Just over two years after opening its doors, Whiskey Kitchen has found its stride.

The Mount Dora restaurant, known for everything from handcrafted pizzas and steaks to creative cocktails and live entertainment, recently unveiled an expanded front patio while continuing to grow the experiences that have made it a destination beyond dinner.

For owners Edna and Louie Gonzalez, the restaurant represents more than another business venture. It’s the culmination of three decades in the restaurant industry and what Edna calls their “Lucky 13” … the couple’s 13th restaurant.

“We’ve been in our sweet spot for the last six months,” Edna says. “The food’s coming out great. Nothing’s being sent back. Our staff right now is the best we’ve ever had.”

The Gonzalezes purchased the former Lake House property in October 2023, expecting a few renovations before opening. Instead, they found themselves practically undertaking a complete transformation.

“We did a full remodel because it was in bad shape,” Edna says.

The restaurant opened in February 2024 to crowds far larger than anticipated.

“We opened to a massive amount of people,” she says. “We were having to hire and train at the same time.”

Today, nearly every part of the restaurant has been renovated, from the dining room and bar to the kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor areas. The décor follows a whiskey-inspired theme, with metallic epoxy floors designed to resemble whiskey, warm wood ceilings and accents throughout the building.

One of the biggest recent changes is the front patio.

The space, once bordered by a weathered fence and aging deck, now features decorative whiskey barrels, updated hardscaping and expanded outdoor seating that welcomes guests before they even step inside.

“It’s always had a front patio, but we wanted to give it more of that modern industrial vibe,” Edna says.

Inside, the menu is intentionally broad.

Guests can choose from handcrafted pizzas made with house-made dough, hand-formed burgers, fresh-cut steaks, wings, quesadillas, pasta dishes, sandwiches, shrimp and grits and weekend brunch served Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 2pm.

Edna says one thing many customers don’t realize is that virtually everything is prepared fresh.

“We do not own a walk-in freezer,” she says. “We do not own a microwave in this building.”

Instead, sauces, salad dressings, pizza dough and Alfredo sauce are all made fresh in-house.

The restaurant also features a full bar stocked with more than 100 whiskeys and bourbons, along with a daily happy hour from 3-6pm featuring $8 specialty cocktails.

Leading the cocktail program is newly promoted bar manager Kimberly Corso, a bartender of 25 years who enjoys putting her own spin on classic drinks.

One of her signature creations is a popcorn Old Fashioned, which starts by infusing bourbon with actual popcorn for three days before transforming it into either a traditional version or variations like kettle corn and peach cobbler.

“I want everyone, not just men, to be able to come in here and enjoy Old Fashioneds,” Kimberly says jokingly, explaining that oftentimes, an Old Fashioned is not most women’s drink of choice. 

She also created the restaurant’s French Ginger Spritz, made with champagne, peach purée and ginger liqueur, along with other rotating seasonal cocktails. 

Kimberly also jokes that the French Ginger Spritz, a beautiful, very colorfully layered drink, when ordered by women at the bar, in turn, gets many men asking what it is. 

“I don’t just sling drinks,” Kimberly says. “I use the finest ingredients to make our cocktails.”

“I want people to come in here, maybe try something new and really enjoy it.”

Entertainment is another major focus.

Whiskey Kitchen offers live music several nights each week, including multiple performances on weekends, along with trivia, video bingo and other recurring events designed to give guests a reason to return throughout the week.

“We have something going on seven days a week,” Edna says.

Beyond the main dining room, the restaurant includes a covered outdoor stage, a spacious event area for private gatherings and one of its most unique features: a cigar lounge complete with an on-site humidor.

Guests can purchase premium cigars at the restaurant before enjoying them in the dedicated lounge while still ordering food and drinks.

“Not very many places have food, drinks and cigars,” Edna says. “We’ve got that trifecta.”

The expansive outdoor event space has become a popular venue for rehearsal dinners, birthday celebrations, retirement parties and other gatherings. Rather than charging a rental fee, the restaurant simply asks groups to purchase their food and beverages through Whiskey Kitchen.

For Edna, however, the restaurant’s biggest point of pride isn’t the patio, cocktails or entertainment schedule.

It’s seeing customers return.

“Every time I see our parking lot full, it’s tremendous pride I feel,” she says. “We created something brand new and we hope people are liking the concept, the décor and the vibe.”

“Whenever people recommend us or when they come back to try a new dish, listen to music or just sit at the bar for their favorite drink, that means everything.”