at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is a classic.
From its prime location at the Cinderella Castle end of Main Street, USA, to its elegant decor and moderately priced menu, The Plaza Restaurant is a truly great value. And the menu is family friendly (including those bottomless milkshakes!), so it’s easy to enjoy a meal with your whole crew.
But flashier dining options have relegated The Plaza to the realm of hidden gems.
And, honestly, we’re kind of okay with that. Because when Be Our Guest is booked solid, The Plaza is often a gettable alternative. And with a few new menu items, my most recent visit was a total home run.
Plaza Sign
Atmosphere
The Plaza is small, but sweetly elegant. You’ll see turn-of-the-(last)-century glamour in everything from light fixtures to wall decor to ornate moldings.
Main Dining Area
And by the way, the wallpaper is beyond fabulous.
The Plaza decor
Seating areas are bright and cheerful, giving the whole place a sort of garden party feel (without the bugs or possible downpours).
Second Dining Area
If you’re so inclined, The Plaza Restaurant is a lovely place to linger and enjoy the AC. I mean… the food.
Eats
On this visit, I was on a mission to try some new (or new-ish) additions to the menu. But first, check out that menu. Do you see the come hither stare that ice cream is giving us? (The Main Street Plaza Ice Cream Parlor is right next door!)
The Plaza Restaurant menus are so stylish!
The other side of the menu is just as alluring, with comfort food dishes like the killer Home-Style Meatloaf (check it out here!), a Tuna Salad Sandwich, and a Grilled Reuben.
Eats!
In the apps you’ll find Plaza Loaded Fries, which are basically a replacement for the beloved Figaro Fries that left Pinocchio Village Haus a couple of years ago. But while I’ve been known to enjoy a loaded fry (or twenty), this time I wanted to try something a little different. I ordered a side of fries, but I wanted to try three different sauces with them: Loaded Fries Cheese (which is basically Plastic Cheese), Remoulade (from one of the sandwiches), and White Barbecue Sauce (from another sandwich). What can I say — I can’t pass up a good dipping sauce.
Y’all. All three were awesome, with the remoulade being the real stand-out. It’s about the closest thing you can get to a Pommes Frites from Cafe Orleans experience without taking a trip to Disneyland. Definitely give this a whirl!
Fries and Sauces
I also needed to try the Brisket Mac and Cheese. I mean, it’s brisket on top of mac and cheese, soooo…
And it’s pretty good! The flavor is solid — with the meaty barbecued brisket bringing a level of smokiness to the mac and cheese. The mac isn’t particularly creamy, which is usually a requirement for really good mac and cheese, but the block-like serving is kind of a great vessel for the brisket and fried onions. And this heavy meal is definitely share-able, especially if you’re planning to go with an app and/or a dessert.
Brisket Mac and Cheese
Peanut Butter Cup Bottomless Milkshake
Carrot Cake
The Chocolate Cake, on the other hand, is the bomb! I’m not a big chocolate cake fan, but this version is super moist — like almost pudding moist — and crazy good. Big yes on this one!
Chocolate Cake
And that’s not where the great desserts ended! The Caramel Apple Pie that’s been on the menu for a few months is being replaced by something totally spectacular: Butterscotch Bread Pudding! It’s my number three bread pudding on property (behind the ‘Ohana Bread Pudding and a fan-tas-tic bread pudding we’ll be reviewing soon from House of Blues!!), and that’s saying somethin’!
It’s served in a skillet and topped with ice cream, which melts beautifully on the warm pudding. The bread pudding is not at all dry (yay) in the first place, but with the melting ice cream and warm butterscotch it’s just about perfect.
Butterscotch Bread Pudding
Nosh or Not?
You want to stop in at The Plaza if:
- You’re spending your day in the Magic Kingdom and want a tasty table service meal. (This one is often available without a reservation.)
- You love the idea of dining in an iconic restaurant that doesn’t require multiple table service credits or fancy pants.
- You and your crew enjoy timeless comfort food and super desserts.
You might want to skip The Plaza if:
- You’re hitting all the rides today and just want to grab some food on the go instead of doing a table service meal.
- Your momma makes really good brisket and mac and cheese and bread pudding and you know you’ll be disappointed with a restaurant version.
- You want to dine on more adventurous food.
Overall
The Plaza Restaurant really is a hidden gem (which can work in your favor!). This place is small, but is often available without a dining reservation, and is always solidly good-to-great. With delicious apps, entrees, and (especially!) desserts, I totally recommend adding it to your list of places you’ve gotta try in the Magic Kingdom! While Liberty Tree Tavern will always be my first love in Magic Kingdom, I have to say that Plaza is giving it a run for its money!
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I’m no vegetarian but they used to have the best veggie sandwich. I had it every time. A few of my “go to” meals are gone from various places. There are lots of great choices to find but when you have a favorite, you hate to see it go. I do love brisket. The mac n cheese looks pretty good.
This is a definite on my next trip. I have favorites that I always do, but I also try to hit two new restaurants every visit. Can you also get ice cream sundaes from next door if you want? I like the idea of sitting by a window with a castle view!
Better than Ragland Road’s bread pudding? No way.
In the mid-2000s they really started limiting the restaurant venues on what they could procure. While those fries look good, it’s the same actual fry that’s at nearly every other restaurant on property. The Dining Plan also really had a detrimental effect.
Ate there over Christmas. First time too. Pleasantly surprised.
Obviously busy during the Holiday season, but service was quick, accurate, and friendly.
Hidden gem .. I wouldn’t go that far…. imho, Grand Floridian Cafe, now that’s a hidden gem!!!
We hit Plaza for lunch in December on our last day – our first stop there. We rope dropped MK, did some shopping, had lunch and then had to go pick up our bags and go. What a fantastic little place ! Food was fantastic – relatively basic, but super tasty and well prepared. I had a Philly Cheesesteak, kid had the brisket mac n cheese, and wife had a reuben. All were delicious. Our server was extremely efficient and friendly. The bottomless milkshakes were a huge hit, and I’d stop there again just to get the loaded fries. All in all it was probably the best meal I’ve had at Magic Kijngdom in 20 years. Now it’s a new right of passage, and we’ll definitely be doing it again this summer.
I had that butterscotch bread pudding over Christmas and it was a-maz-ing. Loved it. And, yeah, I liked it better than Raglan Road, too (but when I went to RR, it took my food 2 hours after I ordered to come out and I was 100% D.O.N.E. at that point, so I may be letting that color my opinion). I love the Plaza. My 12-year-old -who never has an opinion about much of anything- asked to go there again when we go in March. Total hidden gem!
Agreed that the Plaza was the restaurant at the MK that made my family the happiest the last trip. The fried green tomato sandwich (without the bacon for us) was delicious and the veggie burger was excellent. They also had 3 (3!) different vegetarian kids’ options, and while they were all kinda ho hum, at least he got to pick instead of having to go with the one default. 🙂
Love the DFB!! Just want of report that I ate at the Plaza today and the mac and cheese was creamy and served in a bowl.
Stephanie, thanks for the info!
The Plaza is one of our favorite restaurants. Great milkshakes! And I always get the veggie burger – it’s really good. What we don’t care for is the meatloaf – to us, it tastes like mystery meat.
We went for breakfast a couple of months ago — it was a total disappointment. We won’t be back, sadly. It’s not that they didn’t try to get it right – they took back my daughter’s plate and redid it, but the quality of food is lacking. The bacon was so greasy it was inedible – and it was so thin that, the second time around when it actually came in strips, it broke the second she picked up a piece. The chef was very kind and came out and asked if we’d like him to do it a 3rd time – now, that was very kind! But if you’re not given good quality materials, even a great chef’s hands are tied.
But overall, it remains one of our favorite restaurants – just avoid the breakfast.