Summer House on the Lake Restaurant at Disney World: Opening Date & Details

Summer House on the Lake is a new table service restaurant coming soon to Walt Disney World. This post covers the upcoming eatery, with concept art showcasing the interior, what it’s replacing at Disney Springs, and other random commentary. (Updated December 13, 2023.)

Let’s just start with the latest update, which is that Summer House on the Lake has announced that they will be opening tomorrow–on December 14, 2023. Reservations have not yet been loaded into My Disney Experience, but they are available via OpenTable. Based on that, it appears Summer House on the Lake will operate from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. on weeknights, and until 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

Hats off to the team at Summer House on the Lake for managing to open by the heart of the holiday season! Even after last month’s update indicating the restaurant would open ‘this winter,’ we were skeptical and assumed the opening would slip into 2024. To everyone’s credit, construction has sped along on this project, and the restaurant must’ve really worked aggressively to hire and train. We look forward to dining at Summer House on the Lake soon!

Turning back the clock and covering background, Summer House on the Lake is the ‘evolution’ of a table service restaurant concept by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises that was first announced back in 2019. At that time, the Chicago-based restaurant group was to open their first restaurant in Florida at Disney Springs West Side the following year.

Originally, that was going to be Beatrix neighborhood restaurant, coffeehouse and grab-and-go market featuring a mix of healthy eating and comfort foods. Beatrix was to replace Bongos Cuban Cafe as part of the ongoing transformation of the West Side, which was (is?) the last phase of the multi-year Disney Springs transformation project.

The West Side saw a number of popular additions pre-closure, most notably Jaleo and City Works Eatery & Pour House. Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew is another West Side sleeper–not so much for their doughnuts, but for the savory dishes that are surprisingly good. In addition to that, there have been a number of worthwhile food trucks in Exposition Park; the most recent addition to that lineup is Local Green Orlando.

Here’s what to expect at Summer House on the Lake…

The Cookie Bar – Summer House on the Lake will introduce the brand’s first-ever “Cookie Bar,” featured front and center at the restaurant’s entrance. The Cookie Bar will serve a variety of the restaurant’s beloved oversized cookies, bars, and other sweet specials. Guests can indulge in flavors like Sea Salt Chocolate Chip, Birthday Cake, Oatmeal Scotchie, Apple Oatmeal and Vegan Snickerdoodle, as well as rotating seasonal flavors.

The bar will offer a selection of coffee, wine and beer on draft, as well as specialty cocktails such as the Tropical Dreams with vodka, Pamplemousse liqueur, and habanero honey, all available to enjoy at the restaurant or take to-go around Disney Springs. Guests will also be able to purchase a bottle of the restaurant’s own private-label wine, Summer House Rosé, to take home with them.

Rosé Cart and Summery Sips – Another reminder that it’s always summer at Summer House is the Rosé Cart. Summer House on the Lake’s Rosé Cart will offer more than six varieties of rosé by the glass or bottle, including the restaurant’s star Summer House Rosé, made in partnership with California-based BonAnno Wines.

The Summer House Rosé serves as a standout in the robust rosé program, offering a delicate and floral taste with tart cherries and watermelon, complementary to the lively and fresh menu and representative of the restaurant’s overall beverage approach. A selection of spritzes, summery cocktails (including zero-proof options), fresh juices, and a largely California-sourced wine list add to the laidback West Coast vibes.

Cali-Mex Weekend Brunch – Summer House on the Lake’s West Coast-inspired menu will feature celebrated favorites and signature items exclusive to Disney Springs. Brunch will be served Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with options including: Mexican Hash Browns; Breakfast Pizza with applewood bacon, a sunny side up egg and parmesan cream; and Breakfast Tostadas.

Fluffy pancakes and waffles, salads, and sandwiches will also be available, alongside a selection of other items from the lunch and dinner menus. Guests can also expect seasonal salads, artisan pizzas and entrees like Herbed Chicken Paillard and local Grouper Fish ‘n’ Chips with malt vinegar fries and tartar sauce. An extensive kids menu will be available all day – with a choice of vegetables or fries on the side.

California-Cool Design – Summer House’s design brings the beauty of a summer day indoors, welcoming guests to enjoy sweeping views and a relaxing lakeside breeze. The space, which boasts three bars, an airy, natural light-filled dining room centered around a lush tree reaching toward a skylight, and greenery throughout, was designed in collaboration with renowned architecture and design firm Rockwell Group.

Seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor dining, Summer House offers both freestanding tables and banquettes ideal for families and large groups. An iconic centerpiece of each Summer House location that will be included at Summer House on the Lake is the bright blue “YES” sign located in the dining room. It symbolizes the entire team’s commitment to “saying yes” to the guest, making each dining experience a memorable one.

Sort of reminds me of the “BLESS THIS MESS” sign I want to install in our kitchen at home. It would symbolize my commitment to not cleaning up after myself. I’m sure the “YES” sign will be as much of a success with entitled guests as my sign pitch was with Sarah.

Previously, Lettuce Entertain You released concept art for the exterior of Summer House on the Lake (above) and interior (below).

Thankfully, the interior is not yet another “rustic hipsters move into an old barn and find some eclectic decor on clearance at Anthropologie” that has become ubiquitous at Disney Springs. While not hyper-themed, it has a modern brutalism meets coastal style that doesn’t look half bad–especially if it leans into the open and airy design, highlighting big views of Lake Buena Vista.

Currently, Summer House Santa Monica has two locations–one in Illinois and the other in Maryland (both fairly far from California, if my calculations are correct). Its Disney Springs concept will drop Santa Monica from the name and add “on the Lake” in its place. It’s unclear whether that’s to avoid confusing tourists or because California doesn’t “play well” with the Florida audience. Perhaps a little of both.

One thing it does have in common with Beatrix is that both that and Summer House Santa Monica are well-known Chicago restaurants that have their own followings. Reviews of both are fairly glowing, with the latter sounding more appealing to me personally. (We love California coastal cuisine, so your mileage may vary there.)

On its official site, Summer House Santa Monica is described as the place where summer never ends! Whether you’re in for date night, a family get-together, or brunch with friends, summer is waiting for you on the other side.

“The California-inspired menu, led by Chef Ben Goodnick, features simple ingredients sourced from local grower partnerships and sustainable products. Rosé is poured all day off the signature Rosé Cart, alongside an extensive wine and handcrafted cocktail list. And no matter the weather, the bright and airy vibes always fill the atmosphere.”

Above is one of the menus (more can be found here), which sounds pretty good and broadly appealing to me. The restaurant should have enough variety to appeal to the aforementioned categories–families, couples on date night, friends going to brunch, etc.

Even though we are personally looking forward to Summer House on the Lake as something that appeals to us (and also should be a crowd-pleaser), it doesn’t look like a game-changer for Disney Springs.

In order to stand out, restaurants really need to bring something particularly unique to the table.

The culinary field is already crowded at Disney Springs, so it’s tough to shine without ambitious and unique cuisine (like Jaleo) or thematic novelty (like Boathouse). Granted, I’m just going off of the menu and concept art for Summer House on the Lake. It’s obviously impossible to judge a restaurant without actually dining there.

Ultimately, it’s nice that Walt Disney World is finally filling this massive plot of land left behind by Bongos Cuban Cafe and it’ll be good to ride the West Side of its final set of construction walls. Moreover, even if Summer House on the Lake is not a standout in the sea of stellar dining options at Disney Springs, it’s still a good addition.

There is no shortage of dining demand right now, even with the massive existing lineup at Disney Springs. In the past, we’ve questioned how sustainable so many table service restaurants would be in the long term (and still wonder that), but clearly that hasn’t been an issue yet. With Central Florida’s population continuing to explode and the parks & resorts more popular than ever, Summer House on the Lake sounds like another needed addition to the landscape of Disney Springs.

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Your Thoughts

What do you think of Summer House at the Lake joining the Walt Disney World dining scene? Think this will be a worthy addition to the culinary landscape at Disney Springs, or just more noise in an overcrowded market? Are you excited for this third party offering, or would you prefer some original concepts by Disney? Do you agree or disagree with thoughts? 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!

18 Responses to “Summer House on the Lake Restaurant at Disney World: Opening Date & Details”
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