The San Angel Inn is a restaurant that I have admired every time I visit Epcot, and always said I wanted to eat there. On my most recent trip to Disney World, I finally got the try out the San Angel Inn, and we absolutely loved it! Everything from the ambiance to the food is fantastic, and I definitely recommend it as a dinner option for anyone visiting Epcot.
The San Angel Inn is a lesser known about restaurant in Epcot. It is located inside of the pyramid in Mexico, at the far back of the pavilion. You would not know it was there unless you walked to the back of the pavilion. The good news is that since it is a less talked about restaurant (very unjustly so), it is usually pretty easy to get a reservation at this San Angel Inn. On our most recent trip, there were reservations available at this restaurant even up until about a week before our trip.
The best part about the San Angel Inn is hands down the ambiance. It is located inside the Mexico pyramid, and therefore it always feels like night giving a romantic feel. It is separated from the hubbub of the park outside of the pyramid and you feel like you are in a different world. It is also out of the sun and air conditioned, a nice break from the normal hot day of Florida.
Upon entering the Mexican pavillion, you may worry that the San Angel Inn will be loud and crowded, since it is situated near the shopping area set up inside. However, once entering the restaurant, you truly feel secluded and enjoying an al fresco meal on the water's edge. The restaurant seems to be a few steps below the shopping area up above, making it easy to forget the hubbub behind you.
The restaurant is situated at the far end of the Mexico pavilion, right on the waterway and overlooking a volcano and a Mayan pyramid. That coupled with the nighttime feel created by the always dimmed lighting inside the pavilion, gives a very unique experience. The Three Caballeros ride floats by the restaurant on the waterway surrounding the Mayan pyramid, making people on the ride want to eat at the restaurant. In fact, I first discovered this restaurant when riding The Three Caballeros, as it is such a neat view overlooking the water. We absolutely loved the ambiance and felt like we were dining in a small Mexican town rather than smack dab in the middle of Epcot. It was true seclusion and a break from the park.
I will note that there was a small section of the restaurant jutting off to the right of the hostess stand, which was not ideal and I would have objected if they tried to sit us there. It is off to the side and there is a wall completely blocking these tables' view of the Mayan pyramid and volcano. I was genuinely shocked they would put tables there and feel they should be removed.
Not only is the ambiance of the San Angel Inn fantastic, so is the food. It is authentic Mexican food and once again transports you to Mexico, rather than typical park food. We found ourselves devouring our entire plates and raving about how good the food was. Definitely better than any Mexican restaurants we have locally to where we live. It is also very reasonably priced, for a Disney World restaurant.
We began our meal with an appetizer of queso, salsa, and chips (a must for me at every Mexican restaurant I go to). This cost only $9 and was more than enough for 2 people to share. The chips were delicious and tasted like they were made in-house. The queso was also very good. The menu featured quite a few appetizers, including options like Tostados and Quesadillas, ranging in prices from $9 to $16.
I chose to have the enchiladas de pollo for my entree, which only cost $31. It consisted of corn tortillas filled with chipotle chicken, covered with salsa, crema, cotija cheese atop beans. It was also served with plaintains. The plaintains were quite honestly my favorite part- they were cooked perfectly and had delicious flavor. The enchiladas were also tasty and a very large portion that I was not able to finish. the chicken was seasoned extremely well, tasting authentically Mexican. It was very cheesy and the flavors all went well together. I also liked that it was served right in the cast iron skillet, adding a fun touch.
My husband ordered the shaved ribeye tacos and he could not stop raving about them. This meal cost $34 and was served as a hot skilled with shaved ribeye, peppers, onions, bason, and monterey jack cheese with corn tortillas on the side. This allowed him to stuff his own tacos as he went. This meal was also served with plaintains. This meal looked delicious and if we go back, I would like to try it.
The entrees offered at San Angel Inn offered a lot of great option, including tacos, enchiladas, salads, osso buco, steak, and more. Again, prices were very reasonable with most landing within the $30 range.
All in all, we had a fantastic time at the San Angel Inn. This restaurant is not talked about enough and I am surprised it is not one of the cult favorites of Disney adults. The ambiance of this restaurant has to be one of the top 5 in all of Disney World, offering a neat experience for families or a romantic date for 2. On top of that, the food is absolutely delicious. I would definitely go back to the San Angel Inn and encourage others to think of it as a must go to while in EPCOT. It deserves more praise. But for now, we can keep it to ourselves and keep the reservations easy to get!
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