Last Sunday, I was given the opportunity to attend a media preview event of Red Eye Bar and Grill. What makes this restaurant so special is that it once was a very popular food truck. The owners turned their love for food not only into a successful food truck but a restaurant! The inside is low-lit with exposed brick and lots of wood giving a very rustic feel. Over looking the bar area you’ll find the grill. All of the proteins served at Red Eye are cooked over a smoked grill. No propane being used here, people!

They have a wide variety of craft beers as well as wines that pair with all the main dishes on the menus. They have two house-made sangrias (pictured on the left) and root beer on draft!

My partner in crime for the evening was Julius from Droolius.com. We were both big fans of the food truck and the one item we missed the most when they closed their food truck was the Red Eye Sliders ($8). These house-made cornbread muffins are filled with BBQ pulled pork and topped with BBQ sauce and honey.  I seriously, could have eaten two orders of these sliders by myself… they are that good!

Each entree is served with a choice of soup or salad. Since I’m the worlds biggest fan of soup I knew I had to give the Crab & Corn Chowder Soup ($4) a try. This creamy soup is filled with crabmeat and sweet corn and has quite the kick at the end. I loved the flavors of this soup and couldn’t stop slurping it up!

Julius had the Jim Beam Brisket Chili ($4). Now, for those who know me–know I’m not a huge chili fan, but I could not write this post and not RAVE about this chili. Seriously, I think this is the best chili I’ve ever had. I loved the chunks of brisket throughout the chili as well as chili beans and a hint of Jim Beam. It has been a week since I had this chili and I still can’t stop thinking about it. I’m so glad Julius shared with me and let me try some!

I decided to have the Ultimate Combo ($14). As you can tell from the picture above it comes with a hearty serving of smoked pulled pork and beef brisket. You also get one side, a cornbread muffin, and a soup or a side salad. Large portions for a very affordable price. I made two meals out of this one dinner (and let me just tell you–it tasted just as good the next day).

I’m a side dish kind of girl… always have been, always will be. Our waitress raved about the newly revamped 5 cheese macaroni and cheese ($3) so I knew I had to give that a try. Boy, was she right. It was creamy and fresh tasting–this is no boxed mac and cheese. Taste just like mom use to make!

We also tried the Apple Cabbage Slaw ($2). I was intrigued by the apple in the slaw and as I suspected made with apple cider vinegar. Delicious spin on the traditional coleslaw.

Last up is my favorite… Hot Cinnamon Apples ($3). This is a classic dish that can be found at just about any bbq joint and one to not miss!

Dinner isn’t complete without dessert. Right? We finished our meal off by trying the House Made Bananas Foster ($9). This is a hefty portion that they recommend two people sharing. Well, I can attest that after a large meal like we had you can easily have 4 to 6 people share this bad boy. It had just the right amount of rum to it and the ice cream sat between two pieces of puff pastry. A delicious spin on the classic dessert.

If you live in the area or happen to be visiting Central Florida. I highly suggest you head on over to Red Eye Bar and Grill.

Red Eye Bar and Grill
2594 Maguire Road
Ocoee, FL 34761
407-877-0003

Stay connected with Red Eye Bar and Grill on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to attend a media preview dinner. I was not compensated to write this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Last week, Christine from Cook the Story and I spoke to Suzanne from KokoCooks about the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. This is a festival held at Walt Disney World every fall. This year you can find the festival from September 28-November 12, 2012. This is the 17th year they have had the festival and I can honestly say that I’ve been to 15 of the 17 years! I love going and look forward to it each year. Watch as we talk about what to do, where to eat, and tips and tricks to navigate the crowds and have an enjoyable time!

Like I mentioned during our show not only do I look forward to the Belgium Waffles, but I LOVE the Eat to the Beat Concert Series! Because we are traveling the first part of October we will be missing out on some great acts, but don’t worry–I plan to find the time to squeeze in a few visits to see the remainder of the musical acts I adore like Javier Colon from The Voice, Gin Blossoms, and Blues Traveler!

Photo from 2011 Morocco booth!

And if you yearning to learn a little more about Food & Wine Fest you can read my 2011 Food & Wine Fest recap. Are you local or are you planning a trip to Disney during this time of year? Do you think you’ll attend and if so, what do you look forward to most?