The Great Dining Tour of Winter Haven
Christy’s Sundown Restaurant offers a great Old World Greek/Mediterranean dining atmosphere and tasty food. It’s been filling Winter Haven stomachs and providing charm to guests since 1952. The rich and famous have frequented this establishment, and the scores of signed autographed pictures prove it, including those from Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Mike Douglas, and Barbara Mandrell.
As for the dining part, a large selection of fresh seafood and the best beef from the Mid-west USA headline the main courses. They also offer a large variety of wines and spirits. You may even get a personal visit from the congenial owner, Nick Christy, who might tell a bit of a racy joke with a straight face!
I had their Iowa Pork Chops, and I must say that as a pork chop connoisseur, I really liked the light and even flavor, and some of the fat remained on the chop, which is my favorite part. The best topping was the cottage cheese because of its rich flavor. Their hot fudge sundae is filling and delicious as they use a top quality whipped cream and ice cream.
Christy’s Sundown Restaurant: 1100 Third St. SW 863-293-0069.
Cypress CafÃ?© is one of Winter Haven’s neat places to grab a bite to eat for those lazy Saturday morning dining excursions. The sausage gravy is especially good. The cafÃ?©’s walls are lined with hunting, fishing, and grandma’s-kitchen type motif. They always make sure your coffee cup is full, too, without even having to be summoned.
Cypress Caf�©: 3055 Cypress Gardens Rd. 863-324-6385.
Harbor Side Seafood House & Oyster Bar is on the coastline of Winter Haven’s Lake Shipp. Harbor Side’s Fried Pickle Chips are a must-try as an appetizer. Ever have fried alligator tail? Well, this is the place to get some. I tried it, and to my taste buds, it tasted like a bland Chicken McNugget that was hard to chew! Still, this is one of those dining activities I crossed off my list of “Things To Do Before I Die!” The seafood platters taste great and are large.
Harbor Side Seafood House & Oyster Bar: 2435 7th St SW. (863) 293-7070
Say Amen CafÃ?© in Winter Haven serves up some great soul food from fried okra to sweet potato pie! You get the real South here in Winter Haven, as the iced tea is served up in canning jars. Fried foods abound from fried chicken, fish, and pork chop dishes and sandwiches. You’ll mostly get big portions at fair prices. I’m an avid fried chicken eater, so I tried some of that, and the skin was really crispy and the meat tasted mild and non-spicy. My chicken parts were small, but the loaded side dishes filled me up.
Say Amen’s Fried Green Tomatoes are Winter Haven famous, and batter fried to perfection, and the cornbread has a great texture and a nice dash of sweetness. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with the Sweet Potato Pie, which leaves a light spicy aftertaste in your taste buds. Say Amen offers dining in an environment that has the motif of honoring the culture and accomplishments of African-Americans, including a large wall mural of a church choir. Say Amen CafÃ?© also houses Souls Sisters Coffee, where many different coffee plus other traditional bistro drink selections are available.
Say Amen Caf�©: 3009 Cypress Gardens Rd. 863-318-8877
Tanner’s Pub offers a lively Winter Haven pub atmosphere and traditional lunch and dinner pub grub that’s hearty and fairly priced. They offer a wide selection of imported and domestic bottle beers. The one I tried was a WoodPecker Cider from England. This sweet selection tasted really smooth and was an enjoyable drinking experience.
They’ve installed a Touch Tunes Digital Jukebox with BOSE sound, which offers a large selection of classic/modern rock and country music to accompany one’s dining.
Tanner’s Pub 325 W Central Ave. 863-294-7220.
