We love heading to Disney Springs to try out the different restaurants there, but if we’re honest, sometimes a few of them are out of our price range.
However, that’s where Happy Hours come in! Some Disney Springs restaurants have fantastic Happy Hours that allow you to try out some of their menu offerings at a much lower price, and it’s a great way to see if it’s a restaurant you may want to book a full reservation at in the future. We just headed over to STK Orlando to give it a try, and we need EVERYONE to know about this incredible offering ASAP!
Background
STK Orlando is a chic hideaway for guests looking to unwind and get a full fine-dining experience (even at Happy Hour!). This space, one of STK’s largest locations, features a stunning outdoor patio area as well as a beautiful private dining room.
Dining here at Happy Hour is going to give you slightly more relaxed vibes, so that’s something to keep in mind. But is it still worth the stop?
Atmosphere
Inside, the lighting here is definitely darker and more intimate, like you’d expect from a traditional steakhouse. However, going for lunch is more of a relaxed vibe in comparison to dinner.
Don’t expect to find antiques on the walls or a stuffy atmosphere, though. It’s a modern steakhouse for anyone who finds the traditional American steakhouses a tad on the boring side. It’s trendy and stylish with world-class service.
Happy Hour is from 3-6:30 PM Monday-Friday and 3-5:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, so you’ll certainly be out before the dinner crowds really start to file in for their reservations. But enough about that, what are we eating?!
Food & Drinks
First up, we grabbed the Mushroom Arancini for $3. Yes, $3!!! These are four rice balls beautifully plated and topped with creamy cheese. They’re deep-fried, and the mushroom gives them a great savoriness. They’re a great vegetarian option — which is a wee bit hard to come by here, since, you know, it’s a steakhouse!
We also grabbed the Pastrami Salmon Cones for $6. Upon first glance, it looks like a salmon mousse filling the savory cones, but it’s not quite as light as a mousse. You do get a few chunks of salmon (which is why it’s such a weird mind trick when you taste pastrami instead), and it’s different with each bite because the salmon and pastrami are somehow blended together. For instance, our companion tasted mostly salmon with their cone. While we also tasted only salmon at first, with pastrami coming through only in the aftertaste, then every bite after that was full-on pastrami. It isn’t bad; in fact, it’s flavor-packed, but we recommend other items on the menu way more.
Next up was the Japanese A5 Wagyu Taco for $9, and WOW! It’s surprising to see A5 Wagyu on a Happy Hour menu, especially because the two generously filled wagyu tacos are topped with sour cream, pickled onions, red pepper, and garnished with root vegetable strips. For 9 bucks, that’s amazing. No doubt about it — these tacos are delicious with a nice kick on top of the flavorful beef. HOWEVER, if you really want to experience the flavor of A5 Wagyu, this probably wouldn’t be how you’d want to go about it because the toppings (especially the sour cream) are so plentiful that they overpower the meat somewhat. That said, we really enjoyed it and highly recommend!
Our final item on the dining menu was the STK & Frites for $9. A fun Happy Hour twist on Steak Frites. It was our favorite of the food items we tried — it’s three strips of filet mignon over the fries with a bearnaise sauce. It’s “decadent” for a Happy Hour bite in the best way, because the whole experience really is an elevated way to go about Happy Hour, and this dish proves it. The filet is so tender and flavorful and beautifully cooked that it doesn’t need the bearnaise, but fortunately, that’s delicious, too, so it doesn’t take away from it.
To drink, we picked up the Guava Berry Kiss, which is made with Hendrick’s gin, strawberry, reàl guava, fresh lime for $9 instead of the regular $23 it costs on the main menu! This looks like your basic pink drink, but it’s so not. Even though the flavors aren’t complex necessarily, the reàl guava elevates it into something unique.
The bright strawberry comes through as well, and both fruits nicely complement the floral notes of the gin. This could go down real easy, and since the pour is strong, it can sneak up on you, so we had to be careful!
Magic or Tragic?
This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if…
- You’re looking for great quality food at much lower prices
- You’re doing progressive dining around Disney Springs and don’t want a large meal
- You want to experience STK without the higher price tags
You should skip this Disney World spot if…
- You want the fancier, upscale experience that comes with eating at a steakhouse
- You’re looking for regular-sized portions, not smaller appetizer-like bites
- You’re a picky eater
Overall, you’re experiencing the terrific flavors of STK at some honestly great prices. Plus, you could go about this in a few ways — just try a few things for light bites as you eat around a few Disney Springs spots, or purchase several items and make a meal of it with plates to share. It’s a great way to treat yourself without breaking the bank, and we’re all for that!
In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news and more!
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Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments.
