REVIEW: Are NEW Menu Items at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Worth Leaving Magic Kingdom For? We Found Out!

Disney CONSTANTLY likes to change things up with menus at restaurants.

Disney’s Contemporary Resort

If you’re trying to keep up with all the menu updates, good luck! We see new snacks, new drinks, and even complete menu overhauls at the parks and resorts pretty frequently, and that means we’re eating a LOT of new food in Disney World. Recently, I stopped by Contempo Cafe at Disney’s Contemporary Resort because the popular quick service spot got several new menu additions…and I have some STRONG opinions to share.

Atmosphere

Contempo Cafe is located on the 4th floor of the Contemporary Resort, right next to Chef Mickey’s. It’s a quick service spot where you can either Mobile Order, pick up foods from the grab-and-go section, or place a hot food order at the cash registers.

Contempo Cafe entrance

There is ample indoor seating in the form of tables and booths. While you dine, you can have a great view of the monorail coming through the resort!

Seating in Contempo Cafe

So what’s new on the menu?

Menu

I stopped by Contempo Cafe for dinner, in order to get some of the more exclusive eats that were available. When you first walk in, you’ll encounter some menu boards with information about the hot foods you can order. There are a number of sandwiches available for lunch and dinner, as well as a selection of soups.

Menu

You can also try out a selection of flatbreads. If you’re visiting after 4PM, you can check out the new Signature Rice Bowl as well, which comes with your choice of meat, as well as an assortment of southwestern-style ingredients. And of course, there are multiple meals available for the little ones!

The other menu

Not listed on the menu are the bakery case and refrigerated options. You can pick those up yourself and take them to the register to check out.

Eats

Are you hungry? I hope so because I got a smorgasbord of new eats! To start, let’s talk about the entrees. First up I ordered the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, which is $11.79, and topped with pepper jack cheese, chipotle remoulade, arugula, seasoned tomato, and dill pickle chips, all on a brioche bun. Oh, and it comes with a side of delicious Disney fries!

Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Before taking a bite of the whole sandwich, I nibbled off some of the chicken by itself, and it was legitimately SPICY. Like, my tongue was burning up! Once I ate the chicken with a bite of all the other ingredients, it was a bit more mild because the remoulade, tomato, and arugula help cool it down and balance the flavor.

Look at that thiccc boi.

This sandwich was overall really fresh and delicious, and the chicken was crispy, although I wish the patty were a little bit thicker. It surprised me a lot and I would order it again!

Inside the sandwich

The other entree on the list was the Signature Rice Bowl with Grilled Chicken (now listed as the Grilled Chicken Bowl online!) for $12.99. Mine came with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, street corn, avocado, pico de Gallo, carrot, and pickled red onion.

Signature Rice Bowl

And y’all, I am NOT exaggerating when I say that this was one of the BEST quick service entrees I’ve had in a while. The ingredients were all very fresh and well-seasoned, and the chicken was plentiful and grilled thoroughly while still remaining juicy. The street corn was a particular favorite of mine because it was creamy and had a hint of cotija cheese flavor. The avocado added a really nice brightness to each bite of this bowl. This might be my new go-to at Contempo Cafe…although now I really want to try the other meats (braised beef or grilled shrimp!).

SO GOOD

Now, it’s time for dessert, and we have a BUNCH to talk about. Let’s start out with the Kitchen Sink Cookie for $4.29. It has chocolate chunks, toffee, peanut butter chips, salted caramel, and flaky salt. And the chocolate chunks are shaped like tiny Mickey heads!

Kitchen Sink Cookie

I really enjoyed the mix of flavors I got in this cookie. When you first bite into it, you get a wave of saltiness from the caramel and flaky salt, but then the smooth richness of the chocolate comes through. After that, it ends with the flavor of those peanut butter chips. The only thing I wish that this cookie had was a varying textural element — maybe something with a crunch like pecans? It was pretty soft despite all the ingredients, and it was hard to hold because the caramel made it really sticky.

Crack open that cookie!

After that, I tried the Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums Cupcake for $6.49. It’s a chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate chip cookie dough mousse and a dome that seemed to be made of gelatin.

It’s a cutie!

The cupcake here is a pretty basic chocolate cupcake, not too sweet, but the mousse is what really stands out. It seriously tasted like cookie dough and had a couple of chocolate chip chunks inside! The dome is really sweet, but since the cupcake is only lightly sweetened, the sugar level balances out here. I think this would be a popular treat with kids and it’s a good alternative to those cupcakes that are piled high with frosting.

It completely fell over when I cut it in half

Sadly, our beloved peanut butter pie is gone from Contempo Cafe, and it has now been replaced with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar for $5.99. It has a chocolate crust, peanut butter cream filling, and plant-based strawberry cream. The whole treat is plant-based.

The choco-peanut butter treat in town!

The chocolate part of this treat is really thick and rich, and the peanut butter filling is nice and creamy. The one complaint I have is that the strawberry cream is TOO strong. It’s such a sharp, overwhelming flavor that it completely masks the chocolate and peanut butter when you bite through all three layers. I think it would be good to have a treat with 2/3 of these flavors, but put all three together, and the chocolate and peanut butter take a backseat.

Look at that cross-section!

Finally, let’s talk about the Monorail S’mores Brownie for $5.79. For me, this one is the loser of the pack. It’s a fudge brownie with a graham cracker crust, topped with marshmallow cream and a white chocolate monorail.

She’s a cutie!

It sounds delicious, but the brownie was fairly dry, yet somehow also sticky. The brownie isn’t very sweet, but that’s counterbalanced by the overly sweet marshmallow topping and white chocolate. It’s pretty hard to eat because the monorail is difficult to bite through and the marshmallow pulls right off the top. It’s super cute for photographs, but it definitely needs a little moisture and maybe some more sophisticated flavors.

Oh, and P.S. — all the graham cracker crust fell off when I tried to take it out of its container so that made a HUGE mess!

The disassembled brownie

WOW! That was a lot to eat. So how do I feel about Contempo Cafe as a dining option?

Overall

In the end, the entrees were what really won over this meal for me. I’ve had entrees in the past that were NOT impressive at Contempo Cafe, but the ones I had on this visit were superb by quick service standards. If I wanted a sweet treat during a follow-up visit, I would probably get that Kitchen Sink Cookie or the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar (and just scrape off the strawberry topping to eat it separately).

New eats at Contempo Cafe!

Contempo Cafe could be a great option if you’re looking for a break from Magic Kingdom or you’re staying at the hotel, but I wouldn’t go too out of my way to visit. It’s a solid quick and easy spot, though.

Nosh or Not?

Enjoy a laid-back meal at Contempo Cafe if…

• You want to eat with a view. I can’t deny that there’s something magical about sitting on the fourth floor of the Contemporary and watching the monorail go by while you eat! You can also hear the music and sounds of Chef Mickey’s next to you, which is added fun.
• You’re staying at this hotel. It’s a great quick service spot if you’re staying here, or maybe even at one of the other monorail resorts. I really enjoyed the entree options that were available.
• You want to pay a visit to the Contemporary. Sometimes it’s just fun to check out the monorail resorts, especially an OG hotel like the Contemporary. You could have a relatively cheap meal here, check out the gift shops, walk around the grounds, and ride on the monorail. Keep in mind though that you won’t be able to park here if you’re not staying here or don’t have a dining reservation, so you’ll need to park at Magic Kingdom’s parking lot or take transportation from another park.

Pass up on the rice bowls and sweet treats if…

• You want a truly unique dining experience. Even though the atmosphere is fun because of where it’s located, there isn’t much that’s super special about this restaurant. It’s still a pretty standard quick service dining location with pretty standard food.
• You like quiet places to eat. Since the monorail is rolling through constantly and Chef Mickey’s is next door, this restaurant is NOT quiet. It’s very loud and echoey in here, so beware when you’re planning your meal.
• You have extra money in your food budget. If you have some wiggle room with your dining budget, this wouldn’t be my first, second, or even THIRD choice at the Contemporary. California Grill, Steakhouse 71, and Chef Mickey’s are all a bit more exciting and have better food, in my opinion.

Welcome to Contempo Cafe!

That’s a wrap on my visit to this classic Disney World hotel spot! Stay tuned to DFB for more food reviews and updates from around Disney World, as well as recommendations for the best snacks and restaurants!

The Best (And Worst) Disney World Hotel Restaurants — Click Here!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

---

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023.

 

Have you ever eaten here? Tell us in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Are NEW Menu Items at Disney's Contemporary Resort Worth Leaving Magic Kingdom For? We Found Out! first appeared on the disney food blog.

from the disney food blog https://ift.tt/x9dvflj