Top 10 EPCOT Counter Service Restaurants
This post ranks the best & worst quick service restaurants in EPCOT at Walt Disney World, including both World Showcase and Future World. These counter service rankings are best on overall quality, with factors such as quality, uniqueness, menu variety, and more all taken into account. (Updated July 15, 2023.)
EPCOT has long been regarded as one of the best dining options at Walt Disney World, with World Showcase in particular viewed as a culinary highlight. From the table service restaurant lineup to the snack spots, bakeries, and food booths that always seem to be around thanks to the near-omnipresent festivals, EPCOT has a rich and diverse dining scene.
It thus might come as a surprise that we view EPCOT as having a somewhat weak counter service lineup. Don’t get us wrong–the top picks here are solid, as are a few middle of the pack ones. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of good counter service options here that have “full” menus as compared to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, or Hollywood Studios.
All in all, EPCOT is a fairly straightforward park when it comes to counter service. The good choices are undeniably good–but often basic–and the rest is varying degrees of decent–but with some standout menu items. There are a couple of surprises, particularly with restaurants that have improved in recent years.
It is also worth noting that most of the options in World Showcase are highly dependent upon what you think of a particular regional cuisine. Namely, if you don’t like it at all, you likely won’t like its EPCOT counterpart, and if you are used to highly authentic versions of a particular cuisine, you might find the EPCOT versions overly Americanized or bland.
Let’s get started with the EPCOT counter service rankings…
T10. Lotus Blossom Cafe – A lot of people might describe Lotus Blossom Cafe as generic mall food court Chinese cuisine. While I don’t necessarily disagree with the mall food court assessment–Lotus Blossom is pretty Americanized–that doesn’t necessarily make it bad. Just go in with proper expectations, and you won’t be (too) disappointed.
My pick here is the orange chicken. Pretty basic pick for a pretty basic place.
T10. Sommerfest – Tucked away in the Germany pavilion back by Biergarten, Sommerfest only ranks this low because of its minimalist menu. Here, the main entrees (brats and pretzels) are fine, but it’s the dessert that stand out.
My go-to picks are the Nudel Gratin (when available) and Pretzel Bread Pudding. Between the two, you’re getting a nice mix of savory and sweet, plus rich and decadent. It’s not a full meal, but the two work nicely as a hearty and shareable snack!
9. Kringla Bakeri og Kafe – The “mascot” of this place is a crown-wearing pretzel. That says it all about the greatness of Kringla, which is one of the best bakeries at Walt Disney World. It has unique sandwiches that offer a unique flavor of Norway alongside some of the absolute best snacks at EPCOT–or anywhere at Walt Disney World.
Kringla’s claim to fame is School Bread, which could probably be elected to public office among Disney fans. School Bread is great, but it overshadows some of the other great desserts at Kringla. Unfortunately, Kringla drops with our latest update as the menu remains scaled back and missing the substantive options. You really can’t do a proper meal here right now, but Kringla still deserves recognition–and a pit stop for sweet treats.
8. Yorkshire County Fish Shop – I used to think Yorkshire County Fish Shop was just ordinary fish & chips. However, I’ve eaten here several times in the last few years and have been impressed. It’s now much easier to see why this has a fan-following among Walt Disney World diehards.
If you get lucky and have fish with crisp batter that’s fresh out of the fryer, with just the right amount of greasiness (call it “lightly moist” if you will), Yorkshire County Fish Shop is tough to beat. The only reason this place is in the #8 slot instead of a much better position is because fish & chips is pretty much all they serve. If you are a fan of fish & chips, this place instantly jumps to at least the #5 slot, maybe as high as #3.
7. Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie –Â Les Halles manages to rank highly because it has very solid sandwiches along with wonderfully flaky pastries and sweet desserts that make for a decadent 50/50 savory/sweets meal.
On vacation, I fully embrace the idea of a meal that is in large part dessert, and Les Halles delivers a “balanced” diet in that regard. Your mileage may vary here, though. Les Halles is also a great option for “filler,” with the bread being among the menu highlights.
6. La Cantina de San Angel – This is a Sarah pick, and is her favorite restaurant in World Showcase. At La Cantina de San Angel, the best option is far and away the rice bowl, followed by the nachos. Those are both great picks that are tasty, relatively filling, refreshing, and somewhat healthy (or at least well-rounded) by Walt Disney World standards.
My main complaint about La Cantina de San Angel is that it seems the portion sizes are small on just about everything else and, despite that, the prices are high. I’ve ordered all of the various tacos, and have left hungry even after spending $15. That’s hard to justify for Mexican cuisine that is good, but not great. The final selling point of La Cantina de San Angel is the waterside tables, but often, those are completely full (on several occasions, we’ve eaten outside the seating area on a random walkway hovering over a trash can).
5. Sunshine Seasons – Sunshine Seasons used to be better, but it still offers decent variety and a few standout entrees. There’s something for everyone here, with each of the stations having at least one ambitious option. This same “used to be better, but still good” sentiment holds true at the bakery, sadly. It also doesn’t help that Sunshine Seasons regularly closes before dinner now.
The other place where Sunshine Seasons falters is that seating area, which has a mall food court vibe that can’t compete with the serenity of being outdoors. We rotate among a few entrees here, but one thing I always get–and highly recommend–is adding a side of the amazing mashed potatoes (you can substitute the standard side with any entree for these, or add them on).
4. Connections Cafe & Eatery – The newest restaurant at EPCOT is where World Showcase meets World Celebration (previously Future World) as the park’s crowd-pleasing high-capacity restaurant with international inspiration. That’s more or less the story of Connections Cafe; you’ll find something for everyone here, including those who want cuisine that’s just a bit more ambitious than standard theme park fare. You will not, however, find truly ambitious or envelope-pushing food. Connections Cafe has international inspiration, not anything that’s actually exotic.
That’s the best way to view Connections Cafe & Eatery is best viewed in a certain light. If you’re in this area of the park, wanting to rest and recharge after Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Test Track, it won’t let you down. The space is inviting enough and the menu has some options that pleasantly surprise. Connections Cafe & Eatery is a colossal improvement over what it replaced (Electric Umbrella), but it’s still pretty basic. Like so many things in life and at Walt Disney World, it’s all a matter of perspective and expectations with Connections Cafe & Eatery.
3. Katsura Grill – This might seem like a surprise pick, and maybe it is. Katsura Grill is sort of like the Tony Gwynn of counter service restaurants; if you were to start ranking players, Tony Gwynn might be one easily forgotten because he wasn’t all that flashy, but he was consistent.
Katsura Grill is the same way. It doesn’t have any entrees that really wow, but almost everything is at least good, whereas just about every restaurant on the first half of the list has 1-2 standout items, and several duds (save for the bakeries). The combos offer good variety and value for money, and the sushi is fairly good, too. This isn’t a restaurant that will wow you, so if a specific menu item on one of the lower restaurants “speaks to you,” go for that, but Katsura Grill is consistent.
2. Regal Eagle Smokehouse – It’s a very similar story here as Connections Cafe & Eatery. Regal Eagle Smokehouse is the new BBQ joint in the American Adventure, and it’s the crowd-pleaser. The key differences are that it’s on literally the opposite end of the park as Connections, and that the food is decidedly American. (For the most part, the same could be said of Connections, but this is themed American cuisine!)
At Regal Eagle Smokehouse, you’ll find a variety of different meats cooked to perfection, plus comfort food sides, and craft drafts. Perhaps surprisingly, there are solid plant-based options and a refreshing salad at Regal Eagle. For picky eaters or anyone wanting comfort food, it’s an oasis in World Showcase. While Regal Eagle is not the elite barbecue restaurant at Walt Disney World, it’s good–and a solid choice if your party can’t agree on anything else.
1. Festival Food – On the prior iteration of these rankings, the top slot was held by Tangierine Cafe. That spot technically still exists, but now as the Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of Medina festival food “booth.” Exact same location, but with smaller portions and not always open. Still pretty much as good as ever.
We debated keeping Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of Medina as the #1 ranking. After all, it is better than everything else on this list, and you can make a proper meal out of the food here. But that got us thinking. If the new-look Tangierine Cafe is eligible, why not other festival booths, many of which we’d rank above Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of Medina?
Since the goal of this list is practical recommendations for where to eat in EPCOT for a quick meal, we’re going to do exactly that and expand eligibility to the festival booths. Because why not?! Technically, these serve food from a counter, and many have as robust of menus as some of the permanent quick-service restaurants in EPCOT. It would be downright irresponsible of us to direct you to dine at an actual counter service restaurant when EPCOT is home to so much great festival food.
Specific recommendations for booths are beyond the scope of this post–we’d refer you to our guides for each event and date ranges:
- EPCOT Food & Wine Festival – July 27, 2023 through mid-November
- EPCOT Festival of the Holidays – Black Friday through December 30, 2023
- EPCOT Festival of the Arts – Mid-January 2024 through Presidents’ Day (anticipated)
- EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival – March through Independence Day (anticipated)
With that said, our quick hit advice would be that typically the best booths among those in World Showcase can be found in France and Canada at every single festival. Typically, the more exotic–the better (Morocco, India and Kenya are all highlights at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival).
Booths that are based on familiar foreign cuisine usually underwhelm (Italy is always awful; China, Japan, and Mexico are usually a mixed bag). European comfort food booths are typically exactly what you’d expect (Germany, Alps, Ireland, Belgium are reliable). Greece, Australia and Hawaii are usually good to great.
The highest highs and the lowest lows can be found in the booths that are based on concepts rather than countries. Quite often, the names are dead giveaways. Is anyone expecting anything ambitious from booths with references to french fries, doughnuts, or chicken wings right in the name? If so, you’re going to be disappointed.
By contrast, booths like Flavors from Fire, BRUNCHCOT, Craftsman’s Courtyard, Coastal Eats, Honey Bee-stro, Florida Fresh, EPCOT Farmers Feast, Citrus Blossom, Char & Chop, Wine & Wedge are all typically more ambitious. Hopefully, you get the idea. The name is often a signal of ambitiousness and, by extension, quality.
During EPCOT festival season, most of our ‘meals’ are at these booths. Our most common strategy is to stop at 3-4 adjacent food booths in the World Celebration (former Future World) area, as that’s typically the area of EPCOT with the highest-density of good to great booths.
Obviously, quality changes with each event and year-to-year. You won’t find all of the aforementioned booths at every single EPCOT event, either. So if you want more thorough and detailed reviews (or food photos), see those guides and our booth reviews.
Cutting through all of this, if you’re a first time visitor to Walt Disney World, all you really need to do are examine the top 5 to determine which is for you. The rest of the list is better for repeat guests looking to try something new, or finding spots to grab a single snack or entree item. In that case, a case can really be made for any of these restaurants depending upon your preference, save for maybe the options in Mexico and China.
Really, though, this list only tells part of the story about dining in EPCOT. Such a big part of the culinary experience is in the grazing and drinking, and you could go two full days in the park without ever eating in a counter service restaurant. Generally speaking, we’re much bigger fans of EPCOT’s table service restaurants, and we also love snacking and sampling the festival food.
From the great bakeries to ice cream to savory snacks at the festival kiosks, EPCOT is great for grazing! It can be costly, but it’s an experience unto itself, and is a great way to supplement smaller or shared meals at these counter service locations. If you’re thinking of going the grazing route, be sure to also check out our Guide to Snacking Around the World at EPCOT. Likewise, for booze, read our Drinking Around the World at EPCOT Tips & Tricks.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Which EPCOT counter service restaurant is your favorite? Do you prefer doing a dedicated quick-service meal, or grazing the festival food and snack spots around World Celebration and World Showcase? Have you dined at any of the restaurants on this list? Which did you like and dislike? Any spots we snubbed, ranked too highly or too lowly? Do you agree or disagree with our rankings? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I think Sommerfest should totally have made the list! It’s one of my favorites, and I also add that Germany is one solid food pavilion in Epcot… I’ve loved both restaurants and I always tell people to go there in some capacity! I was there with my mom on Mother’s day in 2012, and I never would have gone that direction if she hadn’t said she wanted a “Brat and a beer” for Mother’s day, haha!
I also have to add that I was severely disappointed with La Hacienda de San Angel (food AND service-wise… we noted it was our honeymoon and they sat us in a dark corner with a booger-covered wall, next to 8 toddlers, waiting on service for 30 minutes), so I’m guessing the mid-priced restaurant is the only way to go in that area.
On our last trip(1/16/2015) we reluctantly, extra hours night, it was the only place available before the park closed, ate at the Electric Umbrella. I was the driving force for the hesitation having eaten there w/husband & then young son many years ago….not good. W/trays in hand we sat down & WOW, food was quite good. I had a bacon chzburger-real tasty. My cousin had the chicken-good eats & her adult daughter(a selective eater)had the flatbread combo & was thrilled w/it. Definitely will be a choice in the future!
See, everyone else reading this, I’m not *totally* crazy!
I enjoyed the Yorkshire Fish & Chips on our last visit, but actually being from Yorkshire in the U.K. I was somewhat surprised that the fish served is neither haddock or cod (which are staples of English fish and chips). Instead they serve a quote “Sweet fish that tastes something like haddock.” With the additional honor of having the last name Ramsden, I was disappointed when the name Harry Ramsden’s was replaced by Yorkshire Fish & Chips. However, still a favorite.
Didn’t Rose & Crown replace Harry Ramsden’s? It’s been a while, so my memory could be fuzzy.
Really? I prefer Yorkshire’s (but then that’s where I’m from so maybe I’m a teensy bit biased ;-)). It is sad that the fish isn’t cod or haddock though. Don’t mess with perfection.
My family and I love epcot, but we never do quick service there. The table service is so wonderful that I can’t bring myself to “waste” a meal on a quick service place. We always do via Napoli and marrakesh, and we also had a great meal at rise and crown on our last trip. I’m planning on giving chefs de France a try on our next trip. I’m tempted by sunshine seasons, but, for now, I think we’re sticking with table service. Thanks for the great post!
Totally get what you mean…there’s some amazing counter service at Epcot that makes it tough to do counter service.
If you stop at Tangierine Café, have a Tangerine Espresso. This specialty coffee tastes great, and smells better. It’s just a shot of Espresso and a shot of Triple Sec, but it’s so good. I brought a cup of it outside to join my family already in the lineup for Aladdin and Jasmine (when they were outside the Moroccan Pavilion instead of inside), and the smell was such that about 5 people in the lineup around us asked what it was, and then all went inside to get one.
Wow! Thanks for the tip! I’m excited to try one!
My mistake, they call it a “Tangierine Coffee” (although it’s still an Espresso with Triple Sec.) It’s on the coffee bar menu for $6.99.
http://partythroughtheparks.squarespace.com/epcot/2010/3/24/morocco-tangierine-cafe.html
Thanks for the heads up!
Two sports references in one post! If Tony Gwynn is the Katsura (a good analogy, by the way), I’m assuming Sunshine Seasons would be Babe Ruth do to it’s versatility (he was a pitcher), strength, and being considered probably the best ever. Who would the Tangierine Cafe be?
Yes, I just want to find out which baseball player you consider to be the second best…
We’ll go with Ken Griffey Jr. A little bit of flash and a great “pure” talent.
I’m from Seattle, so I’m more than happy with this comparison.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Nice writing, you almost convinced me to try Electric Umbrella…. almost. 🙂
The shortbread was a packaged cookie in the UK when I last ate there. This looks in the picture like a change for the better; I’m sad to hear it’s not.
If I could
trickconvince even one person to go to Electric Umbrella, it would be worth it! 😉I’d add Tutto Gusto but I don’t think anyone would consider it a counter service though my wife and I walk to the bar, grab a drink and a few sandwiches and go out side so we have made it a counter service haha.
What do you have pictured with the Fish in the Fish and Chips picture? Doesn’t look like chips (fries) 🙂
It’s regular chips (fries). Or do you mean the shortbread on the left? Yeah, that’s not very good–don’t get it.
It was the shortbread… looking closer I see the fries underneath, sorry.
Never saw the shortbread there. I’m a “fish and chips” lover, so its a normal stop for us 🙂
My favorite quick-service meal at Epcot is the Lucky Combo at Joy of Tea – Combination of a Chinese BBQ Pork Bun, a Curry Chicken Pocket and an Egg Roll with a soft drink and Strawberry Red Bean Ice Cream for under 10$
Great flavors for a great price.
When you listed all of those things and then followed up with “for under $10” I didn’t believe you. (Sorry!) Really–I actually had to check a menu for confirmation. Wow…I can’t believe that price. That sounds like the ultimate dining value at Walt Disney World. Thanks for the heads up!
Absolutely agree with Sunshine Seasons as the top pick. It’s probably my top counter service location on property. Everything I’ve ever gotten there has been delicious and I appreciate the variety of options. I also like that you can get refills on your drinks, which is great for us because my husband drinks a lot of soda! I agree the decor isn’t anything special, but we always go during the slow times of year so its never chaotic. On the other end of your list, I actually enjoy La Cantina. I’ve gotten the beef tacos both times I’ve eaten there and quite enjoyed them. The churritos for dessert are also really good. I’m sure its fairly Americanized, but as someone from the Northern US, I don’t really have a taste for authentic Mexican food, so I like it! Seating by the water is nice, but you can also eat inside which can be preferable on a hot day.
I strongly agree with Chris above. Well said!! I also think it is distracting and frustrating to eat there and there are not enough cashiers open, even at the busiest time. My favorite for counter service in Epcot is the newly renovated France option. It’s bigger and they have enough help to keep the line moving. There are also some bargain choices such as the soup and baguette. Was just there 2 weeks ago and ate there twice. Awesome.
Oh gosh. I agree with a lot of your opinions, but I couldn’t disagree more with your opinion on Sunshine Seasons (and from these comments, it looks like I’m firmly in the minority!). Whenever I’m in Epcot with other people, I end up getting dragged there because it’s spotted as a ‘nice looking place’ with ‘OK food’.
Perhaps if Epcot were a park local to me, and I were not in the mood for something unusual, I’d go along with that. But it’s not. If I want a food court, I’d go to the local mall. Or the airport. In terms of food quality, I concur it’s decent. Possibly even ‘great’; I haven’t tried enough of the dishes to know the specialties. But I don’t much care; in terms of a themed experience that is special to Epcot, it falls way short.
Dining at Disney should be about way more than just the food quality… especially when those restaurants are within the gates. In fact, I would probably place food quality right at the bottom of the list — after theming (#1), CM interactions (#2) and efficiency (#3). If you’re herding five kids around, I could absolutely see the appeal; sacrificing a ‘Disney’ experience for convenience and the familiar. But just because somewhere offers decent food, and looks ‘OK’ (possibly even good!), doesn’t make it a themed experience.
I know it’s not comparing like-with-like, but take the ABC Commissary. The theming (and the ‘backstory’, which genuinely feels like it came first) helps to make it feel like a continuation of your theme park experience. By contrast, Sunshine Seasons feels like you’ve taken a break from your experience — you might as well have stepped outside the gates, got into your car, driven down the I4, and parked up at the nearest mall. And that’s despite ABCC having (by any standard) worse food and less “luxurious” décor.
The thing I love about the comments section here (really, the people participating) is that most responses are well-reasoned thoughts, rather than just “Idiot, you’re wrong, Sunshine Seasons is bad” without any explanation as to why.
I completely see your point, and while I don’t agree with you that it’s *that* bad (maybe it’s nostalgia, but I love sitting under those balloons, hearing the background music, and looking out to the load area for Living with the Land), you’ve presented a compelling, and supported argument.
My opinions are just that–opinions–so it’s always nice to get a different take, and especially useful as a different perspective for those planning a first-time visit to Walt Disney World.
I know that’s a bit of a tangent, but thanks. (And thanks to everyone who leaves comments like this!)
I’m in the category that it is just ok too, but I would say that part of the theme is that a lot of the food comes from the greenhouses in the back of the pavilion so I’d say it gets points for that.
The thing about Sunshine Seasons for anyone who has been going to WDW for a long time is, it used to be the only quick service place to eat which had a variety of food, not just burgers, chicken fingers, hot dogs, and pizza. I was so thrilled to see vegetables and fruit the first time I walked in there. The food has improved in all the parks over the years, so now there are more options, but I still really enjoy Sunshine Seasons.
Sunshine Seasons is my favorite counter service place in terms of food; it was my favorite meal during our last trip. I agree that the seating area leaves something to be desired. It can be a bit much when it’s crowded. Tangerine Cafe is so good, and Katsura has a great atmosphere. I can’t argue with any of your picks.
I’m curious about the Electric Umbrella. I stopped by there to get a milk for my daughter, and the menu looked more interesting than I expected. I wondered if it had gotten better. I do like the old Future World vibe to it. It reminds me a bit of the Stargate Restaurant from the early days.
I guess ambiance is in the eye of the beholder. Besides the view from upstairs, I’d describe Electric Umbrella as sort of rundown and a bad example of mid-1990s design.
In any case, yes, the food has gotten better. I’m sure the standard items like the basic burger and nuggets are still bad, but the unique stuff is solid. I can’t believe I’m writing this, but…Electric Umbrella is worth giving a try.
I love Sunshine Seasons! But it took me so long to try eating there just because that pavilion could use a serious update. Once I tried it though, I never looked back!
I just wish they’d bring that fountain back. Not holding my breath on that one, though…
I really liked my meal at Tangeriene, but I always wonder why it’s in Morocco. The food is Middle Eastern. That’s definitely the type of food I look for on a humid Florida afternoon. Everything is fresh and not too heavy. I go for the Vegetable platter, and I’m not vegetarian. It’s just a good combination of flavors.
My sleeper pick is Sommerfest. Currywurst, potato salad, and beer. Eating outside near the fountain is a great way to spend a little time just watching the crowds.
Sunshine Seasons is on my list of must dine places on my next trip.
I think it’s the case that all of the restaurants in Morocco pretty much mesh together North African/Middle Eastern/Mediterranean. Given Morocco’s location (in the real world), this isn’t too surprising, and something I think you also see happen at some real world restaurants of the same style.
We go to Seasons every time we go to Disney. I know it has a “food court” atmosphere but in the blazing hot summer I love that it is inside and air conditioned. (to my knowledge, the only food counter service in Epcot that is) And there is something about the music in there that I just find relaxing. The food there is fantastic and the pastries are amazing!!
Aren’t all of the locations that are inside air conditioned?
I do agree about that music, though. Late at night is best, as then the chaos to/from Soarin’ doesn’t drown it out! 🙂
Props for the Cheech and Chong reference.
I think I’ve made that same joke before when discussing some odd food combination at Walt Disney World, but really, it’s a joke that can never be overused!
It was the Pizza Burger at Cosmic Ray’s. I only know this because I just recently read that post after seeing it mentioned elsewhere. And frankly, I think it’s insulting to stoners to say they’d come up with that monstrosity. Ew.
That pizza burger was insulting to any living creature with a mouth.
My wife and I split a Chicken and Lamb Combo Shawarma Platter at the Tangierine Cafe almost every visit in exception to the food and wine festival because there is just too many others to try. The Tamu Tamu quick service at Animal Kingdom used to have a gyro type meal they served but now they have a, per their description, mild African-spiced Chicken Curry served over Jasmine Rice. It is great and now tied with the Shawarma at Tangierine as our go to fast food to share while at either park.
We have also split that same platter several times. We’ve yet to try Tamu Tamu, but thanks for bringing our attention to that new plate!
Totally agree on your top two…
I’ve only recently started eating at Sunshine Seasons, having been scared off by the terrible seating area. I bet it was fine pre-Soarin but with that area being the “waiting area” it always seems like it is chaos. Like tangerine cafe as well. Used to like the Mexican place but I haven’t enjoyed it as much since the remodel.
Check out the top photo in this post: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/land-epcot-vintage-photos/
Yeah, it used to be a lot nicer in that seating area!