Beaches & Cream Soda Shop is an iconic Disney’s Beach Club Resort dining location. I have tried to dine here many times, but it’s never worked out for me. When I was in my Disney College Program, it was on everyone’s bucket list to eat there, but my schedule never aligned with anyone, so I never got to go. Even when I was attending Rosen College of Hospitality Management, all my roommates there wanted to make this happen for me, but it never worked in my favor.
Today is the day I will finally get to experience this restaurant that so many Disney fans rave about. Craig, Ryno, Teresa, and her daughter Stella are joining me for this lunch event, and I am so excited.
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop – Ambiance & Location
Three years ago, the restaurant went through a renovation, and they did an excellent job. The interior is so cute and really makes you feel like you are in an old-school soda shop. They even have a jukebox! What caught my attention was the artwork all over the restaurant. It’s hard to explain how adorable the space is, so I’ll have to show you!
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop – The Food
Now that we’ve swooned over the interior, it’s time to jump into everything we ordered and what we felt about our meals.
For my lunch, I ordered the Impossible Burger ($22), a plant-based burger with plant-based mayonnaise and seasonal vegetable relish on a house-baked multigrain bun served with a choice of potato tots, French fries, or fresh fruit. Of course, for my side, I picked potato tots. The burger was a standard Impossible Burger. I wasn’t blown away by it, and I was sad that the vegetable relish was hard to define since all I could see were peppers and maybe parsley.
The best part of the burger was the plant-based mayonnaise because they made it in the shape of Mickey on the bun, which was really cute. Seeing that “hidden” Mickey truly made my day. Yes, the burger was a little boring but the quality was excellent, and the presentation was very cute and intentional.
For my dessert, I decided to dive into the menu’s Adult Hard Floats & Beverages section. I have been a fan of root beer floats my entire life, and when I saw there was an adult version of them, I knew I had to order it. Our server let me know that the ice cream in the float can be switched out for plant-based ice cream. I ordered The Classic Root Beer Float ($15), made with Stoli Vnil Vodka, and Barq’s Root Beer with Vanilla Ice Cream (or plant-based ice cream). I enjoyed this sweet treat way more than my main meal, and now I want to come back and modify other desserts so they are safe for me to eat.
Ryno ordered the Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich ($19) with sauteed onion, lettuce, and tomato on a multigrain bun. He was so excited to order this sandwich but became disappointed after taking his first bite. The chicken was very dry, and the flavors didn’t blend as he had hoped. He picked the potato tots for his side, which he really enjoyed. He said they were perfectly crunchy, and I agree with him; they did a great job making the tots.
For Ryno’s dessert, he ordered the No Way Jose ($12.50), which comes with peanut butter and hot fudge with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate morsels, whipped cream, and a cherry. It came in this huge goblet that was very overwhelming. He didn’t love how much chocolate was in the dessert, but he loves peanut butter, which made up for the chocolate. This dessert is definitely better for sharing instead of eating on your own. He said that his dessert was better than his meal, which seems to be the trend.
Craig ordered the Ruben Sandwich ($19), corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss, and thousand island dressing on marbled rye bread. His only complaint about his meal was that the corned beef was too thick and reminiscent of chewy bacon. He said everything else about the sandwich was perfect, and he loved the flavors. For his side, he ordered the fries. He was very happy that the fries were a thick cut instead of the basic quick service fries that can be found all over Disney property.
Craig took a risk for dessert and ordered the Cookie Fries with Dipping Sauce ($8.50), a plant-based dessert. Our server tried to get him to change his mind because she thought it was the worst dessert on the menu, but Craig ended up enjoying it. It’s not the best dessert on the menu, but he said it’s a good option to have, especially if you aren’t a fan of ice cream. I tried the cookie fries and thought they were good. The dipping sauces were strawberries in syrup, marshmallow sauce, and chocolate sauce. The best dipping sauce was the marshmallow one.
Teresa got the Bowl of Chili ($10), topped with cheese and green onions. Of course, she mentioned that she could make a better chili at home but did admit that it was a pretty decent chili and that she enjoyed it. Another thing she mentioned was that the price wasn’t bad for the amount of chili that was served. She also ordered the Cheese & Bacon Tots ($11) but wasn’t very impressed with them. The tots are covered in cheese sauce, bacon, red onions, and garlic peppercorn ranch. Teresa pointed out that the stronger flavor was the garlic. On the other hand, her daughter Stella really enjoyed the tots.
Teresa ordered something that technically is for the to-go window, but if you ask nicely, they will bring it to you in the restaurant. She ordered the Minnie Mouse Sink, which is an old-fashioned sundae with three scoops of ice cream and a plethora of toppings. If you don’t want all that ice cream but want a Mickey or Minnie Sink, you can purchase them separately for $9.99.
Stella ordered the Beaches & Cream Grilled Cheese ($16) with creamy tomato soup. She did add bacon to the sandwich, which was an extra $5. Overall, she enjoyed the grilled cheese and said that the bacon was chewy, but that is how she prefers her bacon. The only letdown was the soup. Stella said that the soup tasted like marinara sauce, which doesn’t sound appetizing.
I wasn’t the only one who dipped into the Adult Hard Floats and Beverages section; Stella also ordered a dessert for her. She got the Bailey’s Sundae ($19.50), coffee ice cream topped with hot fudge, chocolate brownie, Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry. She said the dessert was amazing and that she could barely taste the liqueur but that this was best for sharing since it comes in one of these huge goblets.
Overall Thoughts
I was so excited to eat here, and I can say that it didn’t live up to the hype I created in my mind, but I still enjoyed the entire experience and will definitely be coming back for some more sweet treats. As we wrapped up our adventure, I started thinking about how this dining location is best viewed as a dessert spot. Grab dinner somewhere else, and then come here for a sweet treat.
We all had fun and enjoyed the experience, but the actual meal could’ve been better, and the pricing could’ve been more reasonable. I did love our server and how attentive she was. She really took care of me and my allergy and made me feel like I had several options to choose from instead of feeling limited. My final rating of the location was 3.6 out of 5, which isn’t a horrible score. Watch the video below to see everyone else’s score and our entire experience!