Written by locals, for locals and visitors
Every guide on this page is written by the Pour Choice Taphouse team - the bartenders, hosts, and private-event crew who live and work in Orlando's Mills 50 District every week. We know what's open, what's closed, what's worth the drive, and what's overpriced. These guides are meant to be useful whether you're planning a night out, coordinating a group visit, or figuring out where your convention group should eat and drink.
New guides are added every few weeks. Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Send it through our inquiry form and we'll put it on the list.
How to use these guides if you are planning a visit
Orlando's bar advice is usually written for tourists who will never leave International Drive, or for locals who already know which alley the painted dumpsters are in. These pages are for the in-between reader: a planner booking a team night, a visitor staying downtown who wants a real neighborhood, or someone hosting a birthday who needs parking and a guest count that actually fits.
Start with the happy hour guide if your question is "where do we go after work, and what should we order." Start with the Mills 50 guide if you need the full neighborhood: food, parking, Saturday pacing, and why Little Saigon still defines the corridor. Start with bars near Lake Eola if your hotel is downtown and you are trying to decide whether to stay on the lake or hop five minutes north.
Pour Choice Taphouse sits at 1225 N Mills Ave, in Mills 50, about five minutes from downtown and Lake Eola. We wrote the guides because we answer the same questions at the door every week. We also host the groups those questions usually lead to: corporate happy hours, birthdays, holiday parties, and convention offsites for up to 91 guests inside, with 50 self-pour taps, a full bar, and BYO food. If you already know you need a date, skip the essays and use the form on this page.
What we will not do in these guides
We will not pretend every bar in Orlando is equally good. We will not list I-Drive chains as hidden gems. We will not promise a tap that rotates off the wall next week. We will tell you when to inquire instead of walk in, and we will tell you when a patio on Lake Eola is the better first drink than a 50-tap room. That is the standard we hold these pages to.
Facts you can use without reading every guide
- Address: Pour Choice Taphouse, 1225 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803, Mills 50 District.
- Hours: Wed-Thu 5 PM-12 AM, Fri 5 PM-2 AM, Sat 12 PM-2 AM, Sun 12 PM-10 PM. Closed Mon-Tue except for private events.
- Happy hour: Wednesday through Friday, 5 PM to 7 PM, per-ounce specials on the tap wall plus cocktail deals at the full bar.
- Capacity: 91 guests inside, plus outdoor space. Inquire for 20 or more so we can hold a section.
- Food: BYO. Delivery, takeout, or any outside caterer. No corkage on food.
- Parking: Shared lot on site plus free street parking. About 5 minutes from downtown and Lake Eola, 15 from UCF, 20 from OCCC via I-4.
Phone: (321) 304-2540. Instagram: @pourchoicetaphouse. Live taps: homepage menu.
Match the guide to the job you are actually doing
If you are an office manager booking drinks after a downtown meeting, read the happy hour guide first, then inquire with a headcount. If you are a visitor who just walked Lake Eola and wants a second neighborhood, read the Lake Eola bars guide so you do not waste a night in a hotel lobby. If you are hosting a birthday, holiday party, or client night, skip the bar-crawl advice and go to private events: the question is dates, guest count, and whether you need a buyout, not which patio has the prettiest lights.
Mills 50 rewards people who eat first. The Vietnamese corridor on Colonial Drive, Mills Market, and East End Market a neighborhood east are the food half of a good night. Pour Choice is the drinks half: 50 rotating self-pour taps, a full liquor bar, HDTVs, and room for a real group. That split is why planners like this block more than a hotel package. You control the menu. We control the taps.
We will keep adding guides as the corridor changes. New restaurants open on Mills Ave every season. Happy hour specials rotate. The tap wall changes weekly. What does not change is the buyer math: free-ish parking, five minutes from downtown, 91 indoor capacity, BYO food, and a form that gets a human reply within a day. Use it if you already have a date in mind.
Quick answers before you book
Is Pour Choice walkable from downtown? It is a short Lyft (usually under $15 and about five minutes) or a longer walk in cool weather. From the north end of Lake Eola, plan 10 to 15 minutes on foot.
Do we need a reservation for six people? Walk in. Inquire when you are 20 or more, when you need a dedicated section, or when you want a date outside regular hours.
Can we bring a cake or a caterer? Yes. BYO food is the model. There is no corkage on food and no required venue catering list.
Is it 21 and over? Yes. Valid photo ID required. Please drink responsibly.
Where should a convention group go? Read the happy hour guide if you want the after-work window, or the convention after-party page if you need a held space 20 minutes from OCCC.
Featured Guides
The Orlando Happy Hour Guide
Every weeknight happy hour worth knowing about in downtown Orlando, Mills 50, and Ivanhoe Village - hours, specials, and what to actually order.
Read the GuideMills 50 District: A Visitor's Guide
The full rundown of Orlando's most interesting neighborhood - where to eat, where to drink, where to park, and the one Saturday ritual every local swears by.
Read the GuideBest Bars Near Lake Eola
Where to drink after a Lake Eola walk or a Sunday farmers market. The full list including two neighborhoods most visitors miss.
Read the Guide