One of Disney World’s most beloved counter service restaurants isn’t actually a Disney restaurant at all — it’s part of a chain of sandwich shops called Earl of Sandwich! We still love it, though, and couldn’t wait to highlight it here on the blog.
Atmosphere
Located in Downtown Disney’s Marketplace, Earl of Sandwich is a restaurant wrapped up in a history lesson. As the story goes, John Montague, the 4th Earl of Sandwich in England, invented the sandwich as an easy, eat-on-the-run (or while playing cards) meal. Today, the 11th Earl of Sandwich and his family have taken the name to new heights by developing Earl of Sandwich stores and selling high-quality, delicious sandwich varieties along with fresh sides and desserts.
History of Earl of Sandwich Restaurants
To see more about the history of the Earl and his sandwiches, check out the restaurant’s Historical Society — a wall of photographs, maps, and information. While this isn’t something you’d normally see in a counter-service restaurant, the tongue-in-cheek concept mixed with some homework-worthy information gives the place a little more depth than you’d expect. Pretty fun, eh? (By the way, Captain Cook named the Sandwich Islands for the Earl, so you get to learn all about that, too!)
Earl of Sandwich Historical Society
When you’ve had your fill of history, jump in the (likely very looooooooooooooooooooong) line and figure out which sandwich is going to work for you. Here’s a warning — Earl of Sandwich fills up fast, and soon after noon each day, the line already snakes back and forth several times. If you’re tired of standing in ride lines, consider getting to Earl of Sandwich right at opening, or in late afternoon before the dinner rush.
Earl of Sandwich Queue Line
Step One: Order Your Sandwich
Step Two: Watch Your Sandwich Come Together
Once you pick up your order, you have the choice of sitting outside or inside. Not to worry, though — no matter where you choose to dine, you’ll have access to England’s favorite sauces and condiments!
Indoor Seating
Heinz Steak Sauce
And don’t forget to showcase your counter-service dedication with some Earl of Sandwich merch:
Some Earl of Sandwich Merchandise
Eats
Now, that long line is good for one thing — to choose what you want to eat! Earl of Sandwich specializes in — what else — sandwiches! From the Original 1762, with “Freshly Roasted Beef, Cheddar Cheese & Creamy Horseradish Sauce;” to the All American, with “Roasted Turkey, Buttermilk Ranch, Cranberries, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce & Tomato;” to the Veggie, with “Feta Cheese, Lettuce, Roma Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion, Roasted Red Peppers & Mediterranean Dressing;” and more — there’s a sandwich for everyone here! Take the time to peruse the menu and find the perfect option for you.
We chose to try The Full Montague, which has “Roasted Beef, Turkey, Swiss & Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce, Roma Tomato & Earl’s Mustard,” and the Italian, with “Salami, Capicola, Ham, Mortadella, Zesty Italian Dressing, Mozzarella & Roma Tomato (Peppers Optional).”
My husband loves roast beef sandwiches, and The Full Montague was perfect for him! He loved the mix of cheeses and meats and enjoyed the toasted taste of the bread.
The Full Montague
The Italian was all mine, and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have shared more than the bite I gave my husband. This was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. (You know that show on the Food Network — The Best Thing I Ever Ate? Yeah — it’s like that.) You’ve just gotta look at this thing to really understand it.
Italian Sandwich
I also sampled some of the Earl of Sandwich Tomato Soup — a delicious, not-too-sweet soup topped with crusty croutons. This is perfect for those colder days in Florida, and is also a pretty decent between-meals snack that won’t break the bank or your calorie budget.
Earl of Sandwich Tomato Soup
For dessert, I couldn’t resist this Brownie Frosting Sandwich — incredible vanilla frosting sandwiched between two of the Earl’s famous circular brownies! You just can’t go wrong, but you if you want to hear more about it, just click that link for my review of just this item!
Brownie Frosting Sandwich
Of course, there are plenty of other side items and desserts to order that will complement your sandwich. Macaroni salad, jello, yogurt parfaits, muffins, brownies, and more are available — here are just a few of the ones we saw:
Macaroni Salad
Yogurt Parfaits
Jello and Fruit
Fruit Cup
Strawberry Shortcake Dessert
Chocolate Pudding
Cookie Varieties
Muffins and Brownies
Mini Brownies
Potato Chip Options
Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treat
And don’t forget to grab your drink — juices, milk, soda, imported beers, and more are up for grabs:
Coke Machine Choices
Tea Choices
Lemonade
Imported and Domestic Beers
Cold Bevvies
Overall
Whew! Are you still with me?! That was a lot of pics, but you can clearly see that there are quite a few choices for your lunch break at Earl of Sandwich. And, what’s even more important, is that this place really does deliver quality for the cost. If you’re on the dining plan, this is one of the best counter-service values, hands down. I highly, highly recommend it.
Have you been to Earl of Sandwich? What’s your favorite item on the menu? Let us know in the comments section below (so I can try it next time I’m there!).
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One thing I like about this place is that I am not a big fan of counter service breakfast variety in the resort food courts. However. the Earl will let me get a 1762 during breakfast hours. Nothing like some beef and horseradish to start the day.
Also, the times I have been there, the long line has moved very efficiently, so the line need not scare people away.
I love the Earl and have to go everytime I visit WDW. My favorite sandwich is the All American. And when I am not at WDW I craved this sandwich. I wish Earl would open a resturant up closer to home.
I love this place to get a quick meal, if you time it right. I also have gone here to get a sandwich to take on the plane rather then eating some airline frozen stale food. The prices are not that bad.
I’m a fan of the Earl of Sandwich store for it’s tasty sandwiches and somewhat normal prices. It’s hard to beat that combo!
Also, there is a discount for AAA members, so flash your card to save a few cents!
I saw the Cherry Coke AJ…. Woo hoo!!!
I like the Original.
Oh, and for anyone who hasn’t been, don’t let the long line scare you away! A) It’s worth the wait. B) It moves deceptively fast!
I’m with Rich and Kelly…the line does move very quickly!
My favorite is the Full Montague. I will be trying one of the brownie frosting sandwiches on the next trip!!
LOVE this place! My absolute favorite is the Caprese Sandwich … it was darn near the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten.
I am a Caribbean Jerk Chicken Sammie kind of gal! I just ate there this past Friday and got my fix for the week 🙂 I will be back tomorrow to get my fix before some park fun again! Its a much better option then park burgers and chicken fingers and nasty Disney pizza 🙂 Grab your sammie, eat half there and then bring the other half with you into the parks!!!!!
Earl of Sandwich is my favorite in DtD! Luckily I have one not too far away; I try to get there whenever I can.
First Flame Tree Barbecue, and now Earl of Sandwich?? You’re hitting all my favourite quick service locations!
I think the All American (sans cranberries) is my favourite; it’s delightfully savoury, the bread nice and chewy, and oh so very tasty! My mouth waters at the thought.
But you left out one of my favourite items on their menu, something that I think is underappreciated and should become their signature drink: The Earl’s Grey Lemonade. It’s a mix (half and half, i imagine) of Earl Grey iced tea and lemonade, and it’s absolutely delicious and very refreshing! I’m probably more than a little biased, since I grew up in a family of tea drinkers where Earl Grey was reserved for special occasions and family dinners, but I look forward to that drink almost as much as their sandwiches (almost!).
Wow! We are going, in Oct, to WDW for the first time. So addicted to this blog- and this posting is an excellant example of why. Love all the little details mentioned and photographed. This is a huge help when planning meals around allergies, budget, or just plain pickiness. Job well done!
Wow id heard about this place but never really gave it a second thought, will have to change that now.. did you get any shots of the menu by chance?
Nevrmind.. totally missed the menu link in the post lol.. pictures had me distracted/drooling
I love this place, just the bread alone is reason enough to visit! Also, their bread pudding is pretty delicious, and I love the cookies for dessert! I just wish we had a location here in NorCal…
Rich T — Wow! Really?! You can order regular sandwiches in the morning?! Thanks for the info!
Paris — I wish they’d open a location here in Texas, too!
DBTN — Good idea to get a sandwich for the plane. I’m using that suggestion on my next trip!
Matt — I’m bringin’ my AAA card next time, now, too! Thanks for the info.
James — Woo! Cherry Coke!
Kelly — For a second there, I was thinking you meant you liked the “original” Earl of Sandwich location — I was thinking, “What’s she talking about? Where’s the original?” 😉 I get it now — you’re talking about the sandwich …I’m a bit slow.
Janna — Thanks for the corroboration on the line moving quickly. I just get overwhelmed when I see that many people!
Traci — Thanks for the recommendation on the caprese!
Aurora — How can you eat just half?!?
Scott — Not fair!! Where do you live? I’m comin’ to visit!
Tim — YES! The Earl Grey Lemonade! Thank you for the reminder; we just got the regular lemonade. And not fair keeping the cranberries off of the All American — that’s what makes it All American! 🙂
Laurie — Thanks for the kudos! Have a fantastic time in October, and don’t forget to go to the Food and Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!
Mark — Glad you found the menu link! You guys will love this place!
Heather — I didn’t even see the bread pudding! I should check that out next time.
Last October they served a Thanksgiving Sandwich. It was delic! As I remember it was turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce on toasted, buttered bread. The entire sandwich was warm, not just the outside of the bread like a panini… divine! It was kind of a Thanksgiving dinner to go.
Our only problem is we order too much everytime. We always go there hungry and over order. A sandwich alone is enough! Enjoy!
YUM! The last time we went to WDW we didn’t spend nearly enough time in Downtown Disney. But, when we head back this September, we will definitely be trying out Earl of Sandwich. Everything looks amazing!
Love going to Earl! My son’s favorite is the Meatball. I can’t remember what I got—I think it had roast beef, turkey, and ham. Probably some sort of club. The bread pudding is AWESOME–the only place where my husband will eat it.
I do have one question regarding the dining plan: A lot of the reviews on allears paint the cashiers to be rude regarding the dining plan here. Is it really that difficult to figure out? We’ve never paid attention to whether things are marked for the DDP because September will be the first time we use it.
I used to love their Florentine sandwich. It was absolutely amazing. I was so sad to hear it’s off the menu.
I love the Earl of Sammich (that’s the proper English pronunciation by the way).
The 1762 is near perfect food. I also like the BLT. Right, right, it’s just a BLT. I’ll give you that, but the combination of applewood bacon and the seasoned mayo that they use takes it to a whole other level. The same can be said for all their sammiches (again, that’s the English pronunciation an by all means should be used when you order).
However most of the time the line is just too, too long for me. There are many great places to stop for a bite at Downtown Disney. Sometimes that extra 5 bucks at Pucks or Bongo’s is worth the shorter line and they have fine food as well. However, be advised that the quality is overall better at the Earl’s.
Great post AJ! I’m surprised no one has mentioned the great half ice tea, half lemonades! Some of the best combos I’ve had! The bread is awesome too – great crispy outside, but nice and soft inside. I wish they had one of these closer to home!!
WE LOVE LOVE LOVE the Earl of Sandwich. The food is fantastic. I love the Ham and Swiss. We will eat here at least 3 times during our visits. Did I mention we love it? Did I? Just checking 🙂
If you have missed me posting, it’s because we just moved from Minneapolis to Charlotte and are finally getting settled. And yes, I have noted that Disney World is only 8 1/2 hours away now by car! I smell road trips! YAY!!!!
Whoops – just noticed Tim likes the tea, too!! 🙂
This was the one place I wanted to go last year and didn’t make it. I’m determined to make it this October and your review has me asking, Is it October yet??
I guess it’s unusual that I live about 5 minutes from an Earl of Sandwich?
I always read about people who make this their first stop after getting off the plane in Orlando! I’ve only eaten there once (that is, at the one by my house) and had the Thanksgiving dinner sandwich. It was tasty, but nothing I’d go out of my way to get on a Disney vacation since we don’t typically spent a lot of time at DtD.
I got one of those brownie sandwiches per your earlier review of it on our last day, before we took the Magical Express back to the airport. It was so huge that I ended up keeping a good portion of it as a snack on the plane ride home. Yum yum.
Pat — That’s the All American, I believe! Agreed that the sandwich is probably enough…note I said “probably” 🙂 We still order everything else, too!
Whitney — Yes! Do try it and let us know what you think!
Lynne — I had no idea they had bread pudding! Very sad… will have to get it next time! Not sure on the cashiers, though; we didn’t have a problem with anyone, but we weren’t on the dining plan.
daf — Do you remember what was in it? Would love to know the “history.”
GG — Thanks for the info on the “sammich” pronunciation! Isn’t it magical how some restaurants can take something as basic as the BLT and turn it into an incredible thing of beauty?
Christina — Hee hee! No worries! The Earl Grey Lemonade deserves a second (and third!) mention!
Jeff — So glad to hear you guys are settled in Charlotte! I’ve been watching the progress on your blog 🙂 Thanks for chiming in about the Earl — do you really eat here three times on your trips? (not that it’s not worth it!)
Celia — I WISH it was October! If it were, I’d be in WDW, too!
Shayne — Guess where I’M going this week?!??!??! (Hoping I can get hubby to drive over to Earl of Sandwich on his birthday…)
Southern Web Girl — Good for you…one must pace oneself with the brownie frosting sandwich…
Yep, we really do eat there 3 times (our stays are usually 12 nights). Fresh from the plane when we first get there – it’s a fast and easy lunch /quick bite, and it’s always our last lunch meal after checking out of the hotel the day we leave. Then once for lunch somewhere mid-trip. YAY!
Jeff — I hope to meet you someday! Your personality cracks me up! YAY indeed! 🙂 We went to Earl of Sandwich while we were in Houston for my husband’s birthday — it was deeeeelicious!
The Earl is on our dining list for our first return trip (at the end of the year) to the World since ’05. I am looking forward to this meal as much as any of the Table Service meals that we have planned! (We may even go twice – grin.)
The bad news for us is that when I checked the good Earl’s website, the locations are limited to five states currently, none of which are even remotely near the Washington DC Virginia ‘burbs. Darn!
AJ – the Florentine was an amazing sandwich, all I remember it had is chicken and spinach.
I wish they still had it :(.
But well, only now that it’s gone, the other sandwiches have a chance to impress me as well.
By the way, I don’t see the brownie frosting cookie on the menu anymore. Is that gone, too?
A little late to the initial conversation. From a maximizing the DDP this is not the most cost effective way to use a counter service. (Pucks is a better deal). But from a deliciousness point of view this place is as good as it gets. It shows that fast food can be tasty and cheap. Here is a hint. Go for breakfast – they serve real coffee ( a Kona blend ). It’s worth going there in the morning just for the coffee.