Authentic Mexican Cuisine Under the Stars – Dining at San Angel Inn Restaurante

EPCOT’s World Showcase is home to eleven different pavilions that celebrate countries from around the world through stunning architecture, culture, entertainment, attractions, shopping, and dining. The Mexico Pavilion is a favorite of many Guests as it exudes charm and romance that whisk Guests away to Mexico to enjoy several different dining options, including San Angel Inn Restaurante.

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San Angel Inn Restaurante is a table service restaurant located inside the Mexico Pavilion’s massive ancient pyramid, and Guests have to pass through a vibrant and bustling outdoor marketplace in the Plaza de los Amigos to get to the location. While all of this theming is charming on its own, the Plaza de los Amigos and San Angel Inn Restaurante are perpetually existing in twilight, which adds a level of ambiance and romance to a meal at any time of the day.

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San Angel Inn Restaurante itself is an open-air restaurant that is themed to feel like a seventeenth-century hacienda, with classic tiled floors, softly glowing lanterns, wrought iron accents, floral arrangements, and surrounding buildings that feature traditional Mexican architectural styles and detailing. To enter the dining area, Guests have to pass through a beautiful archway bearing the restaurant’s name, framed menus, and additional details including ornate lanterns and sculptures on top.

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Once inside the main dining area, Guests are truly stunned by the theming and ambiance of San Angel Inn Restaurante with neatly arranged white-topped tables with bright pops of blue napkins that lead the way towards a beautiful view. The far side of the restaurant overlooks a gently flowing river where boats from the adjacent Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros glide by, and a Mayan ancient pyramid, lush jungle vegetation, and smoking volcano can be seen in the distance.

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There is absolutely no debate that San Angel Inn Restaurante features a beautiful atmosphere and décor that is only accentuated by the perpetual twilight. The ambiance is only upstaged by the delicious menu that is featured for lunch and dinner every day that serves up traditional Mexican cuisine with a focus on classic and flavorful dishes.

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A fantastic way to begin any meal at San Angel Inn Restaurante is with a margarita, and the location is lucky enough to serve house specialties as well as delicious creations from the nearby La Cava del Tequila. Some amazing margarita options to kick any meal off with include the San Angel Inn Margarita, La Cava Avocado, El Diablo, Clasica, The Cucumber, and Blood Orange as well as several specialty tequila flights.

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The menu at San Angel Inn Restaurante begins with a selection of soups and appetizers that are all unique in their flavors and presentations. Sopa Azteca is a light start to any meal, and the flavorful soup features fried corn tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and chile pasilla for the perfect texture with a hint of spice.

No appetizer at a Mexican restaurant is as traditional as Guacamole, and San Angel Inn Restaurante’s version tops fresh, smashed avocados with mango and toasted pumpkin seeds with a side of chicharrones and salsa valentina. Queso Fundido is also a popular dip appetizer option that combines melted Monterey jack with chorizo, poblano peppers, and onions with flour tortillas on the side for dipping and smothering.

The final two appetizer options at San Angel Inn Restaurante feature fresh tortillas with flavorful ingredients, beginning with the classic Totopos Con Queso which pairs the tortillas with white cheddar cheese and salsa. A more elaborate and hearty option is the Toastadas de Pollo which features crispy tortillas paired with beans, chipotle chicken, romaine lettuce, queso fresco, and crème Mexicana for a flavorful and filling way to begin any meal.

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While every menu item at San Angel Inn Restaurante is delicious, Guests who are looking for lighter options for a main course have two choices including the Ensalada Cesar which puts a twist on a classic Caesar salad with romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan, and crispy Monterey jack cheese, as well as the option to add chicken or shrimp for an additional fee. Also relatively light is the Huarache Vegetariano which tops fried corn masa with pinto beans, grilled queso fresco, nopales, pea tendrils, and salsa verde with the option to add chicken or shaved rib-eye for an additional cost.

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Tacos are a staple of any traditional Mexican menu, and San Angel Inn Restaurante has two flavorful options for Guests to indulge in. The Tacos de Ribeye serve up thinly sliced meat with poblano peppers, red onions, bacon, Monterey jack cheese, corn tortillas, plantains, crèma Mexicana and otija cheese and the Baja Tacos de Pescado feature perfectly fried beer-battered cod with shredded cabbage, a chipotle-lime-aioli, pineapple relish, and flour tortillas.

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Chicken is the star of several entrée options at San Angel Inn Restaurante, including the delicious Pollo a Las Rajas which places moist grilled chicken breast over a bed of roasted garlic potatoes, onions, poblano peppers, corn, poblano pepper cream sauce, and queso fresco. The Enchiladas de Pollo also features chicken with a chipotle seasoning stuffed inside of corn tortillas and topped with salsa verde and crispy onion straws accompanied by refried beans, plantains, crema Mexicana, and cotija cheese.

Heartier meat options are available for lunch and dinner at San Angel Inn Restaurante and a classic serving of Carne Asada is always popular with Guests featuring a perfectly cooked New York Strip topped with chipotle butter and served with grilled queso fresco, nopales relish, grilled plantains, queso cotija, and crema Mexicana. The Chuleta du Puerco is also flavorful and satisfying with a bone-in pork chop paired with mole sauce, roasted cauliflower, plantains, queso cotija, and crème Mexicana.

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The final two entrée options at San Angel Inn Restaurante focus on fresh seafood and bold flavors and a favorite of many Guests is the Camarones a la Diabla, which features sautéed shrimp with guajillo peppers and garlic on a bed of poblano rice with a side of roasted cauliflower. Seared snapper is the star of the Pescado A La Veracruzana served with potatoes and a cilantro-lime vinaigrette featuring capers, olive, peppers, Spanish onions, and tomatoes.

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With such flavorful appetizer and entrée options at San Angel Inn Restaurante, it can absolutely be hard to save room for dessert, but there are several indulgent options that cannot be found anywhere else at the Walt Disney World Resort that Guests have to sample! The Tres Leche de Horchata soaks a sponge cake in rice milk and tops it with a scoop of unique sweet corn ice cream and toasted almonds. Guests can also opt to try the Sweet Corn Ice Cream as its own dessert. Also available are a classic Brownie Sundae and a Sorbet Trio which focuses on seasonal Mexican flavors paired with a berry coulis.

The final dessert offered at San Angel Inn Restaurante is a special option for the Walt Disney World Resort’s 50^th Anniversary Celebration. The Chocolate “Fiesta” Pyramid is a literal pyramid made of chocolate on top of a tres leche cake that has been filled with Mexican chocolate mousse and toffee and paired with ice cream. This decadent dessert is so massive that it can easily be shared amongst a whole group of Guests!

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Guests who are looking for authentic Mexican cuisine in an unforgettable setting absolutely have to enjoy a lunch or dinner at San Angel Inn Restaurante in EPCOT’s World Showcase. Its charming and romantic atmosphere pairs perfectly with flavorful and satisfying authentic Mexican cuisine that Guests will find themselves returning to enjoy time and time again!