The Old Jailhouse Kitchen & Spirits

First timer and didn’t know what to expect but everything was EXCELLENT! Indoor/Outdoor seating and bar area. Lemon drop martini was so good. Beef empanadas were flavorful and good portion size. Fried chicken was seasoned and fried to perfection. Orzo and salmon were amazing as well. We also had the apple cobbler for dessert. Everything had so much flavor and seasoning and had me trying to guess all the flavors. Very impressed with this place. Service was great as well as the environment. Really enjoyed the night here and will return to try other items!

We came here before & loved the pretzel appetizer- but it was just okay today. We were expecting the fries to be homemade (not frozen in a bag) especially for the price ($28 with the burger!) But the chef we definitely want to compliment nonetheless; as the burger was cooked perfectly & so was the salmon & green beans. (Pictures cropped so as to not show where they had a bite out of them).

Wrapped up a home inspection ✅ then treated ourselves to lunch behind bars—on purpose! After a busy morning making real estate moves 🏡, we stopped by The Old Jailhouse in Sanford, FL… and WOW 🤩. From the warm welcome 👋 to the open kitchen 🔥 and handcrafted cocktails 🍸, everything was a 10/10. Historic charm 🏛️ + modern flavor 🍽️ = total vibe. This place is too cool not to share. Real estate hustle by day, foodie by lunch! #RealEstateLife 🏠 #LunchBreakVibes 🍴 #TheOldJailhouse #SanfordFL 📍 #HistoricDining 🕰️ #FloridaEats 🌴 #OpenKitchenMagic 👨‍🍳 #WorkHardEatWell 💼➡️🍽️ #BehindBarsButFancy #HiddenGemAlert ✨

We flew in with feathers ruffled and beaks dry, looking for trouble—or at least a decent drink—and landed at The Old Jailhouse. Didn’t know what to expect. We’re not usually ones for human hospitality. But curse the friendly bartender and the dangerously good cocktails… they won us over. The service? Impeccable. Quick with a pour, quicker with a smile. The bar staff treated us like VIPs instead of escapees from an avian lineup. We came in angry, we left buzzed—and maybe even a little charmed. Five squawks out of five. We’ll be back… whether they like it or not. – The Angry Cardinals

A craft bar and restaurant built within the walls of an actual closed jailhouse. Many artifacts survive, including the ledger of it's residents. The staff is super friendly, especially bartender Avery. They even turned the lights on in a closed dining section so we could walk around and explore the room. They provided the history of the place. All doorways have the original bars in some part. There's a dining room within a fully barred room. It said insane asylum, but I believe it was actually the shower. Definitely worth a visit.

We came across this place walking Downtown. When you walk around the restaurant, they have artifacts from when it used to be a jail. The atmosphere makes you feel like an inmate which is pretty neat. The service and food were delicious. They also have awesome places to take pictures.

We came here for my birthday last weekend and what a wonderful experience! The food was exceptional to say the least !! Chef sincerely takes such care in the menu planning and it shows! Also, the hidden gem of this amazing restaurant is the bar! Avery is by far the epitome of bartender perfection! Her seasonal drinks are not only gorgeous but so unique and oh so delicious! If you find yourself in Sanford and want to really treat yourself The Old Jailhouse is the place to be! Oh and make sure you ask about the history of this interesting restaurant!

We love the ambiance and decor of this restaurant. It’s always a fun time. The food is delicious but we would like to see more vegetarian and vegan options on the menu is it’s very limited at the moment. Our party of 5 was all looking for vegetarian and vegan options. When we were there it was busy and the service was very slow, but overall it was a good experience. Please add more option to the menu and we will be return more often.