DisneyTips.com Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
My family is definitely a house of Disney foodies. We love Disney food and would eat all of our meals at Disney World if we could (and if the diet and wallet could handle it). Counter service restaurants have a lot of advantages over table service restaurants especially if costs and time are a factor. You will typically get out spending less and much faster than if you do a table service restaurant. That doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice taste and a delicious meal experience. The counter service locations at Epcot are unlike anything you would expect from these types of locations and give you table service quality and options at the counter service price. Here are the top 7 counter service restaurants in Epcot that you MUST try:
7. La Cantina de San Angel
Our first stop on this tasty tour is to the Mexico pavilion. Here you can take a break overlooking the lagoon while you enjoy a tasty meal. The guacamole here is delicious, and is a must get for me. The margaritas are also very authentic and a great pairing to the meal for those of you who enjoy an alcoholic beverage, and they offer multiple flavors and options. The Tacos de Barbacoa are always my go to meal. I love corn tortillas, and the beef is delicious! I am a big-time Mexican food fan, and this place definitely doesn’t disappoint. This is one place that will definitely make you forget that it is a quick service location.
6. Sommerfest
The Germany pavilion immediately makes me want to dance as soon as I hear the traditional German music. I don’t know if it is my German heritage or what, but I love everything at this quick service spot. The menu is small with only a bratwurst, frankfurter and Nudel Gratin (this is a baked macaroni dish), but they are all delicious. Of course the sausages are served with authentic sauerkraut (YUM). You can also get German potato salad, pretzels and strudel if you are looking for something smaller to munch on. To all you beer drinkers out there, the beer is cold, delicious and flowing on tap. Authentic German beers with several selections depending on your tastes and preferences. You can’t beat a brat and a cold beer on a hot day in the park!
5. Lotus Blossom Café
Who doesn’t love Chinese food? OK, well I am sure there are some of you out there who don’t, but hopefully most of you are with me on how delicious it is. The options at Lotus Blossom Café at the China pavilion definitely live up to the expectations. I usually always get the Orange Chicken, while my husband is a Shrimp Fried Rice fan. The pot stickers are also delicious and are available as a kid’s meal! Don’t forget to give the ice cream a try, with a couple of unique flavors available. The locations overlooks the beautiful gardens in China, and you may be able to catch a glimpse of the acrobat performance.
4. Tangierine Café
Now our culinary trip takes us over to the Morocco pavilion. This location offers Mediterranean dishes. The location is most famous for shawarma. This is where the meat is cooked by being roasted on a skewer rotating over the flame. I’m a big Falafel fan, and the Mediterranean Falafel Wrap is delicious, but it is hard for me to pass up the Shawarma Chicken Platter. Plus this entrée comes with tabbouleh, hummus and couscous salad. It’s a perfect Mediterranean plate. The musical entertainment in the area puts the “rock” in Morocco, so you can enjoy a fun show while you dine in the beautiful pavilion.
3. Yorkshire County Fish Shop
Want to experience the best fried fish in all of Walt Disney World? Then head on over to the UK pavilion, immediately! The fish and chips here are so popular and delicious, that it is the only entrée they sell! My whole family chows down on these, so it’s definitely a must visit for us. You can also order UK beers on draft and get a real pub experience. You will likely see Mary Poppins or Alice out while you dine and enjoy the beautiful gardens and lagoon. You definitely don’t want to miss this one!
2. Katsura Grill
This is an extremely pretty place to take a break and dine outside. The location is within the Japan pavilion and you must walk through the streams and gardens to get to there. Try to snag the outdoor seating so you can have a relaxing break around the greenery and streams. You may even get to hear the drum performance at the tallest building at the pavilion depending on what time you are there. We are big sushi fans, so we tend to order the sushi options, but the Teriyaki Chicken and Teriyaki Beef are also delicious options. The restaurant smells amazing, and everything we have had has always been delicious. Don’t forget to save room to try the green tea cheesecake. It might sound different, but it is very tasty!
1. Sunshine Seasons
This quick service location is in The Land pavilion in the Future World part of Epcot. This one makes the list because of the seating and the many different dining options. All of the seating for this location is comfortably located inside the large air conditioned Land building on the first floor. This can be a huge factor on a hot summer day. The location also has several different stations where you can get meals from all types of cuisines, as well as popular packaged snack/drink items, making it a great spot for all palates and dietary requirements. You will definitely be able to find something that will make everyone happy at this location, while giving them a place to cool off.
