This way, please.
Johnnie’s Hideaway restaurant is tucked away in the Crossroads, a shopping complex located on the edge of Disney World property near Downtown Disney. It’s a nautical-themed venue with a focus on fresh seafood and steaks.
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Johnnie’s offers two areas for seating, indoor and outdoor. Both areas are very welcoming. The outdoor area in particular excels at the nautical theme with boat chairs around the bar area and a water view.
Outdoor seating.
Indoor seating.
The two seating areas do create confusion because–for some reason I don’t quite understand–the two areas also have two separate hostess stations. It’s the same restaurant, kitchen, and menu, but two hostess stations. We originally went to the one inside. But when we told them we’d like to sit outside, they directed us to the other hostess station outside.
In general the inside appeared to be more formal. The servers were dressed in white shirts, vests, and dress pants. Outside, the servers had polos and khakis.
Once we figured out the indoor/outdoor situation, we got our menus and got to ordering. On this visit we selected Johnnie’s Fried Oysters (Apalachicola selects) and Dayboat Jumbo Scallops:
The menu.
Fried Oysters (Apalachicola selects).
Dayboat Jumbo Scallops.
Just as we had anticipated, the food was very good. Our selections were on the heavy side, being fried and floating in cream sauce. But hey, sometimes you just have to go for it. And the portions were indeed substantial, which helped justify the entrees’ $20+ price tag. Our server was also very pleasant and attentive.
Johnnie’s Hideaway also features steaks, a raw bar, and Happy Hour Monday through Saturday.
If you’re looking to get off of Disney property for a little while, and you’re looking for a distinctive dining experience you won’t find at a chain restaurant, I recommend stopping in at Johnnie’s Hideaway (if you can find it–get it, because it’s hidden!).
Official website: http://www.talkofthetownrestaurants.com/johnnies.html
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Dan is a former Universal Orlando team member, student at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, and the OI guy who works full-time to bring you the very best Universal vacation planning information. Originally from St. Paul, MN, Dan now lives in Ocoee, FL (on the edge of Orlando) with his wife Rosie, their daughter Noa, and a new baby on the way!