Frontera Cocina at Disney Springs

Frontera Cocina is one of the many restaurants you will find with a celebrity chef at Disney Springs, this one is brought to you by seven-time James Beard award winner, Rick Bayless.  The warm colors and open atmosphere is very welcoming for a contemporary Mexican dining experience.  Reservations are highly suggested and can be made via My Disney Experience or the Open Table app and the restaurant is typically open for lunch and dinner from 11am to 11pm daily.  

We had lunch here on a Monday afternoon and the restaurant wasn't too terribly busy at all, which was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the weekend. We settled in at a table in the middle of the restaurant and got ready for the meal ahead. 

While somehow I missed a photo, we did start our meal with $5 margaritas which is definitely a great deal while on Disney property!  This was a "Margarita Monday" special and we would highly recommend it!  We also opted for some chips and salsa and some queso. Now, I live in Texas so Tex-Mex is a regular occurrence for me. If that is what you are expecting, you will be disappointed.  I knew this was more traditional Mexican but was still a bit disappointed that I had to pay for chips and salsa when it just comes to your table at pretty much every restaurant near me for free.  They were quite delicious though!  The queso was thick and cheesy, not your typically cheese sauce dip, but more solid.  It was tasty and went great with the tortillas it was served with.

Chips & Salsa: Smoky chipotle, herby salsa verde

Queso Fundido: Queso Chihuahua melted with roasted poblanos and caramelized onions, warm corn tortillas add Gunthorp Farms Chorizo

For our entrees we went with our server's recommendation of pork carnitas and then chicken enchiladas as that is something we tend to love.  Both of these dishes looked a little small on the surface, but packed a flavor punch and were quite filling.  I'd give the edge slightly to the carnitas tacos because the pork was just cooked beautifully, but the enchiladas were great as well, I loved the addition of the crispy onions on top. 

Carnitas: Gunthorp Farms slow-cooked pork shoulder with garlic and lime, black bean refritos with fresco cheese, guacamole, pickled red onions, salsa verde, warm corn tortillas

Chicken Enchiladas: Suizas Just made corn tortillas, chipotle chicken filling, creamy roasted tomatillo sauce, black beans, crispy onions

Overall I found our meal to be pretty tasty and a great lunch spot at Disney Springs, however, the price tag was a bit high for the portion sizes.  The $5 margaritas on Mondays did help bring that down though which was a definite plus for us! 

Have you been to Frontera Cocina?  What was your favorite item on the menu?

Maci Schau

Maci is an avid foodie and loves trying out new restaurants and seasonal food offerings in the parks.  You can email Maci at maci@kingdomkonsultant.com.