Friday, March 17, 2023

Ranking EPCOT Dining

EPCOT is known as the park with awesome food, but does every restaurant match up? Not really…in fact, most of the locations can show up on a “must-eat” or a “must-avoid” list depending on the preferences of the individual who’s sharing the information.

If you’re starting your itinerary plans or actually able to book your Advance Dining Reservation….this list will hopefully give you a starting point.

Here is my ranking (and thoughts) about the EPCOT Dining Options

Here’s where I have to say that this list is 100% my opinions and let’s be honest…folks can have a great time at the worst restaurant and a completely miserable time at the best restaurant. We remember the individual aspects which stands out for us, be it quality of the food all the way to the way that our server greets us and refills our soda.

Please take this article as a starting point to your planning OR as another voice as you’re going through the process of booking your next ADR or thinking about where you could eat with your family. I’ve had awesome experiences at the Lotus Blossom Cafe (for example) during times when it’s not busy times (1230pm-130pm or 515-630pm), but can a restaurant that offers basic fare rank at the same level as a location that brings chefs and staff from their home country specifically to serve you? There’s something to be said about the quality…and we’ll say it!

Whether it’s your budget or your time that’s limited…it’s always good to have a starting point.


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BEST TABLE SERVICE RESTAURANT AT THE EPCOT IS…

THE GARDEN GRILL

The Garden Grill Vegetarian Harvest Feast
The Garden Grill Vegetarian Harvest Feast – Photo by Steps to Magic

When you think about EPCOT food, the mix of high quality ingredients, options for all pallets, in addition to a character experience…Garden Grill takes the cake! The big win for this location is the seating arrangements, which allow for multiple character experiences that aren’t really as awkward as an open-air meeting (like Chef Mickey).

The other thing to note about this experience is that the restaurant rotates around one of my favorite attractions (Living with the Land)!


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BEST QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANT AT THE EPCOT IS…

LES HALLES BOULANGERIE-PATISSERIE (FRANCE)

Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie
Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie – Photo by Steps to Magic

I LOVE the quality of this Quick Service location! As a traditional France bakery, the stand-outs are the sandwiches and desserts, but the overall variety of food available is definitely worth the visit.


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WORST TABLE SERVICE RESTAURANT IS…

NINE DRAGONS RESTAURANT (CHINA)

I used to think that the worst location was San Angel Inn in Mexico, but the quality of food within the China pavilion has really taken a dive since I worked at the park over 10 years ago.

Being that we’re talking about Table Service level, Nine Dragons just can’t compete with the quality around the World Showcase.


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WORST QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANT OFFERING IS…

TANGERINE CAFE (MOROCCO)

Ok, so I’m going out on a limb with this pick, as my goal is to deter you from making a choice based on hunger vs quality.

I’ve already shared that China has poor food, so Lotus Blossom Cafe isn’t worth the visit, but most guests won’t visit there anyway.

Tangerine Cafe is a basic counter service restaurant without the added quality influence that we expect from the World Showcase. In fact, the big mistake from this location isn’t the food (per say), it’s actually in the service and the fact that things never change.

In fact, I just ate at this location in June ’19, and half-way through the meal…realized that I had made a huge mistake based on the fact that I was starving and forgot that I was a hop-skip-and-jump to the France pavilion.


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LET’S RANK THE EPCOT TABLE SERVICE RESTAURANTS

  1. The Garden Grill (The Land)
  2. Teppan Edo (Japan)
  3. Via Napoli (Italy)
  4. Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canada)
  5. Spice Road Table (Morocco)
  6. Tokyo Dining (Japan)
  7. Coral Reef (The Seas)
  8. Monsieur Paul (France)
  9. La Hacienda de San Angel (Mexico)
  10. Biergarten (Germany)
  11. Tutto Italia (Italy)
  12. Rose & Crown (UK)
  13. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Norway)
  14. Chefs de France (France)
  15. Restaurant Marrakesh (Morocco)
  16. San Angel Inn (Mexico)
  17. Nine Dragons (China)

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RANKING THE EPCOT QUICK SERVICE LOCATIONS

*Please Note* I’m looking at locations where we can get a full meal. There’s another list for snacks:)

  1. Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie (France)
  2. Regal Eagle BBQ Smokehouse (USA)
  3. Sunshine Seasons (The Land)
  4. Yorkshire County Fish Shop (UK)
  5. Regal Eagle BBQ (USA)
  6. Kringla Bakeri og Kafe (Norway)
  7. Connections Cafe (Future World)
  8. Kasura Grill (Japan)
  9. Sommerfest (Germany)
  10. La Cantina de San Angel (Mexico)
  11. Tangierine Cafe (Morocco)
  12. Lotus Blossom Cafe (China)

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RANKING THE SNACK / LIGHT MEAL OPTIONS AT THE EPCOT

  1. Karamell-Kuche (Germany) – Caramel Goodness
  2. L’Artisan des Glaces (France)
  3. Funnel Cakes (USA)
  4. Beverage Stand (Japan)
  5. Morocco Coffee & Pastries (Morocco)
  6. Crepes des Chefs de France (France)
  7. Kabuki Cafe

What do you think about my choices? Is there something that I should consider on a future list? Let me know!

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