Welcome Bob Sikon with a review of the Pepper Market’s breakfast offerings at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. After experimenting with buffet meals for breakfast and lunch, the Pepper Market has returned to a la carte menus.

Since our first visit to Walt Disney World in 1999, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort has held a special place in our family’s heart. The same can be said for Coronado’s Quick Service option, the Pepper Market.

In our many visits, we’ve seen Coronado and its Pepper Market change many times as well. It has transformed itself twice – first from an a la carte selection of an eclectic variety of cuisines to a breakfast and lunch buffet and back again. In early 2013, my wife and I got the chance to see the newest incarnation of our favorite quick service restaurant. We went for breakfast several days after it returned to its a la carte roots.

Atmosphere

One thing that hasn’t changed much is the Pepper Market’s decor. For instance, a very familiar site welcomes you to the restaurant, and we would miss it if it was gone.

And, as you move through the restaurant, you’ll see that the layout hasn’t changed either.

Eats

When it comes to cuisine, the “new” menu is a mixture of old standards and new creations. For instance, you can select “From the Grill” to get a reliable serving of scrambled eggs and sides at, what might be described as, a handsome price.

Or, you can stop by the Bakery for some bagels, muffins, or pastries.

The “Griddle Station” will bring you to helpings of buttermilk pancakes and cinnamon French toast.

The “Grab-n-Go” station is where you’ll find fruits, cereals, and oatmeal.

If you want something a little bit different, you can try the “Market Specials” – Breakfast pizzas, frittatas, or burritos.

And, not to forget the “little ones”, walk over to “Just for Kids!” for a bit more economical servings for younger eaters.

At the “Action Station”, Cast Members used to prepare fresh omelets.

However, on a recent (April 2013) visit, this was no longer the case. You now go to the Creme Brûlée French Toast station and order your omelet. The Cast Member, then, has to go back to the kitchen and put in your order. In other words, they still make omelets, but it’s done in the back kitchen and not at the cooktop out front. Kind of disappointing, and it wasn’t well marked as to what is the new procedure that you have to follow. I had to ask three Cast Members why they weren’t making omelets anymore before I learned of the new process.

They are kind of scrawny, too. The omelet still comes with potatoes, but in the picture you’ll see I subbed out with sausage. It was an up-charge, of course.

In our case, we were captivated by the allure of Mickey Waffles and Creme Brulee French Toast.

First of all, after dozens of visits to The World, can you believe that this was my first-ever Mickey Waffle?

Accompanied by a generous helping of apples, I found the waffle to be good but not as earth-shattering as I had expected. The fluffy, cake-like, interior was very intriguing, but the waffle itself was a bit on the cold side. Plus, I guess I’m a butter and maple syrup kind of guy. I ended up eating the apple topping separately, and then I replaced it with a bit of plain ol’ syrup. I have to admit that I was disappointed and left feeling that, for $7.99, I wouldn’t order it again next time.

What I would chase down again and again, however, is the Creme Brulee French Toast. It was PHENOMENAL. My wife and I shared a plate, and we agreed that it was the best version of French toast we have ever had. The vanilla custard creme knocked it out of this universe. Even at $8.99, we were tempted to go back and buy another serving. Only our diet kept us in check.

Overall

Back in December of 2011, the Disney Food Blog initially reported that Pepper Market would be testing the buffet concept for breakfast and lunch. At the time, the cost for breakfast was advertised at $14.99 for adults and $8.99 for kids. Now, a little over a year later, an ala carte meal of scrambled eggs with sides costs as much as $9.99. As much as my family loves the Pepper Market, from a value proposition and as an a la carte option, we found breakfast a bit lacking.

Oh, we’ll visit Coronado Springs and The Pepper Market in the future, and we may even succumb to the attraction of the Creme Brulee Toast again, but the best value we see in this Quick Service’s new offering is to buy a freshly made omelet or to stop in to pick up a quick pastry. As a buffet, we watched many guests in need of a quick bagel or muffin get turned away. Now, they have the Pepper Market as a viable option again.

My family and I have never been big breakfast eaters while in Disney, but I have to admit, we loved the Pepper Market as a buffet. As a la carte, it fills a small need, but it pales in comparison.

Bob Sikon is a Cast Member “Wanna-Be”. He fell in love with Walt Disney World on his first visit 13 years ago, and that’s because of the Cast Members. The way they take care of you, they make you want to be part of The Magic. Someday, his dream will come true, and he’ll proudly wear a Cast Member name badge; but, for now, you can find him working in the “real world” in Atlanta, GA, planning his next trip to The World, and blogging about the place Where Dreams Come True at allinwdw.com.

Did you prefer Pepper Market when it served breakfast and lunch buffets? Or do you think the a la carte menu is more to your liking? Share your thoughts in the comments below!