The Walt Disney Company sustains a well-earned reputation as a control freak of a corporation. The Disney team didn’t get to the top of the branding empire by letting anybody else do the heavy lifting. Over the years, they’ve only grudgingly utilized non-Disney properties on attractions.
Similarly, almost all of the restaurants at theme parks are Disney-owned and operated. A few exceptions exist, though. Let’s talk about the 13 best non-Disney restaurants on the Disney campus.
13. Maria and Enzo’s Ristorante
Image: DisneyIn an odd coincidence, three of the eateries on this list are Italian joints, ones run by the Patina Group. Disney trusts this organization so much that Patina also caters private events at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. And if that name sounds familiar to Top Chefs, the late Fatima Ali, one of the most popular contestants ever, proudly hailed from the Patina Group. They’re good.
Maria and Enzo’s Ristorante, on the other hand, is just okay. It opened to much fanfare a couple of years ago, only for folks to realize that it’s a series of three restaurants with no solid hook.
Pizza Ponte and Enzo’s Hideaway are just a pizza joint and glorified bar, while the Ristorante serves traditional Sicilian protein dishes slathered in sauces. The food is fine in a pinch, and the 1930s airline terminal theming is terrific. It’s just not a place that excites anyone. Speaking of which…
12. Rainforest Café
Image: DisneyBelieve it or not, there’s a good Rainforest Café and a bad one. According to review sites like TripAdvisor, the Disney Springs Rainforest Café is inferior to the one at the entrance to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I’m not quite sure how, as I’m a firm believer in a simple philosophy. If you’ve eaten at one Rainforest Café, you’ve eaten at all of them. But if you have to pick just one at Disney, head to Animal Kingdom!
11. STK Orlando
Image: DisneyThe STK Steakhouse franchise enjoys a stellar reputation in New York and (especially) Las Vegas. The perception of this place elevates it in the eyes of consumers, which may actively work against it at Disney Springs.
The reviews here are the opposite of glowing, although everyone raves about the steaks. The concern is whether the steakhouse’s value is in line with its prices. Presuming that money is no object, you’ll love The ONE Group’s stylish, ultra-modern décor and carnivore-worthy menu.
10. The Edison
Image: DisneyTwo nightclubs are worthy of mention in the best non-Disney restaurants discussion. The Edison is actually my favorite of the two, but the consensus opinion is clearly against me. What do I love about The Edison? It’s a steampunk nightclub with an eclectic menu. While I watch contortionists twist in the air, I can snack on the Patina Group’s decadent candied bacon and glow-drink life’s problems away. It’s easily the best original nightclub at Disney Springs.
9. House of Blues
Image: DisneyHowever, Disney Springs exists for tourists. And many of them prefer the comfort of the known over the illicit dangers of the unknown. For this reason, the nightclub and restaurant, House of Blues, does exceptionally well due to its combination of live music and remarkably good food.
No, I’m not joking. This place actually possesses slightly better reviews than ‘Ohana on TripAdvisor. The Gospel Brunch is especially entertaining for those of you visiting on Sunday. One final weird fact: House of Blues is a Live Nation Entertainment property.
8. Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
Image: DisneyThe middle child of Patina Group’s Italian trifecta is Via Napoli, an extremely popular pizza place at Epcot’s Italy pavilion. This restaurant embraces its roots and history with a clever three-faced oven named after active volcanoes. Mount Etna, Mount Stromboli, and Mount Vesuvius will slow-cook your pie to a perfect temperature, giving it a crisp crust along with mouth-watering melted cheese. It’s seriously the best cheese I’ve ever eaten on a pizza and proof that the rest of this list is incredibly strong.
7. Tutto Italia Ristorante
Image: DisneyThe fourth and final Patina Group restaurant is Via Napoli’s more heralded twin. While everyone loves a good slice, Italian cuisine covers so much more. At Tutto Italia, you’ll discover the very best of it, along with a wine list that will dazzle you with its depth and quality. I strongly suspect that the reason why Maria and Enzo’s seems so bland is that it came after Tutto Italia, which had already perfected the craft of Sicilian dishes.
6. T-REX Café
Image: DisneyLandry’s Inc. has grown in reputation in recent years, at least partly because its CEO, Tillman Fertitta, has developed something of a cult following. He’s become the owner of the Houston Rockets and the star of a reality show, Billionaire Buyer. More importantly, Fertitta has earned a much-deserved reputation as a quality control freak. Anything with the Landry’s name on it had better embody excellence.
I absolutely believe that’s true at Walt Disney World. Landry’s operates four different locations, and three of them claim a spot in the top half of the list. Sorry, Rainforest Café. As much as I love the Patina Group, Landry’s is demonstrably better, at least in Orlando.
T-REX Café is the silliest of these offerings. It’s a child-friendly location that relives the destruction of the dinosaurs every 20 minutes. The ground shakes, as the ceiling turns into a laser lights show that ends poorly for Team Jurassic. And what I like best about this place is that it features one of the most robust menus at Disney Springs.
5. Morimoto Asia
Image: DisneyI loved Iron Chef back in the day, and I’m talking about the Japanese version, not the less cheesy American one. Oddly, both programs starred one Masaharu Morimoto, whose decidedly Asian fusion became a staple of his New York restaurants.
Eventually, the Iron Chef became a celebrity chef, and Disney persuaded him to open a place in Orlando, one that he visits often. The cuisine here packs a wallop into small bites and is clearly the best of its kind at Walt Disney World. Even allowing for the fact that the Japan pavilion is a foodie’s dream, Morimoto Asia is still better.
4. Todd English’s bluezoo
Image: DisneySpeaking of Iron Chefs, Todd English once appeared as one on a short-lived version of the show hosted by – I swear to you – William Shatner. He’s perhaps best known as one of the first celebrity chefs to sell out and hock his wares on QVC. And you’ve probably tasted some of his recipes whether you realize it or not. He designs the menus for Delta Airlines flights.
Todd English’s bluezoo is an upscale eatery at the Walt Disney Dolphin Hotel. It’s a luxurious setting with an understated blue backdrop that reinforces the subtle theme. It’s a fish place, and the titular bluezoo references an aquarium. The food here is sublime; bluezoo is a place where foodies simply must dine at some point during their lives. It’s one of the true unsung masterpieces of Disney dining.
3. The BOATHOUSE
Image: DisneyLandry’s claims two of the top three spots on this list, but the company doesn’t win. Instead, it takes the silver and the bronze in a heated competition. Yes, I love all of the restaurants in the top six, but picking the best of them is an impossible decision. At one point or another, I ranked everything in the top three as the best non-Disney restaurant. Alas, something had to give.
The BOATHOUSE stands out as my favorite Signature restaurant at Walt Disney World. What I love about it is the selection. Its menu seems so comprehensive that I can eat here when I want a burger and a $50 dining experience for two. Alternately, I can go to the other extreme and buy one of the most delightful romantic meals at Walt Disney World for…slightly more than $50.
The cuisine covers all the bases. Steaks, fish, sandwiches, a raw bar, and a seemingly endless dessert menu guarantee that you’ll get more than your fill here.
2. Yak & Yeti
Image: DisneyWhen I’m at Walt Disney World, I’m ordinarily with friends, which means that I’ve witnessed the same cycle unfold on several occasions. First-time diners will skeptically arrive at Yak & Yeti, which resides in the Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They’ll warily eye the menu, wondering whether they’ll find anything good to eat.
Meanwhile, an exceptional server – and they’re all exceptional at Yak & Yeti – will patiently recommend a few favorites. A few minutes later, the appetizers will arrive. After a couple of bites of Pork Pot Stickers and Ahi Tuna Nashos, everyone’s shaking with glee over their food discovery.
The food at Yak & Yeti is legitimately in the conversation for best on the Disney campus. As great as Landry’s is, this restaurant is their pinnacle. If I liked Asia food more, I’d pick it to win. But I’m a steak guy…
1. Shula’s Steak House
Image: DisneyAccording to TripAdvisor, the city of Orlando features 2,932 restaurants. Out of that entire list, Shula’s Steak House claims 22nd at the time of publication. It’s in the 99th percentile of Orlando cuisine. In fact, here’s the full list of Walt Disney World restaurants currently ranked ahead of it: Victoria & Albert’s. That’s it. That’s the list.
Now, part of that is because residents in the state of Florida are legally precluded from speaking ill of anything related to Don Shula, the retired Hall of Fame coach of the Miami Dolphins. But the other part is that Shula’s Steak House has become the greatest steakhouse chain in the south. The remarkable part of that statement is that there are only eight on them in existence, but the franchise’s reputation is that strong.
This particular location is also at the Swan & Dolphin. Its theme is the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only undefeated team in NFL history. When you dine here, your “menu” is a hand-painted football. It’s kind of obnoxious and also kind of cool. But you’ll forget about it quickly.
You’re here for the steak, and the porterhouses are the tastiest you’ll ever eat. While STK receives criticism for not being worth the price, few people would make that claim of Shula’s Steak House. Its reviews indicate an absolutely euphoric group of satisfied customers who fantasize about their next trip to the best steakhouse at Disney.
While the battle is fierce, Shula’s Steak House rightfully claims the title of Best Non-Disney Restaurant at Walt Disney World.
