Three Bridges Bar & Grill Review

Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago is an open-air, over the water restaurant at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. In this Walt Disney World dining review, we’ll share food photos, thoughts on the menu, what we recommend ordering, and whether Three Bridges is worth your time. (Updated October 10, 2020.)

As part of Walt Disney World’s phased reopening, Coronado Springs Resort will welcome guests back in mid-October 2020 after the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat are over. Coronado and Gran Destino Tower have been hosting the NBA for the last few months, and the changeover should be a pretty seamless transition.

We’re excited to see Coronado Springs Resort reopen, especially with attendance and crowds starting to pick up at Walt Disney World. However, we’ll be honest–our excitement primarily stems from the return of Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago, which has quickly become one of our favorite hidden gem restaurants at Walt Disney World…

When Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago first opened, one of the main selling points (for us) was enjoying views of the nighttime spectaculars at both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Along with Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood and Topolino’s Terrace (the new rooftop restaurants at Gran Destino Tower and Disney’s Riviera Resort, respectively) this was one of three new restaurants boasting great fireworks views.

Obviously, that’s temporarily irrelevant with all nighttime spectaculars suspended at Walt Disney World. Nevertheless, it’s worth remembering that Three Bridges is the most laid back and cheapest of the new choices for views of the fireworks whenever they do return. It’s also the only one without an elevated, rooftop view. As they say, “you get what you pay for.”

The good news is that there’s nothing dull about the menu at Three Bridges Bar & Grill, and the restaurant itself offers an interesting and inviting setting.

Granted, it’s mostly the open air views outside that are the highlight, but little touches like the light fixtures and variety of seating help elevate the interior. It’s also chic without being obnoxious (save perhaps for the frames over the faux fireplace).

Being drawn to ‘shiny objects’, I was enamored with this (also faux) fire table.

It’s essentially illuminated mist, but it has that same entrancing quality as fire.

Here’s a look at the menu. Prices are surprisingly fair for Walt Disney World.

Note that it’s likely the menu will be scaled back when Three Bridges reopens. If the current menu is accurate (and it looks like it probably is), a few of the items we review below have been temporarily removed…

Be mindful of where you sit at Three Bridges. Some tables–even ones pretty far from the bar–are designated as ‘bar service only.’

We haven’t experienced any woes with service at Three Bridges ourselves, but have observed and talked to others who have had issues.

First up, the Stuffed Mushrooms with plant-based chorizo and smoked tomato aioli.

These are fantastic. They’re definitely more like ‘meatballs’ (with mushrooms underneath) than stuffed mushrooms, but there’s sufficient flavor from both. The aioli is a perfect enhancement to the savory chorizo, which you wouldn’t guess is plant-based if the menu didn’t say so.

Next, the Grilled Skirt Steak with grilled baguette, pepper relish, and egg.

This is nearly identical to the Open-faced Skirt Steak Sandwich at Ale & Compass about which we’ve raved. The sweetness of the relish is a nice contrast to the savory steak, which is itself tender and juicy.

The skirt steak can stand on its own, and I’d recommend eating it separately from the bread; the juices and relish soak into the baguette to make that a flavorful side on its own.

Here’s the Three Bridges Signature Burger topped with crispy potatoes, Manchego cheese, roasted garlic-lemon aioli, arugula, and tomato.

This is another fantastic option ranking among the best burgers at Walt Disney World. Cooked to a perfect medium-rare, this is juicy and delicious.

The bun is soft and airy, the thinly-sliced crispy potatoes offer a bit of texture without altering the flavor profile too much, the cheese has an understated sweetness and piquancy, while the garlic-lemon aioli brings it all together with a punch–and only a light hint of citrus flavor.

This is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It immediately enters the “best burger at Walt Disney World” conversation.

Our final entree is the Harissa Lamb Chops.

This is a fun and more inventive dish, with a rub giving them a (still relatively mild) bit of kick. The perfectly-prepared lamb is accompanied by cucumber and tomato relish, as well as mint yogurt to offset whatever ‘heat’ the dish might offer.

It’s also served with pita; for me, the pita and accompaniments work best together. As with the skirt steak, the lamb works really well on its own, and I found the relish actually detracted from the meat rather than enhancing it. By contrast, the pita, relish, and yogurt are all good together. There was a bit less meat here than I would’ve liked, but the price was also lower than I would’ve expected, so perhaps that’s a wash.

For dessert, we start with the Vanilla Custard Mickey Tart with compressed pineapple and tropical sorbet.

This is pretty much exactly what you’d expect if you’re familiar with Walt Disney World dessert tarts, albeit slightly smaller and slightly better. The tartness of the custard is offset by the sweetness of the pineapple and tropical sorbet. The crumbs provide nice texture.

If this is what you’re looking for in a dessert, it’s likely to satisfy you. The quality is good, but I personally was disappointed by the size. It’s also ‘all relative’ and I’d say this was the weakest item of our meal.

We’ll finish out the review with a look at the Warm Churros with Espelette pepper sugar and chocolate sauce.

The title of this review was almost, “Finally, A Place to Get Good Churros at Walt Disney World.” While I stand by that position (and the more controversial implicit one that the rest of Walt Disney World’s churros are bad), it felt a bit too snarky.

The point here is that these churros are fantastic, and will be a revelation if you’re used to the in-park ones. A slight crispness on the outside, warm and soft on the inside, and without an excessive sugar caked on. (The light sprinkle of Espelette pepper sugar is the perfect touch.)

These deliver great flavor, and it’ll be tough to go back to normal Walt Disney World churros once you’ve had these. I’m not joking–these are an absolute must order. Get multiple rounds of these churros instead of one of each dessert. This is technically a shareable dessert, but you’re better off eating them all yourself.

Overall, Three Bridges Bar & Grill is a big winner for us. The food is great, interesting, and fairly priced. In terms of value for money and cuisine quality, we’re finding more reasons to plan for most of our meals at the resorts and Disney Springs, and fewer in the parks. Of course, this doesn’t always work (particularly at lunch), and there are still a lot of in-park options we love for their themed environments (or certain menu items). However, with the parks closing at 9 p.m. and Three Bridges Bar & Grill open until midnight, it’s viable here for a late dinner!

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 tried Three Bridges Bar & Grill yet? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Any thoughts on the menu, service, 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!