The Ultimate Spice Road Table Review
On a warm evening with a light breeze, you’ll never find me sitting inside of a restaurant. Whenever the weather allows for it, I love to dine al fresco, and when an unseasonably warm winter evening in Florida graces us, I have to take advantage of outdoor eating! Without a reservation at Epcot, I would usually choose to get a meal to-go from the Mexico Pavilion or Rose and Crown and sit at one of the outdoor tables and be content, but that night my family and I wanted a real table service dinner.
Epcot table service dinners are near impossible to come by without reservations, especially at the more popular restaurants. With that fact in mind, we strolled past Spice Road Table and noticed the relatively empty patio waiting to answer our dinnertime woes. We had never dined here before and are always willing to try any Disney restaurant, so we walked in and were showed to a table!
The Setting
First I have to note how beautiful the setting is here. Built right over the waters of World Showcase Lagoon, the outdoor patio is impeccably themed with hanging lamps, an iron fence, and the water front location provides great views of World Showcase. When we were seated, I didn’t know what view to take in first! The fireworks crew working hard to set up the evening’s pyrotechnics for Illuminations? The panoramic view of World Showcase? Park guests enjoying their evening as they stroll through the Morocco Pavilion? For a great view while you dine, the patio at Spice Road Table can’t be beat.
A First Course, Of Course
No table service meal at WDW is truly complete without proper courses, so it came as no surprise that within minutes of sitting, each of us spotted at least one appetizer that caught our eye. In fact, the dauntingly exotic menu at Spice Road Table had me convinced that the starters were the only course in the meal I would truly enjoy, so I wasted no time in making my decision. For the table, we ordered a round of spicy garlic shrimp and the hummus plate- both seemed safe and like something everyone would like.
Well, the descriptions on the menu did not disappoint as the spicy garlic shrimp and hummus appetizers were pretty true to their descriptions. I don’t know that I can choose a favorite here, so here are my thoughts on the appetizers, in no particular order:
The spicy garlic shrimp was very tasty, although not at all spicy. The fried garlic and oil diminished the spice of the chilies, and dried peppers are always less spicy than their fresh counterpart. I didn’t necessarily miss the spice, though as the flavor of the garlic and oil the shrimp had been cooked in supplied flavor aplenty! My glass of Amazigh Red paired really well with this appetizer. If you order it, try dipping the zaatar bread in the drippings for a great flavor combo.
The hummus appetizer came with two types of hummus, olives, and zaatar bread. The classic hummus is probably the best hummus I’ve ever tasted. The smooth, creamy texture combined with the small drizzle of olive oil over top really brought out the fresh flavor of the chickpeas. The roasted tomato humus was equally creamy and came with slivers of fresh tomato on top. The zaatar bread was served warm, and yes, I loved the hummus, but I found myself nibbling on a bite or two of plain bread…that’s how tasty it is! If you run out of bread, don’t worry, it’s bottomless and your server will be happy to bring more to the table.
The Mediterranean Mains
Ok, moving on to the main course. Like I said before, my family and I hesitated to make a reservation at Spice Road Table because the menu offerings are not the type of food we’re used to eating. That being said, let’s get into it! After the appetizers- and all that zaatar bread- we decided to order two entrees for the table to share. The ‘safest’ options on the menu that we thought would appeal to everyone were the mix grill skewers and all natural roasted chicken.
The chicken was served on a covered plate with fennel, fingerling potatoes, and Ouzo Sauce. I wish I had my reaction on camera when our waitress opened the lid to reveal…yellow. All I could see was yellow. Everything was covered in neon yellow sauce that’s coloring looked unfit for human consumption. Gulp. I was pleased to see the mix grill skewers were the natural color of beef and chicken. There was hope yet!
I decided to try the phosphorescent chicken first, so I took up my utensils and hoped for the best as I sliced into the meat. I can confirm that beneath the yellow façade, the chicken itself was tender and easy to cut…and I didn’t mind it. The fennel provided the predominant flavoring to the dish and the cooking method (everything in the same pan) served each element well. I know that yellow = curry, especially in Moroccan cooking. I don’t like curry, so I was thankful it didn’t overpower the dish. Overall I liked the chicken dish much better than I anticipated, but it isn’t something I could eat an entire order of as the flavor quickly became redundant bite after bite. The potatoes and fennel all had the same flavoring; the sauce. I like different textures and flavors when I’m eating, and this dish unfortunately did not provide that.
Although both the chicken and beef were really tasty, the star of the entire dish were those rosemary potato wedges. Lightly fried and seasoned wonderfully, the potatoes served as a great accompaniment to the meat and beans, providing a different flavor and texture to keep my taste buds guessing.
The Verdict?
Try it! Don’t be like me and be put off by the menu if you aren’t used to this type of cuisine. I consider myself to have a pretty broad palette, but Indian style food is not my cup of tea. The food here is definitely seasoned and spiced accordingly, but the flavors were familiar while keeping me on my toes. The only thing I would not order again in the future is…yeah that yellow chicken. Overall, the restaurant was an unexpected surprise that everyone in my party truly enjoyed for both the setting and the food! Have you dined at Spice Road Table in the past? Let me know your thoughts on your meal in the comments!
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Special thanks to Maria Salerno for writing this article: Hiya pal! I am a NYC-based writer/musician thrilled to be bringing you all things Disney! I’m a WDW Annual Passholder, so you can find me in the parks regularly throughout the year. In addition to being a Disney Parks loving girl, I’m also a Disney toy and merchandise collector, a runDisney enthusiast, and Disney music and movie aficionado. You can follow me on Instagram: NYCtoAP and find me on YouTube: NYCtoAP. Thanks for reading, hope to see ya real soon!