Review: ABC Commissary’s All-Star Menu
Menu changes are a fact of life at Walt Disney World. You should never get too attached to an entree, dessert, or snack, as they could be gone by your next trip. Save for some iconic OG items, this is especially true at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where menus change with the wind.
No restaurant at Walt Disney World exemplifies this more than ABC Commissary. This blog has now been around for a decade, and prior to this, we had reviewed ABC Commissary only once, early on in that run. In the years since, we haven’t ignored ABC Commissary because it’s boring. To the contrary, we’ve done many meals here despite it being boring. In various updates and unrelated posts, we’ve teased of reviews to come once we did another meal there to “sample more of the new menu.”
Those words seem to be the kiss of death for ABC Commissary’s menus, all but ensuring another change in the very near future. Most recently, this happened when we shared preliminary thoughts on the “shockingly delicious” new breakfast at ABC Commissary. A week later, Walt Disney World closed. Coincidence? We sure hope so, otherwise this review is really tempting fate…
Joking aside, ABC Commissary has had an absurd number of menu changes in the last several years. This is not altogether uncommon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as the park tweaked a lot of its food and beverage offerings during its multi-year overhaul and debut months of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. During that time, ABC Commissary was a test kitchen of sorts.
Even by DHS standards, ABC Commissary has switched things up a lot. It wasn’t just entrees, but concepts, that were tested. For a while, ABC Commissary offered a fast-casual, quasi-table service dinner that required Advance Dining Reservations–similar to Be Our Guest Restaurant’s previous lunch service. During that window, ABC Commissary was briefly one of the best uses of Disney Dining Plan credits at Walt Disney World.
In addition to menu and concept changes, ABC Commissary also received an aesthetic refresh. This entailed a fresh coat of paint outside, new carpeting, updated tables and upholstery, and a self-service drink station.
None of these are brand new development. However, since ABC Commissary is largely ignored by Walt Disney World fans and blogs like this one, we figured it’s worth a quick recap to bring you up to speed.
ABC Commissary features an Art Deco-inspired interior, film posters, and ABC television show props on display. I’m guessing these are still regularly-updated because we didn’t recognize any of the TV shows, which makes sense given that we haven’t watched an ABC sitcom since Modern Family.
ABC Commissary would be a thematically weak restaurant anywhere in Walt Disney World. In DHS, a park where restaurants burst with personality, creativity, and stellar ambiance, it’s downright dull. Every park has its utilitarian eatery, and ABC Commissary serves that role at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a shortage of dining options, with ADRs regularly filling up months in advance for Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater and 50’s Prime Time Cafe. Counter service spots are often slammed at lunch.
At lunch, it’s not uncommon to see guests loitering around in the narrow walkway out front of ABC Commissary, waiting for their Mobile Order pick-up time. Our advice would be to grab an outdoor table on the far side near Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Despite lots of very visible seating over here, most guests miss this since it’s around the corner from ABC Commissary.
Now let’s move along to the cuisine at ABC Commissary…
In the past few years, some of the perpetually-changing menu items at ABC Commissary have been complete abominations. I’ve purged specific horrors from mind, “eternal sunshine” style, but vaguely recollect some scary seafood dishes.
However, far more could be described as surprisingly good. In fact, I’d call ABC Commissary an underrated gem of Walt Disney World dining; even amongst the roller coaster menu changes, so long as you chose wisely and avoided pitfalls, ABC Commissary generally delivered a good meal. That’s precisely what we did–we also ordered 3 entrees and are publishing this on the same night as our lunch here, ensuring a menu change cannot render this obsolete before our review…and all but guaranteeing another new menu will be announced tomorrow morning!
Let’s start with the least interesting item we ordered: the Mediterranean Salad with Mixed Greens with Tomatoes, Cucumber, Pepperoncini, Kalamata Olives, and Feta tossed in a Mediterranean Vinaigrette served with Hummus and Grilled Flatbread.
This was our hedge, as we’ve had a very similar salad at ABC Commissary in the past that was a standout. While unexciting, it’s a solid and inexpensive choice that offers a sizable portion with fresh, quality ingredients and is very good by counter service salad standards. Both the hummus and grilled flatbread are just fine, but should be considered bonuses. This is also available with chicken, which is always a gamble. (If I were gambling and not wanting one of the next two options, I’d give the Pork Carnitas Tacos a try over the Mediterranean Salad with Chicken.)
Next, we have the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Sourdough Bread toasted with Buffalo Chicken, Monterey, Provolone, Cheddar, and Cream Cheese served with a side of Buffalo Sauce and choice of side.
Eating this grilled cheese was the whole reason I wanted to do ABC Commissary; the pretext for this review.
The Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich did not disappoint.
It’s a gloriously gooey creation, with the four flavors of cheese balancing nicely with and “taming” the buffalo chicken. The toasted bread provides nice texture, and the dipping sauce can add a bit of kick–but it’s still pretty mild overall. It’s not spicy in any way whatsoever. We both absolutely loved this, and would highly recommend it. One of my favorite counter service comfort foods at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
In fact, the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich has become my go-to lunch at Disney’s Hollywood Studios while testing out Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy.
It’s filling, reasonably priced, and delicious. I like to order it and grab a seat in the corner to cool down in the air-conditioning for a bit.
Finally, the Curry Rice Bowl with Tofu: Crispy Pineapple-marinated Tofu and Sautéed Vegetables tossed in Red Curry Sauce served with Jasmine Coconut Rice.
This plant-based option was the sleeper hit of our meal at ABC Commissary. The curry has a robust and complex flavor; like the buffalo chicken it has a very mild kick but nothing that makes it unapproachable. The vegetables and rice further rounded things out nicely. Neither of us have a particularly strong opinion on tofu, but we both agreed it was a standout here; the hint of pineapple and exterior crispness elevated it. We’d go as far as recommending this over the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich (yes, really!). It was that good. This Curry Rice Bowl is also available with shrimp, but that’s playing with fire.
Finally, the dessert currently available is the Red Velvet Whoopie Pie. We didn’t have this today, but are fans of this dessert. It’ll probably disappear in the near future, but if not, consider adding this. It’s a shareable portion and pretty tasty. Not as good as the iconic Carrot Cake Cookie at Trolley Car Cafe, but still worth trying.
Overall, ABC Commissary’s new menu reaffirms its position as an underrated counter service restaurant at Walt Disney World. In large part, that’s understandable because few menu items stick around long enough to garner any kind of fan-following. The decor and theme are also boring as can be, which is a stark contrast to the many strongly-themed restaurants at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
However, the menu is constantly reinvented in interesting and ambitious ways, many of which end up being quite good. On top of that, ABC Commissary is a good value right now. Compared to our go-to orders at Docking Bay 7 in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (our favorite counter service not just in DHS, but all of Walt Disney World), the entrees we ordered here were significantly cheaper.
In fact, our three entrees at ABC Commissary cost roughly the same amount as the two we normally order from Docking Bay 7. That makes ABC Commissary a great option for guests on a budget or repeat visitors wanting to try something different. For first-timers willing to splurge a bit, there are numerous superior options around Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
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
Have you dined at ABC Commissary since the latest new menu debuted? Have you tried any of the other recent menus? What was your experience like? Do you think that ABC Commissary is underrated, or think it’s justifiably ignored due to its boring theme and/or menu? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? 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!
Long-time reader of your blog, and I love your perspectives on everything Disney! Could you please add dates to all of your blog posts, though? As a compulsive planner, it’s so frustrating to see titles like UPDATED – but not see the actual date. Your blog is so up-to-date that I don’t think it would take anything away from it to see actual dates there. People who love Disney know you are one of the most current sources of information about it and it would just be helpful to be able to place articles in the correct time period. Thanks for listening, and thanks for your amazing blog!
We have eaten at ABC several times. It’s always good food and has a good amount of seating. Last time we were at WDW, it was lunch time and all six of us were hangry. We didn’t know where we should go for lunch, and then we turned the corner and there was ABC. A group eating at an outside table was about to get up, so I grabbed that table as they did. It was perfect: in the shade and was big enough to accommodate all six of us. ABC had something for all of our tastes, and paying for it doesn’t give you sticker shock. Hopefully Disney doesn’t read this blog and jack up the prices…it’s nice to have options that don’t murder your bank account.
I hope the ambiance and theming at ABC stays just how it is…boring. I think that is part of the reason the place is not a mob scene. I am ok with the boring themes of ABC if it means a relatively quick dining experience.
Went to ABC both days for lunch in December while in H.S. Never been before,, got the Curry shrimp over rice both days. Was my favorite meal in all of WDW both times..and we ate at Be our Guest..
Highly Recommend it, hope menu does change b4 my trip in August.
glad i went through this review, last time i went to ABC commissary i got the bacon cheeseburger with fries and it was boring and terrible. will look forward to trying these new menu items when im back at DHS!
No matter how good the food is I avoid abc commissary because the abc references are very intrusive. I dislike almost all the abc programming and find the advertisements an eyesore in Hollywood studios and on the Disney buses. I’ll stick with backlot express, rosies or rizzos
If you’re fine eating at Rosie’s–which is all outdoors–why not the outdoor seating at ABC Commissary? To each their own, but it’s not much of a difference to me.
I usually forget about the Commissary – we’ll have to give it another shot. We’ve tended to eat at Galaxy’s Edge when not having take service in DHS.
Now, if they would do a Tony’s menu overhaul at MK I’d be happy!
*when not having table service…
We were there at HS twice in mid-Dec. my family loved the entrees so much they insisted on eating lunch here both days.
A little off topic here, but does anyone know why most of the counter service places at DHS close so early? They close at 4:00 or 5:00 every day making it difficult to find some place to have dinner if you don’t want or have reservations.
I’ve always liked the ABC Commissary. The salad (without chicken) has been my go to lunch at HS. It’s nicely air conditioned so it provides a well needed respite from the midday heat. Many years ago, it was themed for Indiana Jones (where Indiana picks the golden statue off the stand and substitutes the bag of dirt) and then Aladdin (when he finds the magic lamp). I don’t remember if the restaurant name was the same. At one end, there was a flight of stairs that was open for guests to climb. My sons enjoyed climbing the stairs and pretending to be Indiana Jones and Aladdin. We were disappointed when the theming was removed but still like the food choices.
Went to ABC both days for lunch in December while in H.S. Never been before,, got the Curry shrimp over rice both days, my wife got the Shrimp tacos noth days and loved hers as well.. Was my favorite meal in all of WDW both times..and we ate at Be our Guest..
Highly Recommend it, hope menu does change b4 my trip in August.
During Christmas week, we decided to pop in to check out the new menu items. The kids LOVED the buffalo grilled cheese – so much so that they went back a second time and looked up the recipe online and made it at home. I decided to try the grilled shrimp tacos – and they were actually very good, so much so that I ordered them again on that return trip. The mango-salsa was fresh and a was a great balance of flavors. The rice and black beans were good as well. I think this new menu is MUCH better than the prior one and hope it sticks around for a while.
This looks delish! What about the salad on the side of the grilled cheese? That looks phenomenal by usually Disney side-dish standards. Anytime I have options other than the standard chicken fingers, burgers, pizza, etc, I am happy.
Hi! My family is taking a trip this May and we want to schedule up to 3 character meals for our week long trip. We want to focus on restraints with atmosphere and experience rather than just good food, suggestions? preferably with different characters at each. For reference we will be staying in the boardwalk area
My 3 favorite character meals (and I think Tom would agree with at least the first 2) are breakfast at Topolinos in the Rivera (Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy) – easy to get to using Skyliner, breakfast at Trattoria al Forno (Ariel, Prince Eric, Rapunzel, and Flynn Ryder), which is on the Boardwalk, and Akerhaus in Norway in Epcot (four or five princesses). We have a daughter so princesses were key, and all three have great food. Of course, who you want to see matters. There is a character meal (breakfast and maybe lunch) at the Grand Floridian that has Pooh, Tigger, Mad Hatter, Alice and Mary Poppins, one at Hollywood and Vine restaurant in Hollywood Studios that has Goofy, Mickey, Minnie and Donald (but I can’t remember if Daisy too), one at the Wilderness Lodge called Storybook Dining that is Snow White themed with the Evil Queen and other characters. Chip and Dale and 1 or 2 others are in Garden Grove in the Land Pavillion at Epcot. Princesses at the Royal Table in the Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, and the Winnie the Pooh characters at Crystal Palace in MK. Tom has reviews for most if not all of these, and this best of list. https://www.disneytouristblog.com/best-character-meals-disney-world/
I should have specified that our experience at Akerhaus was at dinner. We did it two years in a row and thought the food was great. Lots of things we never would have ordered a la carte, but since part of it is buffet, we were free to take risks 🙂
The curry here looks to be the same as the Curried Vegetable Crew Stew at Jungle Skipper Canteen!
I was thinking the same thing! I love that dish, so it’s cool to see it at another park with a QS option!
I’ve had both and can confirm they’re the same dish. It is very nice to now have it in a quick service and especially at DHS, which is really challenged for dining options at the moment.
Commissary has been, very quietly, the best quick-service restaurant in DHS for the better part of the last decade. Place is in desperate need of better theming and atmosphere (I’d call its current style “tired 90s pseudo-art-deco with ugly ABC ads” more than true art deco), but you can’t beat the menu. This new stuff sounds great.
Totally agree. It always get a bad rap, but we have always enjoyed it. Except right at meal times it’s usually quiet and has the blessed AC. The menu doesn’t always have something spectacular, but it is reliable and occasionally there is something that is a pleasant surprise. Consistently, the commissary has been much more reliable for decent food then the QS place down near Tower of Terror, we have had some truly terrible food down there.
Just ate here for lunch on Monday and the food was delicious! I had the veggie curry with tofu and it was one of the best counter service meals I’ve had while visiting the parks during COVID. My brother and I both commented on how much we used to avoid the Commissary but we’re so happy with the new menu!
Stellar pop culture references in this review. Although I have no real reason to be reading this, you still made me laugh, and I can’t thank you for that enough.
“did not disappointed.”…think you meant to erase that ‘ed’ from memory.
Used to have the Best Turkey Sandwich there…Then Disney Changed to what can at best be called processed Turkey meat…..Just awful…Hope Disney brings real turkey back
My family have long been fans of the Commissary. We generally find DHS counter service disappointing (pre-Galaxy’s Edge), and have had consistently satisfying meals here. Due to our family schedule, we tend to visit the week before Labor Day, and the air conditioning is a big plus at a park so heavy on outdoor, quick service seating. On a personal note, I treasure the memory of my then 6-year old daughter discovering America’s Funniest Home Videos, playing in a loop on the many tv’s spaced throughout the dining room. She was laughing so hard that other families around us were just watching her and laughing at her reactions.
Wonderful to see an interesting vegetarian option. So few available. The vegetarian pickings seem very slim during COVID.
Irrelevant right now, but the Plant-based Chilaquiles and Eggs on the briefly-available breakfast menu were FANTASTIC.
That menu debuted at ABC Commissary shortly before the parks closed and I’m holding out hope it’ll return–there were several excellent items.
Laughing as I read this. We always found something to eat at The Commissary. It’s spacious and comfortable. If this is what the menu has become I fear we can no longer eat there. I don’t find any of the new items in any way appealing. Highly unappetizing to us.
Haha! See my comment about finally having something interesting to eat!
Barbara,
Just curious, what kind of things DO you like to eat, or find appealing?