The Licking Orlando

I will first start off by saying the customer service is not best. You walk into an empty counter and you’re just standing there for a good 5-7 minutes until someone comes out to ask if you want to order something. I ordered my food and was told it would take 15 minutes and we waited for almost 30 minutes. They also add a service charge to your order. We ordered the shrimp Alfredo which only comes with 6 shrimps with the price you would think it would be a bit more. Secondly, we got the Turkey wings dinner in the lemon pepper flavor with Macaroni & cheese and the rice &peas. I also got a side of cornbread and the blueberry lemonade. The shrimp Alfredo was very delicious and well seasoned just wish it came with a bit more shrimp. The lemon pepper turkey wings dinner were really good and complimented the rice and Mac & cheese well. The star of the show for me was the cornbread, it was moist and melted in my mouth. The lemonade was refreshing and the taste was great. I recommend you give them a try as their food is really good. It a bit over priced.

Food was great. Was not a fan of the loud music playing . Service was fast and friendly. I would go back next time that I am in Orlando.

I have been to the other location and it was just like this one but it is bigger . The customer service was professional and friendly. My sides were a tad bit salty but the food was prepared well and came out hot. The batter is nice flavorful and golden brown. If you are like me and love to eat soul food but not cook it this is the place! Added bonus it is right next to the Florida mall great for those coming in town!

I ordered the Fried Turkey wing dinner with macaroni and cheese and candied yams, and also ordered Baked Chicken with rice and green beans(B1G1 free). All the food was really good and they give really nice portions for the price.

Heard about it and wanted to try it. There was about a 35 minute wait early afternoon on a Saturday to be seated. Our waitress was very nice and the atmosphere was really chill even what the beats bumping in the background. They were out of a few appetizer items which was disappointing because I was anticipating trying the chicken rolls. I decided to order the fried broccoli instead. It was an adventurous thing for me to do but it wasn't bad, it did taste better with the ranch dressing. I started with the mystery drink, didn't find it to be much too it so I switched to the punch/Kool aid. Our waitress did not advise that the drinks were not free refills so that's something that would have been nice to know upfront. Overall, I really really wanted to love The Licking (from food to the dessert) but I'd have to say I wouldn't miss it if I never returned. I definitely didn't think that would be the case. That it would be so good that I'd want to make it my business to eat there every chance possible telling everyone about it. Unfortunately, not. I did order the mystery cake and the strawberry crunch but didn't get photos of those.

From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm, inviting, and full of soul. The soulful music set the perfect tone, creating a vibe that felt both uplifting and comforting—exactly what you want from a great soul food restaurant. The service was impressively quick, and our waitress was incredibly kind and attentive throughout our visit. One thing I do wish we had known beforehand is that gratuity is automatically included, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker—just something that would be nice to mention up front. Also, you can only order a limited number of drinks at a time, which was a bit unexpected, but the staff handled everything smoothly. The restaurant is family-friendly, with a TV playing a movie that kept the atmosphere relaxed and enjoyable. And the food—absolutely amazing. Everything was seasoned perfectly, full of flavor, and served in hefty portions that left us more than satisfied. The variety of choices and combinations made it easy for everyone at our table to find something they loved. Overall, this spot is a gem—great food, great vibes, and great service. We’ll definitely be back!

Sledge Family

From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm, inviting, and full of soul. The soulful music set the perfect tone, creating a vibe that felt both uplifting and comforting—exactly what you want from a great soul food restaurant. The service was impressively quick, and our waitress was incredibly kind and attentive throughout our visit. One thing I do wish we had known beforehand is that gratuity is automatically included, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker—just something that would be nice to mention up front. Also, you can only order a limited number of drinks at a time, which was a bit unexpected, but the staff handled everything smoothly. The restaurant is family-friendly, with a TV playing a movie that kept the atmosphere relaxed and enjoyable. And the food—absolutely amazing. Everything was seasoned perfectly, full of flavor, and served in hefty portions that left us more than satisfied. The variety of choices and combinations made it easy for everyone at our table to find something they loved. Overall, this spot is a gem—great food, great vibes, and great service. We’ll definitely be back!

Gerry DuBois

Food was great. Was not a fan of the loud music playing . Service was fast and friendly. I would go back next time that I am in Orlando.

Brittany Wilson

I will first start off by saying the customer service is not best. You walk into an empty counter and you’re just standing there for a good 5-7 minutes until someone comes out to ask if you want to order something. I ordered my food and was told it would take 15 minutes and we waited for almost 30 minutes. They also add a service charge to your order. We ordered the shrimp Alfredo which only comes with 6 shrimps with the price you would think it would be a bit more. Secondly, we got the Turkey wings dinner in the lemon pepper flavor with Macaroni & cheese and the rice &peas. I also got a side of cornbread and the blueberry lemonade. The shrimp Alfredo was very delicious and well seasoned just wish it came with a bit more shrimp. The lemon pepper turkey wings dinner were really good and complimented the rice and Mac & cheese well. The star of the show for me was the cornbread, it was moist and melted in my mouth. The lemonade was refreshing and the taste was great. I recommend you give them a try as their food is really good. It a bit over priced.

love gospel

I ordered the Fried Turkey wing dinner with macaroni and cheese and candied yams, and also ordered Baked Chicken with rice and green beans(B1G1 free). All the food was really good and they give really nice portions for the price.

Donna Robinson

I have been to the other location and it was just like this one but it is bigger . The customer service was professional and friendly. My sides were a tad bit salty but the food was prepared well and came out hot. The batter is nice flavorful and golden brown. If you are like me and love to eat soul food but not cook it this is the place! Added bonus it is right next to the Florida mall great for those coming in town!

Lady Jay

Heard about it and wanted to try it. There was about a 35 minute wait early afternoon on a Saturday to be seated. Our waitress was very nice and the atmosphere was really chill even what the beats bumping in the background. They were out of a few appetizer items which was disappointing because I was anticipating trying the chicken rolls. I decided to order the fried broccoli instead. It was an adventurous thing for me to do but it wasn't bad, it did taste better with the ranch dressing. I started with the mystery drink, didn't find it to be much too it so I switched to the punch/Kool aid. Our waitress did not advise that the drinks were not free refills so that's something that would have been nice to know upfront. Overall, I really really wanted to love The Licking (from food to the dessert) but I'd have to say I wouldn't miss it if I never returned. I definitely didn't think that would be the case. That it would be so good that I'd want to make it my business to eat there every chance possible telling everyone about it. Unfortunately, not. I did order the mystery cake and the strawberry crunch but didn't get photos of those.

Yesterday we had a total of 5 separate orders. 3 of us ordered yams, two of us ordered grilled chicken breast and received chicken fajita. All five had greens. I received hard chicken fajita and the other one was moist, 2 of us had tasteless yams chunks and 1 had yams that looked like mash potatoes. They were good. All of our greens were tough and had way too much salt. The menu I saw stated 16.99 with 2 sides. I paid $23.13 and I was charged for the greens. I was highly disappointed because this place came highly recommended and my taste buds were waiting for this delicious meal. 3 things on my plate and not one was good. I have been trying to call since last night and no one has picked up the phone yet.

Tried out this restaurant on Saturday. When we first walked in it was dead. Just a few customers that we could see sitting in the waiting area. We were greeted and asked what we wanted to order. We were confused and said we wanted to do table service. We were told it would be a 15 minute wait and we agreed. While we were waiting we observed a sign that said they were severely short staffed and to be patient. We were very hungry so we decided we would get take out after all and just eat at one of the tables in the front of the restaurant. By the time we asked to order it was getting very busy. We ordered at 6:38pm and received our food at 7:22pm. The first person who ordered was served last. Additionally they do not have a kids menu so I had to pay 14.99 for my 6 year olds Alfredo pasta. We were so hungry we only remembered to take a picture of the chicken and waffle sandwich. Highlights-delicious collard greens, perfect red velvet waffle, the chicken on the waffle sandwich was crispy and juicy and peas and rice had great flavor, cool atmosphere kinda like a club (kinda loud), Gumbo Habanero hot sauce was very tasty and hot! Lowlights- sold out of Turkey wings and chicken rolls, the long wait, prices were not correct, service charge (on top of our tip), chicken wings were not crispy at all, the Alfredo was more buttery than cheese and very mediocre. I don’t know if I would try again but it has potential if they could get fully staffed.

Very friendly and helpful staff, the restaurant was clean but table we sat out was all tore up needs to be replaced or refinished I had the chicken yenders and waffles, would not get again waffles were dry and chicken was stringy First time here, party of 6 they charger way to much for side upgrades, no corn bread available for those that wanted it

The food was adequate. We have the buffalo chicken mac and the baked chicken with steamed broccoli. The atmosphere was pretty nasty. The wall, napkin dispenser, salt and pepper shakers were all disgusting. The bathroom was disturbing. It felt more like a well trafficked truck stop than a restaurant. We only received our food after asking about it, which I did after waiting 30 minutes from the time I placed my order. This was not during a busy period. Aside from the staff being inattentive, staring at their phones, and generally ignoring us unless they were on their way to the restrooms, they were nice people. They had the audacity to automatically attach a 15% gratuity to my meal ticket, which was over the line. Over all, it wasn't an experience that I would like to repeat. Especially when you consider all the other dining options in the area.

Aretha Jackson-Harris

Yesterday we had a total of 5 separate orders. 3 of us ordered yams, two of us ordered grilled chicken breast and received chicken fajita. All five had greens. I received hard chicken fajita and the other one was moist, 2 of us had tasteless yams chunks and 1 had yams that looked like mash potatoes. They were good. All of our greens were tough and had way too much salt. The menu I saw stated 16.99 with 2 sides. I paid $23.13 and I was charged for the greens. I was highly disappointed because this place came highly recommended and my taste buds were waiting for this delicious meal. 3 things on my plate and not one was good. I have been trying to call since last night and no one has picked up the phone yet.

Joilene Owen

Very friendly and helpful staff, the restaurant was clean but table we sat out was all tore up needs to be replaced or refinished I had the chicken yenders and waffles, would not get again waffles were dry and chicken was stringy First time here, party of 6 they charger way to much for side upgrades, no corn bread available for those that wanted it

Jordan

Tried out this restaurant on Saturday. When we first walked in it was dead. Just a few customers that we could see sitting in the waiting area. We were greeted and asked what we wanted to order. We were confused and said we wanted to do table service. We were told it would be a 15 minute wait and we agreed. While we were waiting we observed a sign that said they were severely short staffed and to be patient. We were very hungry so we decided we would get take out after all and just eat at one of the tables in the front of the restaurant. By the time we asked to order it was getting very busy. We ordered at 6:38pm and received our food at 7:22pm. The first person who ordered was served last. Additionally they do not have a kids menu so I had to pay 14.99 for my 6 year olds Alfredo pasta. We were so hungry we only remembered to take a picture of the chicken and waffle sandwich. Highlights-delicious collard greens, perfect red velvet waffle, the chicken on the waffle sandwich was crispy and juicy and peas and rice had great flavor, cool atmosphere kinda like a club (kinda loud), Gumbo Habanero hot sauce was very tasty and hot! Lowlights- sold out of Turkey wings and chicken rolls, the long wait, prices were not correct, service charge (on top of our tip), chicken wings were not crispy at all, the Alfredo was more buttery than cheese and very mediocre. I don’t know if I would try again but it has potential if they could get fully staffed.

J Mot

Don't get this wrong! This is a southern soul food restaurant, so knowing that, that's the kind of food you going to get. All the plates was hot fresh, nice amount of food, I had the fish and fries, OMG!! you have to try the fries, was excellent and taste really good. So why not 5 stars, well be careful with they bring the check, tip is already there, down side, also the prices on the menu do not mach the one on the check. In addition, I found some service fee on the food, don't know why, but I was on the hurry to start asking question. But the food was amazing. The service was good too, paying attention and keep the refill going. I recommend this place.

Overpriced!!!... The final price rose from what was initially on the menu. I spent $90.00 for a turkey wing combo with two sides and a single add-on with two mystery drinks. My two guest spent nearly $120.00 between the both of them. Way over priced and not really worth the money, especiallywhen the menu price is different from what is charged.. Ill have to find a less expensive place next time.

First off, the restaurant isn’t very kid-friendly. They don’t offer kid-sized drink cups, so my daughter ended up with a big cup that wasn’t easy for her to handle. The prices are also on the higher side — about $20 per person, and even the greens as a side dish cost $7.99. There is a refill for Pepsi products only the tea,juices, or lemonade you would have to pay for. The customer service felt pretty bland. The staff didn’t seem focused on creating a good customer experience, and having to scan a QR code for the menu was a bit of a turn-off for me — I prefer a physical menu when dining out. I ordered the hot wings with fries, which were decent, but not really my cup of tea. I would’ve preferred a different style of fries, and the ranch dressing came in a packet instead of a cup, which took away from the dine-in feel. My daughter had the red velvet waffle chicken tender sandwich, and while it looked good, it was pretty bland — the chicken could’ve used a little more seasoning.

All the food was too salty. I had the grilled shrimp dinner with 2 sides, candied yams and mac n cheese. Candied yams were dry and chewy like they were sitting all day, mac n cheese would have been better if there was no added salt and the grilled shrimp were ok just not worth the cost. I had the seafood rice which was made with imitation crab meat, 2 different sizes of shrimp and a crab cluster in the bottom of the bowl. The lemon cake was not done and dry at the same time. The only thing that I could finish was the housemade raspberry tea which was delicious. I went to support while in town for the weekend however I will not return. Service was good even though the security guard at the front door was off putting and the music was too loud for Dine in customers. Service fee was added but I tipped 20% on a take out order. A friend told me the service fee was for the takeout. Hope they can make some definite tweaks.

The took so long to make my order two dasher cancelled and left. It was literally 8 mins from my hotel. When it finally came the Mac was really good. The grilled snapper was the worst fish I ever had. It was flavorless and dried out. The greens were really good BUTTTT they had so many bones I almost choked 4 times. They need to fix that before they have a lawsuit.The best thing was the drink but not worth $9. I paid $43 for everything.

Latrisa Johnson

The took so long to make my order two dasher cancelled and left. It was literally 8 mins from my hotel. When it finally came the Mac was really good. The grilled snapper was the worst fish I ever had. It was flavorless and dried out. The greens were really good BUTTTT they had so many bones I almost choked 4 times. They need to fix that before they have a lawsuit.The best thing was the drink but not worth $9. I paid $43 for everything.

Jon Burton 'The Industries Most Requested Designer'

Overpriced!!!... The final price rose from what was initially on the menu. I spent $90.00 for a turkey wing combo with two sides and a single add-on with two mystery drinks. My two guest spent nearly $120.00 between the both of them. Way over priced and not really worth the money, especiallywhen the menu price is different from what is charged.. Ill have to find a less expensive place next time.

Breanna Lee

First off, the restaurant isn’t very kid-friendly. They don’t offer kid-sized drink cups, so my daughter ended up with a big cup that wasn’t easy for her to handle. The prices are also on the higher side — about $20 per person, and even the greens as a side dish cost $7.99. There is a refill for Pepsi products only the tea,juices, or lemonade you would have to pay for. The customer service felt pretty bland. The staff didn’t seem focused on creating a good customer experience, and having to scan a QR code for the menu was a bit of a turn-off for me — I prefer a physical menu when dining out. I ordered the hot wings with fries, which were decent, but not really my cup of tea. I would’ve preferred a different style of fries, and the ranch dressing came in a packet instead of a cup, which took away from the dine-in feel. My daughter had the red velvet waffle chicken tender sandwich, and while it looked good, it was pretty bland — the chicken could’ve used a little more seasoning.

MIMI

All the food was too salty. I had the grilled shrimp dinner with 2 sides, candied yams and mac n cheese. Candied yams were dry and chewy like they were sitting all day, mac n cheese would have been better if there was no added salt and the grilled shrimp were ok just not worth the cost. I had the seafood rice which was made with imitation crab meat, 2 different sizes of shrimp and a crab cluster in the bottom of the bowl. The lemon cake was not done and dry at the same time. The only thing that I could finish was the housemade raspberry tea which was delicious. I went to support while in town for the weekend however I will not return. Service was good even though the security guard at the front door was off putting and the music was too loud for Dine in customers. Service fee was added but I tipped 20% on a take out order. A friend told me the service fee was for the takeout. Hope they can make some definite tweaks.

No real menu on what they serve unless you qrcode on your phone... waiting to be seated was a joke itself. We had to wait about 5 minutes just to be waited on to be seated. Another 10 minutes wait to get a table together (understood with a large party although the restaurant had very little sitting customers. Food taste was... satisfactory at best. I call it a nice Home cooked southern flavored meal. Pricing was a little high as it was with additional charges for certain soul food dishes but you also pay an additional fee on top of the price that's downloaded. If I'm paying for something on your menu give me the exact charge. Don't tell me you're charging more for tarrifs but not how much.... especially on a digital download menu. Also, it should not take over 5 minutes in an almost unoccupied restaurant to serve up 7 drinks. And never return to see if Anyone wanted a refill or a second drink.

First time eating here and unfortunately the last. I’ll start by saying the food was above average. Not exceptional, but not bad. The issues began with pricing and service. Several items on our bill did not match the menu prices. For example, my wife and I ordered the “dirty mystery drink,” listed at $13 each. The server asked which liquor we preferred and offered branded options like Hennessy, but did not mention any upcharge or offer a house option. We were charged $22 per drink. Additionally, there was a $1 upcharge for mac and cheese that is not listed on the menu. The chicken wing dinner was $3 more than the menu price, and the steak Alfredo was $6 more. Including the drinks, this resulted in nearly a $28 difference from advertised pricing. When I asked about the discrepancies, the server stated that “somewhere on the menu it says prices are subject to change,” but could not even point to where. That disclaimer does not excuse charging prices higher than those listed without disclosure. An automatic 18% gratuity was added, which is common in Orlando, but the service did not reflect that expectation. Overall, the lack of transparent pricing felt misleading. I would recommend choosing one of the many Orlando restaurants that clearly communicate their prices upfront.