It’s no secret we love Contempo Cafe. Located in Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World — and just a monorail stop away from the Magic Kingdom — Contempo Cafe is a quick service spot that consistently serves some of our favorite fast eats. We’ve long craved the Pot Roast here, but with flatbreads and burgers and desserts galore, you and your crew can’t go wrong.
On this visit, everything was totally awesome. It makes for some great eating and some fun blogging, if I’m being honest. First up: the Contempo Smokehouse Burger. This beauty (yup, a burger can be beautiful) is an Angus Chuck Burger topped with Smoked Bacon Marmalade, Cheddar Cheese, and a huge Onion Ring. There’s a Brioche Bun holding it all together, too.
It’s a towering pile of artery-clogging goodness. You can tell it’s delicious because it’s so shiny. 😉
The Bacon Marmalade is particularly genius. It’s got several layers of flavor, with the smokiness balanced by a tiny bit of chili pepper flavor and a little bit of sweetness.
Contempo Cafe regularly features specialty flatbreads, and on this visit, it was a Philly Cheesesteak Flatbread.
This tasty little number is a generous serving of thinly sliced beef, onions and peppers, browned mozzarella cheese, chives, and a drizzle of yellow mustard-based sauce. The flavors are spot-on, and this one is super-filling.
Consider sharing if you’re looking to save room for dessert (and you ARE saving room for dessert).
But the beef love didn’t stop there because I had to get the “Chicago Style” Italian Beef Sub again. Look at the cheese; how could I resist?! This sandwich is killer — with the au jus on the side and the flavorful slaw. So, so, so good. Also heavy, though, so plan accordingly. 😉
The kids’ menu includes a Seasonal Catch Sandwich along with traditional kid favorites like this Pepperoni Flatbread.
The flatbread itself is crispy on the edges, and the generous square is cut into four pepperoni-garnished slices. It wouldn’t kill them to throw a few more pepperonis on there, but the flavor was classic and kid-friendly.
But, like, while the meal is stellar here, you’re also after the desserts. Trust us.
If you get nothing else, and you even remotely enjoy peanut butter, you’ll want to order the Peanut Butter Pie. This is a tart shell filled with Vanilla Cream and a massive scoop of Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Filling topped with Chocolate Ganache Drizzle.
The interior is irresistible. Look at all that peanut buttery goodness!
Okay, if you’ve pulled yourself away from the Peanut Butter Pie, first: how dare you? But also, check out this Monorail Cupcake! We gave you a first look at this ode to the Highway in the Sky a couple of months ago, and it’s as awesome as ever. (Note that the cupcakes trade out from time to time at Contempo, so if this one’s not here when you are, go for another one in the case!)
The base is Vanilla Cake, and there’s a lovable swirl of Cookies and Cream Buttercream on there, some Chocolate Topping, a full Oreo, Candy Pearls, a Chocolate Straw, and — of course — the front end of a Monorail in White Chocolate.
I would be okay with the entire top being buttercream, but a cross-section shows us that it’s really an inverted piece of cupcake and a denser Oreo cream filling inside.
Another popular cupcake lives at Contempo Cafe: the Millennial Pink Cupcake. This vanilla cake cupcake is topped with this Vanilla Buttercream and a white chocolate pair of Millennial Pink Minnie Ears.
Inside is a thick strawberry filling, making this one a little lighter in that there’s not a second helping of frosting inside. But the combo of vanilla cake, vanilla buttercream, and strawberry jam is awesome — especially for the summer.
I rounded out my dessert fest with this totally contemporary Confetti Cake! Don’t those colors look like they should be on a Zack Morris button down?
There’s a lot going on here, with colorful chocolate chips, artistic chocolate garnishes, and loads of rainbow sprinkles on the bottom.
Inside is pretty confetti cake and a small insert of custard cream. This is a cake that could be shared due to its size. A fun, solid dessert option.
Oh, Contempo Cafe, I just can’t get enough. Between the flavorful entrees and the creative desserts, it’s a must for me and remains one of the best quick service options in all of Walt Disney World. Definitely monorail yourself over, and you won’t regret the trip!
Want to know more about the Peanut Butter Pie and all of our favorite peanut butter treats? Check out this DFB YouTube video!
Have you enjoyed a meal at Contempo Cafe? Tell us what you think in the comments!
Chrissy says
I’ve had better food at All-Star Sports, just this past time we went (end of May), and they had better choices, too. Really wish Disney would get with the program and realize that not everyone wants to eat at the sit-down restaurants at the deluxe resorts (i.e. Contemporary, Poly, Grand, OKW, Saratoga, etc.) and put more choices on the menu. I had a steak dinner one night and a chicken dinner the next, while my mom opted for a turkey dinner and steak dinner at Sports, all of which were more flavorful and moist than any dinners we’ve ever experienced at any table or quick service places. They have no choices and for someone who can’t eat much (me), I eat a lot of kids meals. Contempo Cafe forces me to get a Danimals yogurt and I don’t like them. I want more choices for adults and kids everywhere.
Jane Buie says
We always stay at Bay Lake, our DVC home, so we often eat at Contempo Cafe. Last visit, Dec 16-21, 2017, we went there twice, two different evenings, to bring take out to our villa… 4 kids, 3 adults. Food was okay (nothing to write home about) but the wait was unbelievable! We ordered several pasta plates (kids meals) and waited over 30 minutes both times. I couldn’t believe it! When I asked why the wait was so long for pasta with sauce, they told me that they ran out of pasta, both times! The food is okay and the desserts are pretty but there is no excuse for delays like that. There was no crowd and others were getting food much quicker. We also ate there a time or two, not getting take out, and the service was faster Does Contempo not like guests to order take out or were we just unlucky enough to get bad service two times within a few days?
Chris says
I like the options at Contempo but don’t like the atmosphere – too loud with Chef Mickey;s right there, kinda dark and the whole concourse is in need of a freshening up. We own at BLT and still generally tend to avoid the place.
Chrissy says
@Chris – We also own at BLT, but couldn’t get in, which is why we stayed at Sports. Much better food all around and the room, once we got over the initial shock of how small it was compared to a studio, wasn’t that horrible.
Trudy says
We are also DVC members at BLT. We totally agree with the author. Love all choices at Contempo Cafe. Delicious!!!
Je says
I’m with AJ!
Love the atmosphere (Monorail action) and the delicious food choices at Contempo.
My favorite counter service anywhere inside WDW!!
Tom says
We also call BLT home. When we come down with our grandsons, they are not always into the signature dining, so the grand parents go out and the kids eat at Contempo Cafe. We are very pleased with both the service and the choices.
Annie says
Great review. And don’t forget all the marvelous veggie and fish options for folks in your clan who won’t eat meat. Contempo Cafe is a hidden Disney treasure.
Stacey says
That peanut butter pie is so rich it too me two days to eat the whole thing. The monorail cookies and cream cupcake is huge. It took two people to eat it. Both are so delicious.