Another Strip Mall Gem: Tu Casa restaurant

I swear, I could do an entire blog on secret Orlando food finds alone. The South Orange Blossom Trail area, in particular, is a great place for culinary exploration, especially of the cheap and delicious eats variety.

Welcome to Tu Casa, a terrific and incredibly inexpensive Latin restaurant not far from Florida Mall. This is a place where you can feed your family on amazing, homemade food for the same price as terrible fast food, and almost as quickly. 

Tu Casa is small and simple -- food is ordered from a counter lined with hot and cold buffet stations, everything from salads to entrees to dessert (like the flan pictured above). You tell the person behind the counter what you want -- regular selections or specials -- and whether you want to eat there or take it with you. They pile the food, you pay for it, and you eat. Boy, do you eat. Your wallet and your stomach will thank you. 

Particular favorites are the fried plantains (crispy or soft), avocado salad (like guacamole but no chips needed), pork (in any form), garlic chicken, and red beans and rice. Lots of authentic specials too, including tripe soup and crunchy deep fried pork belly. Don't miss the desserts -- I'm partial to the tres leches cake, but all of them are terrific. 

Tu Casa

9251 S Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32837

(407) 856-3997