Have you always wanted to try dining at Spice Road Table in the Morocco pavilion at Epcot, but felt a little uneasy about the menu? Are you a little nervous about maybe accidentally ordering something really spicy? Maybe you want to try Middle-Eastern cuisine but don’t want to commit to a full plate of something?
I’m glad you’re here, then! I, too, was in your shoes just a few years ago. In a family of picky eaters, I had to branch out and try out Spice Road Table by myself to finally satisfy my curiosity, and I’m really glad I did!
I’m going to spoil this article early by telling you, dear reader, that the best items at Spice Road Table for first-timers are the sampler platters! Here’s the best part, though: they have two samplers! A main course sampler, and a dessert sampler.
An appetizer first?
Before diving into the samplers, perhaps a little something to start with?
Naan Spreads ($11) is a plate of Hummus, olives and Chermoula served with warm Naan bread. Think of Naan kind of like pita bread with a similar density and texture.
The hummus was pretty standard and regular hummus, nothing too crazy.
Chermoula is a sauce made of fresh herbs such as parsley and cilantro, with garlic, citrus and warm spices. It tastes almost like a mix between pesto and chimichurri.
I didn’t try the olives. You know me, I hate olives.
Spice Road Table Sampler ($15)
This is the perfect sampler for someone unsure about what to try at Spice Road Table. The sampler comes with: Lamb Kefta, Tzatziki, Spiced Chicken, Tiropitakia. Don’t worry, I’ll explain these.
Grilled Lamb Kefta is a ball-shaped serving of grilled lamb meat. Think of it like a Middle-Eastern meatball.
Spiced Chicken is as it sounds: a slightly spicy chicken dish.
Tiropitakia, while hard to pronounce, is simply a cheese-filled pastry.
The Spice Road Table Sampler is great for a solo meal, or there’s another to share with another person if you were able to drag/bribe/coerce a friend to join you! Spice Road Table has a variety of small plate options, which are perfect to order a few for sharing, or one for yourself.
Dessert Platter ($10)
The dessert platter is my personal favorite! Their is no formal description on the menu about the dessert platter other than “Assorted Moroccan Pastries” because the selection changes daily! However, they do have one staple item on the dessert platter and that’s the Spice Road Cake, and it’s amazing!
The Spice Road Cake is a spiced walnut cake. It’s a little dense but it’s absolutely bursting with flavor.
The thing that looks like a frosted mini what is, from what I can gather, Kataifi. It’s like baklava but instead of sheets of phyllo dough, it’s rolled up with shredded phyllo dough. It’s very good! If you like baklava, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one.
…and then the last item is an almond cookie. It was a dense almond cookie.
On a follow-up trip, I again ordered the dessert platter and received two of the same items from before. While doing online research for this article, I noticed that others were served the Spice Road Cake but two other completely different desserts.
If one of these desserts wasn’t enough, nearby is the Spice Road Bakery where you can purchase these, and other desserts! Maybe you don’t have time to sit and order dessert, but still want one of these desserts? Spice Road Bakery is the place!
Want to try something spicy?
Ready to kick the spice level up a notch or two? Spicy Shrimp ($14) is served with chili, garlic, and Peri Peri sauce. If you’re a fan of spicy food, give this a try! I was pleased with the heat this dish brought.
Let’s talk about the view!
We cannot talk about Spice Road Table without mentioning the view from this restaurant! Situated on the lake, this restaurant offers great views of the evening show and fireworks.
There are two sections of the restaurant: indoor and outdoors. While some tables inside the restaurant offer window seats, a view is also possible from some of the other seats as well.
The other side of the restaurant is an outdoor covered patio and also offers really great views, both day time and night time. As you can see, I took this photo while the Harmonious barges were being installed. (they have since been removed)
I hope you enjoyed this little discussion about a few of the best items to order at Spice Road Table if you’re a first-timer. Hopefully this didn’t scare you off from trying something new! (but if it did, may I suggest my review of Le Cellier at the Canada pavilion?)
Disney Rover 