Food Review: La Hacienda de San Angel at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT

Nestled in the Mexico pavilion in Walt Disney World’s EPCOT is La Hacienda de San Angel, a moderately priced sit-down restaurant.

On my recent trip to Walt Disney World this spring, I was looking for a same-day reservation for a good sit-down meal that would appeal to my family.

The restaurant is settled right on the water, with beautiful views no matter which time you go, whether it’s during the day or at night. However, if you can time a reservation correctly, you’ll get an extra-special treat at night.

Our family managed to get a reservation at 8:15 p.m., with the fireworks (Luminous The Symphony of Us) scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. We knew there was a great possibility we’d have a waterfront view to the show.

Arriving at the restaurant, we checked in relatively easily, having made our reservation on the Walt Disney World app. We waited probably a total of five minutes before we received a text message that our table was ready, and we were seated in a side room that was themed well, with a small window.

Our server was fun and attentive, and answered any questions we had about the menu.

To start dinner, we ordered the appetizer of Totopos con Queso, which featured corn tortillas with a sides of white cheddar cheese and salsa. The server noted that the salsa did have a bit of a kick to it, which we confirmed, but it was still delicious. However, the chips were made to perfection and the cheddar queso was incredible. ($8.25)

For dinner, I ordered the Osso Buco a la Mexicana ($49) which consists of, “Braised short rib with whipped potatoes, carrots and roasted asparagus.” My husband ordered the Cochinita Pibil ($34), which is, “Achiote-marinated Braised Pork over Chipotle Black Beans with Pickled Onions and Oregano. Served with Plantains finished with Crema Mexicana and Cotija cheese, Corn Tortillas and rice.” We also ordered a kids meal for our daughter, which was the Quesadillas, “Two flour tortillas filled with Monterey Jack and grilled golden brown and choice of fountain soda, milk, or small water.”

My meal, the Osso Buco a la Mexicana, was incredibly well made. The short rib was so tender and flavorful and fell right apart from the bone. The potatoes, carrots, and asparagus also added a lot of flavor and gave a great meal.

My husband’s order, the Cochinita Pibil, was good. It wasn’t anything spectacular and he wished that the meat was more tender like mine was. It was a decent meal he concluded, but not sure he’d order it again.

The kids portion of the Quesadillas were perfect (actually, quite a lot of food, too). It came with two small taco-sized quesadillas, and as the sides, we chose rice and green beans – which were plentiful as well. She loved them, so that’s all the endorsement I needed.

Close to 9 p.m., our server came over to let us know that the lights would be dimmed in the restaurant and to look out the window. Since we were the only people on that side of the restaurant, we put our child in the window, so she could see the show. The lights dimmed, the music swirled, and we watched the most magical fireworks show from the window of the restaurant right on the water. When they talk about Disney magic, this is a moment that will stick with me for a long time.

Overall, the food was great, the service was incredible, and the fireworks show was really breathtaking. If you’re on the fence about booking this restaurant, I’d definitely check it out, especially if you can snag a reservation during fireworks.