REVIEW: The BEST Mexican Food at Disney World ISN’T at EPCOT

If you’ve ever planned a trip to Disney World, you might have noticed there are A LOT of different food options to choose from. From sit-down restaurants to quick service, snack carts, and everything else in between, it can be a lot to decide on where to eat.

We review lots of food in Disney World, so you know the best places that are worth your time and money, and need to be added to your “must” list, as well as ones that you might want to save for next time. We visited Frontera Cocina at Disney Springs, and we’re bringing you a FULL review so you can decide if it’s an excellent spot for your family.

Background

Frontera Cocina is a sit-down restaurant located in the Town Center portion of Disney Springs by the Disney Springs Welcome Center and Pandora Jewelry. We went to the full-service restaurant, but they also have a Frontera Cocina To-Go window.

They invite you to “dip into a lively atmosphere and savor authentic Mexican cuisine by Chef Rick Bayless, a seven-time James Beard Award winner.” It’s highly recommended to book a reservation in advance, but walk-up dining may also be available. They serve lunch and dinner menus, but we went for dinner.

Let’s go in and see what it’s like to eat here.

Atmosphere

Walking in, it’s hard not to notice the floor-to-ceiling windows that bring in the beautiful Florida sunshine.

There are wood and metal accents around the restaurants with bright pops of colors, staying true to the Mexican influence.

There are mostly tables available with a few booths, and while you’re walking to your table, take a second to watch the open-concept kitchen!

The tile work on the ground as well as the mosaics on the wall make the space feel lively, and we know we’re in for a real treat.

The menu is filled with traditional Mexican dishes, including tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas, along with plenty of sauces to accompany them.

From starters, salads, entrees, and plenty of drink options, we had a hard time choosing what to eat!

Now that we’ve finally decided, we’re ready to eat!

Food & Drinks

To drink, our server recommended the Frieda for $23.

We’re not sure anything goes better with Mexican food than a margarita! The Frieda is made with Casa Dragones blanco tequila, rose petal liquor, lemon juice, pomegranate cordial, served with a rose petal popcorn salt rim.

Let’s start with the rose petal popcorn salt rim, because it made this drink look so stunning. The rose and the pomegranate worked well together, creating a more subtle taste with a smidge of pepper on the back of your sip. Rosé lovers are going to want to dive into this because it reminded us of sipping rosé in the summer on a porch. The drink isn’t overly strong, with the alcohol taste not noticeable at the beginning of your sip. However, at the end, there’s a slight kick of tequila that reminds you you’re drinking a delicious margarita.

We started our meal with the Queso Fundido for $15.

This dip is made with Queso Chihuahua melted with roasted poblano peppers and caramelized onions, served with warm corn tortillas.

What a great way to kick off our meal! We loved that this stayed warm for so long, so when you’re sharing it at the table, you don’t have to worry about it getting cold while everyone else is grabbing their portion. It was baked in the oven, so the cheese on top was crackling, just like it should be.

The mozzarella and Monterey cheese flavors came through with each bite, and putting it inside the tortillas was the right call so that we could dip it all in the sauces! It came with four homemade and thin tortillas, and when we dipped them in the salsa, it was lovely.

The tomatillo sauce had a bit more of a chipotle spice to it, while the salsa was traditional with a milder taste.

Then we had the Carne Asada for $58.

This is a garlic and red chile-marinated Creekstone Natural Black Angus steak, served with black bean refritos, queso fresco, caramelized plantains, crema, and Cotija cheese, accompanied by tomatillo salsa and warm corn tortillas.

Now that’s a big piece of steak! Because this is bone-in, expect a bit of fat around the edges, which helps bring in some of that delicious, charred flavor. We can tell it’s fresh by the way that the seasonings and peppercorn were sitting on top of the steak, and once we mixed it with the beans, we knew we had a great meal in front of us.

The beans were hand-mashed, with some pieces being larger or smaller, and had a stickier texture. While these beans weren’t overly flavored, they did that on purpose, so when you pair them with the steak, they bring out the bold and salty taste.

The onions were cooked into the steak and added a beautiful crunch, and the steak’s temperature was to our preference. This dinner keeps getting better and better, and we aren’t even done yet!

We rounded it off with the Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Suiza for $27.

There was no way we were going to pass up the enchiladas with freshly made corn tortillas, chicken and poblano rajas filling, tomatillo cream sauce, Queso Chihuahua, sliced red onion, and cilantro leaves.

Our server told us this was one of the most popular entrees, and we can see why. Cheese was layered on top and baked into it, so it had a gooey and bubbling topping. When you take a bite, you might not notice the spice because you’re focused on the chicken, but be warned — that kick will get you in the end! The skillet had three enchiladas, and while we loved it as an entree, you could also order it as an appetizer or as a side dish and share it amongst the group.

You know, we couldn’t skip dessert! We tried the Featured Dessert — Chocolate Sugar Skull for $29.

Just look at this! This is a chocolate shell filled with white chocolate, key lime mousse, raspberry compote, vanilla sponge cake soaked in key lime syrup, and graham cracker crumble. This dish serves two (or more), but you might want to keep it all to yourself because it’s that good.

When it was first brought to our table, it was hard not to gasp at how beautiful it was. And when we realized we had to break into it, we couldn’t help but feel a bit sad for breaking into a piece of art. The outside looks hand-painted, and it seems like the chefs go out of their way to add those final touches, so that the skull in front of you is unique.

Breaking into it was no easy feat, and it might take you a few hits to get through. Once you do, you get to try a soft sponge cake soaked in that sour key lime syrup.

The raspberry brought an even stronger raspberry flavor that was running all through the cake, and we’re not sure we could have picked a better dessert to end our meal on. If you’re looking for a dessert for a celebration, you might want to try this!

Magic or Tragic?

You have to visit Frontera Cocina when you’re at Disney Springs if…

• • You are a lover of traditional Mexican food
  • You want to enjoy a bigger meal that will keep you full for a while
  • You love flavors like charred, salty, sour, and spicy

You might want to skip this restaurant if…

• • You want a faster dinner option to head to your next activity
  • Traditional Mexican flavors aren’t your thing
  • You’re looking for a less expensive meal

To put it lightly, Frontera Cocina blew us away. The flavors were bold and paired well with everything on the plate. If we had any doubts, that chocolate sugar skull made it so we had to come here again and again. When we are in the mood for traditional Mexican food, we know exactly where we’re heading.

We love trying restaurants and snacks at Disney World, so you know where to go on your next visit. Keep following AllEars for more Disney food reviews!

RANKING ALL THE RESTAURANTS IN DISNEY SPRINGS

Have you ever tried Frontera Cocina? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Post a Comment