How free cornbread, hand-peeled shrimp, and a whole lot of heart have kept Stonington’s Fried Shrimp going strong on Kirkman Road for 16 years.
How about a free sample of hand-peeled, lightly breaded, cooked-to-order fried shrimp and a slice of mouthwatering hot honey cornbread?
When Stonington’s first opened, owner Nicola knew the fried shrimp would be a grand slam. So for the first five years, just about everyone who walked in got a free sample of the fried shrimp and a slice of the hot honey cornbread.
“Let them taste it,” Nicola says, “and I knew we’d hook them.”
It worked. Cornbread is now the restaurant’s number-one side, with mac and cheese close behind.
It Started With a Craving
Back in 2004, Nicola loved fried shrimp and kept asking one question: where do you go to get really great fried shrimp? The answer was to build it, starting with the first Stonington’s in Ocoee.
Great fried shrimp turned out to be less of a secret and more of a commitment. The shrimp are hand-peeled every single day, lightly breaded, and cooked to order. No freezer bags, no shortcuts. “It’s about complementing the shrimp, not covering it up,” Nicola says.
Someone Took a Chance
In 2010, Stonington’s moved to Kirkman Road in MetroWest, where the landlord believed in an independent restaurant when many shopping centers only wanted chains. Nicola is still grateful today.
Back then the menu had about 42 items, but neighbors kept ordering the same thing. So in 2011, Nicola trimmed the menu and renamed the place Stonington’s Fried Shrimp. When your customers tell you what they love, you listen.
The Welcome Is Part of the Recipe
Walk in, and chances are Latoria or Lisa will greet you with genuine Southern sweetness. Latoria, the general manager, has been with Stonington’s for 14 years, and three members of the loyal, long-tenured team call MetroWest home too. Regulars rave about how clean it is (yes, even the bathrooms), and smooth jazz sets an easy pace.
First visit? Try the $13.95 lunch special: fried shrimp, cornbread, mac and cheese, and a drink. Shrimp scampi from the original 2004 menu is back by popular demand, too. Coming soon, Stonington’s will ship its shrimp across Florida, and every Wednesday a Facebook trivia question wins someone two free lunch specials.
More Than a Meal
“A restaurant is more than just the food,” Nicola says. “It’s the people, the relationships, and the community around you.”
As MetroWest celebrates 40 years, that’s worth remembering. Some of the best parts of this community are the neighbors quietly doing things the right way, right down the road. So grab a neighbor, head to Kirkman Road, and taste the difference. And yes, save room for the cornbread.
Stonington’s Fried Shrimp
2316 S. Kirkman Road, Orlando, FL 32811
Mon–Thu 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. | Fri–Sat 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. | Sun noon–8 p.m.
friedshrimp.co | Facebook: Stonington’s Fried Shrimp | Instagram & TikTok: @1friedshrimp
