When Briarpatch announced they were going to start serving dinner, the Orlando Facebook forum was out in droves, mostly commenting on the steep menu prices. They’re not wrong. It’s high end steakhouse prices in an upscale brunch setting. My general verdict is that the food is good, but at the price point I wouldn’t come again.

Briarpatch in downtown Winter Park has been known for years as a brunch destination, so the addition of dinner service is a notable shift. The menu is pretty limited in selection, which hopefully means they’re focusing on the quality of each item.

What We Ordered at Briarpatch

The appetizer list was pretty barren, but we got the steak tartare so we had something to share. My friend also got an extra entree since he thought one wasn’t enough.

Steak Tartare

I’ve only eaten steak tartare a couple of times, but this was definitely the best I’ve had. Unless you are actively thinking about it, you wouldn’t know it’s raw meat, and I think that’s the point of a well-made tartare. The texture of it was like eating pate. The meat, egg yolk, and other mixins like minced onions came together into a cohesive paste. Paired nicely with the crunchy chips for some texture. It’s very rich so it’s perfect for sharing.

New York Strip

We ordered the New York strip and it was just a very standard steak. I would not get this again given the price point. Cooking a quality cut of steak is one of the easiest things to make at home, so I do not really see the point of paying $78 here unless you really like their tallow roasted potatoes, which I concur are excellent. Crisp on the outside with a nice shell and fluffy moist inside.

The Burgers

My friend and I also both got burgers. His was the bacon and cheddar and mine was the dry aged prime burger. I am more of a smash burger kind of guy and rarely eat big gourmet burgers, but this was pretty good.

It was kind of amusing when the waitress asked me how I would like my burger cooked, then stopped me when I wanted medium well and told me it was a “proprietary blend” that can only be cooked to medium. It was definitely a term the chef or manager trained the waitress to say, and it was just funny since it is still just a burger, not like the secret Krabby Patty formula.

The burger is too rich for me though. The entire bottom bun was drenched in grease and meat juices so it got soggy, and it was just too much meat in a single burger with no contrast of fresh veggies like tomato slices, lettuce, onions, or pickles to cut through the heaviness. I needed ketchup just to finish it, not because it was not good but because it was just too decadent.

My friend seemed to have a similar experience with his bacon cheddar burger. Even though they were smaller patties overall, it was still a heavy meal. But that could also be because my friend also ate most of the steak and was sitting on about a pound and a half of pure beef.

The Verdict: Is Briarpatch Dinner Worth It?

The dinner at Briarpatch is decent. They have a small menu but you can taste the quality in every dish. I personally would not return because of the high prices on the entrees and also the food just does not appeal to me enough because I find it too heavy.

But for those that want an upscale dinner spot in downtown Winter Park and love American food, this is the spot for you. Just know what you’re getting into with the prices and portion richness.