Top 5 Fried Seafood Dishes at Disney World: A Culinary Journey


Top 5 Fried Seafood Dishes at Disney World: A Culinary Journey Dining 1

There are so many dining options both inside and outside of the parks at Disney World. We live in New England so we can go out for seafood quite a bit and we usually have pretty good seafood. We went on the hunt in Disney World to find our favorites. Here are our suggestions. We hope you will give them a try!

  • The Boathouse
  • Columbia Harbour House
  • Coral Reef
  • California Grill
  • Paddlefish

The Boathouse

If you are in Disney springs then you defiantly have to check out The Boathouse, even if you are not looking for seafood! This restaurant is located in the landing area of Disney Springs. We like to eat out on the deck behind the building right on the water. They have a raw bar if that is something that you like as well as a fantastic selection of both seafood and non seafood options. We have never had a bad meal there and we would recommend them to anyone!

On the docks around The Boathouse there are also vintage boats from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s! The Boathouse is open from 11am to 10pm serving both lunch and dinner. You can find the menu here. Another cool feature of The Boathouse is the ability to take a ride on an amphicar around the lake piloted by a boat captain. You will get some amazing views from these land-sea vehicles. A 20 minute ride for up to 3 people is $125. Available from 10am to 10pm weather pending.

Columbia Harbour House

While the actual restaurant Columbia Harbour House is currently closed, recently The Tomorrowland Terrace has opened back up and they are serving a limited Columbia Harbour House menu! We were very excited to hear this because Columbia Harbour House is one of our favorite quick-service locations at the Magic Kingdom. I know that this is a popular restaurant with a lot of guests as well. They are only serving lunch from 11-4pm but you will not want to miss the fantastic seafood that they offer.

Personally, I love their fried shrimp. It is not the normal small popcorn shrimp either, it’s a larger shrimp. You also get hush puppies and fries for around $13. Their combo platters are also a great deal at under $14. You can find their menu here.

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Coral Reef

The Coral Reef is located in Epcot near the Seas with Nemo and friends. This table service restaurant has a great atmosphere with fish tanks and ocean life decorations covering most of the walls. We always like to ask for a table near the big tank if possible. It is fun to be able to watch the fish swimming around while you are eating.

They are open from 11:30 to 8pm for lunch and dinner. One of my husband’s favorite things to get there is the Lobster bisque and I really liked the Seared Mahi Mahi. Their menu is a bit more limited but there is something that everyone will enjoy. You can find their menu here.

California Grill

Located on top of the Contemporary resort, California Grill is a great restaurant with even better views. When the fireworks come back this is a great place to grab a drink and have dinner while you wait to see fireworks. Reservations are a must for this very popular spot.

When you arrive you will have to check in on the 2nd floor at the California Grill desk. They will then load you into a special elevator to take you up to the 15th floor. There is a minimum dress code for this Signature Dining experience. These are the requirements according to Disney:

Men must wear khakis, slacks or dress shorts and collared shirts. Jeans may be worn if in good condition. Sport coats are optional.

Women must wear Capri pants, skirts, dresses or dress shorts. Jeans may be worn if in good condition.

Not permitted are tank tops, flip-flops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, hats for gentlemen, cut-offs, torn clothing and t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics.

They offer Hand-Rolled Sushi and a variety of great entrees. The Jumbo scallops are something you won’t want to miss. You can find their menu here.

Top 5 Fried Seafood Dishes at Disney World: A Culinary Journey Dining 3
Credit: Disney

Paddle Fish

Located in Disney Springs, Paddle Fish is the big ‘boat’ restaurant. You can’t miss it if you are walking around near the water in the Landing and Marketplace area. This restaurant has an amazing rooftop lounge area with spectacular views of Disney Springs. They offer the biggest selection of fish and seafood around. It can often be difficult for us to choose what to have because when we find something that we like, we want to have it over and over again.

We also like trying new things as well. Recently, I tried the crab cake BLT. It has bacon, avocado, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato served on top of a crab cake on a Ciabatta roll. I never would have thought to have that combination but it was amazing! They are serving both lunch and dinner from 12pm to 9pm. Their menu can be found here.

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Honorable Mentions

These would have been added to our list but unfortunately these two places are not currently open. Hopefully they will open in the future for guests to enjoy.

Flying Fish – Located at Disney’s BoardWalk, Flying Fish has a great selection of seafood and steaks. This one is really being missed by guests staying in the Epcot area resorts.

Cape May – There are a lot of great reasons to stay at Disney’s Beach Club resort and Cape May was at the top of our list. We loved this buffet-style restaurant with so many options for seafood and beyond. The crab legs were amazing. Because it was a buffet-style I know that right now it can’t reopen in its original format but here’s hoping it can open back up in possibly a family-style option like other buffets have recently.

No matter what restaurant you choose to find seafood in Disney I’m sure you will find something great. We have yet to find bad seafood while on Disney property.

Heather

Heather Noyes, the visionary behind this website and a former Disney travel agent, has woven her lifelong passion for Disney into the fabric of her daily life. Nestled just 3 miles away through the enchanting trees lies Cinderella's Castle, a magical neighbor to Heather's everyday adventures. From her earliest days, Disney has captured her heart, and this enduring love has translated into the meticulous planning of numerous trips for her family, friends, and cherished clients, all destined for the enchanting realm of Walt Disney World.

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