Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining event provides a great opportunity to eat at some of the best restaurants in Orlando for the low price of $35 per person. It takes place from August 23 to September 30, giving you a little over a month to take advantage of this exciting event.
Magical Dining allows you to have a three-course meal, with more than 120 restaurants to choose from. Mango’s Tropical Cafe is proud to be a part of this amazing charitable evening. From each meal, one dollar will be donated to local charity causes. In 2018, the donations totaled over $250,000, so this is truly an incredible way to give back to the community.
Restaurant Options
With 125 restaurants to choose from in seven Orlando neighborhoods, there’s something to appeal to everyone in this event. The criteria for restaurants involved in the event ensures that these are all high-end eateries with overwhelmingly positive reviews that are sure to please your palate.
Meals on the special Magical Dining menu are full-sized and available on the regular menu, so they capture the flavors and presentation that other diners love. Those who have special dietary restrictions can check the filter on the event website to find options for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free dishes. You can also filter for location and type of cuisine, to find something that grabs your interest.
Dine For a Cause
How can you participate? You can make reservations in advance, which is suggested, or simply ask for the Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining menu when you arrive at the restaurant. There’s no need to bring in a flyer or coupon. Each restaurant puts together a special menu for the event that includes options to choose an appetizer, entrée, and dessert for your three courses.
The restaurant criteria require that participating restaurants have an average entree cost of more than $25 so that the Magical Dining month event gives customers excellent value for the price they pay. Restaurants donate one dollar from each meal ordered off the Magical Dining menu after the event. Keep up with the Visit Orlando social media at the end of the event to see how much money is collectively raised for the local charities.
Charities Supported By Magical Dining
When you eat at the Magical Dining 2019 event, you get the satisfaction of a delicious meal along with a contribution to charity. This year, the event will split the donation between two charities in the Orlando area, and the money will fund children’s programs within them. The two charities are the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Greater Orlando and Lighthouse Central Florida.
NAMI helps support families affected by mental illnesses, and Magical Dining’s donation will go toward Ending the Silence, a program for teenagers. Ending the Silence focuses on mental health among
teenagers and reducing stigma. The program brings a two-person presentation to teens, their parents, and school staff members to educate them on mental illness and how to discuss it productively. The presentation focuses on how treatment and recovery can make mental illnesses manageable to educate teenagers and spread hope.
Lighthouse focuses on helping people with vision loss financially and with adjustment to their situation. It offers rehabilitation to help those with vision loss have agency in their lives and stay active in their local communities. The charity aims to erode the stigma against the blind and those with sight disorders. Donations from the Magical Dining event will go towards their early intervention program for children, which helps them adjust to vision loss and live life as fully as possible.
Dinner and a Show
Providing quality entertainment alongside your meal takes real skill. That’s why Mango’s Tropical Cafe is the only participating restaurant that hosts a dinner show. Those who love music won’t want to miss our show, an incredible value along with your prix-fixe dinner. To match our cuisine, our nightly performances include dazzling dancers and singers in eye-catching costumes, performing Latin dances and music that the whole family will love.
Take in a tribute show for beloved figures like Celia Cruz, Michael Jackson, Selena and more. Other nights, we have dancers doing salsa, bachata, samba, and even belly dancing. We have the most talented performers in Florida in our nightly show, and with such a wide variety of acts, it’s never the same show twice. The fun Latin music will have you tapping your foot along to the beat all night long.
On weeknights, we put on one show, but on the weekends you can choose from the 6 p.m. show and the 9 p.m. show, depending on your mood. Let the feathered, sequined costumes, and larger-than-life stage personas make your dinner special.
Our Magical Dining Menu Options
Mango’s offers a flavorful take on Latin American and Caribbean cuisine, and our menu for this special event has the same charm and deliciousness you can expect from our usual dinner menu. Select one option from each course for a rich, memorable dining experience. For your appetizer, choose from:
● Gourmet blue cheese wedge with applewood smoked bacon
● Caesar salad with parmesan shavings
● Soup of the day
Our entrée options are hearty and include quality fish and meat, cooked with an exotic Latin flair. The entrées are:
● Mango’s Famous “Churrasco” Steak served with white rice, beans, plantains, and chimichurri garlic sauce
● New York strip steak with garlic red wine demi-glace and served with vegetables and mashed potatoes
● Braised short ribs in a red wine sauce, over garlic mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables
● “Caribbean Creole” chicken breast and shrimp combo sauteed in white wine, tomato, lemon and spices, with rice, beans and tostones
● Fresh Grilled Salmon Filet with white rice, sauteed vegetables and a sweet mango on the side
Plenty of add-ons are available for a fee, including avocado and grilled shrimp for any entree. For a few extra dollars, you can get lobster ravioli with a garlic roll or the Churrasco Steak & Shrimp Spectacular.
Finally, there are two decadent dessert options. The Flan of the Day is a thick, sweet caramel custard traditional to Latin America. Mango’s Chocolate Ecstasy is a rich chocolate torte, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Enhance either dessert for $5.
Cocktails at Mango’s
The fixed price menu does not include drinks, but while you’re visiting our dinner show, indulge in one of our award-winning mixed drinks. Embrace the tropical feel with flavored margaritas and mai tais or a frozen drink like our coconut mudslide. We have a Long Island Iced Tea, along with several fruity variations and the potent Nuclear Iced Tea.
If you’re looking for something more traditional, we offer a selection of domestic and imported beers, along with an extensive wine list. Order by the bottle or by the glass. Sangria comes in either a glass or a pitcher. Our non-alcoholic selection includes virgin daiquiris, homemade lemonade, juice, and soft drinks.
Visit Mango’s for Orlando’s Magical Dining Event
Anytime is a good time to come to Mango’s, but this special charity event offers you a bargain that can’t be beat. As a bonus, you get to know that you helped two local charities with your meal, so bring your family and friends along with you. Make a reservation today to try amazing Latin and Caribbean dishes
