San Angel Inn

[Guya103]

Has anyone ever eaten at San Angel Inn? We were thinking about going there during our upcoming visit in July. Just wondering how the food and service were and if it was children friendlyl? Thanks!:mickey:

[Lacy]

I've eaten there once and can't say that I was impressed. It seemed overpriced for the food. I actually prefer the fast Mexican outside of the pavilion to the San Angel Inn. The theming is nice but I almost found it too dark.

[wedway fan]

I've eaten there once and can't say that I was impressed. It seemed overpriced for the food. I actually prefer the fast Mexican outside of the pavilion to the San Angel Inn. The theming is nice but I almost found it too dark.

gotta agree on every point. a little overpriced (i know, everything is, but this seems even more so), just as good if not better food outside, and great theming but too dark.

we had 2 little ones with us- 3 and 2- it's fairly kid friendly, and the kids like watching the boats from the ride go by. can't remember what the kid menu was.

don't be turned off, though- had a really nice meal, and the cool (in temperature and design) theming make it a nice place on a hot day. if you like mexican food and don't mind paying more than what you're used to for pretty much standard fare, it's just fine.

[tiaramom]

I really hate to say it but...
The food really isnt very good at all.
I loved the boats and all - very romantic setting.
The Food isnt very authentic- or good quality.
Taco bell fast food is better and less expensive.
Though the setting is lovely! I didnt find this restaurant kid friendly for our toddler age 1 .
She was bored. -
Its romantic !!!

[SBETigg]

My kids love this place. It's their favorite and we go for lunch once every trip. They first went when they were 8(DD) and 10(DS) and they still love it at 14 and 16. Honestly, I don't think the food is bad at all. Yes, not the best at WDW, but decent Mexican (not Tex-Mex) food and fantastic atmosphere-- though, yes, the tables are a little close together. We've always had good service, but it isn't always consistent. The thing that is really not good at San Angel is the chips and salsa. Other than that, it's a fun family dining experience.

[slegrant]

My family and I love San Angel Inn for it's authentic atmosphere and food. Most folks are used to Tex-mex, so it's diffrent from most mexican eaterys. So we would recommend it highly and they do have a childs menu.

[DawsonAR]

We like the food. My kids 5 and 7 like it but it isn't their favorite.

[Spaceship Tigger]

The food at San Angel is pretty good, and much more authentic than you'll find at the vast majority of Mexican restaurants across the US. The prices are pretty comparable to a standard World Showcase restaurant, and the atmosphere is very nice. The service we've had on two trips wasn't bad, just sort of... indifferent I guess. It was just fine for children with the band playing nearby as well.

[disneynorth]

San Angel Inn is one of my favorite restaurants at WDW. The theming and atmosphere is one of the best. The food was better years ago, but still pretty good now. This year's trip will be the first time my wife and I don't eat there.... time to try something different.

[KAT1811]

San Angel Inn is my favorite restaurant in WDW. I really enjoy the food. I love mexican food. The atmosphere is (IMHO) the best in a WDW restaurant and my children love it. Our service has always been consistently good.

I try to be very kind and understanding when it comes to WDW waiters/waitresses they are running like crazy every shift (due to the huge volume WDW dining does) and I'm sure it takes it's toll. Everyone has a bad day. A big smile usually does the trick.

[MsMin]

I've eaten there once and can't say that I was impressed. It seemed overpriced for the food. I actually prefer the fast Mexican outside of the pavilion to the San Angel Inn.

:ditto: I haven't been back and I've tried it about 3x's

[dog-ears]

I pretty much agree with everything posted - I think the food is a little overpriced but more authentically Mexican (and to me, seems spicier than the usual Tex-Mex fare you get). But we love the atmosphere, especially if you can sit right by the river and view the twinkling stars - it can be very soothing, romantic and serene compared to the hustle and bustle outside the pyramid.

[beksy]

We love the atmosphere and love the food! It is our favorite place in Epcot! We eat there every trip. I don't know how the prices really are (Dad pays!) but the food is excellent and the atmosphere can't be beat! We haven't been for a couple of years but when planning this trip my sister insisted that this was one place she HAD to eat. Mom doesn't like a lot of Mexican food where we live but even she likes this. I would definitely recommend trying it out. :thumbsup:

[TexasPrincessAurora]

We've tried San Angel and while the atmosphere is impressive, the food isn't and the restaurant is really crowded.

On the other hand, we eat at the Cantina every trip...Yum!

[NewmanFamily6]

My Dh's favorite food is Mexican! We tried this place in Sept and really liked it. Maybe we caught it on a good day but we had an excellent waiter and the place was beautiful.:thumbsup:

[xipetotec]

DW and I loved this place. But we also love it as our "one night" romantic getaway spot. The setting is dark and cozy. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's not kid friendly, but the space is kind of cramped. We usually leave the kids with gramma and grampa to come to this one.

[Pocahontas]

We've eaten there 3x and I really don't think we'll being going back any time soon. We too love the atmosphere and theming, but although the food is good there are just so many other resturants that the food is great and therefore rather eat.

[Alpha Jeanie]

We ate there last May. The food was pretty good. We are from Texas and have lots of great Mexican food here and still thought the food there was decent. My one complaint is that it is TOO DARK in there. When you enter the Mexican Pavillion (Pyramid),during the day or night, it is dark in there to make it look like a night scene by a Mexican River. I think it is too dark and that is the only real reason we wont be going back there on our next visit to Epcot.

[mulatoqt]

My friends and I ate there in August of last year and had a terrible experience. We were seated an hour and a half after our reservation only to be seated closet to the washroom. Our food was not even mediocre, and then they said we could only have vanilla ice cream for dessert because they wanted to close, even though THEY had messed up our reservations. The only reason we were seated finally even after I asked them several times, was because my cuban boyfriend spoke spanish to them. It was a HUGE disappointment. My advice? take their little river of time boat ride, which is absolutely beautiful, and you'll experience enough, because the restaurant's meal is a let down.

[ElenitaB]

Sorry some of you have had bad experiences at SAI... we've eaten there maybe 3 or 4 times over the years and really enjoy it (including DS who really does not like Mexican food). I really enjoy the theming, the food and talking with the CMs. On the other hand, I'm not a huge fan of the Cantina. (I can go to Taco Bell for that, and after the fiasco that TB had last year in the Northeast, I don't even go there anymore.)

[comicguy]

San Angel Inn:

Atmosphere: awesome

Service : awesome

Kid Friendly: My then 12yo son enjoyed it here

Food: Good, just not my cup of tea. All 3 of us did not like the flan for desert:ack: but that could be just us

I am really glad we went hear as we had been wanting to try it. Overall, I would suggest trying it and you may be glad that you did.

[HndrdPrcnt]

Wow!! I am simply amazed by the reviews of this place that say that the food is authentic and good. I don't know, maybe I am spoiled since I was born and raised just across the border from Mexico, but the food at San Angel is ANYTHING but authentic or good!! Do NOT waste your time or money. There are so many great restaurants at Disneyworld (many of which are at EPCOT), so by eating at San Angel, you are denying yourself the opportunity to try one of the many restaurants that offer excellent food and unique experiences!!

[ElenitaB]

John, having grown up near the border, you know that there are many different regions in Mexico, each with their own form of cooking/ingredients/etc.. I've always likened the cuisine at SAI to what I've eaten in Mexico City rather than what I've eaten in Baja California Norte.... but that's just my take.

[moe513]

We had a good experience here and would go bakc. The resturant is beautiful inside. We had a great server. My dd enjoyed speaking spanish to the server after one yr of spanish in school. Ive read people find the tables tight but we were in a seperate little area and had lots of room.

[Kenny1113]

We really enjoy San Angel Inn, its cool(temp wise) and nice atmosphere. It really helps the kids wind down. They love watching the vocano and boat ride.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

The food was OK. Not the best I've ever had. The atmosphere was very nice and our server was very nice, but not really attentive. She kind of disappeared once we got our meal.

[hope23]

DH and I enjoyed San Angel. I had the Combinacion Poblano and thought it was excellent... anything with the mole sauce (a spicy chocolate) is great. We requested seats right by the river and loved the view from there... very relaxing to watch the river and volcano. Saw lots of kids. I would definitely suggest trying it. Our waitress told us it was a franchise from Mexico... that Disney sought out an "authentic" Mexican restaurant to be as genuine as possible... and our waitress from Mexico said she thought it was quite true to food she was accustomed to at home.

[Bethanymouse]

We ate at the SAI last summer. We absolutely LOVE mexican food but nothing about the SAI impressed us. The resturant was too dark and the food was cold and bland. We will not be returning.

[mprewitt]

The atmosphere was great. The service was OK. The food was sub-par. We will not be going back.

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

We've tried San Angel and while the atmosphere is impressive, the food isn't and the restaurant is really crowded.

On the other hand, we eat at the Cantina every trip...Yum!

We ate at San Angel 2 years ago on the DDP - the food was absolutely horrible and the restaurant was crowded beyond belief. There's no way that we'd eat there again with or without the DDP.

:marg:

[Wrigley]

We have eaten here a few times. The atmosphere is AWESOME. The first time we ate there I liked my meal very much. However, this past time, I wasn't impressed. I just ordered the nachos for my meal and when they brought it out the cheese was rock hard and cold and the chips were burnt. I don't like to complain about things so I didn't say anything to the waitress. I should have though! I left very hungry!!!!!!

[Christine]

We have eaten there once. We too liked the atmosphere, but we are so used to "TexMex" Mexican food, that we didn't care for whatever that was.

[phillydan]

San Angel is one of our favorites; we found the food to be very authentic and the atmosphere pleasing (but a little dark). The kids (10,9.4) all had something for them on the menu. I found that the service was slow, but not for lack of trying by the wait staff - they were running from one end of the restaurant to the other. It was a bit cramped, but we had 5 in our party, so we ended up with a bit more room, since the table sat 6 people.

Interestingly, we found the outside Cantina to be lacking - sort of like a fancy Taco Bell. It was good, but we expected more after eating inside at the San Angel.

[TennesseeTink]

We love the atmosphere and love the food! It is our favorite place in Epcot! We eat there every trip. I don't know how the prices really are (Dad pays!) but the food is excellent and the atmosphere can't be beat! We haven't been for a couple of years but when planning this trip my sister insisted that this was one place she HAD to eat. Mom doesn't like a lot of Mexican food where we live but even she likes this. I would definitely recommend trying it out. :thumbsup:

We also love this restaurant. It's the only one in WS my husband recommended for our upcoming trip. We've only done lunch and usually get there within 10 minutes of WS opening so I've never experienced big crowds. Also if you get there early you stand a good chance of getting a table by the river. As for kids, it's a bit dark in there...kind of a romantic setting but both of my DDs -15&9- love it anyway.

[Florida Dreamer]

Put us on the side of this restaurant has seemed to decline as to getting a quality meal for your money. We have eaten here 3 times and each time the food was less impressive. We greatly enjoy the coolness on a hot summer day and the atmosphere, even the darkness, and being right next to the river only adds to the romantic feeling, but the food has lacked in quality. We could not even finish our meals last time as the food was cooked way beyond tasty and the presentation just wasn't equal to the price. We will not be eating there again until we hear of improvements.

[DisneyAggies]

Sorry some of you have had bad experiences at SAI... I really enjoy the theming, the food and talking with the CMs. On the other hand, I'm not a huge fan of the Cantina. (I can go to Taco Bell for that, and after the fiasco that TB had last year in the Northeast, I don't even go there anymore.)
:ditto:
Couldn't say it better myself, Ellen. We ate at the Cantina several years back :ack:, and I SWORE we'd never eat at SAI because of the food there...well we tried SAI a few years ago, and now we eat there every trip!! We even cook one of the entrees they serve there at home (Pollo a las Rajas)! Sounds like many people are used to Taco Bell rather than Mexican food. :confused:

[mickeys_princess_mom]

Tried it again recently (after a poor first experience re: service and food...), and were pleasantly surprised. We enjoyed our food, and the service was much better. Glad we did it, but are not planning to use DDP table service for this in the future. Tables are crowded, which may be an issue for your children, depending on how old they are....A previous poster used the word "indifferent" to describe the service...I found that to be an interesting word choice. It definitely fit the first experience, and there were shades of accuracy the second...

[garymacd]

It almost seems like deja vu reading the responses to this question. I read the exact same responses to the question about Alfredo's. Some say it wasn't authentic enough, some said it was great. Others tried to compare it to Olive Garden by saying it was either more authentic or less authentic than some of their favourite Italian or, in this case, Mexican restaurant.

Strange isn't it? I guess we all need to make up our own minds. I personally intend to make up my own mind this September and let you know what I think. Thanks for your input.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Whenever questions about restaurants come up, I should just move on to the next topic. With a few exceptions, I like almost all WDW eateries! :eat:

We really enjoy most aspects of San Angel Inn. We also enjoy the Cantina outside, although it's a much different experience!

DW has had some mixed reviews on the food; I've been luckier (or made better choices! ;)) and have never had a bad meal here.

As for service? Some of the best Disney service we've ever had anywhere!

Oh, and thank goodness that wall is finally down from the river...

[Disney_Barbie]

My family and I love San Angel Inn for it's authentic atmosphere and food. Most folks are used to Tex-mex, so it's diffrent from most mexican eaterys. So we would recommend it highly and they do have a childs menu.

You captured my thoughts exactly!!! I used to eat there solely for the atmosphere (I didn't used to like the food much) but my tastes have matured over the years and now have come to love it!!!
I'd give the atmosphere about 5 stars (or more) but suprisingly, I think the most props I'd give to the resturant is the service. We had one occation here when one member of our party looked the menu over and couldn't find a single thing that she could / wanted to eat (between being a picky eater & having some dietary restritctions). Our waiter said "we'll make you ANYTHING you want, just tell us what you can have" then he got the chef so she could describe what she could eat. I thought it was amazing! I know DIsney is accomedating,. but that was the first time I witnessed it first hand.

[NJGIRL]

We eat there almost every trip and love it. The atmosphere is great. The food is good (not the best Mexican we have ever had but still good), and they are very child friendly. MY son got a kids meal while there and was still hungry when he was done so the waiter gave him a second portion for free!

[moe513]

The food is fair but the building is beautiful. We also a great server which makes a huge difference in how enjoyable the meal is.