Restaurant Review: New Denny's Restaurant on Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee, FL

Denny's restaurant would be the last restaurant I'd visit. I dislike the many drunk and hungry party-goers coming back from the clubs, the cramped small space, and the food isn't that great. The last time I went to a Denny's was five years ago. I remembered that it was the worst time ever. I sat there for nearly an hour for my food, my server was hardly around, and the food was cold while the place stank of cigarette smoke. I swore to never go to a Denny's ever again. However, the other day as my fiance and I were coming home from running a late night errand at Kinkos, my stomach was growling in pain. It was apparent that I needed food immediately. There were a few restaurants on the way home, but they were either too expensive or they served foods that weren't appealing. I was certain that we'd end up at a fast food drive through; something I wasn't looking forward to. Then just before the Florida Turnpike, in front of Super Walmart, we saw a grand opening sign; It was a Denny's restaurant. Despite the bad experience five years ago, I asked my fiance to stop. Pancakes were too much on my mind, so I completely ignored my last visit to Denny's. After a night of great service, great food, and great place, I'm glad I gave Denny's another try.

This Denny's is conveniently located along the newly built shopping strip in front of Super Walmart off of Osceola Parkway. I was expecting to see a small and cramped waiting area, but when we opened the door, I was happy to see a spacious lobby. A friendly elderly man greeted us with a smile and introduced himself as the manager. He made small talk and led us to our seats. As we walked towards our seats, I noticed how large the restaurant was. The ceiling was high giving the restaurant a more airy feeling. The man gave us choices as to what type of tables we preferred. There were booths, tables, and a combination of both.

Once we sat down, the manager handed my little girl a pack of crayons and a coloring page. He didn't wait for us to ask for a high chair because he had already gotten it for us. I looked around and noticed that the tables were very clean and nicely spaced. The walls were not bombarded with tacky decorations and paintings and the place wasn't crowded; even if it were, there were plenty of space for everyone. The nice man handed us the menus and asked if if we needed anything before he left. He told us that the server will be within in a few. After two minutes, our waiter showed up with a huge smile. We took a few minutes as we decided on drinks. I was surprised that he actually waited for our drink orders while other servers would say, "I'll be back while you decide." Once we ordered our drinks, he came back with them within five minutes. Before leaving to tend to other things, he asked us if we were ready to order. My fiance was ready, but I still needed time. After he took my fiance's order, he just waited and didn't rushed me. I ordered shrimp skewer and a salad with grilled beef while my fiance ordered a T-bone steak, eggs, and pancakes. I was impressed when the server advised my fiance that he should order his eggs well done because the over easy was too runny. Right when the server was done taking our orders, my daughter spilled her drink all over the table. Instead of making us wait for the bus boy, the server cleaned up the table himself. He also gave my daughter a new coloring page.

After waiting about 20 minutes, our food arrived. When the server sat the food down, I was very surprised by the portion. It was pretty huge. The last time I was at a Denny's, I remember my portion was very skimpy. The T-bone steak was sizzling hot while my salad looks delicious. I noticed that the pancakes weren't here yet, so I asked the server for them. He told me they were still being made. I was glad because I remembered eating cold pancakes five years ago. When I looked at my salad, I wasn't expecting much. But when I took my first bite, I could taste how fresh the spinach and the lettuce were. The grilled steak was very well cooked just like how I ordered them. My shrimp was bursting with flavor while my grilled beef just melted in my mouth. When I looked over to my fiance, he was already half done with his steak. So I'm guessing his steak was very good as well. My daughter was also half way done with her pancakes. By the time we were done with our dinner, the manager showed up again to check on us. He told us about their special promotions and told us a bit about himself. He let us know that if we had any problems, that we could go to him any time. We thanked him and went to pay for meals. Upon leaving the building, the manager opened the door for us! When we got in the car, my stomach was full and my time was well spent. I am very happy that a Denny's is now in my neighborhood. I will definitely eat there again.