Fresco’s

Fresco?! What’s a Fresco?! Is it a painting, a bakery, a bistro, a wine bar, or cool little spot to go to in Downtown Lakeland?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

fres·cos, verb, fres·coed, fres·co·ing.
noun
1.
Also called buon fresco, true fresco. the art or technique of painting on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture. Compare fresco secco.

Next time you walk into Fresco’s, impress a fellow Lakelander with your knowledge of this restaurant’s namesake. This place first started off as just a bakery, and has subsequently broadened it’s horizons. I’ll start off with the bakery part as well.

Fresh and creative treats such as those featured in Fresco’s display case make an excellent mid-morning coffee accompaniment or an epic finish to a classy evening dinner. Perhaps that is why the owners decided to offer both brunch and late-night dining.

The brunch here is unique by default being that this it is the only true brunch that we can find in Lakeland on a Saturday (the Grillsmith in South side Lakeland also serves brunch, but only on Sunday). What is a true brunch? Breakfast with liquor of course! You can get a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa with your breakfast (or lunch) food on Saturday from 7am through 4pm or on Sunday from 9am through 2pm. If you can’t decide what to get off of the brunch menu, I’d recommend the Key West (crab cake) Benedict because it is well executed or the Knuckle Omelet because it’s big enough to count for both your breakfast and your lunch.

If you’re a lamer who feels the unholy need to wait until the evening to drink, Fresco’s is a viable option for you as well. However, the wine list, the live music, and the fancy entrees might remind you a bit of The Red Door. To be honest, we often have difficulty deciding between the two. If the weather is nice and we are solely focused on wine, we’ll choose the Red Door due to it’s frequent wine specials and superior outdoor seating. Fresco’s has outdoor seating as well but it is removed from it’s indoor live music.

That being said, Fresco’s is located in the heart of Downtown Lakeland. This means that you can choose to take a short walk on over to Hurricane Alley (which will never earn itself a review on this website) or quickly grab a beer from Molly’s Irish Pub. However, if you’re in the mood for a brew, just stay at Fresco’s. THEY HAPPEN TO HAVE THE BEST BEER EVER!!!

I have only found this beer here at Fresco’s, and you can enjoy the glory that is Claymore while sitting at their newly furnished bar.

We can easily see ourselves becoming regulars here. If you stop by Fresco’s chances are that you bump into us, so feel free to say hello. We are equally happy to chat with you over a early morning mimosa or a late night brew!