Here at DFB, we love food (of course we do — it’s in our name!). That’s why one of our favorite things to do at Disney World is trying new food.

Disney recently announced that the BoardWalk Bakery at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn was going to be replaced with the BoardWalk Deli. Now, in addition to pastries, this location will serve up things like breakfast sandwiches, subs, wraps, and more. We’ve watched the BoardWalk Bakery slowly be transformed into the BoardWalk Deli, and now the Deli has finally opened! Let’s go check it out.

Atmosphere

As we mentioned above, the BoardWalk Deli is located at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, which is themed after Atlantic City around the turn of the century, so the atmosphere is very charming and fun.

The exterior of the BoardWalk Deli looks pretty much the same as the old bakery, but just with a new sign. We’ve still got those iconic red and white awnings outside!

The BoardWalk was bustling a little bit in the morning — it looks like we aren’t the only ones excited to try out this new spot. Once we stepped inside, we found that it also hadn’t changed too much. It looks like it has been painted, but most of the restaurant remained the same (besides the menu boards). This is still a counter service location — no need for reservations here!

Guests walk down the line, checking out the bakery case and placing their orders, then pay at the cash register.

After that, you can pick up your beverages at the nearby drink station.

They also have a counter with utensils, napkins, and various condiments for your order. Make sure to grab all the essentials before you leave!

There’s also a designated Mobile Order pick-up area for those who made their selections in the My Disney Experience app. That’s even more convenient if you’re rushing to get to the theme parks!

So what’s on the menu at this new establishment? Let’s check it out!

Menu

The menu at the BoardWalk Deli is pretty standard deli fare along with some of the fan-favorite pastries and desserts that guests used to be able to get at BoardWalk Bakery. For this review, we’re focusing on the breakfast offerings!

You can get a variety of items, including breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and different breakfast pastries. They’re simple treats, but if done right, this could be a new go-to stop before hitting up the parks in the morning.

Now that we’ve gone through the menu, let’s get to the most important part: the food!

Eats

Let’s start this out with the Everything Bagel Sandwich! It’s made with cage-free egg, a sausage patty, and cheddar on an everything bagel with your choice of side. It’ll cost you $8.99.

We really loved this sandwich! It had runny egg, an amazingly delicious bagel, and tons of cheese. The sausage wasn’t super flavorful, but the whole sandwich together was so yummy that it didn’t really matter. The bagel was a little on the salty side, but we’d definitely order this again.

Next up was the Bagel Breakfast Sandwich, and surprisingly, we loved this one just as much! It’s made with bacon, cage-free egg, caramelized onion, and cheddar on a regular bagel and served with your choice of side.

The egg wasn’t runny and the bacon was Disney bacon (not really crispy OR chewy), but the sweet onion jam was SO good that it made up for the other flaws. You can order this one for $8.99 as well.

Now let’s talk about that Everything Bagel with Smoked Salmon! It comes with vine-ripened tomato, arugula, and caper-onion cream cheese with your choice of side for $9.99. She’s hefty fo sho!

This one was simply amazing. The bagel and salmon were both very fresh! We would’ve liked to have a little more red onion, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Salmon and fish-haters will want to steer clear, but those who love a good smoked salmon will probably rank this at the top of their list. 

And of course, you can order just a simple Bagel for $3.79. We definitely got the New York bagel feel from this one, and it’s probably one of the better bagels in Disney World, but it’s not the best bagel we’ve ever had. If you’ve got a big bagel craving, it’ll do the trick.

Next up we’ve got the Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwich, made with plant-based eggs florentine, “cheese,” tomato jam, and arugula, all served with your choice of side. The plant-based egg on this sandwich had little to no flavor — the main flavors that came through were the arugula and the tomato jam. 

The tomato jam was probably the best part of the sandwich (it was unbelievably good!) with a burst of sweet flavor. After we went and picked up some salt and pepper packets and seasoned the sandwich ourselves, it really came to life. You can order this one for $7.49.

By now you may be wondering what the options for sides are! Well, you’re pretty limited to a selection of fruits. When we placed our Mobile Order, we were allowed to choose either a banana, an orange, or an apple. 

Now that we’ve got the entrees out the way, let’s talk pastries and desserts! The Raspberry Danish was beautiful and colorful, topped with raspberries and a cream topping for $3.99. The croissant danish was very fluffy and a little bread-heavy. We would’ve liked more of that cream, but it was still overall pretty good. 

The Cinnamon Yummy was a treat that wasn’t listed on the original menu but was an opening day surprise. We got one for $4.49. It was absolutely TO DIE FOR. Sticky and sweet with so much cinnamon, and not overwhelming in sugary-ness. For someone who’s not as big on icing, you might even like this more than the Gaston’s Tavern cinnamon roll.

The Cannoli for $4.19 was an addition not listed on the online menu, but we got it through Mobile Order. It’s fairly basic, but the vanilla and chocolate chip filling was pretty good. We noticed pieces of lemon and some lemon extract throughout, which was a pleasant surprise and took it up a notch higher than some other cannolis we’ve had in Disney World. Plus, how cute is that little chocolate Mickey?!

The black and white cookie is a staple of a New York Deli, and BoardWalk Deli has its own version — the NY Half Moon Cookie for $3.79. We were a tad disappointed by this one because it wasn’t traditional (it had a chocolate base instead of a vanilla base). It came off kinda dry and spongy, and we think it could be improved a bit.

As far as scones go, the Blueberry Scone for $3.79 met our standards. It was not too dry and sweet with whole blueberries. It was also crumbly, just like a scone should be.

The Blueberry Muffin was also pretty typical. It had some cake-like crumbles on top that we enjoyed, but overall it was somewhat boring — definitely not the most exciting option on the menu. You can order one for $3.79.

And last but ACTUALLY least is the Banana Bread. Unfortunately, this was probably the thing we disliked the most of the items we tried. It wasn’t very good due to the fact that it was dry and not very flavorful. We would rank the Starbucks banana bread above this one! But if you really want to try it out, it’s $3.79 on the menu.

So now that we’ve tried it all out, what do we think?

Nosh or Not

Hop, skip, and jump on over to BoardWalk Deli for breakfast if…

• You’re staying nearby and looking for a quick breakfast before a day at the parks. You can Mobile Order here and there’s a fairly substantial menu.
• You’re a big fan of cinnamon rolls or bagels! Those were some of the best things we ate on the menu, so definitely stop by if that’s what you’re craving.
• You want a simple and delicious meal with a great view. You can order your food here, then take it to one of the outdoor tables to just enjoy a relaxing morning on the BoardWalk — that’s a great way to start the day!

Keep on walking by BoardWalk Deli if…

• You want a breakfast with something really unique or different. These were pretty typical deli breakfast options, so you might be able to get this same stuff at a spot near your home.
• You’re not staying nearby. This isn’t exactly a destination breakfast spot unless you’re planning on spending more time on the BoardWalk. You can get some similar items at your resort or in the parks.
• You’re in a rush in the morning. If you don’t have the time to stop by (lest you miss rope drop!) don’t fret. Like we mentioned above, the eats here aren’t exactly groundbreaking, so they probably aren’t worth messing up your morning plans…unless you’re REALLY hungry.

Overall

Overall, we enjoyed our visit to BoardWalk Deli for breakfast! It’s a good, simple option for those staying at BoardWalk (or nearby at Yacht Club, Beach Club, or the Swan and Dolphin), especially if you’re looking to grab something before heading into EPCOT.

The menu isn’t completely unique or groundbreaking, but most of what we ate, we really liked. We highly recommend those bagel sandwiches and the Cinnamon Yummy. Our least favorites were definitely the half moon cookie, the banana bread, and the underseasoned ciabatta sandwich. We hope to try more of those pastries in the future! 

The BoardWalk Deli isn’t the only new restaurant coming to Disney’s BoardWalk. The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers will also be debuting here next year. This restaurant will serve up both sweet and savory items, plus an afternoon tea service, and more.

This restaurant is going to be located where the former ESPN Club used to be. We’re always on the lookout for more Disney news — especially when it comes to food — so make sure to stay tuned to DFB for the latest!

Click here to read our full EXCLUSIVE interview with Gwnedolyn Rogers!

Are you excited to try the BoardWalk Deli? Let us know in the comments!