Say Thanks To Mom By Taking Her To Brunch At Her Favorite Lakeland Area Restaurant

LAKELAND, FL — Don’t waste time making reservations if you plan to celebrate Mom with brunch at her favorite Lakeland restaurant on Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday, May 14, this year.

Lakeland restaurants could use the business as they continue to face economic headwinds that began with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some restaurants may be closed so their employees can support their own mothers or be pampered by their children, but here are some options:

Sorrel Bistro

Sorrel Bistro at 1560 Town Center Drive, Lakeland offers a Caribbean twist on Mom's favorite meals.

Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mother's Day, favorite menu choices include the Crunchy BonJour featuring French toast stuffed with guava and whipped cream with your choice of Sorrel spicy bacon, forest ham or porl sausage; Jibaro, featuring two eggs, sweet plantains, Sorrel spicy bancon, ciabatta bread and guava cream cheese; and the Omelette Mananero with eggs, seasoned potatoes, Italian sausage, bacon, forest ham, avocado and toast.

Click here for reservations.

Ovation Bistro & Bar

Ovation Bistro & Bar in Lakeland, Winter Haven and Davenport.

Chef's specials include Pork Shank Osso Buco featuring a 24-ounce tender cut, marinated in a demi-glaze and braised; New Zealand lamb chops served with mint jelly and homemade cabernet sauce; and shrimp and grits with garlic white wine, cherry tomatoes and cheesy grits.

Ovation Bistro & Bar is located at:

• 4715 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland
• 42605 Highway 27, Davenport
• 7130 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven

Click here for reservations.

Scarpa's Italian

Scarpa's Italian at 1833 E Edgewood Drive, Lakeland, is open from 5 to 9 p.m. on Mother's Day.

Italian seafood-loving moms can choose from lobster ravioli in a vodka cream sauce; Penne Vernazza with Gulf shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops and mussels in a vodka cream sauce; Grouper Toscana with Gulf grouper, heirloom tomatoes, spinach, white wine garlic cream and fresh linguini, and Gnocchi Sorrentino with potato dumplings, fresh basil pesto cream and toasted pignoli.

Click here for reservations.

Nineteen61

Nineteen61 Chef Marcos Fernandez has dreamed up an array of memorable modern Spanish-style dishes accompanied by a Latin American twist.

Nineteen61 offers Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Sunday dinner from 4 to 8 p.m.

On the brunch menu are eggs Benedict, shrimp and grits, steak and eggs and Poutine Con Huevo, seared brisket and short rib blend with carmelized onions, yucca fries, seco gravy, queso fresco, salsa criolla and rocoto aioli topped with a sunny side up egg.

Specialties include Chipoltle Salmon featuring 6-ounce honey-glazed salmon with jasmine rice, vegetables and aji verde; and Ropa Vieja featuring a short rib with bell pepper, onion and manzanilla olives served with manchego risotto, sweet plantains and a plantain chip.

Click here for reservations.

Miller's Ale House

On Mother's Day, dine-in customers at Miller’s Ale House are in for a special menu: a 12-ounce slow roasted prime rib that includes one side for $15.99

Miller's Ale House is located at:

• 1817 W Brandon Blvd., Brandon
• 3860 W Columbus Drive, Tampa
• 2012 E Fowler Ave., Tampa
• 25264 State Road 54, Lutz
• 7695 113th St, N, Seminole
• 5650 Florida Ave. S, Lakeland

Outback Steakhouse

Outback Steakhouse, 5255 South Florida Ave., Lakeland, and 170 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven, are celebrating moms everywhere with its Mums Over Mates menu featuring a limited-time guest favorite— the peach bellini with chilled Absolut vodka, peach puree and blood orange juice topped with La Marca Prosecco and garnished with strawberries and mint— from May 10-14.

Other treats for Mom include black berry sangria with Jacob's Creek Moscato and New Amsterdam raspberry vodka combined with blackberry flavor and pineapple juice and Gold Coast Rita proprietary house margarita made with Sauza Gold tequila served frozen or on the rocks.

Entrees include:

• Bloomin' Fried Shrimp with tender, bite-sized shrimp hand-breaded with famous Bloomin' Onion spices and cooked until golden brown, drizzled and served with spicy signature bloom sauce
• Filet & Lobster, a tender and juicy thick-cut 6-ounce filet prepared with a steamed lobster tail
• Slow-roasted prime rib with an herb crust served with au jus and hand-carved to order
• Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie seasoned with a special blend of herbs and spices then flame-grilled and served with Outback's own garlic toast and classic rémoulade sauce.

For dessert, Mom can choose from Tim Tam Brownie Cake with layers of chocolate brownie, peanut butter and chocolate mousse topped with caramel sauce and Arnott's Tim Tam cookies from Australia; or New York-style cheesecake served with a choice of raspberry or chocolate sauce.

Click here.

Bonefish Grill

Celebrate the superhero mom in your life and treat her to a meal at Bonefish Grill with the Scallop & Shrimp Scampi Filet featuring a 7-ounce, wood-grilled filet mignon topped with hand-harvested Baja bay scallops and shrimp tossed in a garlic scampi sauce.
Especially for Mom, the all-new Wild Flower Martini is shaken with Ketel One vodka, tropical flavors of passion fruit, vanilla and fresh citrus juices topped with wildflowers and sparkling wine. These specials are available in the restaurant from Tuesday, May 9 to Monday, May 22.

Additional Mother’s Day include:

• Cedar plank roasted salmon brushed with a Jim Bean honey bourbon glaze, finished with a Bordeaux cherry gastrique and fresh grated orange zest, served with two sides.
• Rockefeller Butterfish featuring silky, rich Alaskan sablefish topped with creamy spinach and jumbo lump crab, served with two sides.
• Carrot Lava Cake with rich carrot cake with a cream cheese molten center, served warm, topped with whipped cream and fresh mint.
• Crushed pineapple martini with Malibu rum, St. Germain elder flower liqueur, fresh pineapple, lemon and vanilla bean simple syrup.

Bonefish Grill is located at 225 W Pipkin Rd, Lakeland.

Click here.

Carrabba's Italian Grill

Celebrate mom’s special day the Italian way with hand-crafted meals, paired wines and specialty cocktails at Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

The restaurant’s Mother’s Day menu presents a selection of trio entrées with a variety of flavors and cocktails available Tuesday, May 9 through Sunday, May 14.

Carrabba’s trios and wine pairings include:

• The Johnny Trio is plated with a hearty 7-ounce Tuscan-grilled sirloin marsala, the iconic Chicken Bryan and Mezzaluna, paired with Il Borro “Pian Di Nova” Super Tuscan.
• The Chicken Trio is plated with Chicken Bryan, Pollo Rosa Maria and chicken marsala, paired with Mark West Pinot Noir.
• The Carrabba’s Italian Classics Trio is plated with chicken Parmesan, lasagne and fettucine Alfredo, paired with Josh Cabernet Sauvignon.

Order a refreshing cocktail such as a blackberry sangria, pomegranate martini, Italian old-fashioned or the newest passion pear spritz shaken up with New Amsterdam passionfruit vodka, dessert pair, fresh lemon and pineapple juice topped with Riondo Prosecco.

Make sure to save room for dessert and treat mom to Carrabba’s classic tiramisu featuring lady fingers dipped in espresso, layered with sweetened mascarpone, Myer’s rum and chocolate shavings.

Carrabba's locations include:

• 4829 Florida Ave. S, Lakeland
• 910 3rd St. SW, Winter Haven

Click here.

Other Places To Take Mom

Several chain restaurants and other eateries are open for Mother’s Day this year, and some are offering specials.

Below are a few options to get you started, featuring everything from casual to fine dining. As always, it’s advisable to call ahead to make sure the restaurants in the Tampa area are participating and check for any limitations.

Applebee’s is adding a $10 bonus card to the purchase of a $50 gift card for Mother’s Day and other special occasions, including graduations and Father’s Day.

Bob Evans is offering both eat-in and delivery options for brunch and dinner.

With Burger King's Royal Perks, members can get four Whoppers, three hamburgers and two orders of fries for $30 this Mother’s Day at participating locations only. Redeem the coupon through the app and/or online at www.bk.com.

This Mother’s Day weekend May 13 to May 14, let Cracker Barrel do the cooking and order its All-Day Pancake Breakfast Family Meal Basket, which comes with buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, either bacon or sausage, plus your choice of either has brown casserole or fried apples. You also have the choice of Momma’s Pancake Breakfast that comes with three buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, and your choice of either bacon or sausage. Order either of these bundles and you’ll get a free $10 digital bonus card.

The “Minis for Mom” collection at Krispy Kreme is available in a 16-count box and features three all-new mini doughnuts plus a mini version of the brand’s iconic Original Glazed doughnut, the perfect treat to make her feel especially sweet. Plus, on May 12 and 13, moms and those celebrating them can get free for any order placed online or via the Krispy Kreme app.

If you’re looking for something else, check OpenTable for restaurants in your area taking reservations for Mother’s Day.