Great Cajun Food, Atmosphere at Tibby's

This was our second time dining at Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen - its new location in Altamonte Springs - and, once again, we had a great experience. It was busy but not jam-packed on a Friday night, so service was quick and friendly in the bar area.

We ordered different dishes than last time, when we had the Seafood Gumbo and etouffee. The Blackened Chicken Pasta wth lemon butter sauce, artichokes, and roasted peppers, has such an amazing flavor! It is spiced well and the heat doesn't drown out the flavor. We also ordered the "Fried Shrimp Po-Boy" sandwich, which was delicious, but flawed. We ordered it with the Remolaude sauce and, unfortunately, that drowned out the flavor of the delicious shrimp.

For dessert, you must order the beignets, which are fried crispier than other beignets I have had, topped with a generous heaping of powdered sugar. It's the perfect sweet ending to a Cajun meal.

One note: Tibby's tends to pour drinks a little strong, which is good in most cases, but made our Mai Tai taste not quite right.

The Top 6 Reasons to Visit Tibby's

Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen is the best place in Orlando to celebrate Fat Tuesday. I say this not only because of the two restaurants' Happy Hour all day and live music featuring Jeff Howell from 6-10 p.m., but also because Tibby's has the best atmosphere and Creole food to celebrate the start of Mardi Gras.

Many of us have been lucky enough to eat at the Tibby's on Aloma Ave. in Winter Park. But I was delighted to join friends for a fun evening recently at Tibby's new Altamonte Springs location. Here are the top reasons

Photo courtesy Tibby's

I love eating - and drinking - at Tibby's:

1. The atmosphere. You really feel like you are in New Orleans at both restaurants, but I especially love the decor at the Altamonte Springs Tibby's. The owners brought in huge decorations for the walls that were used on floats during Mardi Gras parades. If you are from the city or have visited there, you will recognize many of the banners and decorations at Tibby's.

2. The drinks. Where else can you get Abita Purple Haze on tap, served in an oversized glass goblet? Tibby's has a ton of a beers on tap plus a full liquor bar. And really great Happy Hour specials with great live music.

3. The Shrimp Alligator Cheesecake. If you have never had this appetizer before, run to your nearest Tibby's. My husband says he will go back just to eat as much of this as possible. Three cheeses, shrimp, alligator meat and bread crumbs make this a smooth, delectable, unusual, delicious thing to eat.

Seafood Gumbo. Photo courtesy of Tibby's

4. The Seafood Gumbo. Not as good as I have had in New Orleans, but as close to the real thing as you will get. It is very flavorful, spicy, and delicious. 

5. The Shrimp or Crawfish Etoufee. If you have never had it, etoufee is a tomato-based creamy seafood sauce that goes great over rice, seafood, or chicken. Tibby's version is truly delicous and spiced just right.

6. The beignets. These are different from the ones you get at Cafe DuMonde in New Orleans, but I really like the twist. They are more of a crunchy, fried doughnut with a ton of powdered sugar. The best dessert I have had in quite awhile!

Of course, there are a number of other Creole dishes on the menu that are amazing.  You need to check out Tibby's for yourselves. Why not start your culinary adventure on Fat Tuesday?

Fun Central Florida Food Events this Weekend

Sometimes I wish there were two of me. That way, I could make it to all the fun food events that are occurring simultaneously this weekend. 


First up on Saturday, March 24, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. is Slow Food Orlando's "Slow Fish" event in Cape Canaveral. Those who attend get to learn about three local fisheries then eat a delicious, local seafood lunch prepared by Merritts Table, along with beer. The cost is $25 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under. Where: Wild Ocean Seafood Market, 710 Bluewater Dr., Cape Canaveral. 


Now on to authentic Cajun food: Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen is holding its first-ever Crawfish Boil on March 24 and March 25. They will also have live music from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. both days. Where: 2203 Aloma Ave., Winter Park.


The fun continues on Sunday, March 25, when The Daily City's Food Truck Bazaar returns to downtown Orlando. Twice a month, this event - which features 20 different gourmet food trucks - is held behind the Fashion Square Mall, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. It is a great tail-gating type of atmosphere since many people bring their own chairs and tents to hang out and socialize.

Celebrate Mardi Gras at Tibby's

I love the atmosphere of Tibby’s New Orleans Kitchen in Winter Park, Fla., and how it reminds me of a nicer version of the many neighborhood bars and seafood eateries in New Orleans. This is such a fun, busy place, and I’m glad I went there to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Tibby's sports a vibrant bar and the seating area features a high ceiling – painted purple, no less - and authentic New Orleans décor. Plus, there are few places in Orlando where you can get real Cajun food. While the dishes we tried were close the real thing, they stopped short. The Crawfish Etoufee was flavorful and I loved the overflow of crawfish in the mix. Still, the etoufee was over-salted and not the best I have ever had. Same with the Seafood and Andouille Sausage Gumbo: it  was good, but I have had a few better versions.

The Shrimp Po’ Boy was pretty good, though. To make a good po’ boy, you need the right bread, and Tibby’s definitely has it. I'm not a beer lover, but those who are appreciate the fact that Tibby's has a wide variety of Abita beers on tap and bottled. You can find Purple Haze here! Happy Hour is every day from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

I would give the overall experience four stars out of five. Tip: don’t go during dinner hour: you will likely have a 30 minute to 1 hour wait.

Where: 2203 Aloma Ave., Winter Park.