Imagine eating dinner behind actual jail bars from the 1800s. In Sanford, Florida, you can do exactly that at The Old Jailhouse Kitchen & Spirits. This unique restaurant sits inside a real jailhouse built in 1890, and the original iron bars are still part of the dining experience.
It’s not every day you get to enjoy gourmet food in a place where criminals once served their time, making this one of Florida’s most unusual restaurants.
A Florida Restaurant Hiding Inside an 1890 Jailhouse
Tucked away on South Palmetto Avenue in downtown Sanford sits a building with a past most restaurants can’t match. The Old Jailhouse Kitchen & Spirits occupies an authentic 1890 jailhouse that once held real prisoners. Walking up to the brick exterior, you’ll notice the original architectural details that hint at its former life.
The building operated as Sanford’s county jail for decades before closing its doors to inmates. Instead of tearing it down, the community preserved this historic structure. Now it serves a completely different purpose—feeding guests instead of confining them…