We just got back from our week at Disney World, here are our reviews! Note: we take our food very seriously and avoid the standard countertop burger fare whenever possible. I categorized our experiences in order of how great they were.
Best
Jiko - The Cooking Place (Animal Kingdom Lodge) - this was by far the best meal of our trip. Interestingly, we went here for our anniversary because Bongos didn't accept reservations, and Bongos (see below) was the worst meal of our trip! Jiko was amazing. While African, the spices and flavors reminded me more of Indian food, which is fine because we love that. We ordered the Lamb "Patis", the Taste of Africa dip assortment, the Cucumber, Red Onion, and Tomato Salad, and the Chermoula-Roasted, Tanglewood Chicken. We also tried a glass of the Pinotage wine native to South Africa. Everything we had was fantastic, I would especially recommend the Taste Of Africa and the Tanglewood Chicken. There wasn't a single thing about this place we didn't like, and will definitely return.
Biergarten (EPCOT - Germany) We went here for their lunch buffet on the strong recommendation of a friend, and I am so glad we did. The food here was fantastic, especially surprising for a buffet. My wife was able to get her fill of schnitzel and various more healthy options, whereas I was able to pile up on the meat, including many types of sausage. Everything was delicious, and the desserts were great too. We stuffed our pockets with the pretzel rolls to keep us going for the rest of the day. The entertainment was fun too.
Tangierine Cafe (EPCOT - Morocco) This is an old favorite for us, so much that we ate here twice this trip. We had the Mediterranean Chicken Wrap, Mediterranean Lamb Wrap, Shawarma Chicken and Lamb Platter, and Vegetarian Platter. It was all fantastic. We noticed an awful lot of people wanting just "chicken" and being concerned by the menu being "weird". It really slowed down the line. So take a chance folks, and just order it as is, you likely won't be disappointed.
Flame Tree Barbecue (Animal Kingdom) Now this cafe I only went to because I read reviews here raving about it. And sure enough it is hands down the best food option at a park outside of EPCOT's World Showcase. I had wanted the pulled pork sandwich, but during the incredibly slow line I saw very few of them going past me, but lots of the Smoked 1/2 Chicken. Then I noticed that for pretty much the same price, the sandwich was small and came with baked beans, while the chicken was huge and came with baked beans and a large cornbread muffin. I changed my mind and got the Smoked 1/2 Chicken. It was fantastic! Not only was one of the best food items I had on the entire trip, but it was a rare case of actually getting a lot for your money at a Disney park. Highly recommended!
Aloha Isle (Magic Kingdom) This is a big "duh" for anyone fortunate enough to have had the Dole Whips before, either at Adventureland or at the Dole Plantation in Oahu, Hawaii. You just cannot pass up the glory of the Dole ice cream over pineapple juice. We had it 3 times, and it still wasn't enough.
Good
Restaurant Marrakesh (EPCOT - Morocco) We love the Tangierine Cafe so much, we had to finally eat at Morocco's sit down restaurant. We got their lunch special, which for $20 gave us a Beef Brewat Roll, Jasminas Salad, one Chicken Kebab, and Crepes Atlas (apple crepe). We also ordered the Moroccan Mint Tea. It was all good, and the entertainment was pleasant, but I couldn't help but feel that the amount we overpaid for the little samplers of food we got was unreasonable, even by Disney standards. Because of that, I have no choice to call this one "good" not "the best", even if the food was tasty. You're better off going to their cafe.
Wolfgang Puck Cafe Express (Downtown Disney) This is a hit or miss operation. Yes, the pizzas are good, but they also aren't spectacular. You're paying $10 - $11 for a pizza only two steps above a microwaveable Puck pizza. Yes, it's good, but it's not great. I had the BBQ Chicken Pizza, and I liked it well enough.
Forgettable (Sadly this is a long list)
Tony's Town Square Restaurant (Magic Kingdom) Yeah it was nice to eat at the Lady & The Tramp restaurant, but it wasn't special. This could be partially due to that we only got their Mixed Greens and Spaghetti w/ Meatballs. Of course we had to do the Lady & The Tramp noodle trick! We had fun, but really it was just spaghetti, nothing special. Had we ordered something more complicated, I could give a better assessment of the place.
Sci Fi Dine-In Theatre (Hollywood Studios) We were fortunate enough to, as a couple, waltz right in and get a car during lunch. The food was decent, we got a turkey club sandwich and a chicken bruschetta sandwich (oddly neither are on this site's menus at the moment). I also got a stellar martini inspired by the 'year of a million dreams'. It certainly was an entertaining place, seeing a trailer for Plan 9 From Outer Space on the drive in movie screen, but the food itself was forgettable. Not bad by any means though, so if you have interest in this place, go for it!
Casey's Corner (Magic Kingdom) We were just looking for some quick food one night and had the corn dog bites here. They were great, but hey, it's just corn dog bites. Yeah, it's not THAT special.
Columbia Harbour House (Magic Kingdom) I feel bad putting this in the forgettable column only because of how surprisingly good it was. We wanted to go to EPCOT but didn't have time to go there and back before the fireworks, so we grabbed the Fried Chicken Strips and a Lighthouse Sandwich. Both were far better than expected, but this is also because we had expected all the Magic Kingdom food to be horrible. So while it wasn't special, it certainly was pretty good for what it was.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (Magic Kingdom) This is forgettable not because the hot fudge sundae in a waffle bowl was bad, because honestly how can that be bad? It's forgettable because the entire trip the place made Main Street smell so amazing with the scent of freshly baked waffle bowls, that we HAD to get one by the end of the trip. The waffle bowl was virtually tasteless. What a bummer! So yeah, it's forgettable.
Avoid!
Bongos Cuban Cafe (Downtown Disney) This was the king-daddy of disappointments. To think we would have had our anniversary dinner here if they had accepted reservations! We ultimately dropped in for lunch one day - the menu sounded fantastic, a table near us had the appetizer platter which looked amazing, so we ordered the platter, plus the Bistec de Palomilla steak. Boooorrriiing! I can't believe how much such flavorful-sounding dishes could be so tasteless. Every last thing we had was completely worthless. I would have taken chicken strips or corn dog nuggets any day over that filth. To think I wasted $50 on that meal (after tip). Not going back. And mind you, I'm not easily insulted by food either!
Yak and Yeti Food Stand (Animal Kingdom) While I had my fantastic food at the Flame Tree Barbecue, my wife had the misfortune to order the Mandarin Chicken Salad at the Yak & Yeti's food stand. It was limp lettuce with flavorless chicken on it. She was so disappointed, especially when she found that her salad cost the same as my impressive and tasty spread from Flame Tree. She said all the other food from that stand also looked pretty disgusting as well.
And there you go. I should note that in the past we have eaten at the Teppanyaki place in EPCOT's Japan as well as the Rainforest Cafe and enjoyed them both, but didn't go to either this time. Also while I know saying the word "Universal" is bound to draw some ire on this board, I can't help but mention that one of the very best meals we had on the trip, save for Jiko, was Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville over at Universal's CityWalk. I couldn't possibly mention food and NOT gush about that place! Enjoy!
Best
Jiko - The Cooking Place (Animal Kingdom Lodge) - this was by far the best meal of our trip. Interestingly, we went here for our anniversary because Bongos didn't accept reservations, and Bongos (see below) was the worst meal of our trip! Jiko was amazing. While African, the spices and flavors reminded me more of Indian food, which is fine because we love that. We ordered the Lamb "Patis", the Taste of Africa dip assortment, the Cucumber, Red Onion, and Tomato Salad, and the Chermoula-Roasted, Tanglewood Chicken. We also tried a glass of the Pinotage wine native to South Africa. Everything we had was fantastic, I would especially recommend the Taste Of Africa and the Tanglewood Chicken. There wasn't a single thing about this place we didn't like, and will definitely return.
Biergarten (EPCOT - Germany) We went here for their lunch buffet on the strong recommendation of a friend, and I am so glad we did. The food here was fantastic, especially surprising for a buffet. My wife was able to get her fill of schnitzel and various more healthy options, whereas I was able to pile up on the meat, including many types of sausage. Everything was delicious, and the desserts were great too. We stuffed our pockets with the pretzel rolls to keep us going for the rest of the day. The entertainment was fun too.
Tangierine Cafe (EPCOT - Morocco) This is an old favorite for us, so much that we ate here twice this trip. We had the Mediterranean Chicken Wrap, Mediterranean Lamb Wrap, Shawarma Chicken and Lamb Platter, and Vegetarian Platter. It was all fantastic. We noticed an awful lot of people wanting just "chicken" and being concerned by the menu being "weird". It really slowed down the line. So take a chance folks, and just order it as is, you likely won't be disappointed.
Flame Tree Barbecue (Animal Kingdom) Now this cafe I only went to because I read reviews here raving about it. And sure enough it is hands down the best food option at a park outside of EPCOT's World Showcase. I had wanted the pulled pork sandwich, but during the incredibly slow line I saw very few of them going past me, but lots of the Smoked 1/2 Chicken. Then I noticed that for pretty much the same price, the sandwich was small and came with baked beans, while the chicken was huge and came with baked beans and a large cornbread muffin. I changed my mind and got the Smoked 1/2 Chicken. It was fantastic! Not only was one of the best food items I had on the entire trip, but it was a rare case of actually getting a lot for your money at a Disney park. Highly recommended!
Aloha Isle (Magic Kingdom) This is a big "duh" for anyone fortunate enough to have had the Dole Whips before, either at Adventureland or at the Dole Plantation in Oahu, Hawaii. You just cannot pass up the glory of the Dole ice cream over pineapple juice. We had it 3 times, and it still wasn't enough.
Good
Restaurant Marrakesh (EPCOT - Morocco) We love the Tangierine Cafe so much, we had to finally eat at Morocco's sit down restaurant. We got their lunch special, which for $20 gave us a Beef Brewat Roll, Jasminas Salad, one Chicken Kebab, and Crepes Atlas (apple crepe). We also ordered the Moroccan Mint Tea. It was all good, and the entertainment was pleasant, but I couldn't help but feel that the amount we overpaid for the little samplers of food we got was unreasonable, even by Disney standards. Because of that, I have no choice to call this one "good" not "the best", even if the food was tasty. You're better off going to their cafe.
Wolfgang Puck Cafe Express (Downtown Disney) This is a hit or miss operation. Yes, the pizzas are good, but they also aren't spectacular. You're paying $10 - $11 for a pizza only two steps above a microwaveable Puck pizza. Yes, it's good, but it's not great. I had the BBQ Chicken Pizza, and I liked it well enough.
Forgettable (Sadly this is a long list)
Tony's Town Square Restaurant (Magic Kingdom) Yeah it was nice to eat at the Lady & The Tramp restaurant, but it wasn't special. This could be partially due to that we only got their Mixed Greens and Spaghetti w/ Meatballs. Of course we had to do the Lady & The Tramp noodle trick! We had fun, but really it was just spaghetti, nothing special. Had we ordered something more complicated, I could give a better assessment of the place.
Sci Fi Dine-In Theatre (Hollywood Studios) We were fortunate enough to, as a couple, waltz right in and get a car during lunch. The food was decent, we got a turkey club sandwich and a chicken bruschetta sandwich (oddly neither are on this site's menus at the moment). I also got a stellar martini inspired by the 'year of a million dreams'. It certainly was an entertaining place, seeing a trailer for Plan 9 From Outer Space on the drive in movie screen, but the food itself was forgettable. Not bad by any means though, so if you have interest in this place, go for it!
Casey's Corner (Magic Kingdom) We were just looking for some quick food one night and had the corn dog bites here. They were great, but hey, it's just corn dog bites. Yeah, it's not THAT special.
Columbia Harbour House (Magic Kingdom) I feel bad putting this in the forgettable column only because of how surprisingly good it was. We wanted to go to EPCOT but didn't have time to go there and back before the fireworks, so we grabbed the Fried Chicken Strips and a Lighthouse Sandwich. Both were far better than expected, but this is also because we had expected all the Magic Kingdom food to be horrible. So while it wasn't special, it certainly was pretty good for what it was.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (Magic Kingdom) This is forgettable not because the hot fudge sundae in a waffle bowl was bad, because honestly how can that be bad? It's forgettable because the entire trip the place made Main Street smell so amazing with the scent of freshly baked waffle bowls, that we HAD to get one by the end of the trip. The waffle bowl was virtually tasteless. What a bummer! So yeah, it's forgettable.
Avoid!
Bongos Cuban Cafe (Downtown Disney) This was the king-daddy of disappointments. To think we would have had our anniversary dinner here if they had accepted reservations! We ultimately dropped in for lunch one day - the menu sounded fantastic, a table near us had the appetizer platter which looked amazing, so we ordered the platter, plus the Bistec de Palomilla steak. Boooorrriiing! I can't believe how much such flavorful-sounding dishes could be so tasteless. Every last thing we had was completely worthless. I would have taken chicken strips or corn dog nuggets any day over that filth. To think I wasted $50 on that meal (after tip). Not going back. And mind you, I'm not easily insulted by food either!
Yak and Yeti Food Stand (Animal Kingdom) While I had my fantastic food at the Flame Tree Barbecue, my wife had the misfortune to order the Mandarin Chicken Salad at the Yak & Yeti's food stand. It was limp lettuce with flavorless chicken on it. She was so disappointed, especially when she found that her salad cost the same as my impressive and tasty spread from Flame Tree. She said all the other food from that stand also looked pretty disgusting as well.
And there you go. I should note that in the past we have eaten at the Teppanyaki place in EPCOT's Japan as well as the Rainforest Cafe and enjoyed them both, but didn't go to either this time. Also while I know saying the word "Universal" is bound to draw some ire on this board, I can't help but mention that one of the very best meals we had on the trip, save for Jiko, was Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville over at Universal's CityWalk. I couldn't possibly mention food and NOT gush about that place! Enjoy!
