Circle of Parks Podcast: Talking all things Walt Disney World
Because there's far too much to see and do. We're here to help guide you through. We are a married couple with two boys age 9 and 6 talking all things Disney World. This podcast will cover the tips and tricks we've learned along our journey, history of the parks and attractions, and most importantly why and how Disney makes us feel how we do while in the parks and that it's ok to feel that way.
Circle of Parks Podcast: Talking all things Walt Disney World
Episode #167: Our San Angel Inn Dining Review
Ready for an enchanting journey through time and taste? Imagine dining in a 17th-century Mexican hacienda, surrounded by the mystical allure of Mayan ruins. This week, we invite you to experience the San Angel Inn at Epcot, a restaurant steeped in history and rich in flavor since its opening day in 1982. Discover the alluring twilight ambiance that sets the mood for a truly romantic and intimate meal. From zesty appetizers to succulent steak, chicken, and fish entrees, and delightful desserts like Bavarian mousse and cheesecake, we cover it all. Learn about the connection to the original San Angel Inn in Mexico City, a gem dating back to the late 1600s, making your dining experience not just a meal, but a trip through history.
But the culinary adventure doesn't stop there—our broader dining review showcases intricate Mexican dishes such as pollo a las rajas, slow braised pork shank, and Camarones la Diabla tacos. We'll discuss the pricing and whether it aligns with the quality and experience offered. Desserts like pan de elote tres leches and unique specialty margaritas elevate the meal to another level. Finally, we share updates from Circle of Parks, thank you for your continued support, and give you a sneak peek into next week’s episode focusing on Cape May Cafe and the future of character dining for Zach. Join us for this flavorful and historical journey at the San Angel Inn and decide if this dining experience is right for you!
Hello and welcome to Circle of Parks podcast episode number 167. Today we are doing a dining review on San Angel Inn in Epcot. There is far too much to see and do. We are here to help guide you through. But before we do that we must talk Disney merch. So this week on DisneyStorecom there is a cute Stitch pumpkin Halloween candy bowl Again Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. Forget the trick-or-treat bucket, you can just put all the candy into Stitch's mouth, if you please. The cutest and most enthusiastic of trick-or-treaters inspires this ceramic-stitched candy bowl, featured sculpted details in a high-gloss finish, dressed in an alien costume and holding a jack-o'-lantern Stitch is the cutest centerpiece of the season and that is this week's Disney merch. And while we're talking about merch, we have merch. Check out our website, circleofparkscom. Click on merch. It takes you directly to the TeePublic site where you can find things such as stickers, coffee mugs, sweatshirts, T-shirts and more. So please go check that out.
Speaker 3:Thank you everybody. Episode number 167, our Sandin Hill Inn restaurant dining review review. I know we've been going a lot with the dining reviews. We've got two more after this. Bear with us.
Speaker 3:But we do these because it provides a resource for you, the listener, to go back and listen to and decide if this is a place you would like to eat at or not, and what our opinion is again, just our opinion right and when I go back and look at how many episodes have been downloaded, it's like every day there's at least one of our dining reviews that have been downloaded, so people are going back and using it as resources to decide if they want to go eat there or not. So that's why we're doing it. So just bear with us. I know we got two more. Then we got some really fun episodes we're going to be doing.
Speaker 3:Thank you for everybody. Everybody for joining us. I'm Zach, I'm Brittany and, if you're new here, thank you so much for joining us. We do this show every single week. Our goal is to help you have a better Disney vacation and to kind of break your week up. Give you some Disney magic, take you to Walt Disney World or Disneyland for the day and just kind of take you away for 30 to 45 minutes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know it helps us. Hope it helps you guys.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so Brittany, what does Disney say about Sand and Hell Inn restaurant?
Speaker 2:Yes, it says. Dine in perpetual twilight at this Mexican restaurant modeled after a 17th century hacienda at the base of the Mayan ruins. Taste of Mexico, south of the border, specialties are served with old world hospitality in this intimate twilight setting, and it is an intimate twilight setting for sure. Start out a romantic meal with zesty appetizers like tortilla soup topped with avocado cheese and tortilla strips, tortilla soup topped with avocado cheese and tortilla strips. Then delight in steak, chicken and fish entrees served with such sauces as chipotle, pepper, chocolatey mole and green tomatillo, and later top off your meal with a creamy Bavarian mousse or cheesecake covered in caramel sauce. Now, guests 21 years of age and up can even enjoy a variety of margaritas and premium tequilas. Mexican wines, beers and coffees are also available All right.
Speaker 3:So quite the interesting history to not just this San Angel restaurant but the original San Angel restaurant. So the San Angel restaurant here is located in the mexican pavilion which is meant to resemble a mesoamerican pyramid. In epcot it's located past the plaza de los amigos shopping area, that's what they call it okay inside the the pyramid right, it really looks like you're inside like a town.
Speaker 3:Yes, inside the mexican pavilion, it's always twilight and it's meant to resemble an open-air marketplace and restaurant. And it is beautiful. Yes, always beautiful. The San Juan restaurant is an opening day restaurant in Epcot in 1982 and little has changed with the restaurant.
Speaker 2:I didn't realize it was opening day. I didn't know that either.
Speaker 3:The backdrop, besides being meant to be outside during twilight, is at the base of a Mayan temple. Now, there's been a little debate about that, if it's Mayan or Aztec, but everything I have read majority of it says Mayan.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And the ride used to be the El Tiempo boat ride instead of the three caballeros. Yeah, so that changed in 2007.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:So the San Angel Inn is the sister restaurant to the real San Angel Inn located in Mexico City, dating back to the late 1600s. Interesting, Very interesting. The original San Angel Inn is in Mexico City and started as Hacienda I'm going to butcher this Goya Chia. Also, this is the birthplace of the margarita at the original Sand and Hell Inn in Mexico City.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow.
Speaker 3:So there's pretty big history here to the original Sand and Hell Inn.
Speaker 2:For sure.
Speaker 3:So if you would like to book a reservation for Sand and Hell Inn, reach out to our sponsor, main Street Travel Company. They are the official sponsor of this podcast and we use them for all of our Disney and non-Disney vacation needs. They can play in your Walt Disney World, disneyland, disney Cruise Line, adventures by Disney, aulani, disneyland, paris, hilton Head, disney and Vero Beach Disney Resorts. And exclusively for Circle of Parks listeners, only if you book your next Disney cruise with them, you'll get up to $1,000 onboard credit. If you book your next adventures by Disney, you'll get up to $1,000 cash back.
Speaker 2:Now SoCalTrips call on our name Eventually.
Speaker 3:Eventually, eventually. And if you book your Walt Disney World vacation with them, you'll get a gift card based on the value of that trip. And if you book with our travel planner travel planner erica she's going to throw an additional 25 for walt disney world. And if you book disneyland with erica, she's going to give you a hundred dollar gift card, because that is her favorite park yes, and I mean, we say it every time, the stress.
Speaker 2:We don't really experience that anymore with the trip planning. Don't have to keep up with how many days out we are. Is it time to make dining reservations? Like Erica keeps track of all that for us, reaches out to us a few days to a week before hey. Are these the days you're still wanting to eat at this restaurant or that restaurant and are you still wanting to do it for lunch or dinner, and then she takes care of the rest.
Speaker 3:So, like we, honestly it's been what a year or more since we've really had tracked when the dining reservations I don't keep up with any of them anymore.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, yeah, so so, yeah, so please, please, check them out yeah, so they can, uh, go to the website wwwmainstreettravelcocom.
Speaker 3:they're on instagram, facebook and youtube. And again, I say it every week, my favorite thing call them 1-800-593-1262. These are full-time agents in an office. These are not part-time agents that will get back to you after their day job. This is all that they do.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:So they will be there to help you Monday through Friday, 10 am 5 pm, central Time Again 1-800-593-1262. Tell them we sent you. Take advantage of those special offers exclusively for our listeners, only All right. So it offers exclusively for our listeners, only all right. So it is a very we're not gonna talk about what we thought the restaurant yet, but just the setting of it very peaceful, very serene, very. It is romantic, even though there were kids around us and we had our two knuckleheads with this, but it could be a romantic, it could be a very romantic restaurant and, yeah, the setting of it's really nice.
Speaker 2:The first time we went into the mexican pavilion was our second trip and you were like we have to eat here yeah, ever since I saw it, I was like oh, I want to eat there one day, just because you can see it from the three caballeros and even from when you're walking around, like the marketplace area inside, like we were talking about, and uh, I'm glad we finally got to experience it we did, yes.
Speaker 3:So let's talk about what we had in the menu again. We had the dining plan, which did not include an appetizer, but included entrees, dessert and drinks for adults one drink per adult and so we did decide to do an appetizer, which we paid for for ourself, and we got the totopos totopos, and it was priced at nine dollars, so not bad again.
Speaker 2:We ate there for lunch. Uh, so the totopos was corn chips with sides of white cheddar cheese and salsa, and it was very good it's just yeah, it's just chips and cheese, but it was very delicious.
Speaker 3:Our server was very, very good good, yes, very good, very knowledgeable.
Speaker 2:enjoyed talking with the kids.
Speaker 3:Took her time explaining the menus and stuff, and so I had the grilled chicken tacos and so you can get an option here of wherever I find it. I lost it here.
Speaker 2:So tacos, oh tacos.
Speaker 3:Choice of shaved ribeye or grilled chicken, poblano and red peppers, onions, bacon and Monterey Jack cheese, served with corn tortillas and plantains, topped with crema mexicana and cojito cheese. So they serve. So I got the grilled chicken and they serve it separately with the tacos. So they have like a skillet that they cook the chicken in and the toppings and then they give you the tortillas separate and you can get the the uh meat and cheese and toppings out with the fork and put them in the tortilla.
Speaker 2:Delicious, it was so good, so tender, cooked, perfectly delicious yeah, I could tell you were enjoying it and not just like, oh, it's okay, like you enjoyed it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and if you don't have the dining plan. It was $34. I do not think it was worth $34, though.
Speaker 2:Maybe not that, but it was good.
Speaker 3:They were really good.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, so this is one case where definitely dining plan helps out. Now, ryan had the osso bucco con mole, which is slow braised pork shank over rice, and he had. Did he have the mole on the side?
Speaker 3:she put it on the side for him because she, he's an adult according to disney for the dining plan. And so our, our server was like now, this is a very, you know, unique flavor. Would you like it on the pork or would you like it on the side?
Speaker 2:and he said on the side, so they were able to accommodate that on the side right and he did not like it yes, I'm glad it was on the side and served with plantains topped with crema mexicana and cotija cheese he liked it a lot.
Speaker 3:He did fall off the bone tender yeah, other than the sauce.
Speaker 2:So good thing it was on the side. Yeah, he enjoyed it and, like zach just said, it was, you know, very tender, falling apart very good yeah, nolan had the kid chicken tenders, which I don't know why he does like tacos yeah, I know and so for the kids entrees, they have beef tacos, chicken tacos, quesadilla, and he likes quesadillas whatever grilled chicken breast, chicken tend and macaroni and cheese.
Speaker 3:He got the chicken tenders. And they were Disney chicken tenders.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But I don't know why he didn't get.
Speaker 2:I know. So he does like Mexican food and everything, but he has to be in a mood for it, I think, is the thing, and sometimes I think it's a go-to type of food back at home. So I think sometimes it gets burnt out and that's probably why. So I had the pollo a las rajas, which is grilled chicken breast over roasted potatoes with onions, poblano peppers, corn and a poblano cream sauce topped with queso fresco, and it was delicious. The flavor was there, the cream sauce was good. Potatoes, onions, the peppers, just all of it was excellent. Now, if you don't have the dining plan, this was priced at $32. Do I think it was worth $32? Maybe not quite, but it was delicious though.
Speaker 3:And the slow braised pork shank was $39. I think that may have been worth $39.
Speaker 2:What Ryan had. What Ryan had.
Speaker 3:Because, I took a bite of it. It was delicious and it was a big portion as well. Also on the menu here is the Hiracha Vegetario Fried corn masa topped with beans, grilled queso fresco Nepalese and pea tendrils, served with a side of roasted vegetables and salsa verde. You can add chicken or shaved ribeye, which doesn't make it vegetarian anymore, for $8. Tacos, which is what I had, the Camarones, la Diabla, chipotle, pepper and garlic sauteed shrimp atop a corn rice medley with roasted vegetables. That's $32.
Speaker 2:You can get enchiladas de pollo. De pollo price at $31, which is corn tortillas filled with Chipotle chicken, covered with ranchera salsa, crema Mexicana, tortilla cheese, tortilla sorry cheese and crispy onion straws. A top bean served with plantains, topped with crema Mexicana and tortilla cheese.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and then they have the Baja tacos de pescado beer, buttered fried cod, shredded cabbage, chipotle lime aioli and pineapple relish and flour tortillas. It sounds really good. 32 now, the carne asada, new york strip, with chipotle butter, served with tamale de rajas, topped with red and green sauces, with the corn medley 54 and it's not included in dining not included on the plane and on the menu that they give you in the restaurant. They said that as well yes so keep that in mind. Not available for the dining plan for the carne asada.
Speaker 2:Yep, because ryan probably would have gotten that right. Yes, so, but again, you know, dining plan really helps out with this particular restaurant. You know, and when we say I don't know if I would have paid that or not, like don't let that deter you from eating here. Uh, because the food was really good. You know, sometimes places like this that are themed this way, that we've been to in the past at other locations, you know you were definitely paying for the theming and the atmosphere and not the food. This I mean, the food was good it was good.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, uh. So for desserts, britney, you had the pan de elote tres leches.
Speaker 2:Right, that's what you had yes, so that was rice milk, soaked mexican cornbread topped with sweet corn, gelato and toasted almonds and it was really really good. Um, it kind of reminded me a little bit of like eating, like similar to the the bread pudding you know, the pineapple bread pudding at like ohana, just not as sweet, uh, but this was, in this, obviously more milky tasting, but it was very good. I was pleased with it yeah, ryan got the flan he liked it yep. So vanilla flan with toasted almonds, berries and whipped cream.
Speaker 3:And then I got the nieve.
Speaker 2:Which is seasonal Mexican-flavored sorbet.
Speaker 3:It was like a corn-based sorbet. It was very delicious.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the dessert that I got and that Ryan got was $12 if you are paying for it, and Zach's dessert was $10.
Speaker 3:It was very yeah, so mine was good. It had like popcorn with it as well and there were bits of corn in there, so it was a very unique flavored sorbet Right. Very delicious, very light on the flavor as well. I also had a margarita. You didn't have a margarita, did you?
Speaker 2:Because it was hot that day and you were like I don't want one?
Speaker 3:no, no, I think I still did. You got the classic right. I think I just got the classic, yeah, and I got the wild one, and this is the centinela blanco tequila, cambier, orange liqueur, ginger, rum, corn, passion fruit, cordial lime juice, dos hombres, mezcal, corn, passion Fruit, cordial Lime Juice, dos Hombres, mezcal, grinodine and Hibiscus Salt Rim. I'm not a big margarita guy. This was delicious.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I could tell you enjoyed it.
Speaker 3:It was very. I've never had a margarita like that before and it was very delicious.
Speaker 2:And then mine, the classic one. I kept it basic just because it was so hot. I didn't want something to be too overwhelming in flavor, but it was a very, very good classic yeah and my margarita was $18.
Speaker 3:Now a margarita is included on the dining plan for adults. However, there is a price limit on it $20 and under $20 and under, because I wanted to get the Black Magic which was created by Neil Patrick Harris. Wanted to get the black magic which was created by neil patrick harris mesmerizing frozen blackberry margarita crafted with contra lose mezcal, homemade hibiscus infused rim, lege blackjack currant liqueur, lime, mint and black ant salt rim, again not included in the disney dining plan 21.
Speaker 2:So it's just a dollar more, so not included so I did.
Speaker 3:I was wanting to try that and unfortunately did not, but the wild one was really good as well yeah and uh, we left out one dessert, nolan, I believe they have kids desserts.
Speaker 2:You can get either a chocolate brownie or the uh, the dulce de leche ice cream, and he got the brownie and was pleased with it.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, so overall, what did you think of this restaurant brady?
Speaker 2:I was really pleased again. You know, going into it I was trying not to get my hopes up on the food because we've eaten, you know, at similar restaurants with different types of cuisine and I was. I was let down by the food because it was. You could just tell you were paying more for where it was located, but this one did not disappoint. Uh, and with the dining plan I think I would definitely experience it again yeah, what do you think of the environment?
Speaker 2:oh it was. It was beautiful. I loved looking out at that temple and being able to see into, like, the marketplace area. Uh, definitely, you know, if it was a you and me trip again, you know could see us eating there, uh again, and maybe enjoying a few more margaritas and uh, but I would. I would go with the the boys too, I know. You know, at least ryan really enjoyed what he had and, you know, maybe next time no one will get one of their main entrees yeah, so a lot of people compare this to the blue bayou that's what I was trying not to say in disneyland and bold statement here I think this is better than the blue bayou for sure this.
Speaker 2:So that was what I was thinking of the whole time. I was saying what I said because for me or I think, for us as a family the Blue Bayou in Disneyland I felt you were paying for the experience of where you were eating, and not so much the food was.
Speaker 3:I mean, it was fine, but it wasn't like, oh my gosh, blow, blow your socks off. Food right and for the price that you're paying there. You're paying to sit in the original Pirates. That's what you're paying to do yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So yeah, the food like in blue bayou, what it was. It was just okay for me. It was fine okay, it was fine, but I would I eat there again? No, I would, no, would not pay that price to eat it blue bayou.
Speaker 3:Again, this I think the food is they're gonna. Are we gonna eat better food at a sit-down restaurant in world showcase? Yes, I think we are. Was this the best mexican food I've ever had? Close, but the overall environment I thought was a lot better than the blue bayou. Yeah, and I think it's a very unique restaurant experience with the three caballeros. The setting is I like the setting a lot more than the Blue Bayou as well. Nothing against the original Pirates.
Speaker 2:Right, but just the restaurant.
Speaker 3:The restaurant, the setting, the twilight setting, the atmosphere from the shopping area. I just think it's better well-themed and a much better dining experience.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think the dining experience as a whole and it helped that our server was amazing too.
Speaker 3:The server was great. And this is not Disney owned. This is owned by the Las Palmas Restaurant Group.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, so something to keep in mind there as well, yeah.
Speaker 3:But I thought it was good. Was it great? I don't know, but it was good. I think the overall experience was really good, though. Will we go back here? Yes, eventually, but there's a lot other places on world showcase that we want to try oh yeah for sure.
Speaker 3:Like when I said that earlier, or even if it's just you and me, like this would be a later on time yeah but I would go back if you want to get tequila to not hit, not sit here go to la cava, which is in there as well, which we did on our last couples trip right but but yeah, overall I think it was a good enough restaurant.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cause there's like I would, instead of getting what I got. There's like two or three other items I would like to try. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But I think the the overall atmosphere is what makes this place a good place, a much better place to to go eat at. Yes, that makes sense.
Speaker 2:Oh, the to to go eat at? Yes, that makes sense. Oh yeah, no, I I would agree on all of those things, just the overall environment where it's located. You know everything that's going on around you, but it's still. But don't, don't let that make you think that, oh, my goodness, it's, it's loud it's not loud, it's not like it's distanced enough from the crowds yeah, it's.
Speaker 3:It was very chill and relaxing. Romantic yes, it would. It was a romantic setting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was a great description of it, but kids are there, you know so.
Speaker 3:Kind of tamps down on the romantic setting a little bit, doesn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:All right, so anything else you'd like to say about it?
Speaker 2:No, just you know, if you're debating it and if you do get to go to Disney, you know. And if you do get to go to Disney more than just one time and everything, and you've been debating this and you've experienced other restaurants, then I say give it a try.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would agree with that, I think so. The next place I think we eat at at World Showcase. So we've already eaten at the sit-down restaurant in Norway, akershus. I think we do this sit-down restaurant in the China Pavilion.
Speaker 2:I've heard good things about that's not what I thought you were gonna say what did you think of the japanese pavilion? No, I thought you're gonna say in italy oh, the pizza place, vietnam.
Speaker 3:I know, I know I kind of want to go like country by country right but then also like vietnam right I don't know, that's what I thought you were gonna to say, yeah.
Speaker 3:I don't know. Anyway, all right, so Disney trivia this week. What city in Mexico is the real Sand and Hell Inn and what year does it date back to? It is located we already talked about it in Mexico City in 1692. A long time ago. Winner from X. Deservations this week's Disney trivia winner. Congratulations, deservations. You are this week's Disney trivia winner. Congratulations, deservations. You are this week's Disney trivia winner.
Speaker 2:Congratulations All right.
Speaker 3:So thank you everybody for joining us. If you want to support the podcast, the best way to do that is to book your next vacation with Main Street Travel Company. It costs you nothing to support the show. It costs you nothing to book your vacation with Main Street Travel. Their services are completely free and take advantage of those special offers exclusively for Circle of Parks listeners. Their website's wwwmainstreettravelcocom. They're on Instagram, facebook and YouTube. Again, call them 1-800-593-1262. That's 1-800-593-1262.
Speaker 3:Monday through Friday, 10 am 5 pm, central Time. Again, tell them we sent you. Take advantage of those awesome offers Several of you all have and we thank you so much for doing that. If you want to email us, circleofparks at gmailcom, our website is wwwcircleofparkscom and it's been completely refreshed. Very happy with you. Looks very good. Yes, especially when you're on a computer. Yeah, mobile, I'm working on it. Facebook, instagram and X. We're all at Circle of Parks and again, thank you so much for listening. We really do appreciate it. Next week we will be taking you to Cape May Cafe and see if that's the end of character dining for Zach.
Speaker 2:All right, talk to you soon, thank you.