What to eat at the new Miller's Ale House in Mount Dora

Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial
·2 min read
The Prime Burger is available at Mount Dora Miller's Ale House, featuring cheese, shaved prime rib, roasted mushrooms, sautéed onions, gravy, crispy onion tanglers and garlic crema, on a toasted black and white sesame seed bun. Served with French fries.
The Prime Burger is available at Mount Dora Miller's Ale House, featuring cheese, shaved prime rib, roasted mushrooms, sautéed onions, gravy, crispy onion tanglers and garlic crema, on a toasted black and white sesame seed bun. Served with French fries.

Miller's Ale House restaurant and sports bar has opened just off U.S. 441, in front of Target and Epic Theatres.

While we don't usually cover chains, this one is noteworthy because it's actually better than most sports-pub chains, according to online reviewers (and my experiences dining at locations in St. Pete, Tallahassee and Ocala). Maybe it's because Miller's hasn't saturated the market, cut corners beyond recognition and gone to seed like some others we won't name by name.

More than 60 TVs throughout the restaurant and bar air the latest games and sporting events, reports Lake County Florida - Here's What's Happening. The establishment's Florida Room features garage-style exterior walls that can be raised when skies are clear so diners can enjoy the fresh air with their meal.

"The recipe for success at Miller's Ale House, a 50-unit casual dining chain with locations in Florida, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois, is the way it balances consistent, centralized management with restaurant-level creativity and customization," says Hospitality Technology.

According to Restaurant Dive, rising wages and operating costs have pushed chains to increase menu prices, and consumers are trading down and seeking more value-focused dining options.

Miller's is a more affordable option against more upscale competitors. The Mount Dora location, among others, offers daily specials for families on a budget.

That all said, no two locations of any chain restaurant are the same. We shall see how the Mount Dora Ale House fares.

Also, this week: 3 Lake County food trucks get perfect scores; 4 restaurants have high-priority violations

"Watts for Dinner," the food column in our South Florida sister paper the Marco Eagle, said "Ale yes!" to Miller's Ale House when it opened in the Naples area. Writer Will Watts recommended the Chipotle BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadilla and the meatloaf dinner.

"The mashed potatoes and gravy were pure perfection," Watts said. "Heck, I even ate the vegetables. "

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: New Miller's Ale House — what to eat there