Ponderosa or ???

[candyland]

We are planning to go to USF on our trip next week and we've thought about stopping somewhere for breakfast on our way. The park opens at 9am and we have reservation to pick up our rental car at 6:30am.

Can someone tell me about the breakfast at Ponderosa (cost, what on the buffet, etc)?
Is there somewhere else you'd suggest instead?
Would it be necessary to leave at 6:30 or would we be fine leaving the hotel at 7:00am (we are picking up the car at the AAA Car Care Center).

[OKWTink]

If you are going to have a breakfast buffet in a budget restaurant, go with the Golden Corral on either I-Drive, or the one near DTD on 535/Vineland. The cost is about $7 per adult, unless you snag a coupon book. That should get you a couple dollars off.

Ponderosa is pretty dreadful.

You should be ok with the 7:00 am time.

[benjones70]

Ponderosa on I Drive is $3.99 plus about $1.65 for a drink. The food is ok, nothing spectacular, but then it's only breakfast.

[edward58]

Well we love Ponderosa $3.75 breakfast. Our favourite is on I Drive opposite the Mercado. Ask for Stephanie or Sewarmal two lovely servers if they are working they will look after you.

[Keith]

I know loads of people who REALLY don't like the ponderosa... including many who've said I REALLY don't want to look at what happens in the kitchen :/ gulp

All I can say is I've been to the one opposite the buena vista suites a few times and it's REALLY cheap, stupidly cheap in fact, I've never left wanting any more food and it's always tasted ok to me :)

[Keith]

Well we love Ponderosa $3.75 breakfast. Our favourite is on I Drive opposite the Mercado. Ask for Stephanie or Sewarmal two lovely servers if they are working they will look after you.

Trying to work out which one that is....

There's a small one which I thought was a bit poor... then there's the one opposite the buena vista suites...

which one is that one?

[Johnie]

... including many who've said I REALLY don't want to look at what happens in the kitchen :/ gulp



You could probably say that for any restaurant in the US. Ignorance is bliss I say :)

I don't care for Ponderosa, Golden Corral, Western Sizzler or whatever other name they might go by, they are all the same. But, breakfast should be ok, you can't really mess breakfast foods up too much.

[Kitten]

I'll only go to ihop for breakfast now.... pancakes are yummy.

[candyland]

I love the IHOP also, but we have one here. I remember going to Ponderosa when I was young with my parents (for dinner) so part of me what's to go for that reason alone.

Keith, is the Ponderosa you are talking about on our way to Universal?
It's been a long time but I remember that driving around Orlando was VERY easy but we only went from DW to Sea World and Universal so we basically just followed the signs, I'm not sure if finding a specific restaraunt will be as easy.

[candyland]

I just had a Orlando flashback. (strange how those happen after YEARS).
When we took our now 17 year old (she was 7 or 8 then) we stayed at one of the East Gates or West Gates, who can remember THAT... I just remember the FOOD! Anyway, we ate at a buffet somewhere (might have even been at the hotel)..what I remember the most was that they had the BEST crapes! Wow..now I'm hungry!

[Mermaid]

Which Ponderosa is nearest to Pop Century is it the one near Buena Vista Suites??

[Wendy L]

We used to go to the Ponderosa, now we use Golden Corral. We found the food was fine. The one we went to was just down the road from Splendid China. Don't think I'd bother with the Ponderosa again.

[sunshine state]

When we first visited Florida (over 10 years ago) we always went to the Ponderosa for breakfast but thats because we were staying at Travelodge maingate east so it was literally walk out the hotel and turn right and there was a ponderosa right in front of you, however for the last few years we have rented a villa so have opted to buy food from publix and eat breakfast back at the villa. We did try Golden Corral a couple of years ago and i must admit they were pretty decent and would recommend it to anyone who has never tried eating there before.

[orangebreezer]

We were quite happy with breakfast at ponderosa......it had a good and varied selection and very cheap......I have worked in catering for 22 years and I am very fussy (if you seen half of what I have over the years, you would be too) and I have never had any reason to suspect either of the ones on I-Drive were not clean.

[edward58]

Trying to work out which one that is....

There's a small one which I thought was a bit poor... then there's the one opposite the buena vista suites...

which one is that one?Hi Keith
Aa you go down I drive towards Wonderworks the Ponderosa its just passed the turning for Mercado on the right hand side of I Drive.

I will also recommend the English restaurant in the Mercado for a proper English breakfast (not all you can eat though)

Its on Austrian Court http://www.orlando-internationaldrive.com/ (http://www.orlando-internationaldrive.com/) and http://www.orlando-internationaldrive.com/map/map3/idrivemap3.htm (http://www.dollar.com/)

[edward58]

Another place to eat which is very nice is the Outback restaurant, especially the one on 192 Kissimmee right on the junction to Wonderful World of China

[victorlowe]

I like Shoney's restaurants in Kissimmee. They have a great breakfast buffet.

http://www.shoneys.com/myshoneys/index.html?state=Florida&state_search=Find