It is time to talk about my favorite restaurant in Disney Springs. When we were in Orlando, we visited several restaurant nearby Disney World and Universal Studio. This one I think was our favorite of them all. Homecomin’ offers Southern, farm-to-table cuisine, while highlighting local ingredients. They have handcrafted moonshine cocktail (which we didn’t get to try since we went in the morning), fried chicken, hushpuppies, fried catfish and so much more. We were very excited to visit this spot. Their exterior looked like a large Southern home, and it came with nice, large back porch.

They had a very cute wooden and metal door handle with rooster on it. When we walked in, the first thing I saw was a door mat that said “Welcome Home.” How adorable and welcoming is this??? LOVED it!

The door mat is placed in front of their host/hostess station. It has many decoration right behind it on a shelf, creating a privacy wall from the entrance to the dining area. I really liked their over-sized lighting fixture, it was really cool. I loved the interior, I took lots of photos of the inside, so beware…

 

The dining area was all very open, and my goodness it was huge! Really spacious and beautifully designed. We got there shortly after they opened, so it was almost empty. Great for taking photos and also best time to receive really good service (in my opinion).

 

They had large windows that goes from floor to ceiling, bringing in lots and lots of natural light. I loved how bright it was in the inside. It created warm and cozy atmosphere in this large space. They had plenty of seating with good amount of space in between so that they are not over-crowded.

They had nice, thick wooden beam in the ceiling with rather simple, silver light fixtures. They had a large painting on the wall above their kitchen. It depicted some kind of a farm with a river and a sun coming up. I really liked it, a new day, fresh new beginning.

Another thing I really liked was their furniture. The chairs and booth had really comfy cushion for your back. Each one had their cute design that has “HFK” which I believe means “Homecoming Florida Kitchen” on it. Simple but yet familiar and warm.

Most of the tables are regular, square or rectangle shaped table. But, by the large windows at the back, I saw some large tables that looked like it was made with a tree stump, which was really cool. Off to the left was a sunny indoor porch. Is there anything seating option they don’t have?

 

We were there for a brunch, and we heard how good their fried chicken is, we ordered two of their main brunch items. The first one was Fried Chicken & Doughnuts ($25). Two  of my favorite items together on the same plate? Intrigued… Our waitress said that it is one of her favorite, so that made me even more excited. This one comes with two pieces of their famous fried chicken served with house-made sugar doughnuts and creamy mashed potatoes. When it came to the table, I thought it was kind of small, but it was because I didn’t know how filling it was going to be.

Mashed potato was really creamy, I mean, really. It had some white gravy on the top, that gave really nice, homey, rich flavor. The mashed potatoes itself had a good flavor too, with just the right amount of seasoning, keeping the natural taste of the potatoes alive. It was very comforting and melt in your mouth.

Cute little doughnuts came with a side of syrup. Three doughnut balls, lightly fried so that they are not oily. They were fluffy and light, but moist and dough-y. Great little balls of sweet sensation (you can take that any way you like…).

Now, let me talk about their fried chicken. It was a nice, large size pieces, and I could tell they were going to be good. I’ve had my shares of fried chickens, some great, some not-so-great. This one looked awesome, and the aroma was begging me take a bite.

When I cut into the meat, I could hear the crunch, and I could see the juice. Winner! The exterior was super crunchy, and the inside was moist and juicy. It was sooo good, packed with flavor, tender and melt in your mouth good. I can see the reason why their fried chicken is so popular. My goodness it was awesome. And, as I mentioned, it was quite large. It certainly did fill me up.

The second item we ordered was Art’s Famous Fried Chicken ($27), which is their signature dish. The chicken is buttermilk-brined for 24 hours then perfectly fried. Served with creamy mashed potatoes, cheddar drop biscuits and love. Yes, that is what it says on the menu, “love.” My hubby really wanted to have mac & cheese instead of mashed potatoes (and my order comes with mashed potatoes already). Our waitress was very sweet and she changed it with mac & cheese for no charge. Very accommodating.

Cheddar drop biscuit was very tasty, cheesy and fluffy. It was light but had great flavor, it went great with the chicken. I wish it was a bit bigger, then again, we were super full after the meal, so I say they know just the right amount to give to customers!

Mac & cheese came in the same little skillet as their mashed potatoes, still piping hot. It was very cheesy and creamy, I liked the contract between the crispy top and velvety cheese underneath. It had good seasoning, without being too overpowering or too salty. It was very comforting and filling.

Fried chickens were again super tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. Loved the crackling sound when you bite into the crispy exterior. They were big pieces and amazing from the first bite to the last.

Our waitress was very nice, friendly and helpful. It was more of a laid-back atmosphere, but since we were not in a hurry, it was just fine. Before we finished our meal, a manager came over to check on us to ensure we were well taken care of, and that we were happy with our food. It is always nice to get an extra greeting from the manager on duty, that shows that they really care about their customers.

Their bathroom is located near the entrance, and I absolutely loved the signs on the door! It doesn’t say “men/women” or “ladies/gentleman” but instead, it says “Yes Sir” and “Yes Ma’am” with cute rooster. How adorable is that???

The bathroom was roomy and clean, with earthy color tiles to keep you in the relaxed mood.

Between the entrance and the bathroom is a hallways filled with all sorts of photos and articles related to the restaurant and/or chef. It was fun to look around or to read about the chef.

We had great brunch there, we were happy and stuffed. We really wanted to get some kind of dessert, as they had some enticing dessert menu, but we just could not handle another bite or anything. I would love to go back there for more wonderful Southern style dishes… I wish if they have another location in NYC, but then again, it is not going to be the same in the busy, cold, concrete jungle. When we go back to Orlando under the Sun, we will definitely go back!

Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ – 1602 E. Buena Vista Dr., Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830