REVIEW: Looking for MASSIVE Portions at Disney Springs? Look No Further!

Planning a trip to Disney World and not sure where you should eat while you’re there? You’ve come to the right place — we’re here to help!

Here at AllEars, we know all the ins and outs of Disney World restaurants — including where you should 100% eat, and where you should skip when you’re on vacation. We recently stopped by Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante at Disney Springs and are bringing you our FULL review!

Background

Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante opened in January 2018 in Disney Springs and has been a staple ever since.

This is themed to be an Italian trattoria set in the town’s abandoned airline terminal from the 1930s that’s been transformed into a restaurant. The menu is inspired by Sicily, with a range of family-friendly dishes.

Here’s what you need to know about dining at this restaurant.

Atmosphere

The dining room here is open and airy, featuring 50-foot ceilings with views of Lake Buena Vista. Inside, you’ll see a showcase of artifacts that reference air travel of the time, with maps and historic flight paths.

We enjoy that this restaurant feels casual, not too fancy, so you can dine here without any specific attire. The tables are decently close together, but there’s enough space that we didn’t feel on top of the person next to us. But enough about that, what are we eating?!

Food & Drinks

First up, we grabbed the Burrata Caprese, which is made with tomatoes, basil pesto, sea salt, and ciabatta crostini for $19. The tomatoes here are ripe and juicy, and the basil pesto they’re in is bright and goes well with the acidity of the tomato. The burrata itself is topped with olive oil and flaky sea salt, which adds a nice textural element when you get a bite with the salt. The crostini is very crispy, which we enjoyed, but there’s not enough of it — you’re going to end up eating just tomatoes at the end!

We also tried the Rosetta Di Lasagna Per La Tavola for $49, which is fresh egg pasta, ricotta, mozzarella, fontina, besciamella, short rib & pork ragu, pomodoro, and parmigiano-reggiano. This is MASSIVE. The noodles are perfectly al dente, and the short rib and pork ragu is SUPER flavorful and tender. There isn’t a ton of the pomodoro sauce, and what was there needed a little bit more of that acidic, tomato kick. The mozzarella and fontina are hiding in between the layers of noodles, and we could barely taste them, but that was our only complaint!

The Pollo alla Parmigiana is Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast, Marinara, Fior di Latte Mozzarella, Parmigiano, Penne Pomodoro for $32. This chicken was fed well bc the whole plate is just chicken, it’s MASSIVE. The pasta is a touch past al dente, but it’s in no way overdone or blown out. The chicken is well seasoned — it may be a touch dry, but the cheese and marinara help it not be too dry texturally. It’s what you’d expect a chicken parm to be, so again, not anything out of this world.

We also grabbed the Spaghetti alla Chitarra and requested it gluten-free for $30. This is made with marinara, meatballs, Parmigiano, and basil. The noodles are okay for gluten-free — the noodles and sauce taste like store-bought noodles and sauce, so we wouldn’t order this again for this price. The meatballs aren’t gluten-free, but they were good! Nothing out of this world, but decent.

For dessert, we grabbed the Coppa Di Maria, which is House vanilla, chocolate & pistachio gelato, amaretti & pizzelle cookies, and amarena cherries for $16. The chocolate gelato was super rich, but also a tad bit icy. The vanilla was a very strong vanilla flavor, super sweet, and very creamy/smooth. The pistachio had the same creamy and smooth texture as the vanilla, and it had little chunks of pistachio, which added a nice crunch and texture. The whipped cream was more of a cannoli filling, the cherries were a hit AND a miss for our group, and the pizzelle was super crispy, sweet, and was an ice little bite along with the gelato!

We also grabbed the Quattro Cannoli for $16, which is one classic cannolo, one pistachio, one chocolate, and one hazelnut cannolo. The only one of these that tastes much different than any of the others is the chocolate one. The hazelnut and pistachio cannoli are both really delicious, and we could tell a difference between them, but not enough that we think it’s super noticeable. The classic is good, but the cherry does kind of take over the flavor of the cream a little bit. Thankfully, the cannoli are filled up all the way — anything other than that would be a crime!

To drink, we picked up the Floridays for $10, which is peach puree, orange juice, pineapple juice, and cherry syrup. This was very thick and verrrry pineappley! It doesn’t taste like a mocktail at all, more just like pineapple juice and cherry juice mixed together. It’s pretty and summer-y, for sure, but it’s on the thicker side.

We also tried the Z+T for $13, which is Lucano Non-Alcoholic Amaro, Jack Rudy tonic, Fee Brothers cardamom bitters, and soda. This is like a grown-up Coke — the orange peel on top gives a citrus note on the nose right away, and the cardamom comes through strong. It’s less fizzy than a typical Coke would be, and it tasted like there was alcohol in it, even though it was zero proof!

Finally, we tried the N2 Bean Martini, which is made with Stoli Vanilla, Caffe Borghetti espresso liqueur, fresh espresso, crema, and espresso beans for $17. Our reporter is a self-proclaimed espresso martini connoisseur, and this, unfortunately, was not one of our favorites! It didn’t have any foam on top, so it wasn’t well shaken, and the aftertaste is quite bitter, a lot more than a typical coffee drink! It does have vanilla vodka, which is a win in our book.

Magic or Tragic?

This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if…

You’re looking for familiar Italian eats you might find at your local joint
You’ve got pickier eaters or kids with you
You’re looking for a decent gluten-free option for someone who can’t have gluten

You should skip this Disney World spot if…

You’re looking to save money
You want to be wowed by your meal
You’re not already in Disney Springs

Overall, we think Maria & Enzo’s is a great option if you’re looking for a filling Italian meal at Disney Springs. It’s fine in a pinch, and there are usually plenty of reservations to go around, but don’t expect to be blown away by your meal.

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news and more!