Disney’s NEWEST Restaurant Summer House on the Lake
I think I may have just found my new favorite restaurant in Disney Springs! Summer House on the Lake recently opened in Disney Springs and serves us fresh eats with Californian flavors. It’s Summertime year round in this semi-upscale beach house and the food they are serving up is delicious with some surprises that I think guests are going to love.
Don’t forget to check out our full dining review over on YouTube!
The Vibes
As mentioned, this is an upscale beach house type restaurant featuring lots of natural textiles and light. There are both front and back patios with outdoor seating and they even open the walls of the restaurant for an indoor/outdoor type dining experience.
There are lots of beautiful details in the furnature, light fixtures, and table settings and it give the feel of something a little nicer without being overly fancy or stuffy. During the daytime, the lighting in here is GORGEOUS and at night, there is lots of soft warm ambient light to give it a cozy and more intimate feel.
Brunch
We have not had the chance (yet) to try brunch, but we’ve hear it’s just as fantastic! Brunch is served on the weekends from 10am-3pm and we think this could be a great alternative to Homecomin’. Keep in mind reservations are recommended, and can currently be booked through the Open Table App. We imagine it will be added to My Disney Experience at some point, so of course, check there first!
Cookie Bar
Ok, we’ll get back the restaurant in a minute, but a HUGE star of the show at this new dining location is the Cookie Bar! These huge cookies are seriously incredible and there are a ton of different flavors to try with even a few special ones that are Gluten Free and Vegan.
The Cookie Bar is walk up all day and at the moment is MUCH less busy than Gideons. HOWEVER, the cookies themselves are not quite so indulgent, so these may end up being a more popular option in the long run. AND it isn’t just cookies! You can find a few other treats like rice krispies, cake, and even select specialty coffee beverages!
I can foresee this getting very popular, so I recommend visiting during the weekdays to avoid crowds!
The Starters
Alright, back to the restaurant. To Start, there are a bunch of great options to try and share! Something I found really interesting about this restaurant is that Summer House itself is a franchise/chain, but each one has a slightly different menu. They pride themselves on using local ingredients, so although there may be some overlap in the menus, you may find something else that is unique to that location.
The Jalepeno Cornbread and Cheese Dream Puffs are very popular and do sell out later in the day, so be sure to grab an earlier reservation if these are high on your list. We tried the Potato Salad Deviled Eggs and these were delish! They were just salty enough and the potato salad itself was really good. The serving comes with three, but you can pay to upgrade to 4 if you are sharing between more guests.
We also got the Signature Guacamole. It also comes with a few salsas that were honestly just as good as the Guac! This is a very large portion and could easily feed 4-6 people. You also have the option of adding crab to the guac, but be warned! It’s a steep charge! (although, it looks incredible, so could be a good option if you are wanting that for your entree)
The Drinks
I got the Tropical Dreams featuring sunny vodka, lime, and habanero honey. HOLY COW was this a delicious drink! The honey made it incredibly smooth while the habanero gave it a nice kick in the back of the throat. I expected this to be an overly sweet fruity cocktail, but the flavors were much more complex, making this a great cocktail.
We also got the Summer Old Fashioned. This is a lighter, sweeter take on an old fashioned and a great option if you don’t love the heavy harsh taste of regular old fashions.
Summer House also offers a variety of zero-proof cocktails (aka non-alcoholic) as well as they are pretty famous for their rose’s. There is a bar at this location, so if you want to just come in for some amazing drinks, I highly recommend!
The Entrees
This restaurant has a motto of ‘Yes’ and you can see it on the walls and some of the plates. We asked our server what the story behind that was and she said that “the answer is yes, the question is how”. Basically what that means is they will do whatever they can to accomodate - if you have a food allergy, need something prepared gluten free, or you simply want something modified, they will do their best to do it! Keep in mind, some items like the cookies are pre-made earlier in the day, so there are some limitations, but I thought this was a really cool thing for those that have special dietary needs.
Speaking of which, we got the Picnic Fried Chicken Basket - aka chicken tenders. We thought these would just be ok, but as we started eating them, we realized we were very wrong! These are juicy and the batter is delicious with spicy chili flakes to give it a kick. The best part? We didn’t find out until AFTER our meal that they were gluten free! We honestly had no idea and they tasted just as good (if not better) than regular chicken tenders.
This dish also comes with fries that are very delish, but you do have the option to upgrade them to their famous truffle fries too!
I got the chicken tacos and a nice surprise? They came with some of that same great Guac and salsa! It comes with three tacos and this was a pretty filling dish. The chicken had a really great char and the flavors honestly reminded me alot of Satu’li Canteen over in Animal Kingdom.
Summer House offers a huge variety of other dishes ranching from sandwiches to pizzas, salads to filets, and more! Pricing was all over the place too with some dishes that were more reasonable (for Disney) around $20 or so and others that reach upwards of $50-$60 for more premium offerings. BUT if you do have an Annual Pass, they do take those discounts!
Overall Thoughts
If you haven’t gathered already, we LOVED our experience. The food was great, the service was excellent, and the vibes are seriously stunning! We will for sure be back again and again and I’m already trying to figure out when we can get back over there to try brunch!
