Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa reigns as one of the most prestigious resort hotels at Walt Disney World. The location, quality service, and deluxe level amenities attract guests to this hotel. Some of the best table service dining on Walt Disney World property resides at Grand Floridian Resort. Narcoossee’s and Citricos (and of course Victoria and Albert’s) headline the table service dining here. The more casual table service dining option here is the Grand Floridian Café.

Grand Floridian Café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Normal operating hours are:

Breakfast – 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM

Lunch – 11:05 AM to 2:00 PM

Dinner – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

 

If you are unfamiliar with the Grand Floridian Café, Walt Disney World, on their website, calls this place a hidden gem. That wording always confuses me since how can you declare your own restaurant a hidden gem at your signature deluxe resort hotel? Despite that, reservations are recommended here. On the day of writing this article, around 7:00am Florida time, only two time slots were open for breakfast 60 days in advance. Yet, most lunch and dinner spots were still available. However, 30 days in advance, limited spots were available for breakfast and dinner. Based on that, it sounds like many people know about this place. Of course, Walt Disney World also says on their website that advance reservations are highly recommended.

So, what makes this place a “hidden gem” and a place where reservations are recommended? One reason relates to the fact that Disney calls a large portion of menu “Blunch.” I confess my lack of knowledge of that term until starting to write this article. Still, if you want a brunch menu with way more lunch style items on it, Grand Floridian Café provides that. Grand Floridian Café offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch items.

 

However, they offer the Lobster ‘Thermidor Burger all day. If you want to have a high-quality table service burger for breakfast, then you can. You are on vacation, right? If the concept of lobster on a burger intrigues you, this one should be on your list.

Grand Floridian Café Lobster ‘Thermidor’ Burger costs more than your average table service burger at $25. Yet, as I compile an updated list of the best burgers at Walt Disney World, this one deserves to be named. This artisanal burger patty comes with a lobster-parmesan thermidor sauce. Yes, that type sauce at this “hidden gem” comes with a burger. If that is not enough, guests get a seared brioche bun and actual quality lobster inside it. This burger does come with signature seasoned French fries. However, you did not order this table service burger for the fries.

So how is this burger? First, the overall flavor of the burger patty wins high adoration. This artisanal blend, as Disney calls it, proves that Disney can do better than below average quick service burgers. Yes, this burger patty is covered with scrumptious toppings. Disney likes to use the trick of covering below average burger patties with a bunch of toppings hoping you do not notice. The artisanal meat blend used in this burger could be better and perhaps have more seasoning. Still, the burger could shine by itself if needed without the toppings. Based on my sources, this burger also gets help with incredible preparation. For example, if you ask for a medium-rare burger, that is what you get.

A unique touch of a parmesan cracker resides on top of this burger also. That aspect does not appear in the menu description. The cracker provides a solid contrast in terms of texture. The parmesan flavoring could have been more for me. Yet, this burger comes with plenty of flavor already.

Now, how do I describe the sauce and the lobster? I cannot tell which of those offers the most satisfying taste. As you might expect, this flavor of lobster and sauce presents a rich decadent shock to your taste buds. The combination of the unique blend burger patty, the cream sauce, some actual lobster, and the salty parmesan wafer delivers near perfection within the brioche bun.

The negatives of this menu item, in my opinion, are three-fold. First, the fries sometimes taste inconsistent in quality. Second, the price point might alarm the person in charge of your budget. Third, the sauce often leads to probable mess factor. If you tend to leave restaurants wearing some of your meal, get your napkins ready.

The final question revolves around the issue of the worth of this burger (and fries) at $25? As theme park fans, we find ourselves asking this question so often these days in terms of a Walt Disney World vacation. If you want a high-quality table service level burger, then this should be near the top of your list (if not the top!). Some Walt Disney World restaurants offer burgers with better overall value. Still, very few burgers anywhere provide better taste than this one.

Obviously, if you dislike parmesan and/or lobster, skip this one. However, if you want a larger burger with great flavor, this one should be tested. You might find larger burgers off-property, but this is large enough to share if you are willing to do that. Once again, this burger resides on the menu for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In theory, you can eat this exclusively while at Walt Disney World. If you choose to accept that contest, you might need to get a few reservations. I understand that MouseDining can assist with that. As always, eat like you mean it!