Marvelous Meal at Disney World’s “Mirage”

Three Bridges Bar & Grill is a hidden gem table service restaurant across from Gran Destino Tower at Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort. Its name comes from the fact that it’s in the middle of Lago Dorado, the hotel complex’s lake, and connected via three bridges. This WDW dining review features food photos from the restaurant, thoughts on the ambiance, and whether we’d recommend making the trip here from the parks.

It’s been a while since we’ve done a table service restaurant review, which is because we haven’t been doing much sit-down dining in the last year. As we’ve mentioned in numerous posts, we’re only doing outdoor dining for now. Everyone’s tolerances vary, but we view indoor dining as the highest risk activity at Walt Disney World (although “attending the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along” is right up there, for two different reasons).

We won’t belabor the point here, but recommendations and rationale for risk mitigation are spelled out in our “Temporary Abnormal” Guide to Walt Disney World. If you’re simply looking for the best options to avoid indoor restaurants, check out our Outdoor Dining at Walt Disney World. The list is surprisingly and disappointingly short, but there are still ample options for a weeklong trip…

Before we delve into the review, let’s talk some logistics. Three Bridges Bar & Grill operates very similarly to Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge. Which is to say it does not accept Advance Dining Reservations, and instead operates its own form of walk-up waitlist.

We’ve visited Coronado Springs Resort and Gran Destino Tower several times since the duo reopened last fall, and the hotel complex–including Three Bridges–has never been busy. It’s perpetually available for a deep discount via “semi-opaque” booking sites (see our tips for scoring those hot deals on Walt Disney World hotels) and my guess is that Coronado has one of the lowest occupancy rates of all WDW hotels right now.

Suffice to say, you’re unlikely to run into long waits at Three Bridges Bar & Grill, as is sometimes the case at Geyser Point. Also unlike Geyser Point, you’ll seldom have any issue getting through security to park at Coronado Springs. We’ve literally never had a problem with that, whereas Wilderness Lodge is somewhat notorious for turning away visitors.

On the topic of transportation, we’d probably only recommend Three Bridges if you have a car. Using Walt Disney World buses for accessing Coronado Springs can be a hassle, and probably isn’t worth the time and effort. On the plus side, Three Bridges is open until midnight, so if you don’t mind the convoluted bus ride, you have plenty of time to get there after the parks close.

Upon arrival at Coronado Springs, you can join the Walk-Up List via the My Disney Experience app, which also shows an estimated wait time (we’ve found that time bounces around a ton). You can also visit the restaurant itself and scan a QR code or speak to a Cast Member to join the waitlist. Unless there’s a special event or you get really unlucky, the return time will probably be under 15 minutes.

If you’d prefer, or if there’s a long wait, Mobile Order To-Go is also an option via My Disney Experience. (Pro tip: if the menu changes and you can’t find photos online, Mobile Order features stock photos. It’s a good visual resource even when dining at a restaurant.)

However, we’d recommend dining at Three Bridges. There are a variety of seating options, from lounge chairs to regular tables. Roughly half are waterfront, and almost no modifications have been made to Three Bridges–because none were necessary.

I’d say Imagineering was prescient of current risks when designing this restaurant, but they also built the window-less Space 220 Restaurant, Toy Story Roundup BBQ, and Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort at the same time. So probably not.

Three Bridges Bar & Grill is located at Villa del Lago, which Walt Disney World describes as a “mirage-like island of one-story buildings.” It’s meant to evoke a bygone era in which intersecting travelers shared epic tales over food and drink.
Per the backstory, adventure seekers arrived at this crossroads in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Gold–or a romantic lakefront dinner.

In reality, Three Bridges Bar & Grill opts for a less approach to theme. It’s mostly the open air views outside that are the highlight, but little touches like the light fixtures, posters, random mirrors, and so forth give the interior mild visual interest. It’s not going to win any awards for themed design, but the al fresco atmosphere is delightful.

Moving along to food, we’ll start by noting that we previously reviewed Three Bridges Bar & Grill, and a lot of that still remains valid. Some dishes have been tweaked or are presented slightly differently, but our recommendations are largely unchanged.

In particular, the Marinated and Grilled Sirloin with 63° egg and charred baguette or Three Bridges Signature Burger are both exceptional and approachable options. Despite menu descriptions, nothing at Three Bridges is particularly adventurous–but those are the two “safest” picks on the menu.

The menu hasn’t changed a ton at Three Bridges Bar & Grill. Unlike other Walt Disney World restaurants post-reopening, I don’t think it’s been scaled back at all. To the contrary, there are several new options on the “Spreadable, Dippable, Shareable” section.

We started out with the plant-based Roasted Corn Dip: Roasted Corn, Smoked Tomato-“Aïoli”, “Parmesan”, Tajin, Tortilla Chips. This was good, especially for a dip with a bunch of air quotes around the “food” items. The house-made tortilla chips were also a winner. It’s essentially a fun way to turn grilled street corn into a shareable dish that you can eat in front of others without looking like a barbarian.

Speaking of looking like a barbarian, for my entree I ordered the Crispy Chicken Biscuit Sliders: hot honey, blue cheese, and pickled vegetables served with smoked paprika fries or fruit.

Perhaps I just have yet to learn how to eat with my hands, but I made an absolute mess of these and myself. (Sarah is quite used to this.) No regrets, as they were phenomenal. The biscuits would’ve been delicious on their own, but soaking up the honey and blue cheese plus the chicken took them to the next level. The pickled vegetables were probably there to add texture or tang, but they were unnecessary (at least didn’t detract from the dish).

These Crispy Chicken Biscuit Sliders aren’t just messy, they’re a mess of flavors in the best way possible. The paprika fries are also delicious, with or without the dipping sauce. The portion might look relatively modest, but I found this entree incredibly filling. Given the price point, these sliders offer excellent value for money and are highly recommended. (I love four different entrees at Three Bridges, but these are my new #1, all things considered.)

My favorite option was previously the Harissa Lamb Chops with Tzatziki, Cucumber and Tomato Relish, Naan Bread with choice of French Fries or Fruit. If money doesn’t matter, and you don’t mind dropping $10 more for these (as compared to the Crispy Chicken Biscuit Sliders) then they’re still #1.

Although this dish decreased from four chops to three, there’s as much or more meat here. The addition of a side (get fries) where there previously was none makes the entree more filling.

For her entree, Sarah ordered the Braised Pork Tacos with radish and carrot slaw, salsa verde, and Cojita cheese served with smoked paprika fries or fruit.

She really enjoyed the tender and moist meat on these, with the vegetables and salsa providing a natural and refreshing quality. The soft shells were clearly high quality and didn’t taste fake. It’s pretty much a case of what you see is what you get here, so if you’re in the mood for good pork tacos, go for it. Otherwise, there are better options on the menu.

Finally, we’d highly recommend ending your meal by ordering the Warm Churros with Espelette Sugar and Chocolate Sauce for dessert.

This blog frequently “jokes” (it’s not really a joke) that normal Walt Disney World churros are inferior to the ones served at Costco. Not that the bar is high, but these are far and away the best churros at Walt Disney World or Costco. (Seriously, they’re fantastic.)

Ultimately, Three Bridges Bar & Grill remains one of our favorite hidden gem restaurants at Walt Disney World. While we’re still curious about some of the new shareable dishes, it’s tough to justify ordering those when the bang for buck isn’t particularly great, several of the entrees are superior, and dessert is a must with those churros.

While the location makes it under the radar, Three Bridges Bar & Grill absolutely deserves to be considered as a dinner option for those with cars or time to kill after the parks close. That’s especially true during the phased reopening of Walt Disney World; while most restaurants have scaled back their menus, Three Bridges has added new items. Villa del Lago might be mirage-like, but Three Bridges and its marvelous meals are the real deal.

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 Three Bridges Bar & Grill since Walt Disney World reopened? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Any thoughts on the menu, service, seating, or anything else covered here? If you’ve yet to dine at Three Bridges, is this restaurant on your ‘list’ of places to try at Walt Disney World? 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!