Sundance Tavern at MetroWest Golf Club: The Clubhouse Bar Locals Know
A casual sandwich-and-beer stop inside one of Orlando's oldest public courses — here's the honest read.
Sundance Tavern is the golf-themed sports bar and grill on the first floor of the MetroWest Golf Club clubhouse at 2100 S Hiawassee Road, Orlando, FL 32835. The menu centers on sandwiches, salads, snacks, and a selection of draft and bottled beer, served in a casual clubhouse setting decorated with golf memorabilia. MetroWest Golf Club is a public, par-72, 18-hole course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1987, located roughly 10 minutes from Universal Studios Orlando. The MetroWest Golf Club website lists Sundance Tavern as serving quick snacks from 7:00 a.m. until dusk and asks guests to call 407-299-1099 to confirm current hours.
Here's something that catches new residents off guard: MetroWest isn't just a name on a sign off Hiawassee Road. It's a master-planned community wrapped around a real, working public golf course — and tucked inside that course's clubhouse is a small bar called Sundance Tavern that most non-golfers in the neighborhood have never set foot in.
Let's be real about what this place is. It's not a destination restaurant. It's a friendly, no-frills clubhouse grill where the dress code is golf shoes and the conversation tends to involve whatever just happened on the 18th hole.
What Sundance Tavern Actually Is
Per MetroWest Golf Club's official site, Sundance Tavern is a golf-themed sports bar and grill on the first floor of the clubhouse, decorated with golf memorabilia. The site describes the food briefly: quick snacks from morning until dusk, with a sandwich-driven lunch menu the course says is popular with Orlando golfers.
That brevity is part of the charm. Sundance does what a clubhouse bar does: gets you a cold beer, a sandwich, and a seat where you can watch a game or argue about your handicap.
The Course Sundance Sits On
You can't really talk about Sundance without talking about the course, because the course is the view. MetroWest Golf Club is a public, par-72, 18-hole layout that opened in 1987 and was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. — one of the most recognized names in golf course architecture. It sits on rolling terrain that's unusual for Central Florida (we're not exactly known for elevation), with mature trees, well-positioned bunkers, and a few water hazards stitched through the routing.
For context: MetroWest is one of the few Robert Trent Jones Sr. designs in the Orlando metro and has hosted PGA Tour qualifying events in the past. It's a legitimate public course with a legitimate pedigree — and Sundance Tavern is the bar attached to it.
The Honest Menu Read
There isn't a public, posted menu online at the time of writing, and the official copy is brief. What's consistently described is a casual lineup that typically includes:
- Sandwiches (the publicly described lunch staple)
- Soups, salads, and appetizers
- An extensive selection of draft and bottled beer
- Quick snack fare for golfers between rounds
If you're planning around a specific item, call 407-299-1099. The official site directs visitors to call for hours as well — this place runs on a golf course's rhythm, not a predictable all-day schedule.
Who Should Actually Care About This Place?
If You Live in MetroWest or Are Moving There
This is the main audience. If you're house-hunting in MetroWest — the gated condos around Stonebridge, the townhomes at The Hamptons, the single-family homes built between 1995 and 2002 — Sundance is one of those low-key amenities you'll appreciate having around. Not because you'll eat there every week, but because it's there: a place to grab a beer after work, meet a neighbor, or kill an hour while you wait for a tee time.
The MetroWest community wraps right around the course, so for many residents the clubhouse is a short drive or even a walk away. That's rarer in Orlando than people realize. For the broader neighborhood amenity mix, our MetroWest Restaurants and MetroWest Shopping guides cover it.
If You Play Golf (or Want to Start)
The most natural fit. Show up before your round for coffee and a breakfast sandwich, finish the back nine, and roll into Sundance for a beer and a debrief. The atmosphere is built around exactly this rhythm.
If You're Visiting Universal and Want a Local Detour
Per the official site, MetroWest Golf Club sits less than 10 minutes from Universal Studios Orlando. If you're staying near the parks and want to skip the tourist-zone sports bars for an afternoon, this is a quietly local alternative — no wait list, no theme-park prices.
Where MetroWest Sits in Orlando
For context: MetroWest is bordered by Orlovista to the north, Dr. Phillips to the south, Richmond Heights to the east, and Windermere to the west, all under ZIP 32835. Downtown Orlando is roughly 9–10 miles northeast. The 408 Expressway runs along the northern edge, the Florida Turnpike skirts the southwestern corner, and I-4 is just to the southeast — meaning Sundance is genuinely close to most major employment centers in the metro. Our Where Is MetroWest guide breaks down the geography in detail.
The Pros and Cons of Sundance Tavern as a Dining Option
The Pros
- Casual, unpretentious atmosphere
- Sits inside a legitimate Robert Trent Jones Sr. course clubhouse
- Walkable or short-drive from much of MetroWest
- Public access — you don't need to be a golfer or member to walk in
- Close to Universal, downtown Orlando, and major highways
The Cons
- Hours aren't published online — you have to call ahead
- Menu isn't posted publicly, so you're going in somewhat blind
- Clubhouse grill, not a dinner-out experience
- Operations tied to the golf course schedule, which shifts seasonally
Our Take
If you're moving to MetroWest, Sundance is worth knowing about as a neighborhood asset, not a Friday-night plan. Think of it the way you'd think of the grill at a community center — convenient, friendly, surprisingly pleasant on a slow afternoon, but not where you're booking special occasions. For those, the dining scene in nearby Dr. Phillips (a.k.a. Restaurant Row on Sand Lake Road) is just a few minutes south.
Getting to Sundance Tavern
The clubhouse address is 2100 S Hiawassee Road, Orlando, FL 32835. From most of MetroWest, you're looking at a 2–5 minute drive. From surrounding communities, roughly:
- Universal Studios area: 10 minutes via Kirkman Road
- Downtown Orlando: 15–20 minutes via the 408 Expressway
- Dr. Phillips / Restaurant Row: 10–12 minutes south on S Apopka Vineland
- Windermere: 12–15 minutes via Apopka Vineland
- Orlando International Airport (MCO): 20–25 minutes
Parking is at the clubhouse lot, which doubles as the golfer lot. It's never been a parking-shortage situation.
What the Locals Know
Sundance isn't trying to win Best Restaurant in Orlando. It's a clubhouse bar inside a well-respected public golf course, and locals like it precisely because of what it isn't: not crowded, not trying too hard, not charging tourist prices. If you live in MetroWest, you should know it exists. If you play golf, it's a near-default stop.
One practical tip: always call before you go. The official site is explicit about asking guests to call for hours, which means hours genuinely shift — especially during summer storm season when the course closes early, and around holidays. A 30-second call saves you the drive.
Amenities like Sundance, the course it sits on, and the shopping at MetroWest Village are the small, woven-in conveniences that don't show up in listing photos but quietly add up to a livable neighborhood. That's the case MetroWest has been making for nearly four decades. 🏌️
For current hours, event hosting inquiries, and the most up-to-date information, visit the official Sundance Tavern at MetroWest Golf Club page.
Thinking about a home in MetroWest or one of the surrounding Orlando communities? Browse MetroWest homes for sale or contact us for personalized relocation advice from someone who actually knows the neighborhood.
