Pioneers Western Kitchen

I like their burgers here; tried the Breckenridge, the country fair and the veggie. Reduced the rating by one star because the of the veggie burger. I’m still perplexed to this day about that «whatever it was supposed to be» burger.
But I actually wrote this review to inform that the restaurant is not there anymore. Not sure if they closed or relocated but it’s not in the Alafaya plaza anymore. Unfortunately the website doesn’t state it, or maybe they do and I just overlooked it. It’s now replaced by a Colombian burger joint (walked by mistake while they were redecorating), and actually looking forward to going after they open next month.

Really liked this place. From the very friendly staff to the amazing burgers. We will be back!

Can’t believe this place has been open a year and I’d never seen it. Thanks Unilocal!Great burgers in size and quality. Texas Peacemaker with fried egg and bacon was fantastic. Family loved it, too. My 14-​year-​old inhaled the County Fair Burger, which is topped with funnel cake (wha?). Wife loved veggie burger and sweet tots. Fast and friendly service, good beer selection.

This place has the best veggie burger in all of Orlando. It’s become almost a weekly treat to myself. I always get the Breckenridge with the black bean pattie & no cheese. The burger is layered with onion rings, lettuce, tomato, and a delicious vanilla glaze. The patty is hand made and fresh. The service is great, the restaurant is clean and nicely decorated, and they have excellent happy hour prices (Angry Orchards for $ 2?!). I always think it’s a nice touch that they know to leave the marshmallow off of my burger, since they’re not vegetarian.
The only critique I have is to add onion rings to the menu. You guys already put them on the burgers, you might as well offer them on the side too!
Also, more vegan options are always a plus!

Damn, this was so good!!! After reading a few good references to this place (which I’ve never heard of) and the fact that is close to home, we decided to try it. It’s really hidden inside the Publix plaza in Colonial Dr. Never would have found it on my own.
We went there about 2 pm and it was pretty empty and slow. We sat down to look at the menus and the only server that was there told us (very nicely) that we order in the counter and then they bring the food out. I decided to go with the roast beef sandwich which was pretty much a french dip (which I was dying for since they closed Press 101). My BF ordered the Texas Peacemaker hamburger (fried egg, angus beef
chipoltle agave sauce, bacon and cheddar cheese). Sounds like heaven to me. Each one comes with a side of whatever you want so I ordered the sweet potato tater tots and my BF went with the country fries. My BF ordered a Yuengling draft ($ 2!) before the server offered to let me try one of the other beers (which I did not like but I’m not a beer girl).
They brought the food out pretty quick and my first bite was one of the tater tots, holy goodness!!! They are not only sweet and delicious but they season them with salt/herbs/i-don’t-know-what to make them salty too so you get the best of the sweet/​salty/​crunchy world in one bite. The country fries my boyfriend had were delicious too but the tots are the best, period. My french dip was amazing. The beef was seasoned perfectly, melty cheese, and scrumptious jus. The burger was the best burger I’ve tried in a long time. Perfectly cooked and SEASONED (which I think is the main problem on a lot of places, they don’t season the meat well so the burger taste like nothing). The combo of the egg and chipotle/​sweet sauce with the bacon and cheddar was just heaven, heaven. All in all, I absolutely loved this place!!!

If you’re looking for Blockbuster video… it’s closed down. If you’re looking for a good burger with sweet potato tots… Pioneers Western Kitchen is a good bet. The décor of the place is really well done. Very clean, rustic western look. Their signature burger IS good and pretty unique (never seen a marshmallow sticking out of the top of my burger). Nice place to chill out and have a good burger. :)

Wow, was I surprised! My husband and I stopped in here for a late lunch on 6÷30÷13. We both ordered burgers, which are massive and came with a choice of side. I got a burger with blue cheese and bacon and mac and cheese. The hubs got a spicy type burger with sweet potato tater tots. The face he had when first biting into this meal was priceless. Amazing flavor, friendly staff. We will definitely be back!

Its in the back. .behind the bank, behind the brake joint … yes next to the pizza place. no no no the othere side, yeah near where Blockbuster used to be … YEAH! Where the chinese joint was next to Blockbusters.
Now that thats out of the way, that is really the only thing you have to worry about. Because the food is delicious. The girls that work there are great. the food, delightful.
I have had the pleasure of eating there 2 times now. Once for lunch and once for breakfast. Both times absolutley loved the experience, loved the food, and left there happy with nothing but good things to say.
So why am I wirting this now, because frankly some of the reviews on here made me a tad upset.
First of all to even hint that these burgers were in anyway like the burgers from Five guys is rude and obnoxious. They are 2 completely different and completely different types of burgers. Five Guys flattens ground beef on a griddle and lets it cook in its own fat. Great diner burger. Pioneers on the other hand uses a grill, you can see the grill marks, hand pats the burgers and actually puts spices in the meat! What a revalation. and i dont mean just Salt Pepper and its own fat it was cooked in.
So here is the lowdown.
–LUNCH– Great burger, by far one of the best burgers in Orlando, maybe even tops. (If you know a better one, let me know). They need to be little more generous on the toppings especially the sauces, but thats an easy fix. (Or they can offer to bring out extra sauce, just a thought). And they are on my list as one of the best burgers in the US that i have visited.
–BREAKFAST– Good little breakfast properly cooked, properly portioned and properly priced. Probably not in the top for breakfast, but no where near the bottom and i would definitely go back for it.
So with all that said, go check it out. Have a Burger and enjoy it! And thank you Pioneers for great food at a great price point
Did i mention the cornbread? Well let me leave that to your imagination. Order a hunk with your meal and you won’t be dissapointed.

My friend and I had the Breckinridge burger that was cooked perfectly (medium well and well – both were juicy) The vanilla porter was a nice touch that complemented a perfectly seasoned burger. They used fresh tomato and nice lettuce (not the iceburg crap) and on top of the bun was a nice tasty little chocolate covered marshmallow to top off a tasty lunch. The service is minimal. You order, pay, and wait for your food which suited me just fine. This was a decent experience and I will likely return. I’m not a huge burger fan but I assure you this is far better than FiveGuys.

As an update — Still love this place, a lunch favorite for me and my colleagues, and they no longer have that odd ordering system I mentioned that they had when they first opened. Just a normal — place your order, pay, and sit until they bring your food to you — system.

On 2−19−13 I had to stop by the bank and just happen to see Pioneers. Had not been in this area for a while so I had to check it out.
Walking in, the décor is obviously Western themed. There is a column in your face just as you enter, which they can’t help that, but i think the location of the door could prevent it a tad. its only going to be an issue if the place is busy, which it wasn’t when i stopped in.
Looking over the menu, everything sounded amazing, I really couldn’t decide. The girl behind the register was trying to help by naming off some popular burgers. However, it just made me want to order more than one. ha.
Finally, i made my decision. I didn’t want to go all out and yet wanted something with cheese. So, I picked the «BRECKENRIDGE BURGER». Which comes with battered onion rings, pepperjack cheese, and drizzled with a Breckenridge vanilla Porter glaze. I had my order to go as i was running a bit behind. I put the togo box in my car and by the time I got on the road my mouth was watering.
Opening the box I was greeted with a small treat with my burger and fries. A marshmallow that was ¼ dipped in chocolate. yessss!
I ordered my burger medium well and thats exactly what I got! I was shocked after my first bite, first from someone actually understanding what «medium well» is all about, and two, the glaze was ridiculously amazing. It was sweet, bu the vanilla flavor kept it under control so it wasn’t candy-​like. I couldn’t get enough, seriously.
The caramelized were great, you could tell they weren’t from a frozen bag, someone actually made these! I was a little upset the slice of cheese wasn’t larger.
I’ve read other reviews and I have no idea where someone compares the burger to anything resembling «thin». This burger was large, after cooked its easily over ¼ lb. Most places are going to claim ¼lb but thats before the girll.
After each mouth watering bite, the juices are everywhere. I needed 3 napkins but well worth the mess. Thats how I want my burger! Big, juicy and flavorful!
Not sure who makes the buns, but it was large fresh and airy. Not your typically compressed stale bun that is soggy before you get to take a bite.
The fries were crispy goodness. Nothing special, just good tasty fries that weren’t greasy or soggy.
I will be back, I need to try the other menu items. hmmm… maybe I need to visit today!

It’s in the middle of empty spaces in the Publix plaza which is a bummer, the place however is nice, clean and new.
We ordered the smoky pork sandwich and the pike’s peak burger. Both of which were very good, my favorite part of the burger was the charred flavor, gave it a nice taste. The cheese and chili on the burger were very good.
The sweet potato tater tots were awesome, definitely will order again.
Will have to go back and test out the rest of the menu.

Pioneers Western Kitchen is located on the Alafaya side of the Publix plaza at the intersection of Alafaya and Colonial. My GPS kept telling me it was on Colonial at a different free standing restaurant, so be prepared to turn onto Alafaya or into the Plaza from Colonial.
I stopped in after a long day of meetings and errands, ready for a late lunch. Service was very nice and I was quickly seated and my food arrived shortly after. My veggie burger was great, good southwestern flavor and mostly beans with chopped fresh veggies. Slightly heavy on the oregano, but especially good with the addition of some BBQ sauce. I added cheddar to mine, which was good.
Fries were good, I’d try the sweet potato the next go around. I ordered a side of the chili to go, for the hubby. He proclaimed it delicious– very tasty and chocked full of meat. A nice, filling choice for a chili fan.
Good selection of craft beers on tap, many different theme nights and drink specials depending on the day of the week. Service was very friendly and prompt, the nice blond who was holding the fort down for the after lunch crowd walked me through a few specials and menu items, checked to be sure I was good and brought my to go chili when she saw I was wrapping up my meal. Looking forward to checking them out again.

My fellow East Orlandoanians… please join me in rejoicing for a burger joint worthy of praise! Pioneers has perfected the almighty burger. I ordered the Breckenridge Burger as it was recommended and my taste buds and stomach have not stopped thanking me. It was hands down the best burger I’ve had in Orlando. Let me describe this burger of «utter» (see what I did there?) delight to you:
A thick juicy half pound patty sits atop a soft homemade bun with fresh lettuce and tomato, melty pepperjack cheese with fried onion strings. Then the burger is drizzled with their Vanilla Porter glaze to give it a sweet kick. Then this masterpiece is topped with a toothpick with a marshmallow half covered in graham crackers as a finishing touch which is consumed during and after as a dessert.
They have many creative items on the menu from fried cactus to a burger with funnel cake pieces and powdered sugar. It’s something new, something different and they do it extremely well and use high quality ingredients. They even have burgers for Vegetarians! Check this place out! It’s right where the old blockbuster used to be in that Publix Shopping Center on 50.
For those of you who have tried this place prior to 1÷8÷2013, give it another shot. They just revamped their menu and added a bunch of new items.

Excellent (and BIG) burgers at a great value. Burgers are half pounders seasoned wonderfully and cooked to your desired temperature. We went on a Friday night and were pleasantly surprised to find a 2 dollar beer special. I had the Pioneer burger and hubby had the special Breckenrige burger which came with fried onions, pepper jack cheese and a Breckenridge vanilla porter glaze in addition to the usual lettuce and tomato. Nothing on the menu was over $ 10.
The atmosphere is casual, clean and friendly. You order at the counter and they deliver the food to your table and clean up after you. Service was fast and helpful. My biggest question is why there weren’t more people in the place. Maybe because nearby UCF was on break?
This place is better than 5 Guys by a mile and the burgers topped Burger Fi as well. They have a wide and interesting variety of tap and bottled beers, including some local brews.
They also serve breakfast, that menu looks interesting too. We will be back. Try it!

I noticed the reviews, but I laugh about some of the critics on here. This place is awesome! I don’t waste my time writing poor reviews, I just don’t go back and not say a word about the place. If I like it, I brag about it to everyone.
I think Pioneers is on the right track. The atmosphere is awesome & the people are great. It’s been a long time for me to enjoy a great burger. I felt that BurgerFi in Winter Park was awesome, but the burger I got from Pioneers hands down beats it out. I had a thick patty with awesome toppings, so huge that it was hard to hold with both hands. I’m always afraid if it is soggy or dry, but the burger was cooked just right. You can easily taste the seasonings cooked in the meal.
I think FiveGuys & BurgerFi has a new challenge in the East Orlando area!

I visited here last Saturday with my girlfriend; we had lunch outside. She decided to order for me, so I got a burger with goat cheese, sauteed onion and strips of bell pepper, while she got the cactus burger (a bit gimmicky, I thought, but fitting for their Western theme).
My burger was a bit greasy. I was pleased that the buns were toasted nicely. It tasted good, but I wasn’t particularly moved. I had a bite of my girlfriend’s burger, and was unimpressed with it, too. The thin strips of cactus were fried, and tasted somewhat sweet, but for me didn’t do anything to add to the overall taste of the burger. Our fries were seasoned and tasted just as mediocre. I had hoped when I reviewed the menu that I could get my burger cooked to order, but was out of luck. Well done is the deal.
I wasn’t that enthusiastic to finish my burger. IMHO Five Guys makes a much tastier burger than this fare. I won’t entirely avoid this place for the future, but I’d only visit if I had no other options.

There’s something refreshing about Pioneers Western Kitchen, I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s clean and inviting, and it serves a wide variety of food, some of which just sounds really unique (cactus burger?). But while they have the look, the feel, and the menu of a place that says, «Hey look at how different we are, that’s why it’s all expensive!», it’s just not true — they’re really not expensive. Yet, the menu is filled with items made completely in-​house. Even the hamburger buns are made daily.
For all of my visits to Pioneers so far, I have yet to find a meal that hasn’t left me completely satisfied. The burgers are a good size and cooked just right according to specifications. The brisket sandwich is tender, moist and flavorful. The veggie burger (Pioneer Vegburger) is an obviously (and thankfully!) hand-​made patty that packs a lot of flavor. The Pioneer Chili likewise is flavorful and packs a nice punch without going overboard. The fries and the sweet potato tots are both excellent, worthwhile sides to your meal.
That’s all I’ve had so far, but I’ve already got a mental list of what to try next. Cactus burger, here I come.

Hey, this place has a very good burger and sweet potato tater tots that were delicious (but be sure you request that they are fresh and hot… it makes a difference). We both had the blue burger and added bacon. The burgers were grilled just right… you could tell that the grill was HOT and nicely seasoned. Very tasty! The bun did its job and held up to the meat and was fresh. The blue cheese was definitely there and abundant… THANK YOU FOR THAT!
All that good stuff said, now the not-​so-​good that takes them from a 4 to a 3 in stars. The noise was crazy loud in there.
Will be back, but only when there aren’t more than say 10 people in there.

Best vegetarian burger! The food is made from scratch and seasoned to perfection. They also serve local beer and amazing homemade soups. The staff and managers take extremely good care of the customers. This is a must-​try restaurant!
Unique, fun. and a great place to chill and meet new friends!