Donatos - Winter Park FL

By Melanie Courcy | January 11, 2023

A new year, a new theme - welcome to Cheap Eats Wednesday! In January 2022, my husband and I wanted to try a 'new to us' local restaurant each week, and we ended up trying 51 new restaurants. Though it was a fun project, it got very expensive! For 2023, we are still going to dine out each week, but the rules have changed. The goal this year is to find the best deals and eat for cheap. The restaurant does not have to be new to us, but it does need to have some sort of appealing deal that can make our dining experience a little friendlier on the budget. I know many of you will want to jump on these deals as well, so will share as many of them as I can! So, let's get started.

Our first Cheap Eats Wednesday was at Donato's Pizza in Winter Park. It's located in a shopping center off University and Goldenrod.

The Deal

My husband went to LocalFlavor.com to find this deal. Donatos is running special on that site where you get $20 worth of Pizza, Subs and More for $10. However, that 'deal' was on clearance today for $6 (yes you read it right - SIX dollars for TWENTY dollars' worth of food)!! So off we went to fill up on six bucks!

On top of that, on the menu has a pick 2 combo where you can combine an entree with a side, saving even more money!!

The Digs

Donato's is in a shopping center off University and Goldenrod. Parking is shared with many other businesses, so many of the spots were taken. However, we were lucky to grab a space where someone was leaving. Inside, there were several tables and booths to choose from. We ordered at the counter, then sat at a table and waited for our food to be delivered. It is an open space that is not too crowded with tables. The lighting was great, and it was not very noisy, so my husband and I could easily conversate.

The Service

Since this is mostly an order at the counter type of place, the service was on par with what you would expect. The staff was friendly, and our food was delivered relatively quickly.

The Tastebud Delights

Now for the good stuff - what did we actually get for $6? Quite a lot, actually. My husband got wings and I had a salad and sub which was quite filling.

Though my husband ordered 10 wings, it only came with 9 for some reason. They were a bit on the small size, but still decent and tasty!

My caprese salad was plain looking, but it actually tasted quite good. It came with fresh cut tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, tomato bruschetta, and Romano. The tomato bruschetta was nicely flavored, so I didn't need much dressing (which was simply a packet of Newman's Own Balsamic).

The Chicken Bacon Ranch oven baked sub was quite good. The bread seemed fresh and was toasted perfectly with just the right combination of crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The chicken was tender, and the ranch dressing added flavor and a creamy texture to the overall experience.

The Takeaway

Things have gotten expensive lately, so it's great to be able to dine out on a dime. For six dollars, we got a lot of food. The quality was decent, and we would definitely return. I'm not sure how long the LocalFlavor.com site will have this deal on 'clearance', but it doesn't hurt to check it out! Donatos also has website (donatos.com) where more deals can be found. They also have a rewards program which can be joined from the website or by texting JOIN to 88188. We would like to return to try their calzones and pizza as well!

The Restaurant Info

Address: 4058 N Goldenrod Rd, Winter Park FL

Phone: 407-637-2700

Website: https://www.donatos.com/