TouringPlans Investigates – Is Mythos The Best Table Service Restaurant In A Theme Park?

At number five is a new entry to the Epcot dining scene. Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya replaced Tokyo Dining on the second floor of the Japan pavilion and kept a lot of the previous decor and seating. This is a good decision, the open windows are a great way to see the World Showcase lagoon (or watch Illuminations Luminous). Shiki-Sai specializes in small, shareable plates, so don’t expect large entrees here. But what you do get… we love it. The menu happens to balance “adventurous” and “familiar” which is great for families of various taste levels.

Our reviewer thought the Unagi Don was a good balance of adventurous and picky:
This is a good dish for picky eaters who are willing to be a bit adventurous. The eel was tender with a bit of umami and no “fishy” flavor. The tamagoyaki – a thin omelet that has been rolled into a block – was soft and velvety. And the sauce was an Asian-style sweet/salty/savory sauce that anyone who has eaten teriyaki or beef with broccoli will be familiar with, but applied here with a light enough hand to accent the flavors of the eel and the rice without overwhelming them.
Mythos restaurant sign and the Moon at sunset.

HERE IT IS! Mythos, the mythical (heh) restaurant comes in as the 4th best restaurant in the Orlando theme parks. Famous for its banner and exterior, the restaurant also is a stunner inside with an incredible cave interior with water features and streams. Just as the exterior is inspired by the Mediterranean so is the menu, with flavors and dishes pulled from all across the sea like calamari, lamb meatballs, couscous bowls, and beef tenderloin. My friend Tim would chastise me that I remised mentioning the Pad Thai which can be made as spicy as you want.
Sea Scallop and Sweet Corn Risotto at Mythos.
Mythos has a fun history in Islands of Adventure. Originally the restaurant was even more high end – think lobster tail and steaks. But when Universal ran into issues post 9/11 Mythos started running specials for Team Members for meals pennies on the dollar. Imagine a steak and lobster dinner for like $10. Then Universal gave away a ton of free tickets and a boy wizard showed up and the rest is history.

An unexpected entry on the list, Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom sticks out for several reasons: it’s in the Magic Kingdom (a park not know for food), it’s the only family style all-you-care-to-eat style restaurant on the list, and the food isn’t anything out of the ordinary. In fact I believe its ordinary menu, severed well and in large portions, is part of the appeal of Liberty Tree. The menu is a veritable feast of classic American holiday foods: pot roast, pork loin, and turkey with sides of seasonal veggies, mashed potatoes, stuffing (or dressing?), mac and cheese, and more.
Vegetarian and Gluten Free Meal at Liberty Tree Tavern
From our review in 2021:
Every meat served on the Patriot’s Platter was enjoyed, but the pot roast was the star. It was so tender and flavorful. This is followed by the pork because the mushroom sauce served on top was savory, earthy, and simply tasty. The turkey was good too, and it does come with cranberry sauce and gravy, but you certainly need to be in the mood for plain ol’ roast turkey.

Surprise! The top rated restaurant based on our criteria is Teppan Edo in Epcot’s Japan pavilion. Teppan Edo is a hibachi restaurant, think chefs with tall hats cooking on large show grill tops. Using the magic of the maillard reaction, Disney’s hibachi chefs make delicious dishes for all guests no matter the pallet or adventurousness of the diner. This includes fan favorites like the onion volcano and other fun grilling tricks.

Teppan Edo is really a dinner and a show and it’s easy to see how it’s the second best Orlando theme park restaurant.
Fun Fact: My family sat across from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith at the prior incarnation of Teppan Edo in the late 90s.

Your #1 theme park restaurant at Disney based on our criteria is Yak & Yeti in Animal Kingdom, just nudging out Teppan Edo with more reviews. Yak & Yeti Restaurant is located in the Asia section of the park, between Kali River Rapids and the Africa section, and opened shortly after Expedition Everest’s expansion. The interior is eclectic but cozy, with lots of expedition and travel artifacts scattered around. The menu pulls from all over the Asian continent with flavors and dishes from China, India, Korea, Japan, and America (I mean they have to have a burger for picky eaters!).

From our 2023 review where we had the Bhaktapur Duck:
A beautiful mahogany-colored duck with a flavor to match, this was unquestionably one of the best dishes of the meal. The sauce was still sweet, as you would expect from a plum sauce. But the crispy roasted skin and the slightly gamy flavor of the duck married it into something truly delicious.

While these restaurants just missed out of the top five these restaurants also deserve some applause for their outstanding reviews. In Epcot’s World Showcase give it up for Via Napoli in Italy (92% approval) and Biergarten in Germany (92% approval) for being popular runners up. Via Napoli offers huge pizza pies in a bright and inviting space. Biergarten is Disney’s take on a German beer hall mixed with a buffet German favorites (roasted chicken, bratwursts, potatoes, spatzel, schnitzel, etc) with lively German musical acts. Meanwhile up front in World Nature the Garden Grille (92% approval) is another all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurant with a menu of American comfort foods (steak, turkey, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, cornbread, etc), but this restaurants is on a rotating platform that overlooks the Living with the Land show scenes. Chip and Dale also provide entertainment at all times of day. Finally, over in Universal Studios Florida is Finnegan’s Bar and Grill (92% approval) an affordable and Irish pub with burgers, sandwiches, Irish entrée like shepherds pie. Finn’s is currently closed for a year long remodel so we’re excited for its return in late 2026.
What are your favorite restaurants in the Orlando theme parks? Mythos? Takumi-Tai, like the author? Something else? Leave them in the comments below!

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