I love any excuse to go eat delicious food. So when my dad announced to my family that we were going to Disney mainly to try a bunch of new (to us) restaurants, I was psyched. We’re used to seeing amazing restaurants in the Parks or at the Resorts. But there are some really great options in Disney Springs! One of the newest popular spots is Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’. In article, I’m going to just call it Homecomin’ for simplicity’s sake. Everyone had been telling us that this restaurant is not one to miss. We were all pretty skeptical, to be honest. It’s a fried chicken place. How great can it be? But everyone raved, so we went to try it out!
My Dining Experience
Disney Springs is always pretty busy, but it was especially so the day that we went. We walked up to the hostess at Homecomin’ and asked if they had any tables available, but the main dining room was full. We could, however, eat at the bar instead. So that’s what we did and we actually really enjoyed the experience! We sat next to the lemonade machine which was so fun to watch. The downside of sitting at the bar was that it was difficult to talk to each other, but I think it would have been hard to hear no matter what. The restaurant was very loud. Despite this, we were excited about our meal and had a fun time looking at all of the quirky decor throughout the dining room. The southern farmhouse style shone through from the brass light fixtures to wooden beam ceilings.
The atmosphere of Homecomin’ was very casual and relaxed. It is clearly a fun place to be. The wait staff is friendly and upbeat, wearing jeans and their Homecomin’ shirts. Even though the restaurant was so busy, we didn’t have to wait very long for service. Our orders were taken right away and we got our food in a very timely fashion.
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Appetizers
For an appetizer, we chose to try the Hush Puppies. We had heard amazing things about these little fried balls so we definitely wanted to taste them! Unfortunately, we didn’t think they were very amazing at all. We found that they were incredibly bland and you couldn’t really taste anything. My favorite part about this appetizer was the sweet sauce on the side. But even still, we were disappointed.
The other appetizer we tried was the Fried Green Tomatoes with arugula and cured ham. This one I really loved, but that might just be because I love fried green tomatoes, arugula, and cured ham. It truly was not fantastic, but it was really tasty.
Related:Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ Expanding Brunch to Saturdays at Walt Disney World
Entrees
On to the main event! My dad ordered the Chicken-Fried Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. He was incredibly disappointed in this meal. He felt that the steak was very overdone and the meal itself was just pretty average. It also came with a side salad that I don’t think he had a single bite of…but that’s because he hates salad, not because it was bad!
My mom had the Shrimp and Grits, and these were so good! Not everyone is a grits fan, but if you are, you’ll love this meal. I couldn’t stop stealing bites throughout the meal. This dish was covered in a delicious sauce that coated the shrimp and grits. Both the shrimp and grits were cooked perfectly, and all of the flavors melded together beautifully. This dish was a real winner to us.
Next up was my meal. I had Art’s Famous Fried Chicken! I was super excited about this dish because it is the main dish for this restaurant. They brine the chicken for 24 hours before frying it all up! While it looked and smelled delicious, I found that actual taste to be pretty average. I was super bummed about this. I was expecting this dish to change my life but found that it was just a plate of fried chicken. My mashed potatoes were pretty good, though.
The star of the day was my fiance’s main meal: the BBQ Pork with Baked Mac and Cheese. Wow. This was so good. The pork was so tender and delicious. I’m a huge BBQ sauce fan so I was impressed with how much sauce was included in the dish. And what’s not to love about mac and cheese? It was the perfect blend. We all ended up eating more of her meal than our own. If I were to go back to Homecomin’, I would definitely get that meal.
Related: Where to Find the Best Macaroni & Cheese in Walt Disney World
Verdict
Ultimately, we had a fine time at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’. We enjoyed the atmosphere and had a nice meal. But we sort of felt like it was a glorified Cracker Barrel. I know that this is pretty counter to what most people think about this restaurant. So it’s possible that we had an off day, or chose the wrong things, or something like that. I’m definitely not opposed to trying it again sometime. In fact, I’m very interested in their brunch menu. But overall, it is my opinion that there are much better restaurants to try in Disney Springs. With that being said, if you do go, get the BBQ pork mac and cheese!
Related: New Refillable Squeeze Bottles Arrive at Disney Springs Chef Art’s!
Have you been to Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ restaurant? What did you think of your meal? Let us know in the comments below!
