Sometimes when you stay at some of the largest Disney World hotels, you want to find food nearby … especially if you’re REALLY hungry.

We’ve recently seen upgrades to Disney World hotel pool bars and lounge menus, but how do some of the hotels that haven’t seen changes to their menu lately compare?

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort is big — and it can be a pain to get around. There are a few different pools, here so it makes sense that you would have more than one option to enjoy as a pool bar and lounge near your room.

We hopped over to The Paddock Grill in one of the furthest corners of the hotel to see just how good the food is, and we have thoughts!

Atmosphere

There is very much an open atmosphere and totally lives up to a pool bar and grill setting. It’s situated right next to the pool so you’re just a few steps away from being able to order both food and drinks.

The seating at Paddock Grill is open-air and set up around the pool deck. Most of the tables have 4 chairs and a large umbrella to offer some shade from the sun. There’s not a ton of seating though, so if this were a busier day, I could see you having trouble finding a table and taking the food back to a pool lounge chair with you.

There’s a small condiments and utensils station just to the side of the window where you’ll place your order…

… and a beverage station to the further side from there. This will be where you can refill your drink cup or refillable resort mug, or fill up your coffee, tea, etc.

When I was ready to get in line, I waited my turn to step up into the order window and place my order.

The menu boards were located to the side and top of the order window with the top being the sign that held the menu prices. The Paddock Grill also sells a few pool offerings like goggles and sunscreen in case you’ve forgotten yours.

They also have a few grab-and-go snacks on display.

Menu

The menu here is pretty basic. There’s not a whole lot of variety beyond a salad, burger, chicken sandwich, and chicken tenders. The sides that are offered with the entrees are either house-made chips or standard Disney slim-cut fries.

There are a few options to choose from for Kid’s Meals…

… and pretty basic dessert offerings.

There are a few non-alcoholic drinks and the option to purchase a refillable mug…

… a few cocktail options on the rocks…

… or frozen…

… along with a few wine & sangria offerings, featured cocktails, and…

… beers in bottles and cans.

Once I had a few minutes to look over the menu, I decided to order a drink and a few entrees to try out for this review.

Drinks

There were a few interesting options to choose from here for a drink, but ultimately I settled on the Pina CoLava. This drink is a staple on Disney cocktail menus — made of Bacardi Raspberry Rum blended with flavors of Coconut, Pineapple, and Raspberry Purée. It costs $16.

This one tastes just like a classic pina colada with just a bit of raspberry flavor throughout. It’s also served with a pineapple wedge garnish on top, and when I bit into that, it was very juicy and sweet with just a hint of a sour bite to it. The drink I got was smooth with the exception of a few icy pieces that probably could have used a few more seconds in the blender.

Overall this is a good drink, but for $16, I felt like it was a bit pricey for a smaller cup. There also wasn’t much alcohol that I could taste added to this one, so I would have probably done just as well to order the non-alcoholic version in the Lava Smoothie.

Eats

The food is made to order, so it probably won’t be ready for a few minutes past the time you place your order. Since I was a bit hungrier for this trip, I decided to order two entrees.

First, I started with the Cobb Salad. This is a salad made of Fresh Greens, Grilled Chicken, Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado, Bacon, Egg, Blue Cheese Crumbles, and Buttermilk-Ranch Dressing and costs $11.99.

I really liked the presentation of this salad even though it’s served in a smaller t0-go box. The portion size for the price really stood out to me, and I felt like it could have been a decent meal on its own. The toppings were sprinkled right on top, and the egg was meticulously sliced into pieces, which made it very easy to share or pick out things you didn’t want in your salad.

The bacon pieces were meaty and tender, but not overly crispy. The blue cheese crumbles were distinct and sharp in their flavor, which really added a nice burst of flavor to the salad when it came into a bite but almost melted in my mouth as I was enjoying it. The veggies and mixed greens I found to be fresh and crisp, but did get a little wet from condensation as they sat out in the hot sun while I finished up the salad.

After I was finished with the Cobb Salad, I moved on to try the Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger. This burger is a 1/3 lb Signature-blend Burger with Cheddar, Smoked Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Brioche Bun and costs $13.99.

If you’re looking for a familiar staple, this should be your pick! It’s a fairly standard Disney World burger with the added melted cheddar cheese and two long bacon slices.

The meat patty was cooked to a medium-well temperature but was a thinner burger. I found mine to be juicy with a flame-broiled taste to the meat, and the crispy pieces of the bacon helped give it the texture it badly needed. The veggies served under the meat patty were fresh, and the brioche bun was toasted and buttered.

The burger was served with fries, which had crisp edges and soft potato insides but the whole meal felt very average — like a safe choice for anyone who just wants something “run of the mill” with no surprise flavors. Although mine was served with the fries this time, you could request the house-made chips as a side instead.

Overall

Overall, it wasn’t a huge meal but for a pool bar and lounge, it was sufficient. This pool is a bit further from the main check-in building and feature pool, so I didn’t have great expectations for a ton of menu offerings, but the choices that are offered were pretty solid meals you could easily have picked up in any of the Disney World parks. If you’re looking for a similar meal to what you had inside the parks, this is very easily a contender for familiar tastes.

Nosh or Not

Stop by to try out The Paddock Grill if:

• You’re just looking to grab a quick bite. Whether lounging by the pool or looking for something to take back to the room with you, this is a solid choice for meals frequently found across the Disney World parks and hotels.
• You’re looking to try fruity cocktails. While there’s a full bar offered here, a few of the cocktails from The Paddock Grill are unique to the hotel and are certainly worth trying out.
• You need food right now! The Paddock Grill is conveniently located at the furthest pool at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort WITH a water slide. (The first is by the front entrance of the hotel). That being said, you probably don’t want to try walking to the front for food (or hopping on the internal shuttle) just to grab something your kids will want to eat — your sanity will thank you on this one.

You’ll probably do better finding food elsewhere if:

• You’re looking for variety. There’s just not a lot of variation to the menu here beyond burgers, salads, and chicken tenders with fries or chips. If you’re craving something different, you’ll want to visit the Artist’s Palette.
• You’re looking for a quick dessert. You just won’t find anything like that here beyond a Mickey ice cream bar or chocolate chip cookie.
• You really have your heart set on dining indoors. This location is completely outdoor seating and built for smaller groups — like 4 or less. While you’re welcome to scoot over chairs, there’s just not a lot of table space beyond the originally planned max of 4, which could complicate things if you’re looking at splitting up kids or want to be inside to eat.

We’ve tried out hundreds of foods, snacks, and drinks around Disney World to help you make the best decision for yourself while on vacation! Be sure to check out our full reviews below and stay tuned with us at Disney Food Blog for the latest in Disney food news and updates!

REVIEW: The Right Way to Do a Mid-Day Snack in EPCOT

Have you ever eaten at The Paddock Grill? Tell us all about your experience in the comments below!