The Plaza Restaurant is a “hidden gem” of restaurant at the Magic Kingdom. I, for one, didn’t even know about it until I started working there. The restaurant is the first right hand turn you can make when you get to the very end of Main Street (that’s if you’ve just entered the park and are walking towards the castle). Most people assume it’s a part of The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, located right next to it, but it is actually in fact it’s own separate entity. In 1971, when the park first opened, The Plaza Restaurant wasn’t there. What is now the restaurant; was indoor seating for the ice cream parlor. It was in 1977 when the seating area became the restaurant (shoutout to my co-worker who was filled with Disney knowledge for that fact).
Compared to the many other sit down, reservation based restaurants in Magic Kingdom, The Plaza, in my opinion, is on the more affordable side. Entrees range in prices from $19 to $26 while most appetizers are $10 besides one being $15. Many of the other sit down places are either buffet style or “pay for the experience” type of dining which could get pricey. If you do plan to eat here, I recommend snagging a reservation because most of the time, it’s reservation only. Every once in awhile, the walk up list will be open and you could get in relatively quick. You just have to hit it at the right time.
Now, onto some of my favorite dishes. Since I worked here, I quickly got familiar with the menu and always had my favorite meals that I would recommend to guests (they were usually the ones I would get to eat whenever I came on an off day). Every entrée is served with fries but you can ask to exchange it for green beans, grapes, or a small side salad. You could even get it with loaded fries or onion rings as an upcharge.
Triple Decker Turkey Club – $19
I was never a big fan of turkey until I tried this turkey club. Paired with the Plaza Loaded Fries in the picture, this sandwich is made with house-roasted turkey, smoked bacon, lettuce and tomato on a sourdough toast. What really brings it all together is the lemon-pepper mayonnaise. It gives a subtle tangy flavor that offsets the turkey and smoked bacon very nicely.
Crispy Chicken Sandwich – $23.50
I’m always a fan when it comes to chicken sandwiches so this one becoming a favorite of mine wasn’t a big surprise. It’s a lightly breaded chicken breast and dill pickle slaw with buttermilk ranch on a potato roll. The crispiness is perfect and the slaw adds an extra bite to it. The buttermilk ranch pulls it all together making it a classic chicken sandwich in my opinion.
Pot Roast Stack – $24
When I first started working here, the pot roast stack was a chef’s special but considering how popular it become, it turned into a permanent dish on the menu. This dish consists of slow roasted beef piled on top of a piece of thick cut Texas toast with mashed potatoes, drenched with caramelized onion gravy and onion rings as the crown on top. The pot roast simply melts in your mouth and the mash with gravy brings a boat load of flavor that just sings perfectly together.
These three dishes were by far my favorites to not only eat but also to recommend. I still highly recommend them to anyone who plans on going to eat at The Plaza at Magic Kingdom. I know I only mentioned three dishes but there are plenty of other entrees, appetizers, and desserts that are just as great tasting as the ones I spotlighted. The chefs were always hard at work to insure they served great quality food to their customers.
If you’re planning a trip to the Magic Kingdom anytime soon, definitely check out The Plaza Restaurant.
Simply Ali 