SoCo // Thornton Park, Orlando

There are hundreds of brunch spots in Orlando and we have taken the challenge to go to a new spot every Sunday. Yes, it is a daunting task, but someone has to take on the challenge of drinking all the mimosas, tasting the pastries, and testing the pancakes at the so-called “brunch” places. 

This week we discovered SoCo. For southern bells like ourselves the name captured our attention immediately. Southern comfort food is our favorite. We sat at a four-top in the center of the restaurant and were instantly greeted with out $10 bottomless mimosas. Don’t let these inexpensive drinks fool you, the food was quite pricey, but deliciously worth it. 

Remember eating Poptarts after school? Popping them in the toaster and then being filled with warmth and the ooey gooey center, well, SoCo has a specialty Poptart made fresh everyday. We naturally ordered two orders of the raspberry filled pastry with a chocolate frosting. Our only complaint is that they were not warmed. So be sure to ask for your hot to get the full affect of a homemade Poptart. 

Among the Poptarts, we ordered the Slow-Roastee Barbecue-Glazed Pork Belly Biscuits. Let that name sink in a little bit. 

Four mini biscuits covered in barbecue-glazed pork belly almost too big for the bite-size biscuits covered in a jalapeño jelly. And yes, it tasted just as amazing as it sounds if not better.  

Next on the menu was the Roasted Peach and Blueberry Stuffed Brioche French Toast. Fluffy brioche bread stuffed full with fresh fruits and topped with homemade marmalade, candied peanuts and whipped cream. This french toast came just the way we like it, swimming in a pool of maple syrup. We paired it with a side of bacon to quench the salt craving. 

The Sunday Burger is the complete opposite from the french toast taste-wise but great nonetheless. Even at night we will always enjoy an egg on our burgers and add a homemade red-onion bacon marmalade and a side of onion rings and you have yourself a happy table. 

The least favorite of the morning was the Grilled Meatloaf and Fried Egg Sandwich. Although the meatloaf was cooked well it was lost amongst too much bread. A good southern meatloaf sandwich is made with thin bread and a big slab of meatloaf, not the other way around. The egg provided a unique take on a traditional dish and the truffle fries were good. 

When we return to SoCo, we will order the way our fourth guest did: all sides. The Skillet Cheddar Jalapeño Corn Bread paired with two farm fresh eggs, Slow-Cooked Collard Greens and Baked Cheddar Grits with Andouille Crumble stole the show. Everything was cooked to perfection and the beautiful combination had everyone at the table happy. 

SoCo has officially received the Gibson Girl Boozy Brunch stamp of approval. Be sure to take advantage of those bottomless mimosas the way a Gibson Girl would and don’t skimp on the sides.