Does Magic Kingdom really have the worst quick service food?

This is a hotly debated topic, and even here on the DFB team, people have differing opinions. But to truly answer that question, we’ve got to do some unbiased reviews of the various dining options. So today, I’m taking you along with me to The Friar’s Nook!

Atmosphere

This walk-up spot in Fantasyland is located between Princess Fairytale Hall and Storybook Treats. It’s located entirely outdoors with counters for ordering and pickup, as well as a small seating area.

There are multiple ordering stations, some of which are dedicated to Mobile Order pickup. The regular stations each include a side for ordering and a side for picking up your food. Menus are posted out front with some pictures of the items.

As far as seating goes, it’s a smidge disappointing here. There’s a small group of about a dozen tables next to the restaurant, but it’s the only seating in the area, and people grabbing snacks from Storybook Treats tend to use it as well. Therefore, it’s pretty much always packed.

In fact, once I picked up my own food, I had to head over to Pinocchio Village Haus to eat it. There were plenty of outdoor tables available over there! (That’s a pretty good seating hack if you need it.)

And of course, it wouldn’t be a quick service restaurant without a condiment and utensil station. They’ve got a variety of toppings for your hot dogs and tots, as well as some coffee creamers and sugars available.

Now let’s chat about that menu because I’ve got some things to SAY!

Menu

Sadly, Disney REALLY pared down the menu at The Friar’s Nook in the summer of 2024, and I have not yet personally gotten over the loss. This place used to be known for loaded tots and brats, but now there are only a couple of items to choose from.

Currently, the restaurant is down to ONE form of loaded tots — the Cheddar, Bacon, and Ranch Tots. Another unique item you’ll find here is the Mac & Cheese Hand Pie. Besides that, you can order a regular hot dog, or Tiana’s Famous Beignets, which are available at a few locations around the park.

There is no longer a kids’ menu at this restaurant, and you can’t order the plain tots with cheese sauce anymore (😭😭😭). However, they do have a pretty hefty selection of drinks. You can get fountain beverages, hot tea, coffee (including Joffrey’s Shakin’ Jamaican), and a Strawberry Lemonade Slush.

I grabbed a few of the basics to test them out, so let’s dive in!

Eats

We reviewed the Mac & Cheese Hand Pie a few months ago (click here for that review!), so I ordered the tots, the hot dog, the beignets, and the slush…and that’s almost the entire menu right there. 😂

Starting out with the Strawberry Lemonade Slush, you can snag this for $6.49. They’ll serve you this drink right away after you order, so be warned that it will probably melt quickly while you wait on your food (unless you Mobile Order).

Honestly, this was surprisingly good! It tastes just like the Minute Maid frozen strawberry lemonade cups you can buy at the ice cream carts around the park, except it was MUCH easier to consume. It’s cold, smooth, and has a nice blend of strawberry and lemon flavors that’s quite refreshing. I would totally order it again!

Now on to the star of the show (lol, jk), the Hot Dog with tots! This is $10.79 and is pretty much the most basic theme park meal ever. The hot dog comes plain, but you have a great choice of prepackaged condiments to jazz it up with.

The tots were nice and fresh with a little crispiness to them, but this hot dog let me down. You’ll typically find two types of hot dogs in Disney World — ones that are regular-sized like you get at the grocery store, and then ones that are like this one — giant one-inch beef logs. It seriously tastes like an oversized beef stick (you know, the ones that come in the pack with the cheese stick?) and if that’s your vibe, go for it. But for me, it was kind of overwhelmingly beefy.

If you’re going to get a hot dog in Magic Kingdom, I’d sooner recommend you order one of the loaded dogs from Casey’s Corner. They’re the same as this one, but they’ve got toppings to make them more exciting.

Now on to the item I’ve been waiting for, the Cheddar, Bacon, and Ranch Tots for $10.49. These are tater tots topped with ranch dressing, cheese sauce, bacon bits, and green onions. And the portion? It’s HUGE.

Honestly, the portion is my main complaint here. I wish they served these in a snack size, because it was easy to get sick of the flavors before you finish the dish. The cheese is wonderfully melty and cheesy (perfect Disney plastic cheese), the ranch has a nice tang, and the onions add some sharpness. But there’s a LOT of bacon bits and they’re not the highest quality, so you end up getting that flavor pretty prominently at the bottom of the bowl. If they served a half portion of this for a cheaper price, it would be perfect!

Last but not least, we’ve got dessert! These are Tiana’s Famous Beignets for $6.99. They’re topped with powdered sugar and honey, which means they are an absolute mess to eat. Seriously, I depleted my stash of wet wipes here.

To me, these were definitely not as good as Mickey beignets from Port Orleans — French Quarter. They’re a bit tough on the outside, which makes them hard to bite and chew without spewing powdered sugar all over the place. The honey adds a nice flavor profile, but it’s quite messy. And the beignets themselves were pretty unsweet — they’re relying too heavily on the powdered sugar and the honey on the outside. (I know beignets are typically not as sweet as other kinds of doughnuts but these were particularly bland in the dough.)

So how did Friar’s Nook do? Let’s talk about it.

Overall

I went into this review incredibly excited because I used to love grabbing a snack at this restaurant. However, since they pared down their menu, their offerings just aren’t hitting as hard for me. I really wish they’d add one or two more loaded tot options and make them all snack-sized. 

They also probably need one more meat-based option on the menu here that isn’t a plain hot dog. At this point, I would recommend Friar’s Nook for a fun snack, but probably not a great option for your full meal. 

Nosh or Not?

Visit the Friar for a tasty treat if…

• You just want to grab a snack. Most of the items on the menu here are snacks, even if the loaded tots are a truly shareable portion. If you want a quick pick-me-up, this is a great spot.
• You want a quick beverage. Stopping by here to grab a beverage is an easy and quick transaction, especially if you want to avoid those lines for morning coffee at Starbucks and Joffrey’s.
• You just really want to try one of the unique items. If you’re interested in the hand pie or the loaded tots, this is where you’ve got to go — those snacks aren’t available anywhere else.

Skip seeing the Friar and find sustenance elsewhere if…

• You want an air-conditioned meal or a seat. This restaurant is both outdoors and limited on seating, which means it can be a bit miserable during the summertime. If you’d like to sit down inside, I recommend heading to Pinocchio Village Haus instead.
• You have picky eaters. The menu here isn’t broad enough to encompass picky eaters, with just four main food options.
• You have kids. There are no kids’ meal options here, and the main basic item is just a hot dog. You’ll be able to find better meals for your littles at other spots!

So there you have it — that’s my full review of The Friar’s Nook! Thanks for coming along with me. Stay tuned to DFB for more dining reviews and updates on all the best things to do in Disney World.

Click Here to See My Tips for Quick Service Dining in Magic Kingdom!

Have you ever been to The Friar’s Nook? Tell us in the comments!