REVIEW: You Might Be Missing Out on the Best Poolside Food at Disney World

As Disney food nerds, there might not be anything that makes us happier than rediscovering a truly underrated restaurant and telling everyone they need to try it. Sometimes these restaurants are in the parks, but more often than not, they’re located at a Disney World Resort. As soon as we saw our meal at this restaurant, we knew we had something special on our hands.

We visited Spyglass Grill at Caribbean Beach Resort, and we’re bringing you a full review with all the details. Is this a restaurant you need to add to your itinerary? Let’s find out!

Background

Spyglass Grill is a quick-service restaurant located right by the pool at Caribbean Beach Resort. While it’s most convenient for guests staying at the resort, anyone can try it out by hopping on the Skyliner or bus and walking to the restaurant.

They serve breakfast from 7 AM to 11 AM and lunch and dinner from 11 AM to 10 PM. We tried their lunch and dinner menu recently, and with their classic American favorites combined with Caribbean-inspired dishes, we already know we’ll be coming back for more.

Atmosphere

When you first pass by Spyglass Grill, you might not think much of it. It’s fairly small, with limited table space, and is located under a covered patio. While it might seem unassuming, this is a real hidden gem!

There are fans on top, and we loved feeling the cool air from inside the kitchen flow into the seating area. If you’re looking for more seating, there are two big picnic tables nearby, and you can also get your meal to go to enjoy by the pool or back in your room.

Enough about the location, we’re getting hungry, let’s eat!

Foods & Drinks

The first dish we tried was the Mojo Pork Tacos for $9.99. These tacos are topped with pickled vegetable slaw, cilantro-lime crema, cotija cheese, and pico de gallo. It comes with three tacos, and we had French fries as our side dish.

Within the first bite, we knew we were in love. The pork was juicy and tender, and you could tell it had been sitting in its own juices, waiting to be turned into the perfect taco. There was an orange flavor in the back of each bite, which paired beautifully with the slaw. The slaw added a fantastic crunch to the whole taco, which paired well with the tenderness of the pork. As if it couldn’t get better, there were pickled onions on top that we were obsessed with. The cotija cheese added a bit of saltiness, and the lime crema added a creamy texture with a light flavor.

One of our favorite parts was that it came with three tacos for $10 plus a side! Because it comes with three, you can turn this into a shareable dish or take them all for yourselves (which you’ll probably want to!).

Next, we had the Trinidad Crispy Yuca Bowl for $15.79. This bowl is filled with plant-based chorizo served over black beans, with pico de gallo and cilantro lime tofu crema.

To say this bowl was packed is an understatement. It was FULL of delicious flavors and toppings, making the dish a great shareable option that will fill you up. The yuca fries on the bottom were crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, and if you’ve never had yuca before, this is a great way to try it. They serve as a base for toppings, much like a potato. The plant-based chorizo had a savory flavor that made the whole dish feel filling, especially with the addition of the black beans, which were hearty and acidic.

The crumble had a bit of spice but was not overly spicy — just enough to make you think you’re enjoying a meat-based dish. The beans had a perfect, mushy texture that balanced the crunch of the yuca and helped bring all the different elements together. It felt bright with the pico and the crema and a bit of lime on top. It was acidic and fresh, and a dish we’ll be thinking about for a while.

We had to finish off with dessert, so we ordered the Lemon Meringue Croissant for $5.99.

This is a butter croissant filled with lemon curd and topped with toasted meringue.

The lemon curd filling had a strong artificial lemon taste, but we didn’t care. It was sour, but paired well with the sweetness of the marshmallow, which was toasted on top. The actual croissant had plenty of layers and was a sweet dessert that wasn’t over the top. Not only was it delicious, but it was big! Once again, don’t be afraid to share the dessert.

For our drink, we had the Guava Lemonade for $5.79. It features Minute Maid Premium Lemonade and was a great way to round off our meal.

We’re not sure there’s anything better than hopping out of the pool and enjoying a lemonade. This drink was very sweet and sour, but enough to make your face scrunch up. It has a deep flavor that doesn’t feel watered down, and it was bright and acidic. It matched our meal perfectly and was the perfect drink to tie it all together.

Magic or Tragic?

You should head to Spyglass Grill if…

• • You are staying at the resort and are looking for a quick-service option
  • You enjoy Caribbean-inspired dishes
  • You are looking for filling meals

You might want to skip this spot if…

• • You aren’t staying at the resort and don’t want to go through the effort to get there
  • You prefer a sit-down style restaurant with more options
  • You don’t want to eat outside, or you don’t want to take it to go

Overall, we enjoyed Spyglass Grill and thought it was an underrated spot! The food came with big portion sizes and filled us up for our pool day or getting back into the parks. While it’s not the most convenient restaurant to get to for outside guests, we loved the variety of options and will be stopping by next time we’re at Caribbean Beach Resort.

In the meantime, make sure you’re following AllEars for more food reviews and Disney news! We have all the details you need to make your next Disney World vacation the best one yet, so check out our other posts for more info.

5 HIDDEN HOTEL RESTAURANTS THAT ARE BELOVED BY DISNEY WORLD REVIEWERS

Have you ever eaten at Spyglass Grill? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

Post a Comment