Everglades Restaurant

• tbuck@rosencentre.com
• Everglades@RosenCentre.com

China Doll Travels

What a wonderful experience getting to preview magical dining a day early at the Everglades Restaurant! The theming inside is amazing and so bright and colorful! I got to sample all the foods on the magical dining menu and my favorite was the sea bass which is one of my favorite fish, the steak and the alligator chowder which I didn’t think I would like but it was better than I thought it would be! The chocolate martini was my favorite dessert and it looks so cool! It was fun celebrating 20 years of magical dining and trying the different dishes! Also it’s nice that they have the parking garage of the Rosen hotel for self parking that’s complimentary and you just walk past the convention center and the restaurant is on the right!

Franz Muller

Let me preface this by saying perhaps it was just an off night. We arrived at 5:30 for dinner and were promptly seated next to a very clean and colorful aquarium — though oddly, it only had seven fish in it. Our server, whose name we believe was Victor, was a man of very few words. He said almost nothing to our table during the entire service and didn’t seem to care or even notice that most of our meals went untouched, as no one in our party of four enjoyed the food. We were first presented with an unusual basket of assorted breads, two alligator-shaped pieces of butter, and a strange green dip that had an odd olive-like flavor — we jokingly called it the “mystery dip.” Appetizers were equally disappointing and went uneaten. The main courses were another letdown. Three filets, ordered identically, came out completely inconsistent — differences in cook, plating, and even garnishes. Desserts followed suit and also went uneaten. What stood out most was the lack of care or attentiveness from our server. At nearly $400 for a dinner for four, we expected much better. We read the reviews and were genuinely excited to try this restaurant, but unfortunately, the experience was a major disappointment.

Antonio Rodriguez

From the moment we walked into The Everglades at Rosen Centre on I-Drive, we were immersed in a really cool tribute to Florida’s iconic wetlands as the name implies. Gators, frogs, panthers, birds, and a fish tank decorate the restaurant adding a very nice touch that adds to the ambiance of the dining experience. The Everglades was the next restaurant on our Magical Dining tour and were really impressed. For appetizers, we started out with the Everglades Garden Greens (our salad). For entrées, the Grilled Angus Filet stole the show (definitely the highlight of our dinner). The Char Grilled Halibut was exceptionally good and flavorful. For dessert, we had the Tiramisu Martini and the Tropical Cheesecake. I'm not big on cheesecake, but the Pineapple and Mango-Passionfruit flavors really surprised me. The staff was very attentive and frequently checked in on us, which is always nice.

Alessandra C

I'm reviewing the Everglades based on a private event I attended last night. We had the chance to taste every single item from a Magical Dining menu in just one night. The restaurant is located inside one of Orlando's most famous hotels, right on International Drive. Not only is it in a prime tourist spot connected to the Convention Center, but the décor itself is a constant reminder that you're in Florida, inspired by the swamps of the Everglades. I enjoyed all the dishes, but the highlights and a few lowlights were: * Alligator chowder: the alligator pieces were tiny, and the tomato flavor was so strong that it was hard to tell if we were eating alligator, chicken, or something else...? * Garden greens: a classic salad with feta and berries, but I loved that they added arugula instead of spinach or spring mix. The olive oil was delicious and flavorful. I wish I had asked for its brand. * Watermelon with pistachio-crusted goat cheese: pistachio and goat cheese in one bite? Yes, please. Absolutely delicious and it was my first time trying this combination. * Angus filet: tender and juicy. Cooked perfectly but underseasoned. The red wine sauce was tasty but a bit too thin for my liking. It could have been thicker and more concentrated. * Sea bass: my favorite of the night. This fish is already a piece of art on its own but the olive crust really took it up a notch with its salty punch. The béarnaise sauce was fine, but I would have preferred a good olive oil instead, as the rich, buttery béarnaise did not feel like the best match for the fish and olives. * Halibut: other Yelpies enjoyed it, but my piece was a little dry and lacking salt. When I paired it with the salmon roe on top, it was much better, as the roe added both saltiness and moisture. The black garlic sauce was barely noticeable. * Chocolate ganache cake: unfortunately, it tasted like a simple sponge cake with ganache one can find at a cruise ship buffet. A bit disappointing. * Tiramisu martini: great idea, but the execution fell short. The cream to ladyfinger to coffee ratio was too heavy on the cream. I did not taste the mascarpone I was expecting. I would have added a cinnamon or coffee latte flavor to bring more depth to cream and added less. * Tropical cheesecake: I am not usually a fan of tropical desserts or cheesecake, but this one won me over. Pineapple cheesecake, mango passionfruit sauce, toasted coconut cream, and a crispy pineapple chip -- yum! It was a fun and multidimensional dessert where each bite could be mixed differently. I wish I could have taken some home!