Top 10 Disney World Counter Service Restaurants
Here is our list of the best counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World. These are our 10 favorite quick places to eat in Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, hotels and beyond. Some are once-per-trip dining spots, while others are hidden gems that even many WDW regulars haven’t tried. (Updated June 19, 2022.)
For our Summer 2022 update, we’re making a few changes to the list. First, several one-time favorite counter service restaurants are closed or have significantly scaled back menus. Consequently, there are popular options missing from the list (hopefully temporarily). Others have restored or refreshed their menus, and reclaimed spots on this list as a result.
Second, we’re “tipping the scales” towards counter service restaurants inside the theme parks in response to reader feedback. As many of you have pointed out, it’s not practical to eat lunch at Disney Springs during a day in the parks, and we want this to be a useful resource. While it’s true that many of the best restaurants are at Disney Springs, we’re limiting the list to only the best counter service spot from that district. Every other entry is either in-park or accessible from one of the theme parks without boarding a bus.
For those unfamiliar with the term, counter service (or quick service) restaurants are Walt Disney World’s equivalent of fast food. Don’t let the negative connotation of ‘fast food’ (these are more like fast casual, anyway) dissuade you from trying these restaurants, as all of them have some excellent options. This list is based on value, food quality, and theme. Value and quality are regularly changing, as prices and menus both change.
During normal times, most of the Walt Disney World counter service restaurants on this list participate in the Disney Dining Plan as counter service credits. Unfortunately, the Disney Dining Plan is still temporarily suspended as of Summer 2022. (See When Will the Disney Dining Plan Return? for more on that.)
Anyway, below is a brief synopsis why each restaurant is a great pick for your next quick meal at Walt Disney World. Click the restaurant name for our full review (and lots more food-photos!) of each restaurant…
T10. Connections Cafe & Eatery – Epcot, World Celebration – Walt Disney World’s newest counter service restaurant makes the list, which is somewhat unsurprising–most spots start strong and see their menus diluted over time. Still, it does replace Electric Umbrella, which was notorious among some fans as being among the worst restaurants at Walt Disney World. So its successor making this list is noteworthy.
With that said, we are somewhat reluctant to include Connections Cafe, especially as there are so many more interesting and ambitious options in World Showcase (albeit with varying and inconsistent quality). In addition to that, most Epcot restaurants are easily surpassed by the perpetual festival booths, and Connections Cafe is not immune to that.
In other words, Connections Cafe is worthy of inclusion on this list in a vacuum, but our endorsement is pretty tepid when viewed in the broader context of eating at Epcot. Honestly, the same is true for Sunshine Seasons and Regal Eagle–but they’re good options if you’d prefer something more efficient and affordable than grazing the festival booths or doing a table service meal.
T10. Katsura Grill – Epcot, Japan – If you’re looking for an inventive counter service restaurant in World Showcase that’s open daily and has a full menu, Katsura Grill in the Japan pavilion is the strongest option. Unlike a lot of its counterparts, the menu here is well-rounded and offers something for pretty much everyone.
We’ve long been fans of Katsura Grill for its fun menu of Japanese comfort cuisine and relaxing outdoor atmosphere. It rockets up this list in large part because new items have actually been added to the Katsura Grill menu, whereas most restaurants at Walt Disney World have scaled back their menus during the phased reopening.
T9. P & J’s Southern Takeout – Fort Wilderness Campground – This list is incredibly heavy on barbecue and comfort food, but we couldn’t resist including this criminally underrated eatery at Fort Wilderness. We love the Family Style offerings at P & J’s Southern Takeout: the Full-Slab Barbecued Ribs and 8-Piece Fried Chicken Family Meal. These are served with cornbread and your choice of four sides: Coleslaw, Cowboy Beans, Macaroni and Cheese, or Mashed Potatoes with Gravy.
This to-go family feast is considerably cheaper than its counterparts, and serves more manageable portion sizes of the same delicious dishes from Trail’s End and Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. It’s a great shareable option for a midday break from Magic Kingdom, and an even better pick for those staying in the excellent Fort Wilderness Cabins, which are equipped with fridges and microwaves for convenient storage and reheating.
T9. Primo Piatto — This is the relatively new counter service restaurant at Disney’s Riviera Resort. While outside the park, Primo Piatto is an easy Skyliner flight from Epcot or Hollywood Studios, meaning that it’s ridiculously easy to do it as a break from the parks.
While its cuisine is not as good as Polite Pig, the value proposition is typically better with some of the best entrees being several dollars less expensive. Primo Piatto also has strong menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, making it a great option for multiple meals.
8. ABC Commissary – Hollywood Studios – You might be a bit surprised to see the “most boring restaurant” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios restaurant make the list, but it has seen a number of menu changes recently. Of course, the menu here changes with the wind, so don’t be surprised if it changes once again before your Walt Disney World vacation.
At ABC Commissary, our favorite option is the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich followed by the shockingly good Mediterranean Salad. There are several options that are tasty and ambitious, which is more than can be said about many in-park counter service restaurants right now.
7. Flame Tree BBQ – Animal Kingdom – If you love meat, Flame Tree BBQ might sneak up a couple spots on this list for you. The St. Louis Ribs entree that tops Flame Tree BBQ’s menu is the single greatest counter service option in all of Walt Disney World. While I love the ribs, my new go-to is the Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Pulled Pork. It’s delicious, interesting, filling, and a great value.
The details and view of Everest in the seating area also help Flame Tree Barbecue claim a spot on this list. Only its dessert selection, limited menu for non-carnivores, and prices (which have soared in recent years) blemish Flame Tree BBQ’s otherwise high score.
6. Regal Eagle Smokehouse – Epcot, American Adventure – A relatively recent addition, Regal Eagle replaces the infamous Liberty Inn at American Adventure. This “Muppet Meatery” serves up satisfying and filling BBQ, with ample portions that are both delicious and relatively inexpensive (at least, by Walt Disney World standards).
As “stacked” as EPCOT’s culinary scene is, the big blind spot has always been high-quality and crowd-pleasing counter service cuisine. With Tangierine Cafe now closed, there’s even more of a counter service void in World Showcase.
5. Columbia Harbour House – Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square – With Be Our Guest Restaurant now serving its prix fixe menu for lunch in addition to dinner, this spot in Liberty Square becomes far and away the best quick service restaurant in all of Magic Kingdom. It’s not even a close call, as even the next-best options only have a good entree or two, or are incredibly taste-specific. (Arguably the same is true with Columbia Harbour House, which is mostly seafood.)
Whether you want something on the healthier side or a platter of fried delights, Columbia Harbour House has got you covered. It’s also a great place to escape the crowds of Magic Kingdom. The portions are hearty, the dishes taste great, and Columbia Harbour House generally offers good value for money. From the Lobster Roll to the Grilled Salmon, the menu is ambitious and satisfying.
4. Sunshine Seasons – Epcot, World Nature – Once at the top of this list, Sunshine Seasons dropped to #10 last year due to its limited menu that was almost exclusively “crowd-pleasing” dishes that were anything but. Thankfully, many menu items have been restored since then, with other new options added.
Once again, Sunshine Seasons offers something for everyone, with inventive items and familiar favorites. Delicious sandwiches, chicken, salmon, and an array of amazing desserts. The seating area leaves a little to be desired (perhaps a nice fountain in the middle, wink wink), but overall Sunshine Seasons is strong again.
3. Satu’li Canteen – Pandora: World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom – More ambitious menus are definitely a trend with new counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World, and Avatar Land’s mess hall is no exception. Per backstory, this cafeteria has been repurposed into a peaceful dining facility by Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE) and adorned with Na’vi art and cultural items. Despite that, the setting isn’t quite as interesting as you might expect.
No matter, as the food is absolutely delicious. The highlight at Satu’li Canteen is the “Create-Your-Own-Bowl” option, which lets you select a protein, base, and sauce. This gives you the option to choose among the fresh, high quality, and delicious ingredients to make something healthy, heavy and decadent, or in between. (I definitely go for the “wrong” end of that spectrum, and love the beef with potatoes and creamy herb dressing.) In other words, there’s something for everyone with the options at Satu’li Canteen.
2. Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios – Walt Disney World’s newest counter service restaurant is already its best. That’s good news, as this is the only place to get a full meal in Star Wars Land, and you’ll definitely want to eat while you’re here.
Docking Bay 7 truly fires on all cylinders. Its themed design is engaging and fun, its menu is diverse and delicious, and it offers some of the best desserts at Walt Disney World. In terms of the menu, there’s something for everyone. Vegetarians–and really, anyone–will love the Felucian Garden Spread, while meat-eating enthusiasts might just prefer the Smoked Kaadu Ribs to those at Flame Tree BBQ. And that’s just two things on this stacked menu!
1. Polite Pig – Disney Springs – This list’s lone entry from Disney Springs, even though several are deserving from a quality perspective. It’s also one of the most popular dining spots at Disney Springs, and is likely to become even more of a destination restaurant thanks to its recognition in the Florida Michelin Guide.
It’s impossible to deny the quality of countless dishes at Polite Pig. The Baby Back Ribs with the polite rub and layla’s sweet bbq sauce are the best at Walt Disney World. The Pork Shoulder and Half Chicken are similarly fantastic. These are all quite pricey, but the quality is undeniable. For cheaper options, the sandwiches do not disappoint. Ditto the shareables and market sides.
That wraps up the Summer 2022 edition of our best counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World! Hopefully, we’ll have another update later this year once more menus return to normal. There are a ton of Walt Disney World counter service restaurants that didn’t make this list, but could once they restore their full menus.
If you’ve been reading this list for the past few years, you’ll notice it has really been shaken up this year. In the last couple of years, we have spent a lot more time eating counter service in resort hotels, and a number of them trump or seriously challenge restaurants on this list.
Prior to this, one trend we had noticed is that resort food courts were improving, whereas in-park options have been on the decline (while prices increase) for the last year. Hopefully, Walt Disney World starts giving more attention to the menus of its in-park restaurants once things are back to normal. This would be a welcome improvement, after making significant changes–for the better–to resort and Disney Springs dining over the last couple of years. We’ll keep you updated should anything else change!
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 Walt Disney World quick service eatery is your favorite? How many of these restaurants have you dined at? Which did you like? Dislike? Did we snub any deserving counter service restaurants? What are your top Walt Disney World counter service restaurants? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? 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 absolutely love The Mara at AKL. It has normal food for picky eaters and ethnic choices for those with more adventurous palates. Often The Mara has a la carte options from Bomas:
soups and zebra domes for example.
We also love the Mara. It would be on this list (and was previously), but it’s only open for breakfast right now.
Just ate at Regal Eagle last week. It was excellent. Sampled pork and chicken and both were great. Portion size was more than enough also. It will definitely be a place to have lunch whenever I am at Epcot.
“Infamous Liberty Inn”? We ate there a few years ago and quite enjoyed it. We also ate at Regal Eagle last October and liked that, too. (Lunch at both.)
Hmmm. May have to give Docking Bay 7 another chance. We weren’t too impressed when we ate there during the Passholders preview and have instead been enjoying Backlot Express on recent trips. Backlot has a Cuban Sandwich that had become my go to.
Hi Tom
Would it be possible if you could do a Top 10 counter service and table service list for vegans? I do not like the idea of separating vegans into a specific category, as it shouldn’t matter. However, sadly I feel that many (all?) Disney World restaurants make a token effort towards vegans, perhaps providing only 1 option (and often not a particularly desirable one at that). As such I do not think (subject to your views) that your current top 10 lists would automatically apply equally to vegans. A number of the counter service ones appear very meat focussed, for example. If you feel they do apply equally to vegans, however, it would be helpful if you state this at the start of the articles.
By way of personal context in case it helps – I must eat between 3,000 – 3,500 calories a day when on a Disney vacation, and yet I struggle to maintain my weight due to the amount of exercise we do each day going round the parks. I currently feel it is simply not possible for me to eat a vegan diet during the vacation as I will not get close to the amount of calories and protein I need. I am vegan though, so I dont like having to forego the diet in order to have enough ‘fuel’ for the vacation.
Perhaps you just have not been able to update this list, but I am surprised that based on your fairly recent and positive review of P & J’s Southern Takeout in “Glorious & Great Value Feast at Disney World”, that it isn’t on this list.
How is Polite Pig not on this list? That’s the best quick serve meal I’ve had at WDW…by far. The pulled Polite Pork Shoulder plate I had with BBQ Cauliflower was awesome. The only thing that came close for me for quick serve was Be Our Guest for lunch.
Polite Pig is #4 on the list.
Was surprised to see Artist’s Palette at Saratoga Springs on this list. We stayed there the end of 2018 and there wasn’t anything we tried on that menu that tasted good. We often threw the food away, which is bad at those prices. When planning our trip to Disney this year, we knocked Saratoga Springs off the list because of the QSR there.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed or if it’s just me, but it seems the higher you go in resort cost, the worse the quick service restaurants get. We did a split stay the year we went to Saratoga Springs. We stayed at All Star Movies the weekend before, and their food was infinitely better than at Artist’s Palette. Even the moderates are better than the Deluxe food courts.
PegP, Sorry u had a bad experience at Artist’s Palatte. We stayed at SSR literally as WDW re-opened in June. Food was good and staff was wonderful. Sorry for your experience there.
I tend to agree. The Deluxe resorts Quick Serves do not have the selection that the Moderate resorts have.
Hi Tom,
The best counter-service food we ate this year was at Geyser Pointe (Wilderness Lodge). It had a wonderful bison burger.
I always enjoy these lists and agree for many of the restaurants that you’ve listed. I have to say that one that may be missing is the Polite Pig BBQ.
We went a year ago and found it to be not only delicious but one of the best values on the quick service dining plan. If it’s still around I think it’s definitely worth consideration.
I agree. I just tried Polite Pig in Nov 2020 and thought it was excellent BBQ, not for a theme park resort, but for a BBQ joint in general. I would definitely put it in my top quick serve meals at a theme park resort anywhere.
Breakfast sandwich at Woody’s Lunchbox was a highlight of our recent trip! Fresh eggs & smoked turkey on grilled bread was delicious.
Thank you for all the tips. Going for the first time and it so helpful! Thanks for putting all your time into it.
We went to D Luxe Burger back in April for dinner. I had read the stellar reviews and told everyone we had to give it a try. Everyone else ordered burgers and I ordered the grilled cheese from the secret mobile menu. The burgers themselves were fine, nothing exceptional, but the rolls were falling apart; stale and dry. My grilled cheese had cheese that was still solid in most places. My group was definitely not happy with me as I convinced everyone this was the place to go.
YOur list makes it clear you looking for adventurous. However, we struggle to find anything in any park. None offer a simple ham & cheese or tuna sandwich. THERe are still people out there that just want a simple fresh sandwich other than a burger or hot dog. I wish someone would help us out,!
Columbia Harbour House has tuna sandwiches!
I know this list is for WDW, but Disneyland Resort has several places that contain these items: Jolly Holiday has sandwiches, and offer gluten free variations. Albacore Tuna Sandwich on Brioche. Oven-roasted Turkey on Ciabatta. Roast Beef and Smoked Cheddar on Hoagie Roll. Also, Flo’s in DCA has those items you mentioned: Ramone’s Low and Slow Club, Fin-tastic Tuna Sandwich. I think the beauty of all the dining options at both WDW and DLR is there is truly something for everyone.
I’m very surprised Spyglass Grill didn’t
make this list. We ate there based on your recommendation and it blew us away!! Next time we go, we aren’t staying at CBR but we will probably still go over there just to eat at Spyglass Grill.
We have tried most of the rest of these (again on your recommendation…) and had great meals. Tangeriene Cafe wasn’t as good lately as it was a few years ago.
I appreciate your opinion on Be Our Guest. We don’t go enough to give places multiple chances unless we really like it…we were pretty disappointed by Be Our Guest (which translates to I said I wouldn’t take the family back). I think we caught it right as it was crashing to being way overhyped and over priced…but I’ve heard it’s improving.
Was there when it opened. Thought it was mediocre at best. Been there twice since with the last time in 18. Thought the restaurant has improved considerably.
We finally tried Earl of Sandwich our last WDW trip and were disappointed. Florida has Which Wich sandwiches and they are better! The line can be long and quite slow moving, customer service almost non-existant (and when it’s your first trip you have questions!), and the sandwiches not that big. All in all I’d skip it for good and am surprised it’s included in the second best section.
I agree. This is my sister’s favorite spot and I have no desire to ever eat there again. The wait was not worth the generic sub sandwich.
Do you have a list of favorites within the parks for those who don’t want to leave them for every meal? Thanks!
It’s hard to leave parks for food but at MK it pays off with a multi-tasking adventure to enjoy Tom’s #1 & #2 counter service picks:
During the holidays take advantage of low crowds at MK on a party day, then monorail to #1 or #2 for QS dinner at 7pm. Hang around long enough to catch the special party MK fireworks (Contemporary free 4th floor views are better than Grand Floridian). You can watch Electric Water Pageant too. These resorts are very interesting to visit and holiday decorations are a solid bonus.
Or take time out of any MK day for the unique and convenient experience of a meal out of the hot crowded park, just a monorail stop away.
That was my thought too. We are doing a 4 night trip in November & I would rather not waste time leaving a park for a QS meal. We have for table service, but it was a longer stay. My kids like Pecos Bill’s, but we will have to read some menus before we arrive, just to get an idea.
I find pecks bill to be one of the top and parades go right by it
I would love to a see a list of Top 10 in-park restaurants, too.
Two different lists….one for counter service, one for table service.
While I’m wishing, I’d also bookmark a list of Restaurants with Boring Food that Tastes Good. My family is full of meat-and-potatoes eaters who don’t want interesting flavors.
We just got back from a stay at the AKL and found The Mara to be rather depressing, although we only ate there for breakfast. What self respecting place offers margarine instead of butter on the condiment bar? On the other hand, I was surprised to see that Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie was not on the list. Perhaps you think of this as a snack option more than a meal option. It certainly tops my snack list. But their ham and cheese sandwich on a fresh baguette makes me very happy. We stopped there to get one on our get-away-day, stuffed it in our carry-on, and ate it one the flight home – all the while superior to the poor suckers stuck eating airline or airport food.
Glad to hear your response to some blend verses butter. This is a real complaint I have. For the prices we are paying I want butter. Even the Biergarten,one of my favorite restaurants did not serve real butter. Some of the food courts will go in the back and get you butter if you request. Every food place there should have it. Even McDonalds has it.
We don’t use imposter or over-processed butter/milk/cream at home so it’s very disappointing on an expensive trip.
Please Disney, can you at least make the real stuff available at the counter. We’ve sadly confirmed the Norway bakery has nothing other than cremora for coffee, yuck.
BTW, I filled out one of the guest survey cards with my margarine complaint while staying at the AKL. I actually got a call from the food service manager and we had a lengthy chat. He said I could ask a CM for butter and they would run up to one of the other restaurants to get me some. I suggested that was a poor solution. He also said they valued the convenient single-serving packages. I point out this argument was poor as I have been to plenty of places that have real butter in single serving containers. I then asked “Under what circumstances is it acceptable to serve fake food?” He said that was a good question, but had no answer, other that that he would bring it up with their management team. This was over a year ago now. I sometimes wonder if that had any impact. Unless there were dramatic changes since then, Mara is a poor excuse for food service at a deluxe resort.
I think the Mara is one of the worst. They did tell me sometimes you can have them bring items over from the restaurant. Spyglass grill one of the best
Love the list! Glad to see flame tree up there and yeah I agree that earl of sandwich could be a great pick too, love that place! Not bad for oop pricing! Great blog too! Love reading Disney when not able to get to the parks!
Nice blog, thanks for sharing these counter service restaurants. If you are on a tight budget then you have an option of quick service. Disney world counter service restaurants are less time consuming, serving fast.
I don’t know how long it’s been since you’ve visited D-Luxe Burger, but we went in July and were sorely disappointed. Our first visit there in November was fabulous, definitely the best burger on property, so we were looking forward to another meal there. The burger was exactly as the burgers in the parks…dull, dry, tasteless. For sure not the hand made, fresh ground beef cooked on a grill that we had the first time. So sad.
Sorry Andysimon, didn’t mean to reply to your post. My old eyes can’t see my phone very well.
My wife simply adores flame tree barbeques pork sandwich but our past two visits she was disappointed to find it dry and overcooked like it had sat around all day. We always give a second chance in the event it was just a one time thing. Going to have to check out the polite pigs version as I have heard rave reviews. We shall see.