Café Tu Tu Tango

FoxiBoxi

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$$

I love the atmosphere of this place; local artists have art strewn everywhere in the restaurant, and we were fortunate enough to observe two at work on projects near the front door. We didn't get to see the dancers (Tuesdays) or hear the music that they boast nightly, but the overall vibe was artsy and fun.

I was rather disappointed with the food. I came for a late lunch on a business trip, after hearing that the food was great and the beer list was substantial.

The food was overpriced and underseasoned. I had the empanadas and the spicy shrimp, and neither were very good. Also tried the spinach dip, which didn't taste very fresh at all.
The beer list was better than average, but nothing to get excited about. Overall, it wasn't worth a trip for the food or the beer, but the atmosphere was very cool.

07-26-2011 16:13:08 | More by FoxiBoxi

sirdrinkwell

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Was just in town from south florida for a couple days, and in search of "something different" from the typical chains I decided to take my wife and my daughter here...and it was a hit all around.

The atmosphere is terrific, with wall to wall art (some new pieces just to pander to the Star Wars convention crowd were added), art creation in progress, music, and even a roaming belly dancer thrown into the mix (though, flamenco dancers might have made more sense).

The service was top notch and the food was terrific...tapas for days! We tried 5 menu items and each was delicious. Prepared fresh, not from a pre-made batch that had been sitting...

The beer selection, while not mindblowing, was better than pretty much anything else I could reasonably expect to find on International Drive. And as far as prices, they were also reasonable given the location....had the food been mediocre I might have said otherwise but one after another the kitchen impressed us so I can't and won't complain.

Will be back!

08-19-2010 03:23:37 | More by sirdrinkwell

joedon

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

Let me begin by observing that Florida in general is a wasteland for good beer. Swill pours everywhere in copious amounts. Bud Light is everywhere along with Coors and MGD. So when a Florida restaurant has some beer offerings even slightly off the mainstream generics, it is identified as something special. That is the case with Cafe Tu Tu Tango.

I'm not dissing the place, I actually had a nice meal and two good beers there. However, in the Twin Cities, this Cafe would only stand out because of it's atmosphere and concept; not because of the beer or even the food.

The vibe is very cool: artsy, hip with lots of neat decorations and even a painter at work with pictures for sale. Located in a mile long strip of mostly formula-chain establishments, Cafe Tango stands out.

Good quality products. Beer was fresh and tasty as was the food.

Service was friendly and efficient. The waitress even recommended I try the "Railbender" which was a good brown ale. I also tried the Rocky Mountain IPA; an above-average beer.

On tap were six "craft" beers plus BL and Shock Top. Twenty-six beers in bottles; most noteworthy were Dogfish Raison d'etre, Old Thumper and Brooklyn Sorachi. Looking at the crowd here, I would guess wines outsold beers and BL outsold all of the other beers.

Food was tasty and reasonably priced. I had chicken satay and black bean soup; both very well made. The beer was actually overpriced by my standards: $6.25 and up for decent drafts.

You will probably enjoy this place. Just don't expect too much from the beer.

08-10-2010 00:02:06 | More by joedon

number1bum

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5 | $$$

Stopped in for dinner while in town at a conference. Pretty good sized place, comfortable yet festive. Small bar, probably sat about 12 people, positioned in the back right corner. Only 8 drafts and about 25 bottles, but not one of the taps was wasted on junk. On my visit they had Left Hand Oktoberfest, Lagunitas IPA, Highland Oatmeal Porter, Cigar City Maduro, and some others I can't remember. No BMC junk though. Bottle list was small but also featured good variety of quality stuff, including a few Germans and Belgians.

Maybe even better than the beer was the food. I only had two things - a chili rejenello and empenadas - but they were both fantastic. Anytime I find a good chili rejenello I know I've found some place good, and it was very good. Empanadas were even better, with a spicy beef and cheese filling and some tasty cilantro sour cream. Lots of other good looking choices on the menu, but the empanadas alone would be enough to keep me coming back again and again if I were local.

Service was attentive, quick, and friendly. Prices were a bit on the pricy side, but it is in the middle of the tourist area of Orlando so that's not unexpected. This is absolutely a place I would visit again - good beer and good empanadas and I'm a happy man. This is a great place to grab dinner and a couple good brews if you're in the area.

10-30-2009 00:10:30 | More by number1bum

Ralphus

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

If you're on International for a conference, or just staying here with the family as part of a trip, give Cafe Tu Tu Tango a shot. Not only is it like nothing you've been to before, but the beer is good as well.

Lots of cool paintings adorn the walls, plus if you are there on a weekend night you'll actually get artists and performers in house too. All the servers were young, friendly and eager to help.

As mentioned, everything is appetizer style and everything I tried was excellent. I was there twice during my stay and had 4 appetizers (try both the spring roll dishes) and three pints of beer (laguntas IPA, Lost Coast Nectarine Wheat and the Left Hand Milk Stout). There were plenty other interesting ones on tap and in bottles.

In a sea of relative boredom Cafe Tu Tu Tango stands out. If you're looking for bottles check out the Whole Foods Market which is a 15 min walk from there.

05-26-2009 02:29:27 | More by Ralphus

DaveLikesAle

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

A craft beer oasis in a sea of swill. If you've ever been to Orlando, you'll know there is not much for a craft beer lover to enjoy. Tu-tu is an unusual establishment, serving all of their foods as appetizers. Order what you want and they bring them out at various times. Tough for a lone diner/drinker to have much of a meal. Beer wise, they have about 35 bottle selctions, probably 2/3 in the craft category, and 5 taps. I had the Left Hand Milk Stout which was outstanding. Two offerings from Lost Coast, a Blueberry Ale, and Newcastle round out the taps. In most cities, Tu-tu wouldn't get a mention on a site like this, but in Orlando, it's the go-to spot.

01-14-2009 17:22:20 | More by DaveLikesAle

nbblondie

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$$

I'm in Orlando for the night and found this place by searching the beerfly bars. I went with two coworkers. This a tapas restaurant but they didn't really want to share their food so we all got our own things. Food was great... I had the wild mushrooms in truffle oil, the alligator, and the cheese plate. Great quality, maybe a tiny bit overpriced. We went for lunch on a weekday so it was very empty, but I bet it's a fun place to go when more of a crowd is there. They were out of Lost Coast IPA on tap so I got my second choice... Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre in a bottle and Horny Dog Barleywine. My coworker got the Left Hand Milk Stout on tap and it was fantastic. All in all, a fun experience with a pretty good beer list.

12-01-2008 21:18:49 | More by nbblondie

cjgator3

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Located on International Drive in between Sand Lake Road and the Orlando Convention Center in the heart of the touristy part of Orlando. Don't let the location fool you, Cafe Tu Tu Tango is a great place to go eat great food and grab a quality beer at the same time.

The inside is pretty artsy but it is a pleasant atmosphere. The beer menu is on the smaller side, but they do carry a pretty decent selection of American micros. On the other hand, the food is exceptional. I have been a few times and have gotten different things each time. Everything has been fantastic.

If you are in the area, I would recommend dropping in Cafe Tu Tu Tango for great food and quality beer as well.

Recommended

11-10-2008 21:25:26 | More by cjgator3

Yetiman420

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

If you happen to be in Orlando, especially on business at the conference center, this is pretty much your only and best bet for a close, non-chain place with pretty good food and an above-average beer selection.

I did my research beforehand and took a group of seven on a busy evening. It turns out one of the guys in the group saw the place on Rachael Ray's TV show and actually wanted to come here.

I spend too much time in Orlando for conferences and tire of the chain dining options (more Denny's in tourist Orlando than anywhere else). Disney has some good options, but not for beer.

They had 7-10 taps. 3-4 were good micro selections. I had my share of Lost Coast IPA (it seemed they were heavy on lost coast selection). Florida's not really known for any good beer but it would have been nice if they carried St. Somewhere. I pulled the trigger on a $10 12 oz Duchesse de Bourgogne (expensed event).

Overall it's a really fun place to take a group and don't be intimidated by the tapas concept. Order a bunch of places and even picky eaters will find something they enjoy.

11-10-2008 01:21:57 | More by Yetiman420

dustylong

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Really a cool place, went here while I was in Orlando for my buddy's wedding. Like the other gentleman said, the place is all about art, and artists. There is local artwork covering the walls, all for sale, and artists doing it right there in the restaurant. Very cool. Has some very good food, mostly Hispanic dishes, and not too expensive. The people there are very nice, and seem to be fairly knowledgeable about the beers they were carrying (I had Lost Coast Great White). Not sure of the exact number of beers on-tap, or in bottles, but it seemed to be a good number, with decent selection. Overall, a really neat place to check out, with some damn good beers, for a reasonable price. If you're in Orlando on vacation or something, make sure you check this place out.

07-28-2007 16:25:21 | More by dustylong