Gaylord Palms Old Hickory Steakhouse reopens after $7.25 million renovation
If you haven’t been to the Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., now is the time to go. Even if you have been, you may want to return, as they have completed a $7.25 million renovation on the restaurant alone.
Gaylord Palms invited us out to see the renovations and try a special chef tasting meal. It was delicious, but before we get to that, let’s take a look at what’s new. The tablecloths are gone and the restaurant has a more modern and relaxed feel.
SHOW KITCHEN: Old Hickory Steakhouse’s new open kitchen is designed to bring diners closer to the chefs and let them watch as the team creates the guests’ dishes. Teal-green tilework is featured, and the new kitchen is located under a veranda-style roof, accentuated by rafter tails and surrounded by shimmering string lights.
NEW LOUNGE: During the renovation, Old Hickory Steakhouse added a new bar patio area, which expanded the number of guests who can now visit the lounge. The new bar serves as a spot for guests to enjoy drinks with friends and business associates, whether they are waiting on a table or want to relax in the evening with cocktails and appetizers.
TAKING CENTER STAGE: New displays were installed to give guests a first-look at the gourmet steaks, cheeses, and fine wine available on the menu. Famous cheeses from around the world are featured in their own display. The restaurant’s 351 wine selections, and many of Old Hickory Steakhouse’s 3,600 total bottles of wine, can be viewed in the two-sided, glass display at the restaurant entrance.
PRIVATE DINING: A private dining room, the Sabal Palm Dining Room, was designed and furnished to provide groups a location to host dinners at Old Hickory Steakhouse. Diners will also have a view of the other side of the large wine display.
IMMERSIVE DINING: New furniture includes tables and seating made of walnut, pickled oak, and teak, accented with burnished brass and oil-rubbed bronze. New chandeliers (some made from coconut shells), string lighting, and Bermuda shutters were also added. Large sections of the exterior walls in the Mangrove Dining Room were removed to further blend the theming of the Everglades atrium with the overall dining experience.
We sat near the open kitchen and a future chef’s table. Although the tasting menu we tried isn’t currently available as was served to us, they hope to make something similar available in the future as part of the chef’s table. Everything we tried is available on their regular menu in larger portions.
Here’s what we sampled. We both thought it was all delicious and very well prepared. We also sampled wine pairings with each meal as recommended by the chef and our waiter.
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Also new at the restaurant is a custom cutlery collection, allowing guests select from a variety of steak knives. The collection features knives of different weights, lengths, handle designs, and levels of serration. According to Old Hickory Steakhouse chefs, non-serrated knives are ideal for smaller, tender cuts like filet mignon, while longer, serrated knives usually work better with T-bone steaks.
Old Hickory Steakhouse first opened at Gaylord Palms Resort in February 2002. As part of the renovation, the restaurant also unveiled a new logo with the date “1977” highlighted in honor of the first Old Hickory Steakhouse, which opened at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. in 1977. Old Hickory Steakhouse is the only restaurant located at all five Gaylord Hotels. Next year, it will open at the newest Gaylord — Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center — currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2025 in Chula Vista, Calif.
The Gaylord Palms Resort is currently celebrating summer with a Luminosity light show in their atrium, an outdoor drone show, a water park glow party, pirate-themed scavenger hunt, and more.
If you’re looking to stay at the Gaylord Palms Resort, our trusted partner MEI-Travel will handle the planning. They offer free vacation planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating memorable vacations. Visit MEI-Travel.com for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.
