We recently had a chance to visit the newly opened Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Disney Springs as part of a hosted media review. Chef Puck, of course, is no stranger to Disney Springs. You can find the Wolfgang Puck Express in the Marketplace section of Disney Springs and the previously open Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe and Dining Room was a long time favorite of many guests. That location closed in 2017.
You’ll find Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill in the Town Center section of Disney Springs. It’s located near the bus loading zone by the Market Stalls indoor shopping stretch across the way from Chicken Guy.
The back story Disney’s Imagineers have given to the restaurant is that it was formerly the barn for one of the first families in Disney Springs. It has been updated to have a modern, fresh feel with big windows wide open interior spaces. We love the way the red leather seating pops out against the other more natural tones and colors.
The restaurant has a wonderful design that comfortably separates its spaces with giant glass panes that evoke barn doors. In this way the restaurant can be both intimate or open depending on needs.
There’s a good sized bar in the restaurant, but you’d never know it if you were in the dining area. The night we went fans were enjoying a game on the good sized televisions. Nearby there’s a long table where your large group might be seated.
Chef Puck was one of the first to introduce the open kitchen concept in his California restaurants. We enjoyed looking in from the dining room to keep an eye on the action between courses.
The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Michael Tiva and Executive Sous Chef Jeff Thornsberry. They bring their careful guidance to Chef Puck’s signature dishes. Tiva recently headed up Puck’s Ludo in Las Vegas and has been with the company for 20 years.
Another features of the restaurant is the pizza kitchen, which is on your left as you enter. We didn’t sample any on our visit, the both neighboring tables did and the product looked amazing. We will definitely return soon to try some on our own.
For the menu Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill brings California cuisine dining back to Disney Springs. Lunch features pizza, sandwiches, salads, pasta, and other entrees.
We dined during dinner where we tried the Artisanal Salumi (a meat and cheese board with additional vegetables), the Mesquite Grilled New York Strip (cooked perfectly), and variety of special vegan entrees the chef prepared specially for me.
The wine list, by the glass or bottle, has an emphasis on California as you might expect from a Wolfgang Puck restaurant. The bar’s mixologist has crafted a beverage menu with tasty twists on many your favorite drinks. There were also a decent list of American craft and imported beers.
What we liked about the menu at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is the variety and the fresh California flavors. It is the type of place you can go for everything from a casual meal with friends to a big celebration. We enjoyed our more intimate dinner for two as well.
What really stood out during our meal was the amazing service. The bartender happily came to our table when we had questions about ingredients in the drinks, our server was very knowledgeable, the service was timely and our water glasses were never empty. Yes, we were on a hosted dinner, but we noticed the same level of attention to detail at neighboring tables too.
If you just want a taste of Wolfgang Pucks, you can visit the outside window. It has a selection of hand crafted gelato and sorbet, cookies, deserts, coffee drinks and smoothies. They also have a couple adult beverages featuring the sorbet and gelato.
Reservations are recommended. For those on the Disney Dining Plan or Disney Deluxe Dining Plan the cost is just one point, which is a pretty good deal. If you’re planning to dine at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, or already have, let us know in the comments below.