By: Talara Allphin, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
This character dining experience is a do not miss and one that as a travel agent I highly recommend for my clients.
Located in The Land Pavilion of EPCOT, The Garden Grill can be found tucked back in the corner of the top floor. As you approach the restaurant you may notice something a bit different that is not found at any other restaurant on the Walt Disney World property. This restaurant moves! That’s right, the Garden Grill slowly rotates clockwise. The reason for this is to give you the unique opportunity to see part of the Living with the Land attraction located within the same building. Living with the Land is a slow-moving boat ride attraction that takes you through some of the innovative techniques that Disney has developed to grow produce that is used at some of the restaurants on property. In fact, the lettuce and vegetables served at the Garden Grill are grown in that attraction.
The Garden Grill has a set buffet menu that is served family style. What is family style? Each food item is brought out to share and you can order more as you go if you want/need more. Soda beverages are also included with your meal. (Don’t forget to pack reusable straws if you don’t like paper straws. 😉) There are also specialty non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages as well as wine and bottle or draft beer available for an additional charge.
Begin your meal with a fresh garden salad topped with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers covered in a light vinegarette dressing served with soft rolls and butter. Your main course is up next. The main entrees are Barbeque-roasted Chicken with a Sweet and Tangy Barbeque Sauce as well as Grilled Beef with Chimichurri Sauce. If you prefer to not have the Chimichurri Sauce, just ask your server to withhold it, or put it on the side for those in your group who may want to give it a try. Sides for this meal include Seasonal Vegetables (this most recent visit, we were served fresh green beans and a southwest corn medley), Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Southern-style Spoon Bread (cornbread), and Macaroni & Cheese. Dessert comes last, and it does not disappoint. Berry Short Cake with Whipped Cream, yum!
The salad was light and refreshing. The perfect start to the meal after being out in the hot Florida sun. Each of the meat options were tender and juicy, not over-cooked at all. The barbeque sauce for the chicken was just right in my opinion, not too spicy or overpowering. While I am typically not a huge fan of Chimichurri sauce, I still tried it with the beef, and it was very good. The flavorings all went really well together. I am a fan of all the sides for this menu! There’s something that seems a bit more magical knowing that your vegetables were grown right there in the same building that you are dining in. My only complaint would have been that the Southern-style Spoon Bread was a bit dry, so it was very crumbly. And Disney knows how to do their Macaroni & Cheese! Even as an adult, this is one of my favorites. Berry Short Cake was the perfect ending to this meal! The cake itself was moist and soaked up the juice from the berries nicely. And who doesn’t love a bit of whipped cream on top of any berry dessert? Overall, the food at the Garden Grill is fantastic! And as a travel agent, I have eaten at 90% of the restaurants on property. The Garden Grill is still one of my absolute favorites.
And in my opinion, it is one of the best character experiences you get out of all the character dining options around Walt Disney World. While enjoying your meal, you get to meet Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale. But, while at other character dining experiences where they come to your table once during your meal, the characters at the Garden Grill continue to roam around the restaurant interacting with guests. During my latest visit, Dale kept sneaking up on one person in our party. We even were fortunate enough to have Chip and Dale stop together at our table for a time to interact with us. The characters do a great job to make you feel like you are a guest to their table, then just a quick stop by photo op. At the end of your meal, you are also sent home with a postcard signed by your favorite pals Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale.
No worries! The Garden Grill has allergy-friendly menu options as well. Make sure to inform your server ahead of time of any special food needs.
So, the next time you visit Walt Disney World, consider giving the Garden Grill a try! Let your Marvelous Mouse Travel agent you'd like to add Garden Grill to your plans for your next visit. They will be happy to assist you in making reservations when they open 60 days in advance of your visit.
