5 Reasons We Love The Garden Grill Restaurant at Disney’s Epcot

Mickey in overalls, a bountiful supply of home-cooked food, and a rotating platform for a restaurant – sign us up! The Garden Grill is a delightful dining experience in the heart of Epcot. So, what makes this restaurant so wonderful? Here are our top five reasons we love The Garden Grill.

1 – The Land Location

Nestled appropriately in The Land of Epcot’s World Nature, The Garden Grill Restaurant is on the top of the two-story “The Land” building. It’s easy to spot the colorful Garden Grill sign and oval-shaped restaurant entrance. Just a few steps downstairs from the restaurant, and you’d be at the entrance to the popular attraction, Soarin’. The Garden Grill is actually situated directly above the attraction, Living with the Land, which you will catch glimpses of while dining here! With this being said, you’ll need park admission (and a park reservation) to Epcot along with your dining reservation (some walk-ins accepted depending on crowds) with the purchase of a set price per guest.

2 – Yep, a Rotating Restaurant!

Immediately upon check-in at the Garden Grill, you’ll begin to feel that at-home, farm-fresh feeling that exudes from the Cast Members’ attire right from the get-go. As you enter the restaurant, you will start to realize that the ground is actually moving under you! No worries, however, as the restaurant is on a circular spinning platform but moves extremely slowly. Walking isn’t difficult, and while dining, you may actually forget you are moving. The center of the restaurant is the kitchen which Cast Members flow in and out of to serve their tables. The kitchen stays still while the two layers of seating, from booths to tables, rotate. Each section has a fruit symbol and table number assigned to it, which must be helpful to Cast Members as their tables move as the restaurant moves. The appearance of the restaurant is simple, clean, and quite cute, really. We loved how the tables were set with the Hidden Mickey made from the plates. We especially enjoyed the view of Living with the Land as we dined and slowly rotated.

3 – Freshly Home Cooked Food

Come hungry for this all-you-care-to-eat dining experience! Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Garden Grill serves up some delicious dishes. While it is an all-you-care-to-eat experience, you never leave your seat to go to a buffet-style setting. Instead, Cast Members fill your table with family-style plates. You can request more of specific food and just a whole new plates of heavenly pieces as much as you’d like! Garden Grill serves items such as chicken, beef, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, salad, and vegetables for lunch. Dinner has many of the same menu items, but they also have delicious bread served with orange honey butter! As a treat for lunch and dinner, guests are served shortcake topped with berries and whipped cream. Yum! You can also purchase specialty drinks, wine, or beer, which are a separate price from the lump sum paid for the food items. A special note – some of the dipping sauces and small side items are grown fresh right in Epcot! We were also surprised at their fantastic gluten-free menu items, which we needed for a Celiac member in our party.

4 – Mickey in Overalls!

Where else can you find Mickey Mouse dressed up in a flannel shirt and overalls? Farmer Mickey, Chip and Dale, and Pluto make their way around to the tables as you dine. Get those autograph books and cameras ready as they are super attentive and excited you have joined them at The Garden Grill. Chip and Dale are especially troublesome as they try to sneak food off your plate and even wipe their nose on the Cast Members shirts. We were celebrating a wedding anniversary, and the Cast Member asked Dale to come over and celebrate with us. Definitely family-friendly fun with this crew of silly characters!

5 – Cast Members = Family

Hands down, one of the best experiences we’ve had at the many Disney restaurants we’ve been to! Our server (Steve) was absolutely exceptional. He constantly refilled our drinks, checked in on us, and even chatted like he was part of the family. He interacted with the characters as if he was one of them and truly made us feel like we had joined the Garden Grill family! We can’t say enough at how pleased we were with the service here.

TIPS – Dine early (before the park opens), and you’ll have the chance to see Epcot almost completely empty. If you finish breakfast before the park opens, you’ll also have the opportunity to get in line for Soarin’ before the rush arrives! If you haven’t tried The Garden Grill because you just aren’t sure if it’s right for you, we feel it is worth trying at least once as we were pleasantly surprised with our experience and can’t wait to go back again!