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We’re back with another look at five of Walt Disney World Resort’s table-service restaurants to determine if they’re overrated or worth the trip! Let’s take a look at the atmosphere, decor, pros and cons of each of these places, and you’ll be the judge if they’re overrated or not!
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Before you jump in, be sure to check out Round 1 where we discussed ‘Ohana, Whispering Canyon Café, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Chef Mickey’s and Le Cellier Steakhouse, Round 2 featuring California Grill, The Hollywood Brown Derby, Wine Bar George, Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ and Cinderella’s Royal Table, Round 3 with Grand Floridian Café, Yak & Yeti Restaurant, Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant, The Boathouse and The Crystal Palace, and Round 4 with Olivia’s Café, Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera, Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen, 50’s Prime Time Café and Yachtsman Steakhouse.
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Let the Round 5 debate begin!
Tusker House Restaurant
Tusker House Restaurant is an immersive and charming dining venue located in the Harambe area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The interior is themed to resemble a bustling African market with the offices of a local safari company above, and guests can discover authentic African artifacts on the walls while saying hello to Mickey, Donald, Goofy and other friends dressed in their safari gear. .
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Each menu at Tusker House Restaurant offers family-style dishes at a set price. Guests dining at the table service restaurant can enjoy menu options including Mickey & Simba Waffles, Safari Bread, Durban Chicken, Moroccan Spiced Beef, Berber Marinated Pork, Inspired Salads and prawns with Cape Malay green curry.
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The Tusker House Restaurant definitely nails it with an immersive theme and unforgettable character interactions, but the fixed price is a little on the high side, especially considering that the family-style platters have plenty of options that younger guests or picky eaters might not like it. Guests might be better off grabbing a meal elsewhere in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, like Yak & Yeti Restaurant, Tiffins Restaurant, or the quick-service Satu’li Cantina.
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Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
The Magic Kingdom is home to several restaurants with table service, including Tony’s Town Square restaurant, which is located just inside the main entrance on Main Street, USA. Inspired by the famous location of the Lady and the Tramp, there are several references to the film as well as a charming theme designed to reflect the turn-of-the-century setting found throughout the area. Guests can also enjoy an outdoor patio that overlooks the town square and offers great views of the Festival of Fantasy Parade each afternoon.
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Tony’s Town Square restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner and serves a menu of traditional Italian dishes in decent-sized portions. Customers can delve into menu options including fried mozzarella, Tony’s garlic bread for the table, spaghetti and meatballs, butcher’s steak, chicken parmigiana, scampi with roasted prawns in the oven, the tiramisu cannoli and the Italian strawberry shortcake.
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While the theme is lovely at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, the food leaves a bit to be desired. There’s nothing wrong with cooking, there are so many other better options in the Magic Kingdom, like the Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen. Alternatively, diners looking for a truly appetizing Italian meal should instead opt for Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria at EPCOT or Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk.
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Paddlefish
Disney Springs has one of the highest concentrations of dining venues at Walt Disney World Resort, including Paddlefish, a table-service restaurant that invites guests to dine aboard a steamboat docked on Lake Buena Vista. With modern indoor dining areas and multiple outdoor patios, guests can take in stunning views of the area and enjoy the sunset and Disney Springs nighttime lights glistening off Lake Buena Vista.
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Open daily for lunch and dinner, Paddlefish focuses almost exclusively on fresh seafood, with an extensive menu of coastal favorites. Some popular menu options that customers enjoy ordering include Crab Topped Fries, Crab Cake, Whole Maine Lobster, Stuffed Cod, Catfish, Lobster Roll, Fish Tacos, Caesar chicken wrap, scallops, mahi and rib eye.
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Paddlefish is absolutely the best table-service restaurant at Walt Disney World Resort for seafood lovers, as it offers some of the freshest options perfectly paired with beautiful water views. However, guests who aren’t seafood fans have very limited menu choices and can best enjoy other places near Disney Springs such as Morimoto Asia, The Edison, or Splitsville Dining Room.
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Beaches and cream soda shop
Disney’s Beach Club Resort brings the charm and relaxing atmosphere of beach resorts to life through a pastel palette, relaxing paths, Stormalong Bay and Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. This table-service restaurant is themed to look like a vintage restaurant found on the Atlantic coast at the turn of the century, and guests can enjoy an intimate indoor dining room with a whimsical painting of Mickey and his friends at the beach .
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The Beaches & Cream Soda Shop menu focuses on American favorites, and patrons who dine there for lunch or dinner can enjoy options such as the French Dip Sandwich, Angus Beef Burger, Beaches & Cream Grilled Cheese, Cheese and Bacon Tots, Onion Rings and Ruben Sandwich. The table service restaurant is also well known for its ice cream creations like the Kitchen Sink, which is large enough to serve four guests, Classic Banana Split, No Way Jose and Old Fashioned Sundae.
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Beaches & Cream Soda Shop definitely features a charming interior that will transport visitors to the seaside of the Atlantic, but the menu is quite limited and the food can be quite heavy on a hot day at Walt Disney World Resort. Guests looking for more options are better off grabbing a meal at nearby EPCOT or stopping by the quick-service Beach Club Marketplace for lighter options.
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Restaurant Space 220
One of the latest additions to EPCOT is the Space 220 Restaurant in World Discovery, located right next to the thrilling Mission: SPACE. This futuristic restaurant invites diners to soar 220 miles above Earth to dine among the stars with unobstructed views of space and Earth that can be enjoyed from comfortable seating surrounding the huge windows.
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Space 220 Restaurant’s menu focuses on contemporary American cuisine with futuristic names, served on prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner. Guests dining at the table service restaurant can enjoy delicious options like Starry Calamari, Big Bang Burrata, Tuna Tataki, Steak & Fries, Quinoa Burger, Galactic Salmon, Slow Rotation Short Rib and Space Glazed Duck Magret.
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Space 220 Restaurant is arguably one of the most immersive dining experiences available to Walt Disney World Resort guests, but the menu is very expensive for a prix fixe meal. Guests who don’t really want to soak up the restaurant atmosphere should instead enjoy a meal at one of EPCOT’s many other table-service restaurants like La Hacienda de San Angel, Biergarten, Chefs de France, or Teppan Edo.
Do you like these restaurants? Or are they unworthy of the hype?
