Let’s face it — figuring out what to eat in Disney World (and what is actually WORTH your cash) can be overwhelming.

Picking the best EPCOT snacks on a regular day can be tough enough, but now the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has rolled into town, which means there are even MORE eats and drinks to pick from (including a whole bunch of new ones). We’ve eaten at EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of the Holidays and we’ve shared FULL booth reviews with you. But what are the very BEST items to eat? We’ve got the only list you need right here.

Without further ado, let’s dive into our picks for the BEST eats and drinks at the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays.

New Bests

Giant Tostada de Barbacoa at Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen

Last year, the giant tostada with chorizo made our list of the Best of the Fest, and this year Las Posadas is BACK at it again with a tostada — but this time it has barbacoa beef! Specifically, this year’s updated version has braised barbacoa beef on a giant tostada with chipotle black bean purée, salsa verde, queso cotija, crema Mexicana, and pickled onion for $10.50.

We REALLY liked this dish (of course — that’s why it’s on this list!). The beef was well-cooked and flavorful, the black bean puree was wonderfully creamy and smooth, and the pickled onions added a great flavor. Overall, this dish was a win for us and one we’d totally recommend!

Click here for our FULL review of the Las Posadas booth

Spiced Pumpkin Punch at Le Marche de Noel Holiday Kitchen

If you want a creamy drink in EPCOT, Le Marche de Noel (in the France pavilion) is THE place to go! While there, pick up the NEW Spiced Pumpkin Punch and we have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.

The drink is priced at $13.50 and features Rhum Clement VSOP Vieux Agricole, spiced pumpkin purée, and oat milk.

The spice really shines in this drink, so if you love pumpkin spice, take our advice and run to get this drink! We loved the use of oat milk here, and overall thought it was, as our team member put it, “so so good.” That’s 2 “so’s” folks, that’s when you know it’s serious.   But really, this drink is good. Get it.

Click here for more details about the Le Marche De Noel booth

Roasted Ham with Mushrooms at Le Marche de Noel Holiday Kitchen

If you want a really savory snack, head to the France pavilion for the Rôti de Jambon Sauce Moutarde à l’ancienne, Pommes Dauphine. That is a roasted ham with mushrooms, pearl onions, bacon, mustard sauce, and puff potatoes. It’s priced at $7.75.

This dish is a savory and salty EXPLOSION in the best way possible. There’s salty ham, tasty mushrooms, tangy mustard sauce, and light & fluffy puff potatoes. There’s nothing here that’s particularly fancy or shocking, but it’s a solid dish where every single element delivers fantastic flavors. So it wins a Best of the Fest pick from us in terms of being one of the best savory dishes we ate.

Click here for our FULL review of this booth

Macaron Christmas Tree at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie

If you’re looking for a simple but delicious sweet treat that’ll look amazing in your TikTok and taste amazing too, then the Macaron Christmas Tree is IT.

One of our team members said that this was the BEST dessert they ate at the entire festival. It has the perfect soft-yet-crunchy macaron texture. It crumbles easily, the filling is creamy, and it really delivers some awesome Christmas spice flavors. You can get it for $10.60.

Click here for more details about other Festival dishes you can find in EPCOT

Beef and Noodle Bowl Soup from Shanghai Holiday Kitchen

If you love beef noodles, then you MUST try the Beef & Noodle Soup Bowl at Shanghai Holiday Kitchen. It’s made with slow-braised beef shank, green onion, and house-made chili oil, and it’s a beef noodle lover’s dream come true!

The beef melts in your mouth, the noodles are well prepared, and the chili oil adds fantastic flavor without any of the heat. Plus, the vegetables are nice and crisp. This is a great way to get your beef noodle fix in the middle of EPCOT.

Click here for full details about Shanghai Holiday Kitchen

Ichigo Milk Boba from Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen

If you’re looking for a delicious drink at the Festival that is non-alcoholic, consider giving the Ichigo Milk Boba a try! This drink is made with cranberry and yuzu cream, and features Japanese Calpico Soft Drink and popping strawberry boba pearls. It’s priced at $6.50.

The drink is pretty sweet but is SO good. It wasn’t overpoweringly sugary and didn’t taste too artificial. Instead, what we got was some creamy, delicious goodness! 

Check out more about Shi Wasu here!

Mini Funnel Cake at Funnel Cake

If you love funnel cakes and peppermint, get READY. At the Funnel Cake stand near The American Adventure, you’ll find a NEW mini funnel cake for the Festival this year. It’s a Mini Funnel Cake topped with Peppermint Ice Cream, Chocolate Whipped Cream, and Crushed Peppermint and it’s priced at $9.50.

This thing is GOOOOOOOD. The peppermint ice cream is absolutely delicious, the chocolate funnel cake is wonderful, and the chocolate whipped cream on top adds an extra layer of flavor. It’s a lot to pay for a mini funnel cake, but we think it’s worth it!

Check out more about the Festival of the Holidays menus here!

Blackened Catfish at American Holiday Table

We are not joking when we say that our team member who tried this said it was one of the BEST things they’ve ever had at an EPCOT Festival in their entire life! That’s a big claim but this dish deserves it! It’s made with Blackened Catfish with Hoppin’ John and comeback sauce and is priced at $6.50.

The catfish is super flaky, had some great heat to it, and the Hoppin’ John was also delicious. The portion was also big enough to fill you up as a light lunch or big enough to share — making it a great value. It’s one we would get time and time again!

Check out the American Holiday Table full booth review here!

Pernil from Nochebuena Cocina

Finally, our last new pick comes from the only new booth at the Festival — Nochebuena Cocina. Our favorite dish from here was the Pernil — Mojo Pork with tostones and ketchup-mayonnaise. This is gluten/wheat friendly and priced at $5.50.

We REALLY enjoyed this one! The tostones were a little on the hard side so we recommend a knife, but the flavors were delicious! The pork was wonderful and we really loved the ketchup-mayonnaise on top. Overall, this was a top-notch dish we think a lot of people would really enjoy.

Check out the full details about the Nochebuena Cocina here!

Returning Bests

Coquito Soft Serve from Refreshment Port

Coquito in ice cream form? Ummm…YES! The Coquito Soft Serve is a take on the classic spiced drink, and having it in ice cream form is a game changer.

The cinnamon flavors mix beautifully with the creamy vanilla, and you can even get it with spiced rum!

You can grab this snack for $6 at Refreshment Port (the rum version is $12.50). If you’re in the mood for something refreshing, don’t miss out on it.

Click here for our Refreshment Port Festival of the Holidays booth review

Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl at Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

Liquid cheese. Bread bowl. Tiny veggies. What’s NOT to love?! The Cheese Fondue from Bavaria Holiday Kitchen is a returning favorite cheese fans CANNOT miss! The cheese is served in a bread bowl with steamed baby vegetables and marble potatoes for dipping.

If you brought us a straw we might just be tempted to drink that cheese straight out of the bowl. But, for now, we’ll just dip our veggies away and enjoy the savory flavors. Grab this dish for $8.25.

See FULL booth details for Bavaria Holiday Kitchen by clicking here

Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce at Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

Yup, we’re staying at Bavaria Holiday Kitchen for our next pick — the Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce, Spätzle, and Braised Red Cabbage. This dish has it all — a delicious mushroom sauce, a good portion size, yummy spaetzle, and a mix of great textures.

Grab this dish for $6.50 — we have a feeling you’ll be glad you did!

See full details about the Bavaria Holiday Kitchen booth here

Slow-Roasted Turkey at American Holiday Table

Want all the goodness of a traditional holiday turkey meal without having to cook it yourself? Disney’s got you covered at American Holiday Table. That’s where you’ll find the oh-so-tasty Slow-roasted Turkey with BEN’S ORIGINAL stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce.

It’s hearty and satisfying and will give you that warm & fuzzy “it’s the holidays” feeling, all for $6.

See the full American Holiday Table menu here

Pastrami on Rye at L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen

If you love a good deli sandwich, run to L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen to pick up their delicious Pastrami on Rye with house-made pickles and deli mustard.

The sandwich isn’t the biggest thing in the world, but it still manages to be tremendously hearty. It also has a combination of classic flavors that makes it one of the BEST returning items at the entire Festival.

See the L’Chaim! menu by clicking here

Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini at Le Marche De Noel Holiday Kitchen

Santa, we’re sorry, but it’s time to take that hot chocolate up a notch! At Le Marche De Noel Holiday Kitchen, you can grab a FROZEN hot chocolate martini and we think it’s a creation Santa would be very jealous of! The drink has Grey Goose La Vanille Vodka, vodka, chocolate milk, and whipped cream.

This drink is a winner year after year. There isn’t much of a strong alcohol flavor, so sip this cautiously! If you haven’t given it a try yet, what are you waiting for?! Pick it up for $13.95.

See the full menu for Le Marche De Noel Holiday Kitchen here

Croissant Donut at Donut Box

The croissant donut (or cronut) has popped up in Disney World at various points in time and different locations, but we were once again thrilled to have it at the Festival of the Holidays. Truly, it impressed us this year with its mixture of crispy and soft textures and TONS of tasty layers.

Plus, it reminded us a lot of a snickerdoodle cookie in terms of flavor. If you love cronuts, this is a VERY well-executed one that we think you’ll love. It’s priced at $6.

See more about Donut Box here!

Hot Cocoa with Peanut Butter Whiskey at Chestnuts & Good Cheer

If you love hot cocoa, get ready for your mind to be BLOWN by Disney’s Hot Cocoa with Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey, whipped cream, and candied nuts at Chestnuts & Good Cheer.

This stuff is seriously delicious. It is incredibly creamy and the peanut butter whiskey is the STAR   of the show. The whipped cream makes it even creamier. Just be warned that the nuts on top sink to the bottom and get a little soggy — so eat those off the top quickly while you can. You can give this alcoholic drink a try for $11.50.

Check out our FULL review of the Chestnuts & Good Cheer booth here!

Sushi Tree from Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen

While the Sushi Tree itself is a returning item, the ingredients that are being used this year are a bit different. This year’s version has krab meat and cream cheese topped with tempura, Ikura salmon roe, and spicy mayonnaise, and it is OH SO GOOD.

The colors are vibrant, but the flavor is the real star! We wish the spicy mayo was spicier but other than that we found the sushi to be well-balanced and it was a nice sharable snack! You can pick it up for $7.50.

Click here to see our full review of the Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen

Turkey Poutine at Refreshment Port

Regular Disney fries are delicious, many would firmly agree with that. But add a holiday feast on top of them and you’ve got a REAL winner! The Turkey Poutine at Refreshment Port is a returning favorite featuring French Fries, turkey gravy, cranberry relish, and crispy onions!

It mixes all the joy of loaded fries with all the deliciousness of a holiday meal. Pick this one up (and make your stomach soooo happy) for $9.

See full details about the Refreshment Port festival menu here

Haupia at Mele Kalikimaka

Finally, we end our returning bests segment with another dish from Mele Kalikimaka — Haupia! If you love coconut and macadamia nuts, this is a MUST-get for you. The dish is a Hawaiian coconut pudding with candied macadamia nuts and coconut, and it’ll make you feel like you’re really having a tropical holiday vacation!

Considering that the Festival is so cookie-heavy (because of the cookie stroll), this dessert stands out as being more unique and particularly delicious!

See the full booth menu for Mele Kalikimaka here

Honorable Mentions

The honorable mentions category captures some eats and drinks that might not shine as brightly as other dishes on the Best of the Fest list, or which we’ve loved in the past but our team members this year didn’t love as much. We still think these deserve a shout-out so we’ve placed them here to give them a little love and make sure you know about them.

Kālua Pork at Mele Kalikimaka

Forget the turkey, it’s time to eat some pork! The Kālua Pork with Okinawa sweet potatoes and mango salad is something you may want to add to your Festival buy list RIGHT NOW.

The pork is wonderfully tender, and all of the other ingredients really elevate the dish and make it incredibly delicious. Our only complaint this year is that the pork was a little bit on the drier side and our team member who tried it didn’t love the sweet potatoes mixed with just the mango. You can grab this dish for $5.50.

See full booth details for Mele Kalikimaka here

Pumpkin Spice Ginger Cocktail at Refreshment Port

Looking for a delicious drink where the ginger flavor is the star? Look no further! The Pumpkin Spice Ginger Cocktail with Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka has a wonderful ginger flavor that really stands out in a great way!

It’s not overly sweet and you can really taste the alcohol with this one. You can grab this drink for $11.50.

Click here for full details about Refreshment Port’s menu during the Festival of the Holidays

Grilled Lamb Kefta Kebabs at Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina

If you’re looking for something savory, the Grilled Kebabs with Carrot-Chickpea Salad and Garlic Aïoli are the way to go.

The Lamb Kefta kebabs are great to pick up after chowing down on many of the otherwise sweet treats at the Festival. You can grab this snack for $5.75.

Click here to see what else is available at Tangierine Cafe during the Festival

New Year Celebration Soba at Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen

If you love dishes that have a variety of yummy ingredients mixed into them, check out the New Year Celebration Soba at Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen. This is a classic at the Festival and it keeps coming back again and again for good reason.

It’s made with Buckwheat soba noodles in a hot dashi soup with yuzu, shrimp tempura, kamaboko fish cake, and chopped green onion — a.k.a. a whole lotta goodness packed into one bowl!

Some of the flavors are unique, so you’ll want to be prepared for that. This year, our team member who tried it felt like it was good but nothing really “WOWed” them, so note that experiences can vary. But if you are a fan of seafood and/or Asian flavors, we think this is one you’ll probably enjoy. You can grab it for $8.50.

Check out full details about the Shi Wasu booth here

Coquito Milk Shake at Connections Eatery

If you visit the Festival of the Holidays on a particularly hot Florida day, we know where you need to go — Connections Eatery. That’s where you’ll find the Coquito Milk Shake (which you can get alcoholic for $14.50 or non-alcoholic for $7.29).

If you love eggnog and coconut, we think you’ll really love this! It’s refreshing, well-balanced, and serves up some great holiday spices. The non-alcoholic version is one we think even little ones will enjoy.

Check out our FULL review of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic coquito milk shake here!

Napoleon de Saumon Fume from Le Marche de Noel Holiday Kitchen

If you want to balance your day with some more savory snacks, the returning Napoléon de Saumon Fumé en Brioche is a good pick. This is made with a smoked salmon napoleon with layers of smoked salmon, dill mousse, and crème fraîche mousse served in brioche for $8.95.

Flaky and buttery brioche? Creamy mousse? Fresh salmon? Check, check, and check — this dish has it all! It has a more mature flavor profile (so probably not good for picky eaters) but is one we REALLY enjoyed.

Check out our FULL review of Le Marche de Noel here!

Beer Flight at Holiday Sweets & Treats

If you are all about trying new and maybe more adventurous flavors, the beer flight at Holiday Sweets & Treats is calling your name.

For $10 you can sample 3 beers with unique flavors. These beers include the Breckenridge Brewery Christmas Ale, Playalinda Brewing Co. Coquito Beer, and Brew Hub S’mores Porter.

While none of these beers on their own blew us away, we loved being able to try all 3 of them. We also really liked how different they were from one another. From Christmas spices to coconut and cinnamon and the feeling of eating s’mores — these have it all.

Click here to see our full reviews of each of these beers

Best Plant-Based Dish of the Fest

Peanut Stew at Refreshment Outpost

HOLY MACARONI FOLKS. Our plant-based reporter tried the NEW Peanut Stew with sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and roasted peanuts from Refreshment Outpost and was legitimately BLOWN away by how good it was.

They described the dish as the peanut butter rice from Boma (which is AHmazing by the way), plussed up times 10! Really, it’s what peanut stew dreams are made of.

The dish was full of savory spices, some of which actually provided genuine heat (but not necessarily in a bad way). The peanuts are seasoned well, it has a fantastic flavor, the sweet potatoes provide a great texture, the mustard greens give it a great crunch, and the rice helps cut the heat. Basically, it is delicious. DO NOT MISS IT! You can pick this up for $5.25.

See more details about the Festival dishes at Refreshment Outpost here!

Black and White Cookie from L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen

If you’re looking for a simple and soft cookie with a nice citrus flavor, the Black and White Cookie is the place to go. We’ve had mixed feelings about it in the past, but it significantly improved last year and we’re pleased to say it has maintained its spot on our list this year!

The cookie is dense, and the frosting is really sweet. Overall, it’s simple but tasty. You can grab this one from L’Chaim Holiday Kitchen for $3.

Click here for our full page about the L’Chaim! booth

Best Booth of the Fest

And now it’s time to find out what has been selected as the BEST Booth of the Fest. The winner is…

TIE: Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

It will come as a shocker to NO ONE that Bavaria Holiday Kitchen once again wins as the BEST booth at the Festival. It won back in 2021 and we have zero hesitation in giving it the top prize again this year. The booth just delivers time and time again on flavor, texture, and portion size.

The bread bowl filled with cheese is absolutely delicious, the pork schnitzel is salty yet fantastic, and the Linzer cookie may very well be a must-get if you’re doing the cookie stroll.

You get a great bang for your buck and the portions will either fill you up or be good for sharing. Yes, the dishes are all returning ones. But, hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This booth is one you can rely on year after year and that is a GREAT thing.

Click here for our FULL review of Bavaria Holiday Kitchen this year!

TIE: L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen

But wait…it’s a TIE! L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen also impressed us with some seriously delicious eats this year.

The salmon latke was wonderfully salted and our team member said they’d get this “100 times,” so it’s THAT good. Plus, the black and white cookie was a good plant-based option, the mini jelly donuts were wonderful, the pastrami was delicious, and the frozen whiskey sour was also very tasty!

All in all, this is a booth where (like at Bavaria Holiday Table) you really can’t go wrong!

See our full L’Chaim! review here!

Controversial Best Booth Pick — American Holiday Table

One of our team members shared their STRONG opinion about one booth that might be a controversial Best of the Fest booth pick. What is it? American Holiday Table! While we’ve loved some of the items at American Holiday Table in the past, this year it really showed up with some tasty dishes.

PLUS it delivered that classic holiday meal feel. For our team member who tried the booth today, it was an absolute WIN.

Why is this a controversial pick? Well, the items on the menu (in terms of food) aren’t exactly the most unique things for those who eat traditional American foods. The menu includes a standard turkey meal, a cookie, and catfish.

If you’re visiting the Festival to really explore food from other parts of the world and you’re already used to American eats, then this won’t be particularly special for you.

But sometimes when things are done well, that’s all that you need. If you are looking for food that is done really well and features those classic American flavors, you’ll find some really tasty picks here.

Keep in mind, this review is essentially just for the food without the drinks served here, but American Holiday Table does serve a variety of alcoholic drink options. They’re just a bit more standard.

Click here for our FULL review of the American Holiday Table booth

Most Anticipated Booth of the Fest

Nochebuena Cocina

While there are a few new food items at returning booths this year, there’s only one entirely NEW booth and that’s Nochebuena Cocina!

This booth is serving up 3 NEW food items — a plant-based IMPOSSIBLE Chorizo Tamale, Mojo Pork with tostones, and a Vanilla shortbread cookie with dulce de leche and coconut.

The plant-based tamale was a little dry, but otherwise SUPER tasty. The Pernil was AMAZING and made our best of the fest list (as you can see above). And the shortbread cookie, while dry, was actually really good and one of our favorite cookies on the entire Cookie Stroll.

Combine that with the light flavors of the Horchata Beer and the strong and bold flavors of the Ginger Mule, and you’ve got a booth with some great options. Some weren’t as good as others, but we were excited to get a new booth with new dishes — one of which we especially hope returns in the future!

Click here for full booth details about Noche Buena cocina

Best of the Fest for Kids

Cookie Stroll

Once again, the classic Festival of the Holidays Cookie Stroll makes our Best of the Fest list as a great pick for little ones. With the cookie stroll, you purchase 5 cookies from any of the cookie stroll locations in the Festival Passport. As you buy the cookies, you’ll get a stamp for each one.

Once you’ve collected 5 stamps, you can bring your passport to the Holiday Sweets & Treats booth to get a special treat!

The cookie stroll is great for ALL ages, but it can be especially fun for kids because it mixes the sense of adventure of a scavenger hunt/quest with the sweetness of cookies.

Some of our favorite cookies this year were the Linzer cookie from Bavaria Holiday Kitchen and the Crinkle Cookie from American Holiday Table.

Click here to see our FULL thoughts on the cookie stroll!

Chocolate Peppermint Donut at Donut Box

If you’ve got a little one that likes chocolate, donuts, and peppermints, we have the treat for you! Over at the Donut Box you’ll find a Chocolate Peppermint Donut that is delicious!

The peppermint isn’t too strong and the chocolate is wonderfully melty. We think it could be a great pick for kiddos (and adults who love these flavors too).

Click here for our full review of the Donut Box booth!

And that’s it for our picks of the BEST of the FEST for the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. Now, someone get us a bed to nap on after all that food!

For more Festival of the Holidays coverage, check out our links below:

• Get our FREE DFB printable for all of the Festival of the Holidays booths
• A NEW light show has debuted in EPCOT for the Festival of the Holidays
• Get a look at the Festival of the Holidays merchandise
• See the FULL MENUS for the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
• See our full coverage from the first day of the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

And stay tuned for more Disney news!

Click here to see ALL of our reviews of the 2022 Festival of the Holidays food booths

What items would you want to buy from the Festival of the Holidays? Tell us in the comments!

The post Everything You NEED to Eat and Drink at the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays first appeared on the disney food blog.