Winter Park's Excellent 4Rivers Smokehouse Appropriately At Dusk
On a recent trip to Orlando one of our associates who lived in the Altamonte area was quite emphatic that we needed to grab dinner at the Four Rivers Smokehouse…
Delectable BBQ...so good - Click To Enlarge
Knowing my pension for non-chain dining he was quite insistent that this was the place for me… Well, he was right. Four Rivers is excellent in everything it endeavors to accomplish, aside from one fatal flaw; no indoor seating! (soon to be rectified at their new Altamonte location)
Curiously High End Deserts - Click To Enlarge
So, before I go on to gush about how enjoying the dining experience was it is important to note that I would only advise eating at the seminal Winter Park location during the cooler months or in the evenings when the sun is not blazingly hot and pushing the humidity and heat index through the roof. That be stated (consider yourselves warned), this place is nothing short of excellent. The venue is cool; it’s just legitimately interesting in a non-cheesy or tacky way. Simple, no over the top productions here but not so simple as to be a run-of-the-mill BBQ shack…this is BBQ done right; Winter Park style perhaps.
Comfortable Outdoor Seating - Click To Enlarge
The menu is diverse but not so diverse as to detract from the requisite BBQ staples at hand. The food is churned out both expertly and efficiently, making short work of even the most seemingly insurmountable lines that may be wrapped around the building. The smoked meats are authentic and feature a visible and delectable smoke ring; more dry than wet this is most similar to the BBQ I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying out west in places like Texas and on even on occasion in Tennessee. Denizens of the dry rub will rejoice, though several rather tasty sauces are also available for fans of the more wet variety like myself.
Diverse But Authentic Menu - Click To Enlarge
Of recommendation, the Pork is excellent as is the beef and sliced prime rib. The deserts are also fantastic and of a variety and presentation that is an unexpectedly upscale indulgence at a BBQ joint. Needless to say, 4 Rivers comes very highly recommended from all of us at Down Shift.
A native of Tampa, FL Robert is the presiding editor and co-owner of both Down Shift Magazine and DS Holdings, LLC. A proud alumnus of the University of South Florida’s class of 2005 Robert is active in the Tampa Bay community and when not residing at his home in Tampa, FL enjoys traveling throughout the United States and abroad covering the motorsports and cultural phenomenon that shape our modern automotive enthusiast community.
