Disney4me Posted February 17 Report Share Posted February 17 We are always on a mission seeking out NEW food in Disney World — which is why we keep a close eye on Disney World restaurant menus. El Mercado de Coronado So when we noticed some new menu items pop up at El Mercado de Coronado, the quick-service dining spot at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, we were intrigued. So we’re diving into some food there and bringing you along for the ride. Of course, we’re doing this for science, too, so we can get you an honest review. So let’s go! Atmosphere First thing that we can note about El Mercado de Coronado is that this restaurant is not actually owned by Disney. Instead, it’s owned by the Palmas Group, which is the same group that owns the restaurants in the Mexico Pavilion in EPCOT. As far as we know, this is the only quick-service restaurant in a hotel that isn’t owned by Disney. You’ll walk past an iron grate to go inside. Walk past the grate El Mercado de Coronado features high ceilings, LOADS of windows, and colorful decor that fits in well with the whole Coronado Springs Spanish-inspired vibes. Basically, it’s meant to look like a Spanish market. Spanish Market vibes There’s also a ton of seating available, so finding a place to eat your meal or snack is NO problem. Both tables and chairs and booth seating are available. There are also a few high-top tables. Tons of seating available Inside you’ll find food stations featuring several Tex-Mex options, as well as classic quick-service menu items like pizza, burgers, pasta, and chicken strips. Food stations If you’re looking for something sweet, you’ll also find pastries and baked goods available. Pastries and baked goods Looking for drinks? You’ll find beverage stations in the middle of the open space. Beverage station Just beyond the dining area is a space for grab and go items. Grab and go area Okay, let’s talk about the food. Menu The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’re looking for a resort refillable mug, this is where you would pick it up (and get your refills). The lunch and dinner menu includes a variety of sandwiches and sides. ©Disney You can also get a customizable bowl, as well as some Tex-Mex entrees. ©Disney But you don’t want to miss out on the King Knot Pretzels, because YUM. ©Disney There are also a HUGE variety of pastas to choose from, but note that these pastas rotate out daily, so some of these might not be available when you visit. ©Disney There’s also a Kid’s menu, as well as a Grab and Go menu. ©Disney Finally, there’s a huge variety of snacks, desserts, and pastries. ©Disney It’s important to note, though, that the restaurant serves a more limited menu between 2 and 5 PM. Eats We started with a hearty sandwich, the Tripleta Sandwich for $18. It’s a Pressed Sandwich with Chicken, Pork and Ham, Mayo Ketchup, Lettuce, and Tomato finished with crispy potato sticks served on a sweet and soft Medianoche hoagie roll and served with a choice of a side (we opted for fries). Tripleta Sandwich Okay, first we’re just going to tell you that this was UH-MAZING. It is a bit on the sweet side with the bun, but that worked well with the savory elements. We also loved the crunch of the potato sticks. This is a smaller sandwich, though, especially for the price, but it’s good for a lighter meal. The fries are those classic Disney fries and they do add substance to the meal. SO flavorful Okay, y’all, the Pepperoni Pretzel is just…well, it’s mind-boggling. This is a freshly baked pretzel topped with garlic butter, mozzarella cheese, cupping pepperoni topped with parmesan parsley served with a side of marinara for $21. The pretzel itself is fluffy with a bit of crispiness on the outside. If you love pretzels, this is your dream come true. Pepperoni Pretzel The cheese topping on top is also good, although you know us…we want MORE cheese. The pepperoni has a nice light spice to it and adds a lot of great flavor. The marinara sauce is a herby and tomato sauce and goes really well with the pretzel. Is it unique? Well, maybe not. But is it big? YES. This could easily be shared. So fluffy and BIG We also had to try out some of that Pasta. Now, like we said, the pasta selection changes daily. We went with the Forager Pasta for $16, made with Cavatappi pasta tossed with four cheese sauce, freshly roasted mushrooms, and onions. Garnished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese and served with a freshly baked garlic knot. Heads up — this was our favorite thing that we tried. We’ll say that this pasta is on par with what you’d find at table service Italian restaurants in Disney World. Forager Pasta The sauce is creamy and VERY cheesy. However, the pasta we got was radiatori and not cavatappi (not that it made a big difference). The mushrooms are cooked well and taste great, adding a bit of an earthy flavor. The garlic knot was fluffy and garlicky. It was a LITTLE on the dry side, but we still liked it. Pro tip: just use it to mop up that pasta sauce. This pasta surprised us How about something sweet? You gotta’ have dessert, right? So we tried out the Cronut for $6 and it was everything we wanted from a cronut. It’s layered and flaky and covered in a sweet glaze. Cronut It also wasn’t dry. Again, this isn’t a UNIQUE take on a dessert, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t tasty. Layered and flaky We also had to try the Flan for $7.50 to end our meal with a Latin flavor-inspired note. It’s got a great vanilla flavor and a beautiful creamy texture. It wasn’t pretty, but it’s the taste that matters, right? The consistency was thick, but it wasn’t super dense. Flan We also thought there was almost a toasted marshmallow flavor in there, too, which WE LOVED. SO creamy It’s probably big enough to share, but you might not want to…and we won’t judge you for that. Overall Y’all…this restaurant just HITS all the right notes, and we’re still wondering how a quick-service restaurant managed to give us table service feels with some of the food, especially with the pasta. We’re honestly a little shocked at just how good everything was. Even the flan was table service restaurant quality. We also loved the environment here, although we did visit in the middle of the afternoon — it was so chill and quiet. If we had any complaints, it’s that we would’ve liked to have seen even more Tex-Mex and Latin-inspired items on the menu. Pasta doesn’t exactly scream “Spanish,” but we’ll easily forgive this spot just because the pasta was so good. Nosh or Not Make your way over to El Mercado de Coronado if… You want a large variety of food. If you and your group can’t make up your mind on what to eat, the menu here is so varied that there is pretty much something to satisfy everyone. You want table service quality food at quick-service prices. If you’re looking for quality food, but don’t want to pay extra for a table service meal, the food here might fool you into thinking it’s from a table service spot. You’re staying at Coronado Springs. This goes without saying. If you’re staying at Coronado Springs, it makes sense to check out El Mercado de Coronado — you might be surprised at just how good it is. Skip El Mercado de Coronado if… You don’t want to trek to another hotel just for food. So, not everyone is going to make an extra trip to Coronado Springs just for a quick-service meal, and if that’s you, you should skip. You want a table service experience. The food here is table service quality, but most of the service here is self-service. So if you want a dining experience where you’re pampered a bit more, this isn’t it. You’re looking for more authentic food. Although some of the meals here are Latin-inspired, we wouldn’t say that anything here is truly authentic. You might just want to go ahead and make a reservation at Maya Grill instead. We’ve eaten at every Disney World restaurant and we’re constantly revisiting restaurants to get you updated reviews. Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for more. REVIEW: I Got So Hungry Writing This Review I Booked a Disney Trip Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Have you ever eaten at El Mercado de Coronado? Tell us about your experience in the comments!The post REVIEW: "Shocking" Is How We Would Describe Our Meal at this Disney World Restaurant first appeared on the disney food blog.View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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