This past weekend, Mango’s Tropical Café in Orlando officially brought back its popular entertainment offerings and a new dinner menu for guests to enjoy, and I attended a media preview of both.
Mango’s reopened this summer after a pandemic closure as an ultra-lounge format for those 21 and over, but now they’re ready to welcome back families for the Mango’s Live! show.
The entertainment includes singers, dancers, musicians, and showgirls performing Brazilian samba, Cuban conga, a variety of Latin beats, Hip-hop, plus 80s, 90s and today’s top hits.
During our preview, I heard some Miami Sound Machine, some Brazilian samba, and a mini-Queen medley.
There is also a group of dancers and a Michael Jackson look-alike who perform to a medley of the singer’s hits, including a fun version of “Thriller.”
Mango’s Live! operates Wednesdays through Sundays for dinner only. VIP seating on the main floor close to the stage starts at $59 per person, and includes one signature mojito per person. General admission starts at $15 per person.
The new menu is available to guests of Mango’s Live! and includes a revamped offering of various shareable dishes. Chef Ren Acosta created this new menu, which leans heavily on Latin American and Mediterranean flavors.
Here’s what we were shown during our preview:
Ceviche Trio (Sexy Mexi Ceviche, Mahi Mango Ceviche, and Ceviche Mixto) – I couldn’t try this due to a seafood allergy, but others enjoyed their samples.
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Cheese and Charcuterie Board (Spanish cheeses, cured meats, grilled chorizo, marinated olives, seasonal fruit, roasted mixed nuts, grilled naan, artisanal crackers, whole grain dijon mustard, and bacon bourbon jam) – this was the first sample gone before I could try it but it looked delicious.
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Mediterranean Mezze Platter (Housemade lemon dill hummus, fresh tabouli, roasted eggplant and red pepper dip, house marinated olives, fresh garden vegetales, and grilled naan) – a nice mixture of flavors and filling.
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Slider Flight Board (four sliders featuring Angus beef, ground turkey, house-made chorizo, and ground lamb) – this one paired well with the Mezze platter.
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Street Taco Flight (2 each of Chicken Tinga, Baja Braised Beef Baracoa, and Mahi Mahi) – I really enjoyed the Beef and Chicken tacos, though the chef was a bit heavy-handed with the onions on the beef tacos. Couldn’t try the mahi mahi tacos.
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“Every dish has been carefully developed to enhance the Mango’s Live! experience through the tastebuds,” said Chef Acosta. “We have drawn from the freshness, flavors, colors and textures of Latin America and the world’s cuisine to create dishes that evoke Mango’s fun and cosmopolitan vibe.”
After the nearly two-hour Mango’s Live! show, guests are welcome to hit the dance floor until 2am, as the DJ continues the sounds of Latin America. After it turns into the nightclub format, all guests must be 21+. Bottle service is available during this time, as well, as the upstairs opening for guests to enjoy.
There’s also an outside patio with its own bar and a bevy of comfortable seating configurations.
Talking with Mango’s creator and owner David Wallack, he said he wanted to have seating that encouraged guests to stay, drink, and enjoy the night. Seating with soft cushions and lumbar support pillows were important when designing the venue.
He also said: “We’re going to be sensual; we’re going to be sexier than we were in the past. We’re going to show nightlife, as nightlife really should be shown in Orlando — upscale, beautiful, contemporary, as well as retro.”
There is a small parking area (with a few handicap spots) in front of Mango’s but there are so many more spaces next door in the 10-story parking garage that will soon be home to the world’s largest, dynamic digital art mural (aka billboard) from Walt Disney Company.
And this is just the beginning for Mango’s, Wallack told me. In 2022, plans are for the venue to host live concerts with some of the hottest salsa, merengue, reggaeton and Brazilian music headliners, as well as the most popular DJs from the global scene.
Sip, Savor & Salsa classes will start in March 2022, as well.
Wallack did say something really big is on the horizon, but he couldn’t really say what that was at this time. He said to expect an announcement by the end of the year. I’ll let you know what it is when it’s announced!
Mango’s in Orlando is a sister venue to Mango’s in South Beach, and opened in 2015. It is located on International Drive, just south of the Sand Lake Rd. intersection. You can find them online at Mangos.com.
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