Hello from the BoardWalk at Walt Disney World!

We love hanging out at the BoardWalk to visit places like Trattoria al Forno for some Italian food or BoardWalk Joe’s to get a quick margarita! A spot we don’t find ourselves at much though is AbracadaBar, a magician-themed cocktail lounge right on the BoardWalk! According to the lore of the BoardWalk, magicians tried to outdo each other with their tricks here after their shows. But one day, the secret lounge vanished into thin air! Now, it’s randomly reappeared for us to enjoy. It’s been a while since we waltzed into this time capsule, so let’s see if AbracadaBar is still magical!

Atmosphere

AbracadaBar has been at Disney’s BoardWalk since 2016.

It’s themed as the former stomping grounds for famous magicians, illusionists, and magician’s assistants, so it’s like you’re traveling back in time a bit! Let’s clear this up right away though: this is not in the same vein as Trader Sam’s over at the Polynesian. This isn’t a bar with an interactive schtick like you might think. Rather, it’s a place to relax in the dark, take in the ambiance, and enjoy a few cocktails. That said, a few pieces of art on the walls do randomly “come alive.” If you’ve seen the posters in Town Square in Magic Kingdom, something along those lines. It’s a fun (tiny) detail, but otherwise forgettable.

Since this place is a lounge, it usually opens up in the afternoons and doesn’t close until later in the evenings (most days, about 4PM-11PM). If you look closely at the wallpaper inside, you’ll notice it’s made up of magician’s tools like wands, ropes, linking rings, and keys.

The theming is quite fun if you’re into magic or bars that feel like they exist in a different era. You could almost imagine Harry Houdini chilling in the corner with a cocktail, teaching himself a new daring escape.

If you take a look around, you’ll notice some other fun Easter eggs.  The Boardwalk Bugle hanging on a wall in the bar, dated November 13, 1940 describes a little of AbracadaBar’s history. If that date sounds familiar, it’s because that was the date that Disney’s Fantasia was released! Think it’s a coincidence that Sorcerer Mickey (and his wise and stern Magi, Yensid!) made his screen debut on this date or just another example of Disney’s magical storytelling?

A powerful tool in the magician’s arsenal: a sturdy deck of playing cards. Here, some are prominently displayed.

The decor is the star here. As the mythos here goes, a bunch of lively magicians and their assistants would gather here to test out tricks, drink, be merry, and hone their craft. Then POOF! They disappeared. And not in a fun Prestige kind of way where they always reappear at the end. These magicians were GONE. The only trace left was their tricks, which you’ll find scattered around the bar.

The restrooms here even get in on the fun!

It is pretty small inside and rather dark. Don’t plan on getting great lighting to take pics of your fancy drinks!

Inside there’s one main room with tables and chairs as well as booths and seating at the bar. There’s not oodles of room to spread out or chill.

There’s also some seating outside on the patio, which is where we sat on this visit! (We figured you might actually want to SEE what the food and drinks look like! ) Note that if you sit outside, your drinks will be in plastic cups instead of glass.

The menu is available by scanning a QR code at your table.

Now it’s time to get some drinks!

Eats

Let’s take a look at the menu! Now, this is a lounge, so you’re not really going to find a whole meal here — it’s mainly small plates and drinks! There are 3 official bar snacks on the menu: the Abra Fries for $11, Salumi for $15, and the Margherita Pizza for $19.

However, our server told us you can also get Pizze Bianca for $19, Pizze Pepperoni for $20, Calamari for $17, and the Insalata Caprese for $13 from the nearby Trattoria al Forno! Moving on to the drinks, which is really the main event here at AbracadaBar, there are several handcrafted cocktails on the menu like the Parlor Trick for $15 or the Hoodunit’s Punch for $15.

Note the drink menu has significantly changed since this spot first opened. Originally, a fair number of drinks had a “magical” component — color-changing liquids, cotton candy, or…umm…well, Absinthe. Over the years, a few of these drinks have disappeared (see what we did there?) while others remain!

There are also some featured cocktails that are a bit more traditional, like the Side Car for $12 and the Sazarac for $14.

AbracadaBar has a decent size selection of wine as well, which makes this lounge a nice spot if you want to grab a glass of wine before your dinner reservation at a nearby BoardWalk restaurant. Here’s a look at the Champagne, Sparkling, and White Wine menu.

There are also some Rosés and Red Wines to choose from.

And several beers on draft!

You can ask your server about additional offerings like bourbon, whiskey, and scotch. This is a BAR after all!

Now let’s try some drinks! We got the Magic Mirror for $15 and the Pepper’s Ghost, also for $15.

The Magic Mirror had Bacardi Rum, Soda Water, Mango Syrup, Sprite®, and Lime Juice. This was DELICIOUS! It wasn’t too sweet or super rum heavy. It tasted like a lighter version of something you would get at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort thanks to the bubbles. It’s a great choice if you want a tropical drink that isn’t sickly sweet to really lean into those vacation vibes! Plus the color was lovely!

Next up was the Pepper’s Ghost. This fun drink was named after the classic illusionist trick that uses glass to reflect images of actors or objects to appear like ghosts to the audience. You’re probably familiar with this illusion if you’ve visited the Haunted Mansion. Those waltzing ghosts in the ballroom scene? Classic examples of Pepper’s Ghost! But now, back to this tasty beverage.

It had Ciroc Pineapple Vodka and Habanero Lime. That’s it! The simplicity of ingredients definitely made this a vodka and pineapple forward drink. If you don’t like tasting the alcohol in your drinks, this is NOT for you! You can also taste the habanero flavor, but it’s not too spicy. The pineapple is definitely the stronger flavor here, so you have to like the fruit to enjoy this and the habanero adds a little heat kick on the back end! Though this drink isn’t super spicy, that habanero heat will linger on your palate a little, so if that’s not something you’d enjoy, you may want to opt for a different cocktail. Not surprisingly, this is a smaller serving since it’s basically straight booze!

Next, we ordered some food! Since there are only 3 things on the official bar snacks menu, we obviously ordered all of them. We kicked things off with the Abra Fries for $11. We had these soon after the bar opened when they advertised Parmesean cheese, Truffle Oil, and Meyer Lemon Aioli for the same price. Back then we were tremendously underwhelmed. They were OK as fries, but seriously lacking in the truffle department. These were a bit different. 

First things first, they didn’t look like much. But, just like magic, looks can be deceiving. This dish was crispy yummy goodness! The strongest flavor was the creamy truffle aioli the fries came with, but the cheese was also awesome and we could tell it was good quality. For $11, this is definitely a great plate of fries! The fries were hot and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but the truffle flavor is the star of the show here. If truffles or mushrooms aren’t your jam, you may want to skip this dish or ask for the aioli on the side. We, however, were pleasantly surprised to get smacked in the face with that savory truffle flavor. One suggestion though should come as no surprise: MORE sauce, please. Can you ever really have too much??

Moving on to the Salumi! This came with Prosciutto, Capicola, Mortadella, Salami, House Made Mozzarella, Herb Crusted Goat Cheese, and House Made Ricotta with olive oil for $15.

These meats and cheeses were tasty! The prosciutto was our fave — it was salty in a good way. (Wondering what that crusty bread we’re eating is? Read on. We’ll get to it!)

The capicola was also salty and the large pieces were nice!

The mortadella is kind of like Italy’s version of bologna, so if you’re into fancy lunch meat, you’ll love this! Many mortadellas are studded with pistachios or black peppercorns, like ours was.

And the salami was solid, but we could’ve used a little bit of spice to add a different flavor!

The cheeses were also great! The house-made mozzarella was very creamy and we could tell it was made in-house.

The herb crust on the goat cheese had a delicious basil flavor that made it our favorite cheese on the plate!

The house-made ricotta with olive oil was also yummy, it’s just a milder flavored cheese, but still delightfully creamy!

We also were served some Crostinis with Pickled Vegetables along with the Salumi. These could easily be overlooked since they’re veggies (because when there’s a plate of cheese in front of you, veggies are often an afterthought…) but you should NOT sleep on these!! They had an awesome crunch and the acidity really balanced out the salty meat and creamy cheeses perfectly.

Overall, this version of a meat and cheese board was a great size for the price! the presentation on the plate may be a bit lacking but all the components were flavorful and fresh. And the balance of all of the components together, the crisp of the toasted bruschetta, salty meat, creamy cheese, and acidic crunch of the veggies made each bite a tiny bouquet of flavors and textures.

Finally, we had the Margherita Pizza for $19. They use fresh tomatoes on the pie, which was a nice touch.

It also has that housemade mozzarella on it we tried with the Salumi! This tasted way fresher and better than normal Disney pizza (excluding Via Napoli, duh).

It was very light on the sauce, so it got kind of oily, but if you’re craving pizza, this should hit the spot! That said, it is a $19 dollar small personal-sized pizza. That’s not ridiculous, by Disney standards, but it’s still not super cheap. We enjoyed it, but just go into it knowing it’s pretty good but still overpriced and you should be OK.

Our favorite bar snack out of all 3 dishes was the fries! That being said, none of these are unique or original food offerings. And you gotta love cheese/be able to eat it to enjoy these snacks!

Nosh or Not

Say “Open Sesame” to AbracadaBar if:

• You’re staying near the BoardWalk and want a fun place to relax and grab a drink or snack.
• You’re really into cocktails and want to try a wide variety of unique offerings or classic cocktails lost to time.
• You love magic and themed bars that make you feel like you’re stepping back in time.

Make yourself disappear if:

• You have kids. This is not really a kid-friendly place — it’s basically all alcohol and a liiittle bit of food. Kids are allowed here, but it probably won’t be their choice of locations to visit. There are neat details to look at, but it is a tiny spot and kiddos might get bored and restless quickly.
• You’re looking for a big meal. Again, there are only a few snacks on the menu, even with the offerings from Trattoria al Forno!
• You have a very large group. This place isn’t very big, so it might be hard for you to find a place for your whole group to enjoy a drink!

Overall

AbracadaBar is a fun time! They have a great variety of cocktails and other alcoholic drinks and a few yummy appetizers. The theming inside makes for a cool and different atmosphere, especially if you’re into magicians and that golden age of the BoardWalk! We loved sitting out on the patio here because we got to enjoy the views from the BoardWalk while still taking part in the lounge. But if you get a coveted seat inside the bar, you’ll be dazzled with details and magical secrets in every nook and cranny.

Truth be told, our first few visits we felt like the drinks were fun, but were majorly underwhelmed by the food. It’s still not food we’d say go out of your way to get but, if you’re here, it’s perfectly fine. The drinks really are the star and there’s a lot to choose from here!

We think this is a great spot if you’re just looking for a few fun drinks, a small bite, and some magician’s antics! Maybe you have time to kill before your dining reservation at the nearby Swan Resort or want a nightcap after leaving EPCOT for the day.  Either way, this place should do the trick (see what we did there). If you’re looking for something bigger space-wise or menu-wise, try AbracadaBar another time!

Click here to see another meat and cheese board in Disney World, but this one’s WEIRD.

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Have you ever been to AbracadaBar? Let us know in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Is AbracadaBar Worth Experiencing in Disney World? first appeared on the disney food blog.