Disney Springs is a not-so-hidden treasure trove of restaurants that’s able to satisfy just about every palate. So when we saw an opportunity to visit one of our favorite restaurant’s quick-service counter, we jumped at it.

If you’ve never had a chance to experience The Basket at WBG or it’s just been a while, it’s time you become reacquainted with an oldie but a goodie (and check out a few of their NEW menu items with us)!

If you’ve ever stopped by to grab a delicious cookie from Gideon’s Bakehouse or taken in the nightlife at the stage featuring local bands and artists right next door to The Boathouse, chances are you’ve passed right by this restaurant (probably without a glance).

If The Basket at WBG isn’t ringing a bell to you or you’re like us and too proud to admit how many times you’ve passed it up, don’t worry. We recently decided to pop by for a quick stop to try out some of their eats and of course, their cocktails, and we’ve got quite the story to tell!

Atmosphere

This restaurant is truly a vibe! If you’re looking for a dining experience that will keep you in all the sights and sounds of the Disney Springs atmosphere, look no further! You won’t need a reservation here, so when you arrive you’ll walk up to the window to place your order. Your food will also be served at the same counter.

You’re welcome to take your food and drinks to go and stroll around Disney Springs, or there are a few seating areas nearby that are able to accommodate larger groups…

… with smaller tables and chairs that are reserved for those ordering here. Now, one important thing to note about this seating — Cast Members told us that if the table-service restaurant next door gets crowded, they will sometimes use these tables as seating. In that case, you will have to hunt for other seating outside of this area to enjoy your goodies.

We already had a sense of what we were looking to order, but decided to browse the menu when we stepped up to the counter anyway just in case.

Menu

The menu here is pretty basic for light bites that are portable (in case you really do want to enjoy them elsewhere) and include things like french fries with queso, meatballs, hummus, a meat and cheese box option, a sandwich, and a few dessert options.

Since this is an extension of Wine Bar George, of course there’s an extensive list of frozen selections, wine on tap, and several beers and ciders to choose from. We placed our order and received it surprisingly quickly!

Drinks

Let’s start our review with one of the biggest draws for this restaurant — the drinks! We opted for a mix of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to try. We picked up the Cherry Smash, Frozen Old Fashioned, and Frozcato made with pineapple Dole Whip.

We started things off with our only non-alcoholic option of the three, the Cherry Smash, which is made of cherry flavoring, lime, and soda garnished with a slice of lime. This drink cost us $10 to order.

This one was sweet and bubbly, and it reminded us of a cherry limeade from Sonic. It was really fruity but not as fizzy as a traditional lemon-lime soda. While we really liked this one, we thought the price for it was a bit steep unless you just are really a fan of this combination and are craving it while you’re at Disney World. The portion size was fairly conventional, however, other “fun” non-alcoholic drinks range around $5-$7 at several quick service restaurants around Disney World that have impressed us more.

Then we moved on to one we really were excited to try by the name alone, the Frozcato with Pineapple Dole Whip. We know what you’re thinking, “What an interesting way to work in Dole Whip to ANOTHER chilly Disney World treat?” and you’d be right! This drink is made with Moscato, Vodka, and pineapple blended with Pineapple Dole Whip which cost us $15.

So when we actually got around to trying this pretty drink, you’ll be disappointed to hear this drink’s taste threw us off. We may have had too many Dole Whip floats with pineapple juice at Aloha Isle and while this has the look of them, the Moscato gave it an aftertaste that we didn’t love. The pineapple and Moscato combination just wasn’t a hit with us.

Then it was time to try out the last of the trio — the Frozen Old Fashioned. This drink is exactly what it claims to be a frozen version of an Old Fashioned drink blended with orange Dole Whip and George Dickel 8-year-old Bourbon, and also costs the same as the Frozcato, $15.

This was the drink our taste buds were searching for on this sunny day! It reminded us of a spiced Christmas drink. It was an incredible take on a frozen old fashioned, and it’s not too strong.

We were very impressed with the taste of this drink and how smooth it was.

Eats

Now that our mouths were cooling off with so many icy, cold drinks it was time to try out our savory and sweet foods. In total, we opted to order the French Fries with Queso, the Cheese & Meat Box, and the Crispy Mac & Cheese Bites and topped it all off with a Millionaire’s Shortbread for dessert.

Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves though — we started things off with our light bites and tried the most interesting choice first — the Cheese & Meat Box. This was made of several cheeses and a few sliced meats and came with crispy crackers and several dips for $19.

The cheddar cheese in this box was distinct and sharp and was complimented well by the thinly sliced Calabresi Salami, which kind of tasted like a cheesy pepperoni when put together. The Manchego Cheese has an almost parmesan taste to it and just crumbles in your mouth when you bite into it.

We found the mortadella meat to be well-seasoned, good quality, and paired really well with the mustard seeds, but our favorite ultimately was the Calabrese Salami with cheddar which held a little bit of heat from the meat and the sharp taste of the cheese dipped into the honeycomb was a flavor explosion we couldn’t refuse.

We’re happy to report that there was a hefty portion of these included in this easily packed-up box and it really was very easy to split between two people for a nice appetizer or snack option (and we could totally see ourselves taking this to the pool deck at our hotel with us)!

Ok, while we were still enjoying our on-the-go charcuterie, we had to pull ourselves away to try our other bites. It was time to dip into the Crispy Mac & Cheese Bites, which cost us $16.

We had HIGH expectations for these little fellas because the version of these we get inside Wine Bar George are some of our FAVORITES to order and we’re so glad to report that these little things were a HUGE hit!

They were divine, and the crispy outer layer outside of the bites was buttery and had a nice audible crunch to it. The mac & cheese inside was warm and creamy while being super cheesy. The tomato sauce that accompanies these 4 bites has just the right salty taste to it to really make this one stand out as a stellar option! They were crispy without being greasy AT ALL and while the mac & cheese is creamy, they weren’t messy to eat with a fork. The bites didn’t fall apart when you cut into them and you could take 3 to 4 normal-sized bites out of just one of the “bites.”

You’ll get 4 of them in the serving, which does feel a bit pricey at $4 per “bite.” But we do think these are plenty big to enjoy as your entree at lunch.

As if we weren’t full enough, we had one last savory dish to try out. Our last light bite to try was the French Fries and Queso. Originally, we wanted to order the Queso French Fries paired with Frozé which we saw on the menu listed on Disney World’s website, however, when we ordered at the restaurant we were advised that this pairing doesn’t exist. Be cautious when planning out your meal using Disney World’s online menus — especially at places like Wine Bar George that are indepedetly owned. Cast Members tell us the menu updates on Disney World’s site don’t always keep up with their menu changes.  This version of the fries cost us $10 for a hefty portion of french fries covered in queso and peppers.

Yeah, we said we were after light bites, but this portion was hefty! We didn’t find the queso to be super spicy, but the thinly sliced (almost shaved) red peppers on top of them added a lot of heat to the dish. So if you’re not a fan of spicy, you will still enjoy this if you move the peppers aside. The fries are thicker cut than what you typically find around other Disney World quick service restaurants, but you can find the same kind of fries at The Daily Poutine in Disney Springs.

There was plenty of queso and toppings here and as we moved the fries around the queso reached all the way to the bottom. We really liked this dish, and felt it was a great price for the portion size.

You know we had to leave room for dessert, so to wrap it all up it was time to try out the Millionaire’s Shortbread. It’s made of a buttery shortbread cookie, caramel, and dark chocolate which only cost us $8. This is a new option to the menu and replaced the Profiterole.

This treat was SO delicious! It was served cold but will heat up quickly in the Florida sun. Even if it looks like something you would eat with your hands, we recommend you grab a fork to avoid a chocolatey mess. This is RICH and has all the flavors of a Twix candy bar with a flaky layer of buttery shortbread cookie at the bottom and when paired with the chocolate and salt sprinkled on top, we didn’t want the flavor to end!

This would probably be hard for someone to eat by themselves in one sitting (unless you’re an experienced Millionaire’s Shortbread treat lover) and we felt like the size and quality of this treat made it a bargain for just $8. It is rich and easy to split betwee two or three people. This would travel well with you back to your hotel room along with the cheese & meat box (just saying, you’ll thank us later for that suggestion)!

Overall

Overall we were VERY surprised by how full we were from a meal we expected to just be a light snack. While the menu advertises “light bites” there really wasn’t anything light about the portions, and we made a very satisfying meal out of everything we ordered.

While we love dining inside Wine Bar George, this is a great alternative to stop by if you’re looking to stay on the go or just can’t get a reservation inside the restaurant.

Nosh or Not?

We’d recommend moseying on by if…

• You’re looking for a quick place to eat with a decent meal and reasonable pricing. We were very pleasantly surprised at how full we could be after such a light meal.
• You’re looking for a GREAT date night spot! If you’re looking for a nice impromptu date night restaurant, we’ve found your spot! Most of the dishes we tried were very easily shareable, right down to the dessert. And you won’t miss a minute of the atmosphere due to their outdoor seating.
• You don’t mind eating a bit now and taking some with you for later. Alright, we’ll let this go after this last time but we can not stress enough how easy this entire meal would have been to walk right on to the hotel with (without the alcoholic drinks, sorry). It would have made for a great “eat now and save some for later” option that you just can’t get at the hotel.

You’ll probably enjoy another spot better if…

• You really need to dine indoors. If the thought of dining outside really weighs heavily on your conscience, then we’d recommend dining at Wine Bar George just next door where there’s indoor seating and a few similar menu items.
• You need a fully plated experience. If you’re concerned that light bites and eats just won’t be enough for what you’re looking for, then we’d recommend making a reservation for a table service restaurant or trying your hand at a walk-up option.
• You don’t do leftovers. We get it, leftovers especially while on vacation aren’t always the most appetizing. If this sounds like you and you’re not looking for an on-the-go option, this probably won’t serve you in the same light as someone who wouldn’t mind taking it with them.

We’ve eaten EVERYWHERE at Disney World! Check out a few more of our reviews below and stay tuned with us at Disney Food Blog for even more soon!

REVIEW: This Hotel Restaurant Left Me Gobsmacked 😲 in Disney World

What’s your favorite thing to order from The Basket at Wine Bar George? Tell us in the comments below!