RESTAURANT REVIEW : THE LUNCHBOX

      Since we had to make a trip downtown for the farmers market we decided to have an early Saturday lunch. And the choice today was the Lunchbox.

      Located in downtown Ocala, the Lunchbox has been a staple for breakfast and lunch for several years.

      We lived in the Downtown Historic District for over 25 years and saw many restaurants come and go in this location. The best was Abios's, a wonderful Italian restaurant. We spent many an evening walking downtown to the bars and restaurants. The Lunchbox and Harry's are our favorites. And of course, Marks Steak House when I can afford it. And there are a couple of new places I want to try.

     Now the location at the corner of S.E. 1st Avenue and East Fort King is housed by the Lunchbox, a small but great little place. They are open for breakfast and lunch MON-SAT 7AM to 2:30 PM.

Old lunch boxes on display

      One of the reasons we have not gone more often was the fact that they only served “waffle Fries.” They are not my favorite so we avoided lunch time at the Lunchbox.

     Also known for their great breakfasts we noticed a few months ago they now serve regular fries, so we decided to check out their lunch menu. In my quest for the “Best Burger” in town, I chose the Bacon Cheeseburger while Penny had the Patty Melt.

     Make sure you have plenty of napkins because these burger are JUICY !!!! Mine came with Onion, Lettuce, tomato, and of course BACON.

I was so excited about eating this delight the picture came out a LITTLE out of focus...

      The burger was superb and is definitely in the run for the “Best Burger In Ocala”. Penny thought the onions on her patty melt could have been cooked a bit more. Since I don't care for cooked onions on a burger, I can not comment. 

      I had un sweet tea with my burger and it was some of the best tea I have ever had. Most restaurants dilute their tea as they want to get as much out of a batch as they can. This tea was good.

      The fries were perfect and were NOT over salted. This is a problem in many restaurants. They tend to over season the fries. You can always add salt to your fries, but you can't take any away. (Take note Mr FIVE GUYS)

      With a seating capacity of only 53, you should be prepared to wait awhile for a table. However our short wait was worth the time invested.

     They have a wide assortment of breakfast and lunch dishes. The biscuits and gravy looked delicious. 

  

      Do not expect the servers to fall all over you. They are busy and do their job well. Our server was friendly and attentive. I am not a big fan of servers who want to take up my time 'visiting'. Don't worry, you'll get your tip.

     Lunch aside, they also serve an AWESOME breakfast and some of the best coffee in town.

     All in all, it was a great experience and a great lunch. One of the best places in Ocala.

http://thelunchboxocala.com/ Check out the menu