- April 22, 2024
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OCOEE When his family’s steakhouse closed a few years ago, Matthew Winter wanted to venture out and try something new.
That turned out to be a wine lounge in Ocoee, called 269 West Wine Lounge in honor of its location — at 269 West Road.
“This is a nightlife bar concept with food,” Winter said. “It’s a wine bar and restaurant with small appetizers, nightlife, live music and private events. (Guests) can book the entire place. There’s a lot of German background, too, because we’re a German family.”
Winter’s parents previously owned Matthew’s Steaks & More, which was located on Maguire Road between Ocoee and Windermere. His parents are chefs, and the family moved to the United States from Germany years ago to start a restaurant, which they named after Winter.
They sold the steakhouse four years ago after a good run from 1998 to 2012. In July 2013, it became his turn to be the restaurateur. With about 20 years of experience in bartending and the service industry, he knew he wanted to open a wine bar. His parents went back to Germany for a while as he looked at some potential locations.
“I’ve always wanted a bar, a nice, cozy and comfortable lounge where people can stay for a little while,” Winter said. “We introduce them to the different wines we have and give them samples of mostly everything they want to try. You choose what you like and find your palate that way.”
With 20 wine selections on the menu — including Chilean, German and Spanish varieties — and craft, flavored and draft beers, 269 West caters to many different palates.
“We rotate a lot of the beers,” Winter said. “Pretty much every time you come in, you’ll see a different beer on draft or in the bottle.”
And Matthew’s Steaks & More lives on through the wine lounge with German specials such as wiener schnitzel and German bratwurst. Also on the menu are filet mignon, New York strip steak, flatbreads and small-bite platters. Additionally, happy hour is constant and includes $3.50 domestics and $5 house wine. Food specials vary, and guests can keep up with them via the 269 West Facebook page.
“It’s been great, and we have regulars, mostly of the middle-aged clientele,” Winter said of community reception. “The community is top-notch, one of the best I’ve lived in. It’s very up-and-coming, and I think it’s going to be a great growth area.”
Here are Winter’s top three picks for guests to try next time they visit.
269 West Road, Ocoee
PHONE: (407) 516-1928
WEBSITE: 269west.com
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/269West
HOURS: 5 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; 5 p.m. to 2 am. Fridays and Saturdays; Closed Mondays
Contact Danielle Hendrix at [email protected].
