Eight Delicious Disney Dishes You Must Try
We talk about Disney dining a lot here at MickeyBlog, but something we rarely do is offer specifics.
With more than 200 restaurants on the Disney campus, we generally leave it to the reader to decide what sounds good once they arrive at the restaurant.
Sometimes, you may pick a restaurant based on what you’ve heard is good, though.
So, we offer this list of 11 Disney dishes you must try at some point.
(Editor’s note: Disney menus frequently change. We have verified that all these items are available at the time of publication, though.)
Boma – Flavors of Africa: Bobotie
Technically, you don’t have to decide at Boma – it’s an all-you-care-to-enjoy dining experience.
Most people call them buffets, but Disney decidedly does not.
One of the enticing menu items is bobotie, a series of squares of spiced, minced meat.
Disney usually chooses beef, but it could have pork as well.
If you’re familiar with the concept, it’s somewhat similar to British cottage pie.
Since it has curry powder, bobotie does come with a kick.
Boma serves any number of terrific dishes. Bobotie will probably wind up as your favorite, though.
Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’: Art’s Famous Fried Chicken
Oprah Winfrey has proven herself one of the smartest people on the planet, but we could have guessed that anyway by the fact that she locked in Art Smith as her personal chef for years.
The former Disney Cast Member has shown himself to be a culinary master time and again.
A few years ago, Disney invited him to return to the fold, which explains the name of his restaurant – Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’.
You’ll find heapin’ helpin’s of Southern Comfort food at this restaurant.
The signature dishes all include Smith’s world-renowned fried chicken.
You have to love any menu item whose official description includes the ingredient of “love.”
Art Smith is a charming, kind human being who has populated his menu with dishes that remind you of the best family dinners of your life.
Cinderella’s Royal Table: Royal Avocado Toast
A few years ago, Disney leaned hard into the plant-based dish concept.
Most Disney restaurants offer plant-based options now, some of which may put you off meat forever.
We all know that plant-based dishes are healthier, but it requires a dietary adjustment that many are unwilling to make.
However, millennials have had a soft entry into the lifestyle without even realizing it.
Folks, you may not realize it, but Royal Avocado Toast at Disney is vegan.
Many recipes employ plant-based ingredients, specifically vegan eggs and cheese.
Now, the avocado toast at your local restaurant may not be vegan. Still, I can assure you that Cinderella’s Royal Table and other forward-thinking eateries are.
Coral Reef: Shrimp and Grits
Spicy fans will find a surprise entry at Coral Reef.
Yes, I’m aware of the restaurant’s icy reputation among Disney critics.
Thankfully, we haven’t had that experience, especially with this dish.
The restaurant serves a classic Southern dish that will make you feel like you’re staring out across the Gulf Shore.
For a reasonable price of $32, you will savor this decidedly Creole-inspired dish, so much so that it may force you to evaluate your preconceived notions of Coral Reef.
Rose & Crown Dining Room: Fish and Chips
Do you know the secret to great fish?
The answer is the breading.
Seriously, even Long John Silver’s knows this, but nobody does it better than Rose & Crown.
Most people won’t consider this one of the best seafood places on the Disney campus. Still, I defy anyone to find a simpler, more satisfying dish anywhere in Orlando.
Seriously, you can’t do it.
My wife doesn’t like me as much as she likes the fish and chips here.
Satu’li Canteen: Chili-Spiced Crispy Fried Tofu Bowl
You’ll find another plant-based dish that lives up to the hype at Pandora – The World of Avatar.
Long-time readers know MickeyBlog treasures Satu’li Canteen the way Scrooge McDuck does mountains of coins.
We’re evangelists for this place to the degree that you may wonder if we’ve formed a religion around it.
If we did, our holy food would be the bowls here, especially the specifically named Chili-Spiced Crispy Fried Tofu Bowl.
Spicy tofu has delighted Asian diners for millennia. Likewise, American audiences can appreciate its splendor at Walt Disney World thanks to the sustained focus on international cuisine.
This entree earns bonus points for its shocking crunch. Disney chefs have really given you something you can sink your teeth into.
Via Napoli: Quattro Formaggi Pizza
Fans of Chicago-style pizza believe that the sauce is everything. Yet, somehow, they miss the obvious while maintaining that.
The best Chicago-style pizza I’ve ever had is Giordano’s… and the not-so-secret ingredient is the cheese.
I think about that a lot when I dine at Via Napoli, a place that serves a pie whose cheese is somehow superior to Giordano’s.
Specifically, this four-cheese delicacy comes with the thickest, gooiest combination of mozzarella, parmesan, fontina, and provolone I’ve ever tasted.
Hear me out. Is it possible that Italy knows something about pizza?
You’ll find any number of pizza joints at Walt Disney World, but this one is the best.
Woody’s Lunch Box: Grilled Three-Cheese Sandwich
No Walt Disney World restaurant confuses people more than Woody’s Lunch Box.
When you’re not paying attention, you might walk right past it.
The innocuous location hides one of the most satisfying meal experiences on the Disney campus.
Guests can eat cheaply here while watching all the action unfold at Toy Story Land.
While you people-watch the kinetic energy of the children, you enjoy what I consider the best quick service comfort food at Walt Disney World.
The star is this grilled cheese sandwich, which costs a modest $9.99, although you’ll probably also splurge for the potato barrels. They cost $3.49.
So, for about $13.50 plus tax, you’ll eat a meal that takes you back to your childhood, when a loving parent dried your tears and solved all your problems with food.
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Feature Photo: Disney