REVIEW: If You Want Us to Be Friends, Eat the Tropical Nachos in Disney World.
Capt. Cook’s is a Counter Service restaurant located in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort that features both classic American food and Polynesian-inspired dishes! During breakfast time, this spot is one of the places to find the beloved Disney treat — Tonga Toast!
Capt. Cook’s Outdoor Entrance
Capt. Cook’s is also home to delicious cupcakes and satisfying but accessible meals! We’ve had great experiences here with some of the more tropical-inspired foods and, well, more lackluster experiences with the more basic foods. So let’s head back to this formerly 24-hour fast food hot spot and see what’s cookin’.
Atmosphere
Capt. Cook’s is located on the first floor of the Polynesian’s Grand Ceremonial House, right down the hall from the ever-popular Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. The Polynesian’s Grand Ceremonial House is also where you’ll find the lobby as well as many of the resort’s other dining options like Kona Cafe & ‘Ohana.
Capt. Cook’s indoor entrance
After you enter the restaurant either through the indoor or outdoor entrance (facing the iconic Lava Pool), you can head over to the register and order your food!
The Register Area
Inside, you’ll find a number of tables with chairs and booths, all with warm wooden tones, golden lightning, and just radiating with that island Polynesian aesthetic.
Indoor seating
Be sure to check out the posters highlighting different Polynesian islands that surround the room (most of the names correspond with the names of the resort’s longhouses!).
Polynesian Island Posters
After you order, you can stop by the condiment and drink station to grab fountain refreshments, hot drinks, plastic utensils, napkins, and condiments.
Inside Capt. Cook’s
If you’re looking for something really quick, there’s a range of grab-and-go snacks, drinks, and bakery items in the cooler you can get right away!
Pre-made snacks & drinks
There’s also plenty of outdoor seating here, making it a good place to sit back and enjoy your meal outside.
Outdoor seating
At this location, you can also take advantage of Mobile Order, using the Disney World App (AKA My Disney Experience) to place your order ahead of time. At Capt. Cook’s tables, you can scan a QR code to access Mobile Order as well.
Mobile ordering sign
Menu
At Capt. Cook’s currently, you can find holiday dishes like the Elf Dome, along with souvenirs like the 50th Celebration Resorts Refillable Mug, and Polynesian Favorites like the Pan Asian Noodles (you know how much we love our Poly noods!)…
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…there are American Entrées, Salads and Soup, and Plant-Based options…
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…there are also a few Kids’ Menu options including Chicken and Pineapple Skewers. Most of the kids’ options are standard fare…
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…plus there are your standard Sides, along with more unique options like Poly Chips, and Bakery options…
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…grab-and-go snacks…
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…there are also lots of grab-and-go Beverages…
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…as well as Specialty Coffee offerings…
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…Beer options…
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…and Wine options…
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This menu will likely ensure that you can find something for everyone in your party!
The Eats
After we finished ordering, we got a buzzer! And when it lit up and started vibrating, we went to pick up our food!
Our buzzer!
The pick-up location is right near the order window, so easy to spot and claim your meal!
Order Pick Up spot
When we picked up our food, it came in this bag, making it easy to take the meal on the go.
Our food!
This go round we wanted to retry some of the heavy hitters on the menu with more of a Polynesian twist to them. We got quite a few items so we had a nice healthy spread — let’s dive in!
Our spread!
First up is the Pulled Pork Nachos. Sound simple enough, right? WRONG! We’ve loved these beauts for YEARS. They feature Poly Chips (homemade potato chips and fried wontons. Basically the best chip combo ever.) Topped with Cheese, Spicy Mayonnaise, Pico de Gallo, and Pineapple Salsa and cost $9.49! These are a loooooongtime Poly favorite for many — us included! They’re SO good. (Did we mention we like these nachos enough yet? No? OK, well we lurve these nachos!)
Pulled Pork Nachos
The chips are crisp and salty, and the pork is a bit salty, too, so if you don’t grab a perfectly balanced bite, you might find yourself in the midst of a slightly over-salted experience. However, when you balance it just right with the creaminess of the cheese, the crisp chips, the salty, smoked pork, and the sweet, acidic pineapple salsa, and the creamy spice from the mayo, you may find yourself wondering how this heavenly nacho concoction isn’t on EVERY menu.
Capt Cooks Pulled Pork Nachos
Though these are “nachos” in the way that they are chips and toppings with cheese, they aren’t spicy (aside from that spicy mayo but, again, it’s quite mild and you typically only get a light taste in each bite, so don’t let it deter you). So anyone can enjoy these! If you head to Capt. Cook’s and are looking for one food unique to this spot you will likely LOVE, we’d place a vote for this.
A closer look!
Next are the Thai Coconut Meatballs, which are House-made All-Beef Chili-Garlic Meatballs cooked in a Coconut Cream served over White Rice, available for $9.49. We’ve loved these meatballs in the past and would go so far as to say these were a must-do for us, but this go-round, they were a bit on the underwhelming side.
The Thai Coconut Meatballs!
Though the presentation may be very meh, don’t count this meal out. This is a hearty little plate. Though there were only three meatballs, they were a good size, dense, and packed with flavor! These were where our problems stemmed from — they were actually TOO dense. Who doesn’t love a tender meatball? These were more like meat golfballs! The flavor was there, but we suspect this batch wasn’t the best of the bunch. That said, in the past, our meatballs here have been great, so we still say give em a go.
The rice was uneventful. It was filling, and a bit gummy, but helped balance out the density of the meatball and the spicy kick from the sauce.
Some tasty meatballs!
The sauce definitely delivered on the Thai-spiced flavors including a mild heat but it lacked the pop of coconut flavor we’ve noticed on past visits. There was, thankfully, plenty of sauce. Sometimes the sauce to rice ratio is a bit off with this. So, again, not our best plate of Thai Meatballs we’ve ever had but not bad either. We still love these guys so give em a whirl if you’re looking for an entree that’s a bit unique.
The Meatballs!
There’s also the Aloha Pork Sandwich, which has Pulled Pork with Cheddar, Asian Slaw, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes on a Brioche Bun served with French Fries for $10.99! The sandwich is on the sweeter side and there was a good balance between sauce and meat; however, the bun couldn’t hold the amount of meat in the sandwich! (There are worse things, we suppose!) Just plan ahead and grab some extras napkins! The fries, although they were tasty, were pretty much your typical Disney fries.
The Aloha Pork Sandwich
The only major issue with this sandwich, like we said, was the bread! This sandwich packed in a lot of juicy components when you factor in the meat, sauce, slaw, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and that’s a lot of flavor for this little brioche bun to contain! Brioche is notoriously soft, so a sturdier bread with more structural integrity would have done this sandwich justice. Since it didn’t hold up too well over time, the sandwich slowly got messier and messier. If you’re a slower eater, be prepared with plenty of napkins. Regardless, this was a yummy sandwich.
The sandwich!
Finally, we grabbed the Pan-Asian Noodles with Mixed Vegetables for $8.49! This one came in big portions with crunchy veggies and a heavy salty flavor. If you’re big on the salty/savory flavor of soy sauce, this is the dish for you.
The Pan Asian Noodles
We do enjoy the variety of veggies in this dish — cabbage, broccoli, peppers, water chestnuts, and all sorts of delicious vegetables — that we might be able to convince ourselves that this is a healthy option, if not for all of the noodles and soy sauce! It may not be the healthiest dish at Disney World, but it still boasts some amazing flavor, and gives guests a break from the standard hamburgers and sandwiches for a more unique meal option.
A noodle party!
These noodles are quite similar to our beloved ‘Ohana noods found upstairs at either ‘Ohana or Tambu Lounge, but with more veggies and “stuff” to go with the noodles. We had quite the Polynesian feast and it’s hard to pick a favorite with so many unique options!
Capt Cook’s Full Spread
But we had a great experience and definitely were not hungry when we left!
Nosh or Not
Set sail for Capt. Cook’s if…
- You’re looking for a place with something for everyone! The menu here covers a range of palates and dietary needs, meaning that anyone can find something you like more likely than not.
- You’re looking for something that’s a little adventurous but not too much. The options here are usually an interesting take on familiar dishes, making it a good first step to trying more adventurous food options at Disney World.
- You’re looking for a quick bite! With both Counter Service and grab-and-go options, there are plenty of ways to get a fast meal at Capt. Cook’s.
Chart a different course if…
- You’re looking for something super out of the ordinary! Although this isn’t your typical food, it’s far from the most unique or outside-the-box offerings at Disney World. If you’re not staying at the resort, it’s likely not destination-worthy, unless Tonga Toast is a must-do Disney World breakfast for you!
- You’re looking for a fine dining experience. We’d recommend checking out options from places like Le Cellier, Citricos, or Tiffins. This is fast food. It’s good fast food, but still fast food.
- You’re looking for something on the quiet side. With the hustle and bustle going on outside (being located so close to the pool area) this is a busy spot.
Overall
With a friendly staff, quick service, decent pricing, and lots of crowd-pleasing and accessible dishes, this spot has been around for a long time for a reason! Our meal was good, nothing particularly mind-blowing, but still good. We appreciate the unique menu items here we can’t find at any ol’ fast food joint. They embrace the Polynesian vibes juuuust enough.
If you’re staying at the Polynesian Resort or nearby and you want a quick meal that’s tasty and sure to make the whole family happy, this is a great spot for you! However, if you want to see the best that the Polynesian Resort has to offer, we’d recommend checking out a place like ‘Ohana, which features a Polynesian-inspired table service meal that’s sure to please. This spot remains a solid dining spot for guests of the resort looking for a quick bite for breakfast, dinner, or during a day at the pool. That said, we’ve been known to take a trip over here on visits we’re not at the Poly for Nachos or those meatballs in the past.
If you’re looking for something similar to this that’s near your hotel, check your resort’s Counter Service or Quick Service option — it’s sure to offer some unique items you might enjoy. Some similar restaurants include Contempo Café at the Contemporary Resort and The Artist’s Palette at Saratoga Springs. BUT, if you’re looking for casual, approachable food with an island flair, Capt. Cook’s is the place to find it.
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What do you think about Capt. Cook’s offerings? Let us know in the comments!
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