We have eaten our way around EPCOT a LOT, all in the name of science of course!
While some snacks have been a total WIN for us, others have been disappointing or just not worth the calories or price! Want to know what food we’d skip? You’ve GOT to check out our list.
Now, just because an item is on this list doesn’t necessarily mean it’s inedible or horrifying — there’s just a LOT of good food at EPCOT, and the last thing you want to do is fill up on the “okay” or “passable” stuff and miss out on the true stars! So, without further ado, let’s get into the details. We begin our tour in Future World.
Future World
We’ve had some delicious dishes at Sunshine Seasons in the Land pavilion (hello triple decker garlic toast pulled pork sandwich!), but some of the items on their menu leave something to be desired.
SKIP: While these may be good for picky eaters, we’d recommend skipping the regular cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, and cheese pizza at Sunshine Seasons. Again, if you’re looking for a quick meal, these are not a bad choice, but they’re not terribly exciting. They’re just…food.
The burgers are served on brioche buns though, so that’s a nice touch, but still there are better options here (like The Land Crusher) and elsewhere around EPCOT.
Click here to read our review of the triple-decker garlic toast pulled pork sandwich (a.k.a. The Land Crusher)!
SKIP: We’d also say that Coral Reef Restaurant is a skip in general. We’ve had some fine eating experiences here in the past, but nothing that would have us rushing back.
There’s no denying that eating by those fish tanks is a unique experience, but you can stop by The Seas pavilion for some aquatic action and fill up on much more flavorful food at other spots in the park instead.
Click here to read about one of our most recent experiences at this restaurant.
Alright, now we’re off to World Showcase! We know there’s a bit of a debate on this, but for the purpose of this virtual walk around EPCOT, we’re going to start on the left.
Mexico
There are a few spots to grab a snack at in the Mexico pavilion including La Cantina de San Angel and Choza de Margarita.
SKIP: Though not bad by any means, we would say skip on the Guacamole with Totopos from La Cantina de San Angel. There’s 3 different guacs at your fingertips in this Pavilion and you can find better ones close by!
EAT INSTEAD: Instead, we’d suggest you grab some guac and chips from La Cava del Tequila or Choza de Margarita instead.
Want to know which guacamole we liked the best? Click here to see our guacamole throw down!
SKIP: We’d also have to say that while the Tacos de Pollo from La Cantina de San Angel are okay, we did feel like they were missing something the last time we had them.
So, if you are going to get them, be sure to grab some of that 75 cent queso! That queso is the bomb!
EAT INSTEAD: You could just pass on this taco entirely for something tastier at this same spot, like the Pollo Cascabel.
Click here to check out our review of lunch at this spot!
Norway
Over in Norway, we’re headed to the reopened Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe! While we totally think grabbing some School Bread here is worth it…
…we’d recommend you SKIP: some (maybe most?) of the other items here. The Lefse, for example, is not really something we’ve enjoyed in the past, although we’ve heard it may be better warmed up.
EAT INSTEAD: We’d say, focus your efforts here on eating a school bread (or two).
Click here to see when Kringla will be open!
China
SKIP: Now, if you’ve reached China in your walk around World Showplace and are thinking about grabbing a snack there, we’d say skip on the Pot Stickers and entrees over at Lotus Blossom Cafe, the quick service spot you’ll find at this pavilion on the left-hand side.
Don’t get us wrong, sometimes there’s nothing better than some sticky and sweet orange chicken or fried rice, and, if that’s the only thing you’re in the mood for that day, then go for it. But, these options aren’t anything spectacular. We’ve had some less than great experiences with the potstickers and some other dishes here.
There’s MUCH better options at other spots in EPCOT.
EAT INSTEAD: If there’s a festival going on, we do suggest you check out the options at the China festival booth which may have more flavorful and fun options! we typically really enjoy most of the offerings China’s fest booths have to offer (still dreaming of Chengdu Street Fries!).
Click here to see our review of the China booth at the 2020 Food & Wine Festival!
Germany
SKIP: If you’ve reached Germany and you’re looking for a unique snack, we’d say skip out on the pretzel from Sommerfest. We KNOW! You’re probably yelling, “How dare you?!” at your screens right now. But, hear us out!
Is this pretzel tasty? Yes, absolutely! Is it the most unique or delicious thing you can eat in EPCOT? We don’t think so. Our pretzel came with some packs of mustard, which is all nice and fine, but we would have definitely preferred some plastic cheese. These pretzels are different from your average Mickey Pretzel — much drier and chewier, which some prefer. Plus, there are a lot of other items that could offer your taste buds a bit more of a party.
EAT INSTEAD: The food at Germany’s Food & Wine Festival booth for 2020 is delicious and more unique.
Not to mention there’s a whole shop full of incredible caramel goodies just steps away! Just look at this cupcake from Karamell-Küche!
If you must have a pretzel, this is a good choice. But if you’re willing to go on a culinary adventure, we’d say skip the pretzel here for something better (and probably covered in caramel, cause that’s how the Germany Pavilion rolls.)!
Click here to check out our review of the incredible cupcake we got in the Germany pavilion recently!
Italy
We’ve had our fair share of great, cheesy pizza from Italy’s Pizza al Taglio (a.k.a. the pizza window), but some other pizza (and other items) in the Italy pavilion aren’t so great.
SKIP: The food items at Italy’s Food & Wine Festival booth were all pretty…average. TBH, most of Italy’s festival booth are kind of forgettable. We found the Margherita flatbread to just be okay, La Classica pasta dish was lacking in flavor, and the Cannoli Siciliani was just alright.
Nothing really stood out to us as something we’d go out of our way for to get again. If you’re going to eat your weight in Disney food, you might as well be eating something DELICIOUS, and these just didn’t do it for us.
EAT INSTEAD: We’d say check out Via Napoli or even Pizza al Taglio in the Italy pavilion instead! The pizza from Via Napoli is possibly the best in all of Disney World!!
Click here to read our full review of the Italy booth at the 2020 Food & Wine Festival.
The American Adventure
Alright! We’re officially half-way through our tour around World Showcase. The American Adventure has definitely stepped up their food game with the opening of Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue (as compared to their previous quick service spot)
SKIP: There are quite a few delicious options available here, but overall we’d say skip on the Smoked Chicken and Macaroni & Cheese. While both of these are good, they lacked the punch of flavor we were looking for.
EAT INSTEAD: Go for the Sliced Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich and Baked Beans with Burnt Ends instead!
Click here to read our full review of Regal Eagle!
SKIP: Also, you may want to skip the Southern Seafood Boil available at Hops & Barley Market at The American Adventure for the 2020 Taste of EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. We found it to be a little bland when we first had it at the Flower & Garden Festival, but it was tasty when we had it again for Food & Wine.
Still, it’s extremely messy and there’s a lot of work that goes into actually eating some of the items in this dish. So, if you don’t like to work for your food or you don’t like to get your hands messy, this is probably a skip for you!
Click here to read our full review of the Hops & Barley Food & Wine Festival food!
Japan
Over at the Japan pavilion, there are a LOT of unique snacks.
SKIP: The Frothy Ramen, which is available at the 2020 Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, has made our best of the fest before, but some guests find it absolutely atrocious!
It’s cold noodles with some very strong and powerful (AKA kind of fishy) flavors, so you definitely need to be an adventurous eater to taste this one! So, it’s a maybe skip depending on what types of dishes you like.
Click here to see our review of the Japan booth at the Food & Wine Festival!
SKIP: We’d also recommend you skip the sushi and some of the other more “ordinary” options, like chicken teriyaki, from Katsura Grill, a quick-service spot in the Japan pavilion.
While these options don’t necessarily taste horrible, they’re just a bit pricey for what you’re getting and the flavors are really no different than what you’d get at a local sushi or Japanese restaurant back home.
EAT INSTEAD: There are definitely better options here like the Yuzu Miso Wings, or you can try some of the delicious options at the Japan Food & Wine Festival booth like the Chirashi Sushi Flowerpot or Tempura Domburi.
SKIP: Also, we just want to say that any packaged snacks in Japan’s Mitsukoshi Department Store that have like a FULL previously living creature in them (dried crab snacks, we’re looking at you) may just be a skip for those not looking to be totally grossed out!
But if dried crabs are totally your jam, go for it!
EAT INSTEAD: There are some cool flavors of Kit Kats and Japanese candy in Mitsukoshi Department Store! It’s tough to go wrong with the candy here, so be adventurous and find a new favorite!
Morocco
SKIP: In Morocco, we’d say skip out on the Rice-stuffed Grape Leaves, or Dolmas, at Spice Road Table.
They’ve got a unique mix of flavors but were served COLD the last time we had them, which was not the most pleasant experience. The menu did recently update so it’s possible these have changed since then, however!
EAT INSTEAD: Instead of the cold grape leaves, grab some warm and absolutely delicious Fried Calamari from Spice Road Table. These are totally worth it!
SKIP: At the Morocco Food & Wine Festival booth, we’d say skip the Hummus Fries.
While these are a consistently good choice, the true stand out star here and what we’d recommend you EAT INSTEAD is the Beef Kefta Pocket. It was one of the most flavorful dishes we had at Food & Wine!
Click here to read our full review of the Morocco Food & Wine Festival Booth!
France
There are so many yummy choices in France, it’s hard to say what to skip.
SKIP: We’d say skip anything “ordinary” or plain, like a regular baguette or plain croissant from Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie. While these may be good, they lack the punch of flavor you can get from other dishes at this pavilion.
EAT INSTEAD: Instead, grab something packed with more flavor like some of the items from the France Food & Wine Festival booth, or some of the delicious macarons from Les Halles. If you’re really in the mood for a full French experience, head over to the newly reopened Chefs de France for an absolutely spectacular meal.
Click here to read our review of Chefs de France (spoiler alert: it was incredible)!
United Kingdom
SKIP: At the United Kingdom, we’d say skip on some (or most) of the packaged treats that you can often find inside some of the gift shops at the pavilion.
EAT INSTEAD: While some of those packaged treats may look enticing and can be tasty and fairly inexpensive, we’d recommend you opt for some hot and delicious Fish & Chips from Yorkshire County Fish Shop.
Click here for our most recent review of the fish & chips!
Canada
Finally, we’ve made our way to the last pavilion on our tour — Canada!
SKIP: There are SO many things to love at the Canada pavilion, but if we’d have to skip anything here, we’d say skip some of the desserts at Le Cellier Steakhouse — specifically the Maple Leaf Cheesecake and Warm Pecan-Brown Butter Tart.
While both of these are okay, they fall flat in terms of overall flavor. Neither of them have blown us away in the past.
EAT INSTEAD: Instead, we’d say grab the classic Maple Creme Brûlée at Le Cellier if you feel absolutely compelled to get dessert there, or opt for some dessert at one of the other pavilions in EPCOT!
Well, that’s our list! If you’re eating around the world, you might as well spend your money (and your calorie count) on some truly unique and flavorful items. We’d say skip the items listed above, and grab some other treats instead!
Looking for some great snacks in EPCOT? Check out our “Best of the Fest” for the 2020 Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival here!