The 10 Best Restaurants in Disney Springs

The restaurant's expansive dining room is as dramatic as its Asian fusion food, which includes Chinese, Japanese, and Korean dishes. Peking duck, dim sum, and sushi are all available as are intriguing options such as Portobello Mushroom Fries and Morimoto Poke Salad with tuna, salmon, apples, and pears. Dowling says that the Tonkotsu Ramen is the best in Orlando. Morimoto Asia is one of many Disney Springs restaurants operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, including other picks on this list, Enzo’s Hideaway and Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante.

Irish fare is featured here, including traditional favorites, such as Fish & Chips and Shepherd’s Pie (prepared with a unique flair), as well as some singular choices like Scallop Forest, an appetizer that could easily serve as an entree. The upbeat pub ambiance includes live singing and dancing. As you might expect, there is a generous selection of Irish brews available along with some specialty cocktails.

It's cleverly themed as a Jazz-era speakeasy, but Enzo’s Hideaway is actually located in a former access tunnel for Downtown Disney. Italian fare includes Eggplant Parmesan, Roasted Chicken Saltimbocca, and Nonna's Pasta for Two, which mixes penne, braised short ribs, sausage, and meatballs in tomato sauce with Béchamel. The cocktails are delightful, and you’ll want to save room for the specialty sundaes.

Florida native, Chef Art Smith serves homestyle Florida dishes at his restaurant including Church Lady Deviled Eggs, Shrimp & Grits, and probably the region’s best fried chicken, according to Dowling. The comfort food is not for the diet-conscious, but there are healthful options including salads, sides and grilled proteins. There are plenty of moonshine choices (with some available on tap!). For dessert, there is a decadent Shine Cake that soaks a butter cake in moonshine syrup.

There are more hearty dishes to try upstairs from Enzo’s Hideaway at this more traditional Italian restaurant. Pasta, which is made fresh on the premises, is featured in entrees such as Three Cheese Ravioli and Chicken Parmigiana. The Salmone (available for brunch), which is served with roasted vegetables and fingerling potatoes, is especially good.

Of course Disney Springs had to jump in on the craft burger and shake craze. D-Luxe Burger is run by Disney (the “D” in “D-Luxe”). The fresh-ground, cooked-to-order burgers include the El Diablo (with chorizo, fried banana peppers, and chipotle mayonnaise) and a Classic Cheeseburger (which is reasonably priced at $9.99). To wash down the burgers, D-Luxe offers a Strawberry Shortcake Gelato Shake and a S'mores Gelato Shake.

We really like everything about Maria & Enzo’s, including the counter-service eatery it runs adjacent to the main restaurant. You can order a variety of pizzas by the slice as well as delicious, made-to-order sandwiches, such as Prosciutto di Parma or a Muffuletta, all served on pizza bread. Dowling recommends the desserts, including Sfoglia di Riso, a layered pastry with rice cream.

If you don’t have the time and/or the budget for a full meal at Raglan Road, you could try the tasty fare at its quick-service restaurant, Cookes of Dublin, located behind it. The meat pies are good choices as is the fish & chips. A surprising option is Hog in a Box, which combines roasted pork shoulder with potatoes, caramelized onions, and applesauce. For something sweet, Cookes offers the popular British treat, Jammy Dodger cookies, which are shortbread biscuits stuffed with raspberry preserves.

Another adjunct to a table-service restaurant on our list, Morimoto Asia Street Food offers small tastes of classic dishes such as egg rolls, chicken ramen, pork ribs, and California roll. A more adventurous item is Takoyaki, octopus fritters served with nori, pickled ginger, and Okonomi sauce.

If it's hearty, messy barbecue you're craving, The Polite Pig will do the trick. The Southern Pig sandwich slathers tangy mustard BBQ sauce and mayonnaise on pulled pork and fennel-apple slaw, while the USDA Prime Brisket sandwich piles on pimento cheese, pickled jalapeños, and crispy onions. Other smoked dishes include baby back ribs, cedar plank salmon, and a half chicken. The Polite Pig offers a surprising number of salads, such as a BBQ Cobb Salad with a Chopped Pork option and The Southerner, which combines baby kale with radish, avocado, and blue cheese topped with pecan granola and bacon-sorghum vinaigrette. Don't forget the bourbon (of which there is an impressive variety).