OLV Cafe

Lobster Bisque Soup

Ever had a Honeydew Mimosa? Probably not unless you've  been to OLV Cafe, in the growing SODO (south downtown) District of Orlando. The BEST thing about OLV Cafe is the STUFFED french toast and smoked salmon with capers, red onions and cream cheese! And the flatbreads are much better than Urban Flats! They're $5 on Mondays after 4:00. Plus..it's not a CHAIN! Just make sure they have food in stock when you go...
OLV Cafe is small, but I think that's the point. I felt like I was at someone's home when I attended a friend's birthday party there, recently. She had the back area of the cafe reserved for Sunday brunch.  This is the only time they serve a full breakfast menu. The space is open, so you can certainly have drinks at the bar, or get comfortable in one of the chairs appropriately positioned between the bar and main seating areas, equipped with nice flat screen TVs, by the way! It's perfect for watching sports, if you're hanging out with your beau! Did I mention this joint has a WiFi connection? The venue seems to attract a lot of people who live in nearby Delaney Park and doctors and nurses from ORMC, which is just a few blocks away. You might not even know it was there --unless you work out at 24hr Fitness or you're a frequent customer at the Target on Orange Avenue.

What I don't like about OLV Cafe is the service! My girlfriends Tiffany Greene and Kelli Cook stopped by for dinner one night and our waiter was in a BAD mood. Just grumpy, for no reason, or maybe he had a reason, and just didn't share it with us. Besides that, they seemed to be out of quite a few things on the SMALL MENU! Tiffany had her mouth ready for the apple crisp, only to find out they were out. And THEN, the waiter informed us they were actually out of ALL EIGHT desserts on the menu. The only thing he had to offer was pecan pie. And just before he brought the bill, he offered some "cheesecake leftover from Valentine's Day." I was so confused..does that mean he found it randomly sitting around the kitchen? Was it hiding in the freezer? Classic!  We declined, but I overheard some heavily intoxicated women in the corner dying to try it!

Lobster Bisque

Good thing for OLV, the food is GREAT!  We cleaned our plates! And the lobster bisque soup ($3.50) pictured here, really does come out like this, with the "OLV" logo. Nice touch! They offer terrific specials, everyday except Wednesday. The best: Monday, $5 flatbreads and Thursday, ladies we drink all we can for $15. There's live music Thursday-Saturday. They encourage reservations for parties of 5 or more. It is a small place, so seating is limited.

Cost for two: $20
Parking:  It's in a shopping center, and while you may not be able to find a spot right in front of OLV, there are plenty of spots.