The Smiling Bison

First time visiting at the Sanford location. Still a fantastic establishment. Great service. Excellent food. And a really great happy hour menu! Seared scallops were delicious and the Bison Burger (add egg) absolutely fantastic. Don't forget to order the banana bread pudding or the carrot cake to finish off your experience.

I have to preface this with a little background info. I have family that recently started working here. Years ago, we lived upstairs above the art gallery on the same block that The Smiling Bison occupies. Back then it was DiVinci's, then Smokehouse BBQ and something else after that. We're not strangers in this neighborhood. But I moved away several years ago so I've only been here at The Smiling Bison a handful of times and had some very good seasonal fare, both seated in the dining room and at the bar sharing an entree with a friend. All good experiences. On the last visit I learned they have a chef's counter where you can interact with the chef and see plates dressed as they go out. I got permission ahead of time to shoot photos with my Nikon which made it an extra special experience for me. The owner came by a couple of times and graciously spent some time chatting about the restaurant happenings too. Everything was excellent. You can hear and see the creative care and passion in the food first hand from these seats. I highly recommend booking the chef's counter on your next visit.

Great food selection and really good quality strong drinks. The menu changes seasonally but great quality food. The only thing I could complain about was the portion sizes for the price of the food. Not the $16 burger that was DELICIOUS and a good size, but my husband ordered the pasta and it was definitely not enough to even fill me up and cost a lot more. Space inside was a bit crammed in a Saturday night but not bad.

What a great place! This was my first trip to the Sanford location but I have been to the Orlando location several times before it closed. From the moment you walk in you know you're going to have a good time. The staff is friendly cheerful and knowledgeable. The food is great and inventive as are the cocktails the beers and the wines on the list. I highly recommend making a trip to Sanford and stopping at The Smiling Bison.

I can’t believe I’ve lived in Sanford for almost 4 years and didn’t know about this place! The atmosphere is sooo cute and the food is delicious! The bison burger is out of this world and pairs perfectly with the watermelon basil salad! Everything is local ingredients and is farm to table! The best dinner we’ve had in a while!!