Pepper Market At Coronado Springs Resort Continues Buffet Service
In December, Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort began testing a new Buffet format in their Quick Service Restaurant, Pepper Market. The test was scheduled to end at the beginning of January, but they decided to continue in hopes of getting more feedback. I attended the Buffet for lunch, both during the original test, and again mid-January, and for so many reasons, this is now one of my favorite restaurants on Walt Disney World Property.
I liked Pepper Market just fine before. The food was awesome, and a good value, but the setup of the restaurant was a bit odd. Guests were seated and had a waitress, like at a table service restaurant; but the waitress only got drinks for the table. Guests then went and ordered and picked up their own food, got a card stamped showing what they ordered, and then after they ate, went and checked out at a cash register.
The buffet works so much better in the space they have. It operates much like a table service buffet, so much so that I kept forgetting it was a counter service restaurant. The only thing that is different, is that you still walk up to the register to pay at the end of your meal.
The food selection is outstanding. They have pizza, pasta, fresh paninis, carved meats, potatoes, salads, soups, build-your-own taco bar, enchiladas, grilled chicken, burritos, and much more. They also have a good children’s selection with chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, french fries, etc. While some of the options sound like standard buffet fare, this isn’t your typical Disney food. Pepper Market is owned by an outside company, and so they don’t have the same standard pizza, chicken, and macaroni. Everything we tried was fresh, hot, and delicious.
Another fantastic thing about the Pepper Market buffet is that it isn’t crowded. It’s at a fairly out of the way resort, that most people don’t visit unless they are staying there, and those that do eat at the restaurant are cycled through fairly quickly because of the buffet/quick service style. On the right you can see a picture of what the dining room looked like at 12:30 in the afternoon on the day we decided to go. It was only our table and 3 others!
Possibly because it was so quiet, the service was fantastic. Everyone from the seaters to the waitstaff to the folks behind the counter and in the kitchen spoke with us, played with the kids, asked if we needed anything…it was outstanding. The whole restaurant just felt very welcoming and friendly.
For guests using the Disney Dining Plan, the Pepper Market buffet counts as a Quick Service restaurant. So, you can eat at the all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet for just one quick service credit. All you can eat for one counter service credit is a pretty incredible value for Disney’s meal plan.
As a local, the Pepper Market is someplace that I will frequent. Good food, good value, good service…it’s an all around win.
Update: The price for the Pepper Market Lunch Buffet is $16.99 for adults and $9.99 for Children 3-9. Children under 3 are free.
Have you visited the Pepper Market Buffet? What did you think? Would you go to a Quick Service Buffet?
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This Sounds great. However, we are going in February and I asked a Disney rep. today who told me breakfast and lunch were charged as table service. Can someone confirm this for 2013 dining plan?? Thanks
Sounds like a good place! Can’t beat a good taco bar! Will have to come here the next time I’m at Disney World.
Wow. Thanks for the update. I had been unaware of the change. You’re right, this is an incredible value for guests on the dining plan, particularly the quick service plan.
Do you know if they have same menu for lunch/dinner?
Just returned from trip to WDW (Aug. 2012) and was on the quick service Dining Plan. We had the lunch buffet here for ONE Quick Service credit and it was AWESOME!!!!! An Amazing deal for one QS credit indeed. Even the drinks had free refills!!!! Highly recommended!
Hi,
I’m glad you enjoyed the buffet, but I’m not at all happy about the change. My family and I eat small portions and for us paying $16.99 per person for 1 taco is ridiculous. I agree that Pepper Market has an akward payment system, but I feel that this is just a big rip off. On top of that, the Maya restaraunt is way below par.
So if Coronado makes this plan permanent, there will be no place for quick service at this resort. There will be below par sit-down restaraunt, an over priced buffet, or the Grab’n Go.
can’t you still order from the different food counters they have? If so, then the buffet doesn’t sound like it is for you.
Hi Chris
I hope you can order from individual counters, but that wasn’t mentioned in the original buffet review. Can anyone confirm that you can still order individual items?
You can not order a la carte, except at dinner when there is no buffet.
It is my understanding that the buffet is currently breakfast and lunch. The traditional ala carte/stations are available at dinner. Cafe Rix and the poolside quick service are the same as before for those who do not want the buffet.
Any word on how well this works for breakfast and dinner (particularly late dinner)? Those are the times an out-of-towner is most likely to be there.
Breakfast is a buffet that works just like lunch. Dinner time is ala carte the way it has been in the past.
The buffet is similar at breakfast, but at dinner the restaurant goes back to the a la carte style.
Scarlett, great report. I cannot wait to try this buffet on our Leap Day trip. I have been dying to check it out since the first announcement, but your report pretty much seals the deal. Especially since Noah loves soft tacos and pretty much everything else you mentioned. Plus (like all boys his age) he is pretty much a bottomless pit. Thanks!
This sounds great! We haven’t been there yet, but look forward to visiting Coronado Springs soon.
Thanks for your review. As a local, we have eaten at the new buffet several times since it started in December. I have seen several improvements. Whether we are staying on property or just looking for a quick lunch while in the area, the Pepper Market’s lunch buffet has quickly become a favorite!
Thanks for reporting on this. I’ve been very curious to hear how the buffet is and whether they’re going to stick with the format. I hope they do. We stayed at Coronado about 5 years ago and thought Pepper Market was good but a little awkward. We’re planning on staying there again this year; hope they decide to stick with the buffet.
Awesome! Thanks Scar for the great article. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m stopping by CSR my next trip down if this is still going just to check it out. Taco bar rules all!
The Taco Bar was really awesome! I think you and the family will enjoy it. Let me know what you think.