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Best Dominican Restaurants in Orlando & Kissimmee: A Local's Guide
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items Craving mangú, chicharrón, mofongo and a real cafecito? Central Florida has a thriving Dominican food scene, and this is my personal guide to the best Dominican restaurants in Orlando and Kissimmee. I also added a few Amazon pantry picks so you can b...
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Tropico Mofongo on Vineland Road is my go-to for a proper mofongo stuffed with garlic shrimp or pernil, and the chicharrón is always crispy. Portions are huge and the staff treats you like family, which is exactly what I want from a Dominican spot in...
Tropico Mofongo Restaurant
Chimi King is where I send anyone who wants a real Dominican chimi burger: a juicy seasoned patty on toasted pan de agua with cabbage, tomato and that pink sauce. The Whisper Lakes location off Orange Blossom Trail is quick, cheap and open late, and ...
Chimi King (Whisper Lakes)
No Dominican breakfast is complete without fried salami next to your mangú, and Induveca is the brand every abuela swears by. I keep a couple of these in the fridge for Los Tres Golpes on lazy Saturday mornings at home in Poinciana.
Salami Induveca
Perico Ripiao is a little Dominican gem right on 192 in Kissimmee, named after the merengue style, and it feels like eating at a friend's house. Go for the sancocho on a rainy day or the pollo guisado with rice and habichuelas, and grab a pastelito f...
Perico Ripiao Latin Food
The Semoran location of Chimi King is the east-side answer when I'm near the airport and need a chimi fix fast. Same crispy pan de agua and loaded toppings, plus yaroa (fries buried under meat and cheese) that is dangerously good at 1 a.m.
Chimi King Express (Semoran)
Café Santo Domingo is THE coffee of the Dominican Republic, and one brick of this medium roast in a greca makes my whole kitchen smell like a colmado in Santiago. Strong, smooth and perfect with a splash of evaporated milk after a big plate of mofong...
Café Santo Domingo Ground Coffee 8oz
Mr. Mofongo on Edgewater Drive is a Caribbean spot that leans Puerto Rican, but their Dominican-style mofongo con camarones and churrasco are why it makes my list. Fun, loud, great for a group, and the tostones come out hot and salty every time.
Mr. Mofongo
Caribbean Sazón is the neighborhood Dominican-Caribbean spot right here in Poinciana, so this is my closest fix for pollo guisado, arroz con habichuelas and tostones without driving up to Kissimmee. Small, family-run and priced right; check their Fac...
Caribbean Sazón
Every Dominican kitchen has a box of Goya Sazón with culantro and achiote, and this is the seasoning that gives habichuelas guisadas and pollo guisado that orange color and savory depth. One packet per pot is all you need, and this 36-count box lasts...
Goya Sazon With Coriander & Annatto, 6.33 oz ...
You cannot make proper Dominican rice with concón (that crispy bottom layer) without a heavy aluminum caldero, and IMUSA is the classic brand. This jumbo size handles sancocho for a crowd, and mine gets used for arroz and locrio at least three times ...
IMUSA USA 11.6Qt Jumbo Colombian Caldero
The Kissimmee Chimi King Express on West Vine Street is the one closest to Poinciana, and it's my late-night standby after a game or a long shift. Get the chimi de res with extra sauce and a yaroa to share; it's cheap, fast and unapologetically Domin...
Chimi King Express (Kissimmee)
Platanitos are the snack of every Dominican road trip, and Goya's plantain chips are the closest thing to the ones sold at the colmado. I keep a pack in the car for the drive between Poinciana and Orlando, and they're perfect crushed over a bowl of h...
Goya Foods Plantain Chips, 10 Ounce (Pack of 10)
If you want to make mofongo at home the way the restaurants above do, you need a tall wooden pilón to mash the fried plantains with garlic and chicharrón. This one is solid hardwood, easy to grip, and doubles as a garlic crusher for sazón night.
Puerto Rico Tall Wood Mortar & Pestle
Ice-cold Malta with a chimi or a plate of chicharrón is a Dominican ritual, and Goya Malta is the one most spots around Kissimmee stock. Sweet, malty and non-alcoholic, so the whole family can have one; some of us stir in condensed milk the old-schoo...
Goya Malta, 6 per Pack 42.0 FO(Pack of 2)
The Dominican Kitchen by Vanessa Mota is the cookbook I hand to friends who fall in love with mangú and want to recreate it at home. The recipes are true to how families actually cook on the island, with the pantry staples on this list doing most of ...
The Dominican Kitchen: Homestyle Recipes That ...