Welcome back to the ever-changing Hollywood Studios, which is now introducing… Echo Lake Eats!

Making its home around Echo Lake in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Echo Lake Eats is comprised of three kiosks serving new Counter Service options: Hollywood Waffles of Fame, Sliders to the Stars, and Bocados del Lago Nachos y Empanadas.

The purpose of these kiosks is to temporarily provide a few extra food options to Hollywood Studios guests as the park is in full-on transition mode with the construction of the future Toy Story and Star Wars Lands. After all, construction brought the closure of a few Counter Service eateries along with it (Studio Catering Co. and Herbie’s Drive-In among them; meanwhile, Toy Story Pizza Planet is also currently closed for a major refurbishment and re-theming of its own).

So, let’s check out what new treats and eats are available at these limited-run kiosks (so far anticipated to run only through the peak summer season) for those of you paying a visit to Hollywood Studios this summer!

If you’ve visited the Epcot Food & Wine Festival or Flower & Garden Festival, the general set-up of the three kiosks will look familiar to you: registers and menus are set up just beside the booths where you place your order, then pick it up at the main windows.

A few of the same high-top tables (without seating) have even made the trip.

Only here at the Studios, good ol’ Gertie is keeping watch over things around Echo Lake…

First up, Hollywood Waffles of Fame, where waffle sandwiches are the star!

A Shaved Turkey and Gouda Waffle Sandwich and a Shaved Ham and Cheddar Focaccia Sandwich make up the menu; however, we were assured that if you would prefer to have the Ham and Cheddar option on a waffle instead of the Focaccia, all you have to do is ask!

A house-baked Chocolate Chip Cookie along with a selection of beer and wine round out the list.

Wafflemakers are at the ready inside the kiosk to prepare your sandwich to order.

We chose the Shaved Turkey and Gouda Waffle Sandwich, which is served with a bag of chips.

The picture below was taken at a slightly different angle to give you an idea of how positively PACKED this thing is, topped with mixed greens, bacon, tomato, and herb-cheese pesto.

So packed, in fact, that it was actually kind of difficult to eat, but all the fresh flavors — especially the gouda and smokey bits of bacon — came together really well. And I really appreciate how the sandwich was made to order, resulting in the waffle tasting especially fresh, too.

Alas, it’s no replacement for my beloved Sweet and Spicy Chicken Waffle Sandwich that is sadly no longer served at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. But taken on its own, it’s pretty impressive.

Likewise, Bocados del Lago Nachos y Empanadas also features two main menu items as well as a dessert. FYI, you’ll find a dessert at each kiosk as they all accept Quick Service credits on the Disney Dining Plan, where your entitlement includes a dessert and non-alcoholic drink with your entree.

Loaded Chili-Cheese Nachos and Beef Empanadas are the entree choices, with a House-baked Dulce de Leche Cookie for dessert.

You’ll find Lime Margaritas here, too!

The Beef Empanda plate is a fairly creative dish for such a small stand, with its accompaniments of roasted corn, black bean salsa, and queso fresco, and drizzled with a bit of cilantro sour cream.

The golden pastry on these was delicious — nice and flaky, and really fresh.

And the beef was pretty well-seasoned, though not spicy at all in a “hot” sense.

Of everything I tried, the Empanadas were probably my favorite. I also grabbed the Dulce de Leche Cookie.

This one carries with it a LOT of sweetness. Though thin, it’s still nice and chewy, and caramel fans will LOVE the tons of soft bits of caramel throughout!

Finally, Sliders to the Stars serves up — what else?! – Sliders!

Choose from Pulled Beef Brisket or Barbecued Chicken Sliders.

That Mickey Brownie you also see listed on the menu is the same one you’ll find at Oasis Canteen (it’s like a brownie cake pop).

The Barbecued Chicken Sliders are topped with coleslaw and chipotle aioli all on a brioche bun. Like the waffle sandwiches, they’re also served with chips.

The brioche bun on these is definitely a great touch, and there is plenty of tasty chicken in here to keep you going for a while.

The coleslaw lent some nice tang to the barbecue, too, but it did overwhelm the aioli a bit, as I couldn’t really pick up on it.

Still, overall it was another nice addition to Echo Lake Eats!

It seems like there has been a lot of thought put into these for what are ultimately temporary options — quite different from your run-of-the-mill burgers and such. Dare I say, maybe even a step up from what you used to be able to find at Studio Catering Co.? But there is also a lack of vegetarian options, so we’ll be keeping an eye out to see if menus change here at all. Given the limited run, that’s probably doubtful, so meatless options in the meantime can be found at spots like Sunset Ranch Market. (The Fried Green Tomato Sandwich, by the way, can now be found at Rosie’s All-American Cafe instead of its original home of Fairfax Fare.)

For those interested in Echo Lake Eats, though, remember that these kiosks will only be around through the busy summer season, so be sure to stop by soon! And wave hi to Gertie while you’re at it, so she knows she’s not forgotten 😉 .

Contributing to this post: AJ, Tina, and Wendy

Will you be checking out the eats at Echo Lake? Please let us know with a comment!