Favorite Counter Service restaurants at RESORTS?

[MommytoaSweetie]

Hi! We're renting a car this time and are looking to maybe visit another resort or two for meals, versus always eating in the parks (we normally do a shorter visit and maximize our parks time, but we might actually leave the park a little earlier or head out for lunch and come back later or something like that). We already have all of our Table Service restaurants picked, and we don't really want any more, so we're looking for good CS ideas (or just fun resorts where the CS food is not bad). We think we'll be heading to AKL for breakfast that Mara the morning we leave, but we'd love other ideas, too. Thanks!!

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

Pop Century has a good selection. Their parmesan crusted chicken breast is very good. They also offer the tye-dye cheesecake. Yummie!

Also, Coronado Springs is the only CS I know of that offers a steak on the menu. It's been hit or miss for us though. Usually it's good, but a couple of times, not so much.

 

[aubriee]

We like the Pepper Market at CSR and also the Riverside Mill food court at PORS. Also for some reason I really like the adult grilled cheese sandwich served at Cap'n Cook's at the Poly. I like the African stew and zebra domes at Mara at AKL. Artist's Palette over at Saratoga Springs is pretty good too.

You said you normally do all your eating at the parks. Have you tried Wolfgang Puck Express over in the Marketplace in DTD. It's really good for both breakfast and lunch/dinner. Also down there, the Earl of Sandwich has really good hot sandwiches for just $5.75. We've yet to find one we didn't like. Over on the Pleasure Island side, Cookes of Dublin has fish & chips, shrimp, scallops, battered sausages, Dublin's pies, flavored chips, and Doh Bars (fried Snickers).

 

[Pooh Bear Hugs]

the values have the best CS selection as its the only option for guests there. For atmosphere we love the CS at the Grand Floridan beside the boat dock, it has the added bonus of activities the kids can go on like pirate cruise and wonderland tea party.

 

[Grumpy92]

POR Foodcourt , Pop Century FC, Earl of Sandwich, Beaches & Cream, Capt Cooks, Roaring Forks

 

[ajcolorado]

The Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary Resort has a nice selection.

Another vote for Mara at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Someone mentioned Roaring Forks and it does have some good choices, just be aware that there is very limited seating.

Captain Cook's at the Polynesian is good for breakfast because of the Tonga Toast - my husband and I split one order and then get something else with some protein in it. A whole order of Tonga Toast is just too sweet for one of us to eat a whole order. We also go there for the Dole Whips, especially if we're going to watch the Electric Water Pageant or the Wishes fireworks without going into the Magic Kingdom.

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

Thanks for all these great suggestions! I did forget to add that we're staying at POP, so we'll probably eat there at least once, and we'll be in DTD for the rest of our last day (our flight isn't until late) so we'll definitely hit up Earl of Sandwich - they're my favorite sandwich memory!

Pop Century has a good selection. Their parmesan crusted chicken breast is very good. They also offer the tye-dye cheesecake. Yummie!

Also, Coronado Springs is the only CS I know of that offers a steak on the menu. It's been hit or miss for us though. Usually it's good, but a couple of times, not so much.

Is the CS at Coronado Springs on the dining plan? You can't get the steak if we used a CS credit, right?

 

[MickeyNicki]

I would not go out of my way to eat breakfast at any resort CS but for lunch/dinner we like:

Capt Cooks at the Poly - they have a great grown up grilled cheese, chicken lo mein, Hawaiian BBQ sandwich with housemade chips

Gasparilla grill at the GF - the Italian sandwich is incredible! Love the made to order pizza too

POFQ - to die for taco salad and the muffaletta served hot with macaroni salad is my favorite!

Pepper Market at CSR is very good, had a very nice dinner there

 

[aubriee]

Is the CS at Coronado Springs on the dining plan? You can't get the steak if we used a CS credit, right?

All three (Cafe Rix, Pepper Market, and Maya Grill) are on the DDP at CSR. The Pepper Market is a little expensive if you are not on the DDP, but a great deal if you are. We were even able to get smoothies as our beverage, as well as the steak, fries, grilled veggies, and dessert with our CS credit. The steak is only served at dinner now though. Sometimes it's good, but sometimes it's not (fatty and thin). The salmon is always good though. Also for 2010 the 10% gratuity at the Pepper Market is no longer included for people on the DDP. If you want to avoid it though, just tell them you want your order to go and take it outside to one of the tables/booths that overlook the lake. Personally I'd rather eat out there anyway. It's a very pretty view and those outside booths are very comfortable.

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

All three (Cafe Rix, Pepper Market, and Maya Grill) are on the DDP at CSR. The Pepper Market is a little expensive if you are not on the DDP, but a great deal if you are. We were even able to get smoothies as our beverage, as well as the steak, fries, grilled veggies, and dessert with our CS credit. The steak is only served at dinner now though. Sometimes it's good, but sometimes it's not (fatty and thin). The salmon is always good though. Also for 2010 the 10% gratuity at the Pepper Market is no longer included for people on the DDP. If you want to avoid it though, just tell them you want your order to go and take it outside to one of the tables/booths that overlook the lake. Personally I'd rather eat out there anyway. It's a very pretty view and those outside booths are very comfortable.

That's really great information, thank you so much!!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

another vote for The Mara...my husband enjoyed the shrimp platter and I had the Rotisserie Chicken .
My son liked Gasparilla Grill

 

[Disneylvr]

My faves are the food courts at Pop Century and Port Orleans Riverside and Captain Cooks at the Poly. As much as I love CBR, I am not a big fan of their food court. That is why I like to try other resorts since we are on the QSDP.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I would highly recommend the Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary and Gasparilla's Grill & Games at the Grand Floridian.

 

[DisneyHolidayFan]

Another vote for POR - good selection, good food, wonderful atmosphere!!!

 

[clc053103]

Love Contempo Cafe at CR (flatbreads!) ...though unless they improved the ordering process, it can be tricky.

 

[itchin2go]

Granted I've only been to 4 resort CS places, but I wouldn't go out of my way for any of them. They were fine - enough to get you through if you were staying there, but seriously not worth travelling to get to. Just my 2 cents.

 

[summerlady]

We really liked Capt Cook's at the Poly, the Polynesian chips are delish and you can get fill it up yourself Dole Whips for dessert. Love the muffelettas with pasta salad and beignets at POFQ too, I mean...really, really LOVE them.

 

[NorweJenNY]

I LOVE the food court at Port Orleans - French Quarter.

They have the best ribs at any counter service - better than Cosmic Ray's or Flame Tree BBQ. They're soft, fall off the bone, and have a wonderful BBQ sauce! Yum! They come with two sides, and I like getting a double side o macaroni and cheese because it's so creamy and buttery and delicious there. And it comes with cornbread too!

A lot of people like beignets for dessert too.

POFQ has a wide selection of food, and if you like diet drinks but are sick of diet coke and light yellow lemonade, here they have both light pommegranate lemonade and diet sprite.

It's also not particularly crowded... we were there just days before Christmas and never had a problem having a choice of tables to pick from.

They've also got a corner set up for the kids with a coloring station and some legos to build with... and it was never too crowded for my kids to join the few that were there. My kids even had the kids area to themselves a few times.

While value resort food courts have decent selections, the atmosphere is miserable... too crowded and busy and noisy... I felt like the selection you have to choose from at POFQ was just as good, if not better.

And if you're in Downtown Disney, you can just hop on a boat for a relaxing ride to POFQ.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Love Contempo Cafe at CR (flatbreads!) ...though unless they improved the ordering process, it can be tricky.

I agree for those that are not use to that ordering system might not like it or find it confusing, however the Cast Members are always willing to help and once you understand the system then it's very easy.

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

Is the CS at Coronado Springs on the dining plan? You can't get the steak if we used a CS credit, right?

Yes, it's CS. All the times we have been there, Pepper Market had no restrictions on what you could get for CS credits.

As Aubriee mentioned, DW did have one experience where the steak was a poor cut. But, I've had some poor cuts at some of the best TS restaurants.