The Downtown Disney District is constantly changing. We are anticipating the opening of six (!!!) new restaurants in the coming months, and some are already beginning to open!

Three new restaurants from Chef Carlos Gaytán recently opened, and we are eating our way through them. We recently ate at Céntrico, and now we are checking out another new restaurant!

We are heading to try out Tiendita today! This newly opened quick-service restaurant is located on the west side of Downtown Disney. Tiendita is part of a trio of restaurants created by Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán that recently opened in Downtown Disney. The trio includes Paseo, Céntrico, and Tiendita. Paseo is the upstairs dining room, Céntrico is a bar and open-air restaurant, and Tiendita is the quick-service option.

Let’s head to Tiendita and see what it is all about!

Atmosphere

Tiendita is a quick-service restaurant where you will order at a kiosk. The restaurant does not have its own seating, so you will need to find your own spot to enjoy your food. 

We found the kiosk to be simple to use and straightforward. You can browse the menu and then make your selections on one of the screens.

So, let’s see what food Tiendita has to offer!

Menu

The menu at Tiendita has lots of classics, including tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, and more. There is a good variety, but almost all the items are going to be Mexican-inspired dishes. 

You can choose from a selection of tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and nachos. 

You can also get ceviches, salads, tostadas, sides, and desserts. 

There is also a kid’s menu and a decent selection of beverages.

Now, let’s get to the food and drink!

Food & Drinks

We got a TON of food. Hope you’re ready because we have a lot to say.

We are starting off with the Jamaica Agua Fresca, which has hibiscus flower-flavored water and cardamom. It costs $7.

We were a bit surprised at how small it was for a large size, but the taste is what really matters! We thought it was light and refreshing, with a subtle hibiscus taste. This drink would be perfect for a hot day and tastes very natural. It tasted like the real thing, not like a bunch of syrups were used to make it. We felt it was a bit expensive for what you got, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

Next up, we are trying the Street Corn which is made with corn, mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, chili powder, lime juice, and epazote. This side dish is vegetarian and costs $7. 

This was probably our favorite item that we got at Tiendita. It is not spicy at all, but the ingredients all come together really well. The cream on top is tasty and the mayo goes well with the lime, cotija, and chili powder. Each ingredient had the perfect amount inside this dish. Our biggest recommendation is to make sure you mix it all together before you dive in. That way you get a bit of each ingredient for a perfect bite.

We are moving on to the Cheese Nachos. This dish contains corn chips, cheese sauce, tomato, green onion, pickled jalapeño, and avocado. This dish is also vegetarian and costs $12. 

Overall, we didn’t think these nachos knocked it out of the park. In fact, we would kind of compare them to your average ballpark nachos. The dominant flavor is the jalapeño and they do have a bit of a kick to them. You can always ask for them without jalapeños if you want a mild option. The ingredients don’t really blend together, so you can really taste each individual element. It definitely needed more cheese on it though, and the cheese that was there was your typical nacho cheese sauce. There is nothing special to these nachos, but if you are craving a quick, classic nacho snack these would likely do the trick.

Now, let’s try out the Acapulco Ceviche. This ceviche is made with shrimp, tomato juice, ketchup, orange juice, lime juice, tabasco, and Pico de Gallo. This dish is dairy-free and costs $14. 

We thought this dish was very yummy! There was lots of tomato flavor and the Pico de Gallo provides a great freshness and aromatic flavor. The onion and parsley work really well in this dish. We didn’t taste much of the tabasco here, and we didn’t find it to be spicy. There is no fishy flavor in this either, but overall, the shrimp was just okay. The shrimp didn’t stand out to us in this dish, but that could be a good thing if you are not a huge fan of shellfish. We really thought the pico was the star of this dish, and a great option if you love tomato-forward meals. 

We are finishing off with the Chicken Tacos. The tacos have barbacoa chicken, romaine lettuce, sour cream, queso fresco, tomato, guacamole, onion, and salsa verde. They are served three per order on corn tortillas. You can get these tacos for $13.

They do not skimp on the guacamole on these tacos! These tacos were a bit messy, but the tortilla was thick and tasty. There is lots of well-seasoned chicken. The chicken was tender and full of flavor. The tomato and cheese were the perfect accompaniment to the guacamole and chicken. We do wish there was a bit more onion, though. The dish is not spicy at all unless you add the salsa.

We got the salsa verde, but you can also get salsa roja or none. The salsa verde had a bit of a kick at the end. We thought these were filling for the price, we just wish they were a bit easier to eat. We ended up having to eat them with a fork as they were falling apart.

Overall

We thought this was a good quick-service option in Downtown Disney if you are looking for a quick, no-frills location. The restaurant offers lots of classic Mexican dishes for a fairly reasonable price. The restaurant is pretty small, and that would be one negative. There is no seating as part of Tiendita, so you will need to hunt for a place to eat. This could be challenging if you are in Downtown Disney on a busy day. Our favorite dishes included the Street Corn and Shrimp Acapulco, but we found the food to be flavorful, satisfying and pretty decent portions for the price. There was nothing that really amazed us, but the food was all very enjoyable. It is an easy place to grab a yummy, quick bite that will fill you up. We also want to give a quick warning about the utensils. The utensils are wooden, and we got a splinter using them, so do be careful! 

Nosh or Not?

You may want to make a stop by Tiendita if…

• You are looking for a quick spot to grab some filling food.
• You are craving some Mexican food, and you want it quickly.
• You want a more budget-friendly option that is still satisfying. 

You may want to skip Tiendita if…

• You are looking for somewhere with good seating options.
• You want a unique experience or unique food options. 
• You want a restaurant with a large variety of options.

Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney food news and reviews!

Check out our review of the newly opened Céntrico in Downtown Disney!

Have you tried Tiendita yet? Let us know in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Can a Michelin-Starred Chef Make GOOD Disney Fast Food? We Found Out! first appeared on the disney food blog.