Delicious Food & Drinks, Upscale Ambiance Await at The Fifth

Southern Fried Chicken n Waffles
Photo by Shad Bookout

The moment you walk into The Fifth Restaurant & Lounge in downtown Orlando, you know you are not in the typical Orlando bar. The onyx-covered bar and lights on the ceiling and in beautiful columns in the middle of the room remind me of an upscale Manhattan-style club. The 80s remix music, friendly bartenders and wait staff, and the throng of regulars, also gives this place a fun, neighborhood atmosphere.

While you can stand at the bar or at tables, we chose to sit at the alligator-skin booth and order dinner and drinks. After reading several positive reviews about The Fifth, I knew that its food would be just as good as its beverages. Still, we had to try a few of The Fifth's signature drinks, which are different than those I have seen on the menus at any other Orlando bar or restaurant.

First, The Greenhouse, made with cucumber vodka and triple sec: I didn't have high hopes for this one, but it truly is light and flavorful and was probably our favorite drink. We also tried the CoCo Palm, made with coconut vodka, melon, and pineapple juice. This blue drink tastes like a pina colada without the heavy cream. I love it. I also recommend the yummy Pear Martini. The Ice Ice Baby - with Moet champagne, elderberry flower, and peach - is good, but just tastes like champagne to me.

The V Steak Burger
Photo by Shad Bookout

Now on to the food. There are so many appetizers, burgers, comfort foods, and desserts to choose from. We started with The Spicy European Flatbread, which has pepperoni, arugula, goat cheese and fig balsamic glaze. It is very, very good and I like the kick to it. The only minor point: the balsamic glaze is slightly too much; I want to taste all the flavors and not as much balsamic. The house-made V Potato Chips with Sea Salt are to die for; everyone at the table loved them. The grilled Haas avocado was okay. The avocado is served with Black Bean Pico de Gallo and spicy tomato sauce. Those flavors help spice up the avocado, but something is still missing. I like that this app is unique to The Fifth, though.

I would say the entrees were the best part of The Fifth experience, and it is surprising to find such good food in a lounge atmosphere. My new favorite entree is Southern Fried Chicken n Waffles: house made Belgian waffles with candied bacon, maple syrup, and creme anglaise. The breading on the chicken was light and crispy, as were the waffles. If you have a sweet tooth like me, you will love this dish. The V Steak Burger, which is served with caramelized onions, arugula and ale-oli sauce, was very flavorful and cooked perfectly. The delicious flavor comes from The Fifth's use of high quality ground brisket and short ribs.  

Fried Oreos       Photo by Shad Bookout

The V Salsa Meatloaf is also perfect comfort food - and surprisingly light - and we really liked the accompanying buttery mashed potatoes. The Country Style Chicken Grilled Cheese was not our favorite. Even though it had yummy grilled chicken, bacon, and guacamole, it lacked the melty cheese you would think of. Perhaps it should not be called a grilled cheese sandwich.

You definitely must save room for dessert, especially the Fried Oreos. The warm oreos inside a light breading kind of melt in your mouth. The accompanying chocolate sauce is delicious as well. We also had the Cream Puff, which is served with a chocolate sauce, and the Hazelnut Torte. We really enjoyed the Cream Puff, but the Hazelnut Torte is good, but was not our favorite.

While the atmosphere is upscale and attracts people in their 30s and 40s, The Fifth doesn't break the bank. Entrees are reasonably priced around $12. However, you could rack up a bill with the delicious signature drinks at $12 a pop. The service was my other favorite part of The Fifth experience. The manager, Matt, is so welcoming and helpful, and our server, Gaby, was very knowledgeable and friendly. You definitely need to check this place our - for lunch, dinner, nighttime, or Sunday brunch!

Where: 112 South Orange Ave., Orlando