Review: Spice Road Table Has Small Plates and Big Flavors

Spice Road Table in EPCOT’s Morocco Pavilion has small plates, Middle Eastern decor, and great views of the World Showcase Lagoon. Although the cuisine is Middle Eastern, it leans on familiar dishes that are well-known in the U.S., striking a good balance between exotic plates and those that are friendly to picky eaters. Most dishes are well-spiced and have bold flavors, but they’re not hot-spicy. We tried the full menu on a recent visit; our thoughts are below.

Spice Road Table has both indoor and outdoor seating, both with views of the World Showcase Lagoon. The outdoor seating is well shaded, with fans, and is comfortable (relatively) even on a hot day. If you’re looking for Luminous viewing, the Spice Road Table Fireworks Package guarantees outdoor premium seating (i.e., not on the EPCOT walkway side where you don’t have a good view of the Lagoon), but it is a fairly hefty upcharge over the regular meal price.

If you’re seated indoors, you’ll find the same high ceilings and on-point decor, with views of the Lagoon through large windows. If you’re there when Luminous runs, the music is piped in and it’s a nice way to see the show, although you may have an off-center view depending on your seat. If you’re “close” in time to Luminous and seated indoors, your server may assume that’s what you’re aiming for, and a tapas-style meal can be stretched quite a bit. If you arrive any time after about 7:15 pm, I’d recommend letting your server know whether you’re looking for a leisurely meal or one that will get you fed and on your way.

Spice Road Table is open for lunch and dinner daily, and serves the same lineup of small plates at both meals. (View the menu) Small plates range from $11 to $15; if you’re looking for an amount of food that approximates a regular meal, expect to pay $35-40 per person before drinks and gratuities.

If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, a meal at Spice Road Table is 1 Table Service credit and includes a shared tagine and dessert platter for your table, plus two small plates and a beverage per person. The Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package also includes a shared tagine and dessert platter, plus two small plates and unlimited beverages per person; it’s $107.57 per person, but that includes taxes and gratuity.

The Fireworks Package can be difficult to reserve, and while you may have a good view of Luminous without one, you shouldn’t count on it. Otherwise, Spice Road Table reservations tend to be available on short notice, although larger parties or those visiting during peak times would do well to book when the 60-day window opens.

Spice Road Table Small Plates

Lemon-Vegetable Tagine – $13.00
Olives, Preserved Lemon, Fragrant Couscous

Fragrant couscous sounds odd, but it really was! You could smell the lemon with each bite of the delicate, fluffy pasta. This tagine was bright and fresh, and it’s definitely one where you’ll want to get a complete bite with veggies, couscous, and lemon in the same mouthful.

House-made Hummus Fries – $10.00
Citrus-Chipotle and Preserved Lemon (Plant-based)

Views on this dish were mixed. Some loved the unique flavor and presentation. Some (myself included) found them a bit spicy and with an unappealing mealy texture. You would probably have to try them yourself to know which side of this fence you fall on.

Spiced Lamb Kefta – $13.00
Harissa Yogurt, Mint Chutney, Toasted Pistachios, Preserved Lemon

The flavor was wonderful, rich with lamb and spices, but not hot-spicy. Unfortunately, we also found these a bit dry. Cut into small pieces and mixed with the yogurt and chutney, they would have made a delicious pita-filler. On their own, we’d probably still order them again, but they wouldn’t be a first choice.

Calamari – $13.00
with Harissa Rémoulade

You can get fried calamari in many places, but if you’re in the mood, you won’t regret ordering this. The fry on our serving was light and perfect, and the harissa remoulade was great for dipping.

Naan Spreads – $11.00
Hummus, Chermoula, Marinated Olives, Za’atar

I cannot say enough good things about this. The hummus was great. The chermoula (a different flavor from pesto or chimichurri, but the same concept) was a standout. The olives were briny and piquant. The only thing to complain about is that we ran out of naan and had to ask for a refill.

Spicy Shrimp – $15.00
Chili, Garlic, Peri Peri Sauce

Perhaps it would have been different on a different day, but our serving of Spicy Shrimp was not all that spicy. Which was a bit odd, because we could see the garlic and chilis. They were pretty tasty though, and there was just enough sauce in the bottom of our dish to mop up with the provided naan.

Chicken Bastilla – $11.00
Braised Chicken, Crisp Filo Dough, Almonds, Aleppo Honey

With lots of contrast in this dish, the bastilla was one of the night’s favorites. The moist chicken filling vs. the flaky, dry filo. The savory spices of the filling vs. the powdered sugar of the topping. I’ll quote: “Wow, that’s yum.” And this was one of only two dishes where we ordered seconds (if you don’t count the naan refills.)

Pomegranate-Chili Crispy Cauliflower – $11.00
Red Pepper Aleppo Sauce (Plant-based)

No one needed any convincing to eat these veggies; this was the winning dish of the night. It was so winning that we ordered seconds and almost ordered a third. The tangy pomegranate sauce they were coated in was a highlight, with just enough spice to be warm without really being spicy. And the pepper sauce was a good dip, but nobody felt it was necessary.

Dessert Platter – $11.00
Assorted Moroccan Pastries

Our sampler included an almond cookie, a spiced walnut cake, and a rolled baklava. The baklava was top-notch: flaky and delicate and sweet without being cloying. The walnut cake was also a winner, sweet and moist with warm spices like a holiday cake. But the almond cookie was the favorite; it had a fragrant almond flavor and a cakey texture, and the candied cherry on top that could have come off as fancy made it feel kind of homey instead.

Wrapping Up

There are winners and losers among the small plates at Spice Road Table, and our group was rarely in disagreement about them. But even if you ordered the whole menu, as we did, there’s nothing you’d really be sorry about. You can stuff your tummy pretty full here, but the small plates make it a nice place to eat if you want a meal that’s on the lighter side after one too many funnel cakes. And it’s also a good option for a mid-afternoon snack and a place to sit a while as you take a break from touring.

Have you eaten at Spice Road Table? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!