I just so happened to have my checkbook on me that day. I had to make out a check for a sandwich and soda. The only thing I ever write a check for is to pay rent and utilities. It’s a big hassle writing a check for a retailer/restaurant. They had to check my ID, and then questioned me about my address since the address on my license doesn’t match the address on my checks. I assured them I was who I said I was and that I was good for the $8. I’ll probably never go back there again since I normally don’t carry cash or my checkbook. This is the 21st century, get a credit card machine already. The only way you can get away with cash only is if you really have something compelling to offer. Red Light Red Light is a good example of that, they have a laid back atmosphere, and a great beer selection, but even then, I have to plan ahead to bring cash. Mama B’s isn’t good enough to plan on going there, and I’ll never stop by since I rarely have cash. Go across the street to New York deli instead for an excellent gyro.

Panino’s Pizza is located in the heart of downtown Orlando. They have generous portions, a friendly staff, and great deals. On Mondays and Tuesdays, they offer $1.50 slices of cheese pizza, and discounts on slices of all their specialty pizza. Their slices are big too. One slice should leave you satisfied, and after two slices, you should be stuffed. It’s definitely a great place to grab lunch downtown.

Empire Szechuan is a nice quiet little Chinese restaurant just north of the heart of downtown Orlando. It is not very busy so the service is good and the food is made fresh.  The prices are reasonable. The only thing I didn’t really like about the place was the fact that they don’t have fountain sodas.

At night, Ember is a full scale bar/night club. But, during the day, Ember is an excellent casual dining restaurant. It has a very large indoor and outdoor dining area. Most of the restaurant opens up, so this is the perfect place for a fall or spring Florida day. The food is good, with generous portions, but the atmosphere is what did it for me. I definitely recommend this place for a refreshing, relaxing meal.

They are located a little of the beaten path of downtown Orlando, just west of Orange Ave. on Washington St., so you might not have visited them yet, but it is worth the extra few minutes of walking. They have a wide selection of smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, salads, and flat breads. The food keeps with the tropical motif, and is very refreshing and perfect for the Florida heat. The smoothies are made with mostly fresh fruit, while some of the more exotic fruits are frozen or from concentrate. They also have excellent breakfast options that taste much better than fast food alternatives, and are competitively priced.

One of the things that Michael and his family do to differentiate from other Tropical Smoothie Cafe, is customer appreciation day. Generally, about once a month, they have a day for a particular business downtown (Regions Bank, Channel 13 News, etc.) where employees can get $1 low fat smoothies. You may say, “eww low fat”, but they are naturally low fat because of their fruit base, not because they are modified versions of regular smoothies. They also offer 50% off their low fat smoothies on Monday through Thursday from 4pm to 6pm. Lastly, they have a breakfast club, which entitles the bearer of one of those key chain tags to 20% off their breakfast order before 10am, Monday through Friday.

One of the great things served to me during my visit was the Royale cookie, colloquially known as “Fat Kid’s Heaven”. It is an amazing mix of oatmeal, chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, and cocoa nut. This definitely isn’t the healthiest item on the menu, but it is one of the most delicious.

Connect with Tropical Smoothie Cafe Downtown Orlando on Facebook.

Mochi is a popular Asian rice cake made of sweet rice flour that is usually eaten as a snack or dessert.

Not to be outdone by their unusual flavors and toppings, Mochi keeps with the trend with their pricing. It is $0.45 per ounce, including any mix of yogurt flavors you want, and all the toppings you care to have. I think it is a great pricing strategy because it lets people get as little or as much as they want to pay for. It is a great, refreshing treat that can be made as healthy or as fattening as you want it.

Gino’s offers lunch specials Monday through Friday, from 9am to 4pm. These specials offer a ton of food, at a low price. You could easily split one of these lunch specials with someone else, there’s that much food. The service is fast and pleasant. If you are downtown, I would definitely recommend you give them a try. Even if you aren’t downtown, the food is worth the trip.

Gino’s menu is available on their website.