The fabulous Leigh Caldwell, known to you as Theme Park Mom, recently visited the newly re-opened Studio Catering Company in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and emerged with some great comments (and incredible photos) on the new menu. Huge thanks to you, Leigh, as always. Who else could use “pillowy” to describe a sandwich and have us know exactly what it means?!
Studio Catering Company Exterior
Studio Catering Company reopened with some fresh paint and a fresh menu a few weeks back, and I recently got the opportunity to give the new dishes a spin.
I have always loved the location of this quick-service restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, especially when traveling with a family. On crowded days, someone can wait in line at Studio Catering while another adult takes the kids to the adjacent Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground.
This particular trip was great for sampling a new menu, because I happened to be at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with six adults and seven kids. Yikes!
I suggested Studio Catering Company for lunch because of the aforementioned playground and the fact that the place is huge, so I knew we wouldn’t have any trouble finding seats.
Studio Catering Company Tables
OK, enough already, let’s get to the food…
Menu Board with Entrees
Studio Catering Company New Menu 2
Studio Catering Company New Menu 3
Studio Catering Company New Menu 4
The Pressed Tuscan Deli ($8.29 with apple slices or French fries on the side) had smoked ham, smoked turkey, provolone cheese, caesar dressing, pesto and tomatoes. This was very good with plenty of meat and cheese and lots of flavor from the dressing and the pesto. The roll was perfect — when pressed, it got crunchy on the outside and stayed pillowy inside.
Pressed Tuscan Sandwich
The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich ($8.59 with apple slices or French fries on the side) was a breaded chicken breast topped with lettuce, tomato and a spicy ranch dressing. This sandwich’s name confused me. When I think “Buffalo chicken,” I think of chicken that is coated in Buffalo sauce, but this wasn’t. I guess the spicy ranch dressing was supposed to impart the Buffalo flavor, but there wasn’t enough of it on the sandwich to do that. This sandwich tasted just fine, it just doesn’t live up to the “Buffalo” in its name.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
The Turkey Club ($8.99 with apple slices or French fries on the side) had smoked turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, roasted red pepper and arugula. This sandwich was on a toasted sunflower bread, and it was the hands-down favorite amongst the adults in my group. The sweet roasted red pepper and bitter arugula added great flavor to the sandwich, and we liked the texture of the bread. While it is the most expensive sandwich on the menu, it is also the most shareable. It was huge and could easily be split between two adults or a parent and child.
Turkey Club Sandwich
On to the disappointment of the kids menu…
There were the two most usual choices at Walt Disney World for kids — chicken nuggets and a Smuckers Uncrustables PB & J sandwich. Gone are the chicken drumstick and chicken wrap kids used to be able to order here.
I get it that there are some kids who will only eat chicken nuggets or PB&J, but there are plenty of kids out there (like most of them in my group that day) who would have tried something else. And I am just so tired of the Smuckers Uncrustables. If PB&J is going to be a menu choice, please Disney, at least offer us the option of this sandwich on whole-grain bread.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Uncrustables Kids' Meal
Thanks again to Theme Park Mom for this mouth-watering report. Seriously, this review alone could steer me toward the Catering Company on my next trip. However, being a girl from Buffalo, I agree that a Buffalo chicken sandwich should be drenched in Buffalo wing sauce! Still, that pressed Tuscan Deli looks pretty good… .
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re: The grilled turkey sandwich. Assuming that this menu change doesn’t mean that we’ll have another change elsewhere in the park, that same sandwich can/should be found at the Backlot Express as well. Yes, it was probably the best counter service meal I’d had during my last trip. It was very satisfying. I don’t remember the bread being specifically “sunflower” bread, but it was definitely some form of hearty multigrain. However, I don’t remember that particular sandwich having bacon on it (though that may have changed since January 09).
I’m pleased to see that there are two good vegetarian options on the new menu. 🙂
I’m a fan of the new menu here as I think it was an improvement over the menu that used to exist just prior to the rehab. I’ll always miss when they changed this restaurant a few years ago and offered a few different wraps.
Thanks for the review!
Arrrghhh! Where’s the pulled pork sandwich?! I’m glad to see the Sangria hasn’t gone anywhere.
By the way, I love your article:)
Bryan — Thanks for the review! That sandwich looks lovely, though I bet I’d go with the melty cheese of the Tuscan Melt on my first visit. 😉
Anne — Indeed! Which one would you try first?
Matt — Seems like this place is changing all the time, then! I wonder how long this menu will be in place…
Susan — Mmm…sangria… 🙂 So glad they didn’t keep the “no alcohol in the park” rule after the Magic Kingdom!
When we were there it was completely dead there..I didn’t even see any construction workers so there was no nom nom nom going on that day 🙁
lol
I want a do-over of my supper last Tuesday! I would pick this place over Fairfax for the melty cheese alone.
Those fries, btw, look scrumptious! (Please note that I’ve never used ‘scrumptious’ to describe any Disney fries in the past, LOL!)
My kids do not like the uncrustables, and there are too many of these popping up at the counter service locations as the sole or one of two options for the kiddos. I wish they had the former options available.
Yet another eatery that does not take into consideration the many guests that are vegetarians or have food allergies (gluten, the major one in my case). The shrinking food options and the ubiquitous dumbing down of the kids menu (my kid – a teen, the vegetarian, will only eat pb&j if it is on a whole grain or ezekiel bread). We now bring our own food into the parks – the only way we are guaranteed to find something we can eat, looks edible and is healthy and reasonably priced.
Chip — Does it look like a menu you’d like to try on your next trip?
Janna — You’re hilarious! I’m with you on the melty cheese, but you already know that!
HRHMom — Thanks for your input; I can only imagine how old the uncrustables option can get.
Chris — Have you considered speaking with a Disney dining specialist? Just give a quick call or email, and you’ll hear back from someone who can work with you and the Disney restaurants to make sure you guys have all the different kinds of food you like to eat! Sounds like it might be worth a try. You can find more info on how to contact Disney about your special diet needs here. We also have a page about dining gluten free in Disney World here. I’m sure you know all of this already, but just in case…
Don’t eat here!!!! The food isn’t anything to brag about and thru don’t give kids refills when the cups are small. And it’s 90 degrees!!!!!