Hometown Family Restaurant
10395 Seminole Blvd
Seminole, Florida
(727) 483-9420

Seminole Boulevard is a busy traffic corridor carrying shoppers, workers, tourists and local residents back and forth. Lots of drive by exposure and lots of local residents makes for a good restaurant location. In fact there are a lot of restaurants along that route and they all have to offer good value to keep the customers coming back. The Hometown Family Restaurant seems to have hit just the right note with its customers. They keep coming back…

The Hometown is a favorite place for my gad-about-town buddy Tom and his wife. That means that on several occasions, after a day photographing the wildlife, we have stopped by Hometown for lunch. Over several meals I have come to appreciate what Hometown has to offer. The menu offers an eclectic mix of Greek, Italian, Deli offerings and American favorites. Prices range from $16 for a T-bone dinner to $5 or $6 for a deli sub or cheeseburger and fries. Breakfast is served anytime and two eggs with home fries (or grits) and toast can be had for $2.95.
On one occasion Tom ordered from the specials board and asked for the quiche and chicken soup. Creature of habit that I am, I ordered the bacon cheeseburger and fries. The soup and quiche, designed for the lighter eater, was still ample. The soup arrived hot and steaming along with crackers. It was a tasty soup with a nice rich broth with lots of chicken and noodles. Shortly thereafter the quiche arrived. A tender pastry crust was filled with an egg and vegetable mixture nearly an inch thick, the filling was nicely set with nicely browned top. It was quickly eaten with gusto.

My bacon cheeseburger arrived, served open face. There was a goodly portion of French fries and fully four full slices of crispy bacon atop the cheeseburger patty. Lettuce, a slice of tomato and a dill pickle spear completed the presentation. Grilled fully done but still juicy, the burger was tasty and had lots of nice crunch with all the bacon. The French fries were hot, just out of the fryer, the perfect fry, a fluffy interior and a crisp golden crust. It was an enjoyable lunch for the both of us.

Our latest outing brought us to the Hometown in the late morning. Tom and I made similar orders, almost copy cat. We both asked for the chicken fried steak with white gravy and home fries. I asked for the eggs over medium and Tom asked for an omelet. He ordered whole wheat toast and I ordered white. The order came quite quickly. All the food was hot and in ample amount even for the hungry eater. The chicken fried steak was served with a steak knife but a fork was adequate to cut the meat. The breading was crispy fried and the meat inside cooked through, still flavorfully juicy. The gravy was thick and had a rich sausage flavor. Over breakfast Tom and I talked out the plans for the rest of the day and all too soon realized the meal was over. We lingered over coffee with frequent refills and no urgency on the part of the staff to move us along.

On a visit some time ago, I opted for the cherry Belgian waffle. On a day you want carbs instead of the protein and fat, try the Belgian waffle. The plate-sized waffle was delightfully crisp as only that deep Belgian waffle pattern can make it. The top was loaded with cherry pie filling and smothered with mounds of whipped cream. I smiled when it was served. I could tell right off I was going to enjoy the decadent dessert-like creation for breakfast.

The Hometown is a family owned and operated restaurant and the mantra is good food, reasonable prices, a clean restaurant and customer service. Most of the staff are long term employees and extol the owner’s creed sincere manner. Not the fanciest restaurant on the row, it is a place where you feel comfortable, it is clean and you are treated well by a friendly staff and are served good quality food at a reasonable price. That makes it a comfortable place to return to for a nice meal and I have. Several times.