We had a great day eating and drinking our way around the 2021 Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival!

This year’s festival runs March 3rd through July 5th and, like other recent EPCOT festivals, it’s a bit modified to make room for health and safety measures. Still, that didn’t stop us from getting our SNACK on at 20 FOOD BOOTHS (including two new ones!).

Well, we wouldn’t want to disappoint you so we made it through EVERY. SINGLE. MENU. and you know what that means! We now have the HONOR of bringing you the very best of the best. So, without further ado, here is the 2021 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival BEST of the FEST!

Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites at Sunshine Griddle

Sunshine Griddle is a new booth at the festival this year and it came out SWINGING. We saw Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Bacon on the menu for $4.25 and practically swooned.

We had high, HIGH hopes for this dish and it lived up to every single one. All of the elements were fabulous and we’re still dreaming of that soft, gooey, delicious cinnamon center.

Click here to see our REVIEW of Sunshine Griddle!

Shrimp and Grits at Sunshine Griddle

The eats at this new booth seriously wowed us. You’ll have to taste it to believe it, but the Shrimp and Grits for $7.25 are some of the best we’ve ever had. We’ve seen them at the festival before so we were SO thrilled to see them arrive on the Sunshine Griddle menu.

They’re made with Blackened Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits with Brown Gravy and Sweet Corn Salsa. No lie, we probably could’ve eaten an entire second serving and then STILL have wanted thirds.

Want to see more pics of the Shrimp and Grits? Click here!

Crawfish Étouffée at Magnolia Terrace

We’d actually call Magnolia Terrace our “most improved” booth because it brought us some surprisingly tasty options this year. One of those that we especially loved was the Crawfish Étouffée with Andouille Sausage and Dirty Rice for $7.25.

We would EASILY order this eat as an entree at a nice restaurant and be very happy with what we were served. We’d certainly take an entree-sized portion! It was PACKED full of flavor!

Want to see more of the eats at this booth? Click here!

Fried Green Tomatoes at Festival Favorites

Festival Favorites is a booth that brings back beloved items from years past and we have to say, they definitely picked some good ones IMO! One returning best-of-the-fest-er is the Fried Green Tomatoes with Blue Crab-Fennel Salad, Remoulade, and Smoked Paprika Oil for $6.25.

This eat is a DREAM for seafood lovers. The crab pairs oh-so-well with that green tomato and it’s an awesome savory find.

Click here to see our REVIEW of Festival Favorites!

Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider at Festival Favorites

Another awesome option at this spot is the Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider for $7.50. It comes served with Garlic Sausage, Chorizo, Cheddar Fondue, and a House-made Pickle.

To put it in perspective, the first thing our reporter said when they tried this was, “Amazing. Best of the fest.” The textures all went together very well and it was LOADED with cheese. You know how we feel about cheese.

Want to see more of this spot? Click here!

Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade at Pineapple Promenade

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade is one of the GREATEST drinks of the fest. AND, it’s non-alcoholic!

For $4.50 you can find yourself enjoying a SUPER delicious and refreshing drink. On top of that, those flower garnishes? They’re EDIBLE!

Want to see more of this booth? Click here!

Orange-Lemon Smoothie in a Souvenir Orange Bird Sipper Cup at The Citrus Blossom

This next one is a winner more for the cup than the drink, but BOTH are worthy. Get ready to be bowled over by cuteness because we’re giving a best of the fest spot to the NEW Orange Bird Sipper Cup — and we bet he’s very happy about it.

As we mentioned though, this cup isn’t winning his spot on his own. He’s also FILLED with Orange-Lemon Smoothie for $15. Talk about making our citrus dreams come true!

To see more of the new sipper, click here!

Grilled Street Corn on the Cob at Trowel and Trellis Hosted by IMPOSSIBLE Foods

If we were ranking these best of the fest picks, the Grilled Street Corn on the Cob from Trowel and Trellis would rank VERY close to the top. We keep picking this as one of our favorites because every year it reminds us just how tasty grilled corn can be.

You’re looking at a whole cob slathered with garlic spread for a savory snack that will have you dreaming about it for months. We certainly do. Pick it up for $5.75.

Click here to see our REVIEW of Trowel and Trellis!

Canard Confit à l’Orange at Fleur de Lys

Would it even be an EPCOT festival if we didn’t pick a winner from the France booth? This dish is a little bit different this year, but it’s returned to our best of the fest list nonetheless. Take a look at the Canard Confit à l’Orange aux Gnocchi à la Parisienne. That’s Braised Duck Confit à l’Orange with Parisian Gnocchi!

The gnocchi is a new addition this year but the real star of this dish is the duck. It was perfectly cooked and delightfully paired with the yummy gnocchi. Duck lovers, you gotta try it for $6.50!

Want to see more of this booth? Click here!

Tarte aux Oignons Caramélisés et Chèvre at Fleur de Lys

If you’ve been around for a while, you’re probably not surprised that we picked more than one item from Fleur de Lys. We do love the France booth! Another returning item that we absolutely adore is the Tarte aux Oignons Caramélisés et Chèvre.

That’s a Goat Cheese Tart with caramelized onions served on a flaky pastry crust, and it costs $5.50. We love how the lighter crust pairs with the intense flavors of the onion and goat cheese. If you’re into those ingredients, you probably will too.

For our FULL REVIEW of Fleur de Lys, click here!

Beignet Caramélisé at Fleur de Lys

AND dessert was a winner at this booth too! Claps all around. One of the dessert options is Beignet Caramélisé, Fourré Crème Vanille, Glacé au Caramel Fleur de Sel. That’s French for a Caramelized Beignet filled with Vanilla Cream and glazed with Caramel Fleur de Sel.

Well, you know how we feel about fried dough. This eat tasted a bit more like a donut than a beignet but we loved it anyway! It was thick and airy at the same time with the AMAZING flavors of that crystallized caramel glaze. Try it out yourself for $5.25!

Want to see more pics from Fleur de Lys? Click here!

Mini Funnel Cake at Funnel Cake Stand

The Funnel Cake Stand in EPCOT’s American Adventure Pavilion has been known to DELIVER on some seriously amazing funnel cakes. That’s why we were SO delighted to hear that the Mini Funnel Cake topped with Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream, Blueberries, and Powdered Sugar had returned this year.

The blueberry and lemon make for a beautiful flavor combination that leaves you with an ice cream that is both tart and rich. For $8.50, you’ll find yourself trying one of our favorite funnel cakes of ALL. TIME.

To see more about this offering, click here!

Popsicle Trio at Refreshment Port

We’ve got another returning favorite and in our own words from last year, “We were absolutely gobsmacked with this next dessert.” It’s Refreshment Port’s Popsicle Trio and yes it is ACTUALLY three mini popsicles for $5.

The flavors are honeydew, raspberry-mint, and coconut lime and they are each wonderful. The only downside is they melt quickly so you gotta snack fast!

Want to see more of this spot? Click here!

Shakshuka at Taste of Marrakesh

We’re suckers for a runny egg and Taste of Marrakesh in the Morocco PAvilion tapped right into that weakness with the Shakshuka for $5.50. This dish is Moroccan Baked Eggs in a Spiced Eggplant and Tomato Stew.

Oh wow was this yummy! It had so many delightful savory flavors and the egg ran through to meld with them all deliciously.

Want to see more of Taste of Marrakesh? Click here!

Shrimp and Crab at Hanami

Hanami was our best booth of the WHOLE fest last year so it makes sense that it brought us another winner this year. Our favorite dish at this booth? The Shrimp and Crab with Spicy Mayonnaise and Cucumber Slices finished with Creamy Avocado and Violet Sauce.

This dish was so, so, so good. It had some nice spice and heat and the cucumber adds a nice crunch. Plus, it’s shaped like Mickey! How could we not give it the best of the fest? Try it for yourself for $6.50.

To check out more offerings at Hanami, click here!

Mango Limeade Dole Whip from The Garden Graze

Okay, this one is kind of unique because it isn’t actually an item you can just go get from a booth. It’s actually part of the prize for completing The Garden Graze! Basically, if you get all five of the required Garden Graze items, you get the Mango Limeade Dole Whip in a Souvenir Cup for FREE.

We’re SUCKERS for fun flavors of Dole Whip and this one is definitely fun. It’s WAY heavier on the lime flavors than the mango, but you get a nice mango note every once in a while. If you’ve got the time and are willing to eat your way through the Garden Graze, then this Dole Whip could be the answer to your lime-loving prayers.

Click here to learn more about The Garden Graze!

Best BOOTH of the FEST

Now that we’ve gone through allll of our favorite items, it’s time for us to give you our pick for the best BOOTH of the whole fest! Drumroll, please!

Sunshine Griddle

YES! You heard it here folks! The BRAND-NEW brunch-themed booth in Future World is our WINNER of Best Booth of the Fest! The menu here wowed us with a variety of AWESOME brunch options.

You know the Shrimp and Grits, Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites, and Froot Loops won our hearts, but we loved the other items on the menu too! If you’re a brunch fan (or even if it’s not your favorite meal ever), head on over. We’d stop by Sunshine Griddle again before we hit any other booth!

Click here for our FULL REVIEW of the BEST FEST BOOTH!

Runner-up for Best Booth of the Fest

Fleur de Lys

Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re leaving the France booth in the dust. Fleur de Lys was a CLOSE second today bringing us amazing options on both the savory and the sweet front.

We would have absolutely NO complaints stopping by for a Goat Cheese Tart or a Caramelized Beignet. We certainly hope you get the chance to experience the awesome flavors at this spot!

For our FULL REVIEW of Fleur de Lys, click here!

Trowel and Trellis Hosted by IMPOSSIBLE Foods

And an honorable mention is Trowel and Trellis Hosted by IMPOSSIBLE Foods, which may be shocking. Why is this so shocking? This booth is ENTIRELY PLANT-BASED — and we love our meat and cheese.

BUT, not having meat and cheese didn’t stop Trowel and Trellis from delivering an AMAZING menu using the Impossible meat substitute. We’re still SO surprised that we loved the Boneless Impossible Korean Short Rib. Plus, this spot had a dangerously good cocktail too!

Click here to read more of our thoughts on Trowel and Trellis!

Best of the Fest for Kids

Now let’s talk about the best options for kiddos!

Froot Loops Shake at Sunshine Griddle

When we first laid eyes on the Froot Loops Shake at Sunshine Griddle today we KNEW it was going to land on our best of the fest. We’re not sure there’s a way that a kid could pass this up!

Just look at it, it’s blue and covered with froot loops. It looks fun AND it tastes just like the sugary cereal without being cloyingly sweet. We even liked it as grown-ups! Give it a try for $4.50.

To see more of Sunshine Griddle, click here!

Frushi at Hanami

Flower and Garden booths aren’t just for grown-ups and one of the most kid-friendly and fun options is the Frushi at Hanami. Yup, this is what it sounds like — fruit sushi! You get three pieces for $6.

This gives littles the chance to feel comfier with something more adventurous like sushi, while still giving them familiar flavors. These are made with Strawberry, Pineapple, and Cantaloupe wrapped in Sweet Rice and Pink Soy Wrap served with Whipped Cream, Drizzled Berry Sauce, and Toasted Coconut.

Want to check out more offerings at Hanami? Click here!

Instagram Winner

We’ve talked all about the seriously great flavors at this fest, but some of these items are real lookers too. That’s why we introduced the most Instagrammable item of the Fest! Listen, we had to give SOME award to Glitter Beer when it first popped up at Festival of the Arts. Our Instagram winner is always the dish that brings us the best presentation or “wow” factor, even if they may not taste that great.

Hibiscus Lemonade Cocktail at Farmer’s Feast

This year, we got lucky with an Instagram winner that not only LOOKS amazing, but it tastes great too! The Hibiscus Lemonade Cocktail is absolutely gorgeous with a vibrant purple color that fades into white. Add that garnish and you’re looking at a SUPER ‘grammable drink.

And we’re not kidding when we say it’s tasty too. It’s made with Islamorada Brewery & Distillery Hibiscus Gin to make for a light and flavorful cocktail for $11.

Click here for our FULL REVIEW of the Hibiscus Lemonade Cocktail!

Most Surprising of the Fest

Sometimes, there’s a festival item that is just downright surprising. At this year’s Flower and Garden, we definitely had one!

Blood Orange Beet Cocktail at Farmer’s Feast

This option was surprising for a couple of reasons. First of all, it wasn’t announced on the menu, so we were shocked to see the Blood Orange Beet Cocktail for $13 when we made it up to Farmer’s Feast his morning.

And second, it was surprisingly AMAZING?! Our reporter isn’t the biggest fan of beets and even for folks who are, a beet cocktail might sound a little offputting. But it was SO GOOD. We’d seriously get it again in a heartbeat. Or should we say heart-beet?

Want to see more of Farmer’s Feast? Click here!

Thanks for joining us for our trip through ALL of the springtime EPCOT fest today! We had SO much fun and we’ve gotta say, we’re ready for the flowery season even more now. Don’t forget, we’ll be right here throughout the festival for all of the tips and planning needs you might have!

Click HERE To See All The Updated Details For Epcot’s 2021 Flower and Garden Festival!

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What items do YOU want to try? Tell us in the comments! 

The post BEST of the FEST! What to Eat and Drink at the 2021 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival! first appeared on the disney food blog.