23 iconic Orlando restaurants closed recently that we'll miss

Pom Pom's Teahouse and Sandwicheria

67 N. Bumby Ave., Orlando
Longstanding sandwich spot Pom Pom's Teahouse & Sandwicheria will close its Milk District outpost in October, after nearly 20 years of business. Pom Pom's opened in 2005 and has since become a staple eatery in Orlando. It's been known for "East Meets West" themed sandwiches, unique salads, sides and teas, with an entire menu under $16.

Farm + Haus

3201 Corrine Drive, Orlando
Brittany Walsh Lyne and Patrick Lyne, the duo behind the popular Winter Park eatery Farm + Haus, announced the restaurant’s closure in September. The Farm + Haus concept began 10 years ago as a “dinner delivery service,” before moving into the bustling East End Market in 2016. Following a successful tenure in a stall at the food hall, the restaurant opened its own brick-and-mortar space on Park Avenue, in the heart of Winter Park.

Ethos Vegan Kitchen

601 S. New York Ave., Winter Park
Longtime Orlando-area vegetarian and vegan hub Ethos Vegan Kitchen has closed after 17 years serving up plant-based fare. The Winter Park restaurant gained a loyal local following for its completely plant-based menu for lunch, dinner and brunch on the weekends. Ethos placed repeatedly over the year's in the Best of Orlando Readers Poll, including a 2nd place finish this year for Best Vegan or Vegetarian Restaurant.

Valkyrie Doughnuts

12226 Corporate Boulevard, Orlando
Valkyrie Doughnuts, the egg- and dairy-free donut shop in the UCF corridor, will close Sept. 22 after seven years in the biz. The St. Pete outpost remains open.

Hamburger Mary's

110 W. Church St., Orlando
After nearly two decades in downtown Orlando, storied LGBTQ+-owned restaurant Hamburger Mary's closed its doors and announced a move to Kissimmee.First opened in 2008, Hamburger Mary's downtown Orlando location has served as a community hub for drag and live entertainment, known for its drag brunch and drag bingo events.

Graffiti Junktion

700 E. Washington St., Orlando
Graffiti Junktion announced this summer the restaurant would close permanently. The spot has maintained its beloved burger joint status in the neighborhood for more than 15 years. Graffiti Junktion's College Park location closed in March 2023 (that spot is now inhabited by Mid Drive Dive). Now, just two locations remain, one in Orlando's Curry Ford West area and one in Jacksonville.

DaJen Eats

323 E. Kennedy Blvd., Eatonville
DaJen Eats Cafe & Creamery was a Jamaican vegan restaurant in Eatonville. Chef-owner Jenn Ross left Jamaica and came to America at 16 years old, developed an appreciation for cooking and embarked on a vegan lifestyle.

Garden Bistro

712 E. Washington St., Orlando
Garden Bistro, the Thornton Park eatery formerly known as Island Time, closed in June — saying that their landlord decided to not renew the business' lease. Garden Bistro/Island Time has been a mainstay of Thornton Park on Washington Street since 2019, particularly for their rollicking (and oft-sold out) Drag Brunches — kickstarted by local drag star Trinity the Tuck — on weekends.

Garp and Fuss

348 N. Park Ave., Winter Park
Garp and Fuss, the Winter Park eatery offering everything from simple pub grub to more sophisticated plates, closed after six years inside the fetching space on Park Avenue.

V's Vegan Diner

908 State Road 436, Casselberry
V's Vegan diner, first a food truck, opened its brick-and-mortar outpost in Casselberry. The long-awaited restaurant specialized in plant-based, scratch-made diner classics like burgers, gyros and cheesesteaks. The non-carnivorous dining destination V's Vegan Diner announced in March it will be shutting down for good.

Bem Bom

3101 Corrine Drive, Orlando
Popular Portuguese restaurant Bem Bom on Corrine closed in February after five years of sharing authentic food with the Orlando area.The news came three years after the concept lost its co-owner, late chef Francisco "Chico" Mendonça. Bem Bom, co-owned by Mendonça and A.J. Campofiore, got its start as a food truck before its brick-and-mortar location opened in 2018 at 3101 Corrine Drive. Bem Bom, which is Portuguese for “very good,” had a reputation of being just that.

The 808

808 E. Washington St., Orlando
The 808, a casual Hawaiian-inspired bar-eatery by Todd Ulmer (Stardust Lounge, Aku Aku Tiki Bar) and Wendy Connor (The Abbey) in Thornton Park has closed. After teasing the news on their Facebook page with the message "The tide is changing! Something new is coming in," the owners announced in Early October they would close, immediately announcing the next chapter for the vaunted space. The bar will be replaced with Jack & Honey's by the Hammered Lamb's Jason Lambert. The upscale diner concept has been five years in the making and was initially going to be a 24-hour spot next door to the Hammered Lamb.

Financier Cafe & Bistro

212 N. Park Ave., Winter Park
The Winter Park counter-service eatery has halted service. Open for brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks, the New York City-based eatery offered both indoor and outdoor seating in a casual cafe environment.

Linda’s Winter Park Diner

1800 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park
Linda's Winter Park Diner, a landmark local restaurant since the 1950s, closed its doors for the final time in July, 2023 nearly two months after the owner announced its forthcoming closure. The iconic eatery was known for its comforting array of homemade, old-fashioned diner fare, as well as the memories that local regulars made and shared along the way, from the opening of its doors decades ago to its final days on Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park.

The Coop

610 W. Morse Blvd., Winter Park
Famed Winter Park fried chicken destination The Coop closed its doors in July 2023, after nearly a decade on Morse Boulevard serving up high-quality Southern comestibles — not just fried chicken but sweet tea, shrimp and grits, coconut cake and more — to the denizens of Winter Park.

Neon Beach

131 N. Orange Ave., Orlando
After less than three years of service, popular downtown Orlando bar and restaurant Neon Beach served its last meal in summer 2023, paving the way for a new eatery, German restaurant Schmankerl Stub'n.

Dexter’s Lake Mary

1145 Townpark Ave., Lake Mary
Orlando's Dexter's era is officially over. Dexter's Lake Mary shuttered in fall of 2023, joining Dexter's Thornton Park, Dexter's Winter Park, Dexter's Windermere and Dexter's New Standard in the graveyard of eats.

Cafe de France

526 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789
Cafe de France opened shop in 1982, making memories for many locals for over 30 years. When the restaurant was open, it served iconic French cuisine such as escargots, steak tartare, and coq au vin. They closed in 2022, with the owners excited to finally be free on the weekends.

Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux

3022 Corrine Drive, Orlando
This eclectic shop and neighborhood cafe with cycling flair finally called it quits in 2022. Coro Restaurant by chef Tim Lovero took over the space.

Orlando Meats

1035 Orlando Ave., Winter Park
This is a photo of Orlando Meats' first and more photogenic location, before they moved to Winter Park and then closed. We gotta admit, this one still hurts.