A visit to EPCOT is undoubtedly one of the most unique theme park experiences that Walt Disney World offers its guests. With so many attractions that celebrate the development and advancement of technology and cultures around the world, Walt Disney’s vision for a community of the great things in the future now has quickly become a premier spot for guests on a Disney vacation. Much like at every theme park, we love to eat food at them which is what has lead to us writing this article on the Best Quick Service at EPCOT.
And it so happens that EPCOT is our favorite park for dining at Walt Disney World. From the many, many snack options, to the international flare you can find at the table and counter service restaurants throughout World Showcase, to the flavorful bites that are available at the food booths during one of the four festivals every year (Festival of the Arts, Flower and Garden Festival, Food and Wine Festival, and Festival of the Holidays), EPCOT has enough food that both the pickiest and most adventurous of eaters will have something for their palate to enjoy.
Which then begs the question, with all of that food, what are the best quick service restaurant in EPCOT? Well, we have taken it upon ourselves to sample the wares that the eateries all around EPCOT have to offer, and below we will set out to answer that question for you. Our goal is to provide you with some great quick service options for when you’re hungry and looking for the best EPCOT restaurants.
First, what are “quick or counter service restaurants”? For those new to Disney, a quick or counter service restaurant is Disney’s version of “fast food”. Essentially, you will approach a Cast Member that will take your order and accept your payment, then you will proceed to the “counter” to pick up your food and drink. After you grab your food, you can then find a table to sit at and enjoy all that this eatery has to offer.
Now, don’t confuse these restaurants with the type of food that you would get at your typical fast food joint in your hometown. Sure, there are places like the Electric Umbrella where you can get typical theme park food, but there are many eateries that serve delicious international cuisine.
All of the best quick service at EPCOT dining options we mention here accept the Disney Dining Plan, and all meals would be one credit on the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan where you will get an entree, dessert, and drink (alcoholic and specialty drinks are an option where available). With the quality of food that these quick service restaurants in EPCOT provide, and the price point that they are at, we believe that they are also a great value for your Dining Plan credit.
When talking about the best quick service at EPCOT, you can’t not think about the World Showcase. The World Showcase, an eleven-country walking tour that circulates around the perimeter of the World Showcase Lagoon at the back of the park is a major asset and unique aspect to EPCOT. Each country’s pavilion offers different highlights including the best of landscape, culture, shopping and of course cuisine.
During your visit to EPCOT, you will definitely want to venture out of what might be your eating comfort zone and sample some of these amazing flavors. Throughout the park, as we mentioned earlier, there are different dining options, including lots of counter service restaurants. Each country (except for Canada) has an option where you can grab a savory bite for lunch or dinner.
If you like to try new, exotic dishes from around the world or are looking for traditional American fare, here are our choices for the top quick service restaurants in EPCOT.
If you enter the World Showcase from the left, your first country to visit is Mexico! After you take a ride on the Gran Fiesta Tour with the Three Caballeros, you’re probably hungry as it is most likely lunch time. So, it would be a perfect time to cross back over the path to enjoy some traditional Mexican favorites offered at La Cantina de San Angel. La Cantina de San Angel is a top choice due to its extensive menu of generous portions, including tacos (fish, chicken or beef), empanadas con queso, nachos, tortilla chips with guacamole, dinner salads and more.
La Cantina de San Angel also offers both traditional Mexican and American favorites for the kids. Add an order of churros for dessert, and compliment your meal with a wide selection of margaritas and draft beers. And as if the food alone was not reason enough to make La Cantina de San Angel one of the best quick service options when visiting Epcot, the dining area also offers a beautiful view of the World Showcase Lagoon, an especially great setting during the early evening hours.
If you are lucky enough to grab one of the tables by the rail, you will get a front row seat for EPCOT’s nighttime spectacular. The combination of the food and the views makes it in just about any best quick service at EPCOT list but one of the most beautiful options as well.
The UK gets a bad rap when it comes to food so you may be surprised to see it in our best quick service at EPCOT list but if you are looking for an option that defines the ideal grab-and-go selection, but still offers a bit of diversity from the norm of other Disney quick service offerings, you must stop at Yorkshire County Fish Shop.
Located in conjunction with The Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room, the United Kingdom’s table service restaurant in the World Showcase, Yorkshire County Fish Shop only has one item on their menu, the Fish and Chips. And that’s ok! They understand that if you are going to ONLY serve Fish and Chips, you need it to be perfect each and every time (and the folks here have hit the nail on the head).
The Fish and Chips from Yorkshire County stand alone as one of the best quick service meals throughout the park. Paired with a tasty draft beer (our favorite is the Snakebite, a combination of lager and hard cider), and a piece of Victoria Sponge Cake for dessert, this meal will more than satisfy. The Yorkshire County Fish Shop is also conveniently located near the walking path to the International Gateway, providing a top quick service option for dining before exiting the park if you are staying at any of the EPCOT resorts, or if you need something to nosh on as you take the walk or Friendship Boat to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The hectic schedule of trying to hop from fastpass to fastpass and quickly moving from attraction to attraction throughout EPCOT can be a physically and mentally exhausting adventure. Allow yourself to make your dining times relaxed and enjoyable. One of the best quick service at EPCOT options that will create a calm and peaceful experience for you is the Katsura Grill located in the Japan Pavilion in the World Showcase.
Set up on the hilltop next to the Japanese market, the patio dining area creates a transcendent atmosphere, not easily interrupted by the noise of nearby crowds. Katsura Grill offers quality Japanese cuisine and Sushi, featuring Shrimp and Chicken Teriyaki, Chicken Cutlet Curry, Shrimp Tempura, and Beef Udon. Additional items include Tonkotsu Ramen, and various traditional sides like Miso Soup, edamame and steamed rice.
Bring your meal together with Draft Beer, Sake, or Plum wine, and complete the experience with Green Tea Cheesecake or Azuki Strawberry Ice Cream for dessert. Enjoy the moment, and peacefully experience all that this amazing dining option has to offer.
Within The Land Pavilion there are two dining options. The first one is the Garden Grill, a table service restaurant that is built on a large rotating circular floor that overlooks scenes throughout the Living With The Land boat ride and tour.
The other is a quick service option, Sunshine Seasons. This family friendly eatery offers various quick service meals and snacks in a cafeteria style setting on the lower level of the Pavilion (next to Soarin’ and Living With The Land). With so many fresh selections to choose from, Sunshine Seasons is definitely a place for families or groups with many different taste preferences to all be able to find something they like. This is not only one of the best quick service at EPCOT options but it’s sort of a hidden gem because it’s never that busy and it has fantastic food options.
Sunshine Seasons offers many breakfast, lunch, and dinner entree selections for a complete meal option with a counter service price and atmosphere. For breakfast, you can choose from a Breakfast Platter, French Toast, wraps and sandwiches, and overnight oats. There is only a kids breakfast platter for the wee ones, but Sunshine Seasons offers items like fruit and yogurt that can help satisfy the hunger in your kiddos. The lunch and dinner menu are the same at Sunshine Seasons.
From Rotisserie Chicken to Mongolian Beef, this large quick service eatery also has grilled and delicatessen sandwiches on the menu, as well as fresh salads, hot soups and chowders, and a nice selection of desserts to complete your meal. For the kids, Sunshine Seasons has a great variety of options, from pizza to salmon. Even though we are recommending it as a best quick service dining option at Epcot, Sunshine Seasons also offers enough lighter fare items to use with snack credits. And since the “The Land” exhibit is indoors, comfortable seating in the air-conditioned dining room is an added plus to this great dining location.
The only thing that you may find not the “best” is the volume here, it is very loud. Being set in between two attractions and being indoors, this eatery sees a lot of people and that can lead to it being loud. So, if you are looking for a place to have a quiet meal, this may not be the right fit. However, if you want some quality food and you are in the Future World part of EPCOT, you can’t get better than Sunshine Seasons.
One of EPCOT’s most exquisite dining choices, the Tangierine Cafe is quickly becoming one of the best quick service at EPCOT options and one of the most popular. This Mediterranean themed counter service option located in the Morocco Pavilion offers flavorful dishes including the widely popular Shawarma Platters. Other entrees featured here include the wraps (chicken, lamb, kefta or falafel), the Mediterraneal Sliders Combo, and an amazing Vegetable platter complete with Hummus and Tabouleh (an essential Mediterranean chopped garden vegetable side), Lentils, Falafel, and Marinated Olives.
The kids menu at Tangierine Café does not offer any flavors that you will see on the “adult” menu, it sticks to the basics. Kids can choose from either a hamburger or chicken tenders. So, if your kids are more adventurous eaters, you may need to splurge on an “adult” meal for them. Or, share, as that will allow you to try more of the fabulous food EPCOT has to offer. Those who like an extra kick of spiciness to their fare and are more adventurous eaters, or someone who simply wants to step out of their comfort zone a bit will really enjoy the quick service options at the Tangierine Cafe at Epcot.
You might remember us talking about the school bread at Kringla Bakeri og Cafe in our Best Snacks at EPCOT article (if you haven’t, go read it now). For what most people think of simply as a pastry shop, and yes, their pastries are good (hence the school bread making our best snacks list), but they offer some very good and unique options that makes this a great option to grab a quick sandwich and dessert – we really love the Ham and Apple Sandwich.
This sweet and savory sandwich starts with ham, apple and Muenster and Jarlsberg cheeses, then is topped off with an apple chutney, all on hearty toasted bread. All said and done, it ends up being like a fantastic grilled cheese with ham and apple. And you can’t go wrong with grilled cheese, right?
It’s difficult to narrow down the “best quick service at EPCOT” when there are so many wonderful choices throughout Future World, and of course World Showcase! To be fair, each country has many great food items to try, with additional honorable mentions going to the Lotus Blossom Cafe in China, and the Taglio Counter Service Window at Via Napoli in Italy. There are also some other great quick service options, like the Electric Umbrella, in Future World that offers the traditional park favorites like chicken fingers, burgers, sandwiches, and french fries.
Whatever you choose, there are many quick service options presented before you, giving you great variety, and allowing everyone in your travel party to find something that will please their taste buds. So, when planning your perfect Disney day, do not forget all of the best quick service at EPCOT restaurants out there.
If you enjoyed this best quick service at EPCOT article then you should be sure to check out our article about the best snacks at Epcot or our article about the best snack options at Hollywood Studios.
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