Where Is the Best Food at World Disney World?
We talk a lot about where to eat at Disney theme parks because it’s important. You’ll burn a comical number of calories each day.
You need fuel to replenish your energy. Otherwise, you’ll fall asleep on a roller coaster, something I HAVE done before.
Photo: Disney
So, where you eat matters a lot. Sometimes, you don’t want to put much thought into picking your meals, either.
That’s where I come into play. Here are my choices for where to get the best food at Walt Disney World!
Photo: Disney
Best Bread
Whoever says not to fill up on bread is my sworn enemy! I don’t care how fattening some people say it is, either!
I’m a bread guy…and proudly so. I’ve tried several excellent breads at Disney restaurants and highly recommend several.
The baguettes at Les Chefs de France will satisfy fans of harder breads. The Pretzel bread at Biergarten works when you want richer flavors.
Even Coral Reef Restaurant serves a solid complimentary bread with its meals. Meanwhile, the cornbread at Whispering Canyon Café tastes like dessert!
Still, the unquestioned alpha here is the bread service at Sanaa. It’s the clear choice.
Image Credit: Disney
Suggested Restaurant: Sanaa
Best Cheeseburger
As you might imagine, competition is stiff here as a staggering percentage of Disney restaurants serve cheeseburgers.
Since cheeseburgers and steaks are my preferred meal choices, I have strong opinions here.
I highly recommend Beaches & Cream Soda Shop, the Main Street Burger at Plaza Restaurant, and the Bison Burger at Geyser Point Bar and Grill.
Still, my vote here will always go to Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, which nails its most popular menu option.
Suggested Restaurant: Sci-Fi Dine-In
Best Chinese Food
Sometimes, the obvious choice is also the right one…but this isn’t one of those times.
Yes, you’ll do well for yourself by heading to the China pavilion to eat Chinese food.
However, the best place on the Disney campus for such cuisine is actually Yak & Yeti Restaurant, where the Lo Mein dishes and noodle bowls are divine.
Suggested Restaurant: Yak & Yeti
Best Desserts
Everyone will possess a different answer to this topic, as desserts create memories of our favorite Disney moments.
When I say churros or Dole Whips, you immediately smile and think about Disney, right?
I recently wrote a list of the best overall Disney desserts, but this topic isn’t about a single sweet treat. It’s about the go-to location for anyone with a sweet tooth.
My shortlist includes Beaches & Cream and Planet Hollywood, the latter of which may surprise you. Some of its milkshakes are mind-blowing, though.
The winner in the category is less than a year old, which means you may not be familiar with it.
Gideon’s Bakehouse opened at Disney Springs in 2021 and quickly became an internet sensation for its massive cookies.
Image Credit: Disney
Seriously, these things are cake-sized but cookie-shaped. Anytime you can order a cookie that’s bigger than a hockey puck, you HAVE to do it.
Suggested Restaurant: Gideon’s Bakehouse
Best English Food
Okay, this one comes down to a coin flip between the obvious choice and the less-heralded one.
Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant definitely delivers on its promise of pub food. I highly recommend that you dine here sometime.
Still, when you can only pick one English meal, you should head to the United Kingdom pavilion and order Fish & Chips at Rose & Crown Dining Room.
Suggested Restaurant: Rose & Crown
Best Family Style Service
Now that character meals have universally switched from buffets to this form of service, it’s a brutal competition.
Well, it would be if Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue or Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show were open.
Since they’re not, my vote goes to the place that serves most of Spirit of Aloha’s menu each night.
I’m, of course, referring to ‘Ohana, which we all missed terribly while it was gone.
Suggested Restaurant: ‘Ohana
Best Ice Cream
Look, the real answer is any place that serves Dole Whip. Still, you might have someone in your traveling party seeking a different kind of ice cream.
Your choices are A) Kick them out of your traveling party, which is justifiable, or B) take them somewhere else for ice cream.
If you chose B, the best options include Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop, Planet Hollywood, L’Artisan des Glaces, and Plaza Restaurant.
However, my vote goes to Beaches & Cream for its deep menu of ice cream treats, including the legendary Kitchen Sink.
Suggested Restaurant: Beaches & Cream
Best Italian Food
Okay, this one’s a battle, as most Italian food is good and eerily similar in quality.
Those family recipes of yore have long since been shared with all good Sicilian chefs, leading to decadent sauces we all adore.
You’ll unearth a wealth of options at the Italy pavilion, especially Tutto Italia Ristorante.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano has its supporters as well.
Even a place at Swan & Dolphin, Il Mulino New York, serves delicious Italian cuisine.
Still, the upscale Italian meal you desire is awaiting you at Terralina Crafted Italian.
Image Credit: Visit Orlando
Suggested Restaurant: Terralina Crafted Italian
Best Japanese Food
Similar to the China pavilion, you can visit the Japan pavilion and dine like royalty. You can also have some fun at Teppan Edo, with its Teppanyaki service.
However, you’ll discover the best place for Japanese cuisine at Disney Springs, where an Iron Chef has set up shop.
Yes, Morimoto Asia serves chicken and beef dishes that will put a smile on your face and in your belly.
Suggested Restaurant: Morimoto Asia
Best Pizza
You’ll find flatbreads on the menu at most Quick Service restaurants. Virtually all Italian eateries have them as well.
Image Credit: Disney
In fact, pizza borders on the unofficial meal at Disney Springs, as these places offer more extensive menus. Many of them include pizza and flatbreads.
I’d even argue that a chain restaurant there, Blaze Pizza, is worth a look, as we love the versatility of the ordering process here.
Still, when I want the best pizza at Walt Disney World, I know where to go. The answer is Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria.
Whatever cheese they’re using here is right there with Giordano’s in Chicago (and other places) as the best I’ve ever tasted on a pizza.
Suggested Restaurant: Via Napoli
Best Seafood
This one’s arguably the most competitive debate here, as most people fall into two camps.
They either speak glowingly about Flying Fish or select something from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
With all due respect to Citricos and Narcoossee’s, the best seafood is at Disney Springs.
Specifically, my top choice is The BOATHOUSE, while I recommend Paddlefish as a backup option.
Image Credit: The BOATHOUSE
The one opinion we all share is that Coral Reef Restaurant and Cape May Café should do better, though. And I say that as someone who regularly dines at both.
Suggested Restaurant: The BOATHOUSE
Best Steak
You’ll find several savory steakhouses at Walt Disney World, including the world-renowned STK Orlando and Shula’s Steak House.
Image Credit: STK
Many Disney fans argue that Yachtsman Steakhouse towers above the rest, but I prefer a place at the Canada pavilion.
Yes, my vote goes to Le Cellier Steakhouse, home of my favorite ribeye in Orlando.
Image Credit: Disney
In years past, Kona Café would have won, but they’ve inexplicably taken steak off the menu there, which infuriates me.
PS: Coral Reef (!) has served me numerous good steaks over the years.
Suggested Restaurant: Le Cellier
Best Vegan Food
Disney recently committed fully to vegetarian and vegan menus, adding plant-based dishes to almost all restaurants.
Photo: MealTrip.com
Before that decision, finding vegan cuisine at Disney could be a challenge. Now, it’s a highly competitive race for the best place to eat.
Satu’li Canteen, Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo, and Primo Piatto all serve Quick Service (read: inexpensive) plant dishes that will impress you.
For slightly more money, you can eat to your heart’s content at Liberty Tree Tavern, home to the Tavern Keeper’s Feast, which is the 1A selection here.
My wife, a vegan, slightly favors one other meal, though. So, I will defer to her expertise here and state that Whispering Canyon Café is the place to go.
This place, beside the lobby of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, serves a Plant-based Signature Skillet that will blow your mind.
You may GO vegan after eating this dish.
Suggested Restaurant: Whispering Canyon Café
