Maria and Enzo’s review: Best Disney Springs Restaurant?
Maria and Enzo’s is a very special place for me. My partner and I had our first date there, and every anniversary dinner since. Maria and Enzo’s is located in The Landing section of Disney Springs.
The Landing is the former Pleasure Island and features a shopping district, exemplary dining options, and lively entertainment. Maria and Enzo’s is surrounded by high end restaurants like STK Steakhouse and The Edison, which is owned by The Patina Group, but Maria and Enzo’s is the only Italian inspired restaurant on the block.
As of now the operating hours for Maria and Enzo’s are 5:00 pm-10:00 pm daily, but those are subject to change depending on the time of year. When you first walk into Maria and Enzo’s you come upon an airline ‘passenger’ check-in desk where you are usually greeted by a hostess in a Pan-Am inspired flight attendant outfit.
An Inside Look Into Maria and Enzo’s
While you wait for your reservation be called you can walk around the small gift shop that sells Maria and Enzo’s merchandise like shirts and tumblers. After your name is called, you are escorted into the breathtaking, two story, main dining room.
The main dining room is large and airy and is designed to look like an airport concourse. It is my favorite part of this restaurant and any Maria and Enzo review you read will not be able to do it justice. On our first date we were taken into the “first-class lounge,” a smaller, more intimate dining area off the main dining room.
On our first anniversary I had called Disney to let them know that we were celebrating our anniversary at Maria and Enzo’s and that we had had our first date there, hoping they would give us a cannoli with a candle.
We were treated to so much more than I ever expected. It was as if we were VIPs. We received complimentary glasses of champagne, a charcuterie board with Italian meats and cheeses, olives and breadsticks, and of course, my cannoli with a candle!
Last time we ate at Maria and Enzos, just a few weeks ago, I made what my mother-in-law calls a ‘happy plate’, I ate every last drop of food off of my plate, which is not something I normally do as my refrigerator is usually filled with doggy-bags from restaurants. I ordered the Torch All Verde, a vegetarian pasta dish with Calabrian chili and toasted breadcrumbs.
My boyfriend stuck with his usual favorite, Chicken Parmesan, and both of us left feeling full and happy. Although this time we were a bit disappointed in the caprese salad. It was bland and very expensive, $18.00. I usually order a caprese salad whenever it is on a menu but I think next time I will try something new.
The last two times we ate at Maria and Enzo’s we did not have the pleasure of being escorted back to the first class lounge but that was quite alright because we were seated next to the big, picturesque window in the back of the main dining room.
We were not so lucky but, if the whether permits, there are beautiful views of the Aerophile balloon taking off and landing from these tables. You can request these tables at check-in.
The service has always been fantastic, because of the friendly and efficient servers. A manager usually stops by to give a courteous hello and to ask if their are any comments or concerns. Reservations are recommended and I definitely recommended making them because last time we ate there they were turning families away due to not having any availability.
Theme of Maria and Enzo’s
Disney World is well known for it’s themed restaurants such as the Sci-Fi Dine-In, where you can dine-in a car at an old fashioned drive-in movie theater, or Cinderella’s Royal Table, where you can dine with elegance while you reign over Fantasyland, and Be our Guest, where The Beast and Belle have invited you by to try the gray stuff.
At first glance you might not think Maria and Enzo’s has a theme, but they do, and quite a story it is. The restaurant is themed to be a former seaplane terminal from the 1930’s brought by Italian immigrants Maria and Enzo. Maria and Enzo immigrated to America and settled into the Central Florida neighborhood of, Disney Springs. Enzo, a former airline pilot, felt a connection to the abandoned terminal.
The couple then had the idea to transform the old terminal into a restaurant, that way they would be able to share their Italian cuisine of their old home, with their new neighbors in Disney Springs.
The walls are covered with travel posters and there is a globe hanging in the center of the main dining room. Posters for New Orleans, St. Augustine, Miami, New, York, Daytona and Washington D.C can be found. It is a lot of fun to try and find your home state or city in the decor.
Maria and Enzo’s Menu
As you read over the menu ,your server will bring your a basket of fresh warm bread with oil and vinegar on the side. Maria and Enzo’s menu is inspired by Italian cuisine and features Italian favorites with a unique twist.
For example, their Ravioli dinner is made with parmesan cream, smoked pecorino, fresh ricotta, toasted garlic and almond pesto. Some other unique Italian dishes are Salmone Alla Griglia, which is Grilled Salmon served with a salt baked potato, broccolini and garlic with lemon oil and Costine Di Manzo, and that is, braised beef short-rib, creamy polenta made with fontina cheese, served with roasted carrots and onions.
Entree dishes costs are approximately $30.00-$35.00 per person, except for the Bistecca alla Griglia, a grilled angus sirloin steak served with potatoes and grilled asparagus costs $52.00.
The appetizers at Maria and Enzo’s are the same ones you have probably come to expect from an Italian restaurant like the Caprese Salad I mentioned in this Maria and Enzo’s review. For those not familiar with it, a Caprese Salad is made with cherry tomatoes, cheese, basil and extra virgin olive oil.
Other appetizer options are polpettine, although it’s name is unfamiliar this dish is a braised meatball made with whipped ricotta and parmesan cheese and a caesar salad made with mixed romaine lettuce, ciabatta croutons and parmesan cheese. Appetizers cost an average of $17.00 each.
Growing up in an Italian-American family, Italian desserts and pastries have always been my favorite and Maria and Enzo’s have plenty to choose from. Dessert’s listed on the menu include, gelato in both chocolate and crema, cannoli Siciliano, stuffed with whipped ricotta, candied fruit and chocolate chips, and Tiramisu, made with ladyfinger cookies, mascarpone cheese, coffee, and cocoa powder. Desserts are about $15.00 each.
The prices at Maria and Enzo’s are steep so if trying to stay within a budget, I would recommend skipping out on the appetizers, the warm bread and oil is delicious and will help hold you over until your meal arrives, plus you can always ask for more. My boyfriend and I both have a sweet tooth so we always order dessert with our meals but we have started just ordering one dessert to share, especially when dining at Disney.
If were to each order a dessert at Maria and Enzo’s it would cost us $30.00! That is as much as it was for dinner. Another option that will not only save you money but will help you get more for your money is, skip dessert at Maria and Enzo’s entirely and go get dessert at another location in Disney Springs.
I recommend Amorette’s Patisserie, located in the Market Place section of Disney Springs, just a short walk from Maria and Enzo’s. You can get a Mickey Mousse, for $9.00, and that is a chocolate chiffon cake with dark chocolate and white chocolate mousse. This dessert is a much better option than any options on the Maria and Enzo menu.
Maria and Enzo’s has an extensive wine list as well as a full bar. A favorite from the bar is the shareable sangria. The sangria come in your choice of white or red and costs $15.00 per glass and $39.00 per pitcher. Other drinks on the menu are seasonal cocktails, such as the Pumpkin Mudslide for $17.00 .The bar can also make an Italian Margarita for $15.00
Maria and Enzo Dress Code
Despite the prices and the atmosphere, Maria and Enzo’s dress code is ‘resort casual’. Resort casual clothing are items such as sundresses, shorts, t-shirts, jeans, cargo shorts, sneakers, sandals, or flip-flops.
Dressing up in a cocktail dress or a button down shirt and tie is always an option and is probably encouraged because it stays with the theme of the restaurant, plus people have spent most of the last two years at home and in pajamas due to the pandemic so take advantage of any opportunity you have to get out and dress up.
Maria and Enzo’s is also not a far walk from the Orange Parking Lot in Disney Springs so for anyone who wants to wear stilettos, you won’t have to worry about a long walk!
Maria and Enzo Brunch
In Italian culture, Sunday’s are very special days and many families have rituals that they do every Sunday. Many families will go to church on Sunday mornings and all meet back at an Aunt or Grandparent’s house to eat lunch, dinner, or both! Maria and Enzo, being from Italy, wanted to introduce their friends in Disney Springs to all of their Italian customs that is why they started having Sunday brunch.
From 10:30 am-1:30 pm, Maria and Enzo’s serves brunch. The dinner appetizers and entree’s are available during brunch as well as many unique items. Roasted Chicken Soup, Gamberoni, shrimp cocktail with an Italian spin, and Misticanza, a salad served with a white balsamic vinaigrette make up the Sunday brunch appetizers.
These appetizers range from $12.00 to $18.00. One of the unique entree items available for lunch is Nutella-stuffed French Toast topped with warm berries. Other items include Frittata Rustica, an Italian-style omelette, and an Italian Breakfast Board, which is served with soft parmesan cheese scrambled eggs, Italian meats and cheeses, toasted bread and fingerling potatoes.
Brunch entree items are more affordable than the dinner items, for example, the most expensive entree item on the special brunch menu is $24.00 dollars and the cheapest item is $17.00.
Sunday brunch even has their own dessert offering, Maria’s Chocolate Fountain. This dessert is $9.00 and is a chocolate fountain served with fruits, pretzels, rice crispy treats, brownies and blondies to dip. There is also a ‘bubbles’, 21 and over only menu available during Sunday brunch.
This special menu includes three bubbly Italian drinks, a Rossini, a Bellini and a Mimosa. Individually these drinks are $11.00-$12.00, to get all three in a wine flight is $17.00.
Pizza Pointe
Maria and Enzo’s story continues Pizza-Pointe . Maria opened a small cafe in the lobby of the air terminal. At first Pizza-Pointe only offered pasta and Italian pastries but eventually, with the success of Maria and Enzo’s, they were able to install a wood-fire pizza oven, and from then on the popularity of Pizza Pointe soared.
Pizza-Pointe is a counter-serviced restaurant attached to Maria and Enzo’s. Open daily from 12:00 pm until 9:00 pm, they do not take reservations as it is a fast-food style, restaurant. Pizza-Pointe serves pizza by the slice. A ‘regular’ slice of cheese and tomato sauce costs $6.95. Specialty slices like their San Gennaro slice, costs $8.25.
Pizza-Pointe also serve sandwiches made with prosciutto and fontina cheese. They also serve a vegetarian sandwich made with tomatoes, arugula, mozzarella cheese and olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The salad offerings are the same ones offered at Maria and Enzo’s, the Misticanza and the Caesar salad.
Sandwiches cost between $9.00 and $9.75 and the salad costs between $9.00 and $9.75. Italian desserts are also sold at Pizza-Pointe such as Cheese Cake, Tiramisu, Canolis, Chocolate Chip Cookies and, Chocolate Cake. Alcohol, soft drinks and coffees are also sold here.
Enzos Hideaway vs. Maria and Enzos
Enzo’s Hideaway is a prohibition and speakeasy inspried restaurant and lounge. The story goes that Maria and Enzo went exploring the tunnels beneath the airport and came across an old speakeasy back from the prohibition-era. Enzo thought it was be a great idea to turn this hideaway into a cozy place to eat and drink. Thus, Enzo’s Hideaway is born! Enzo’s
Hideaway is open from 5:00 pm until 10:00 pm, daily. Reservations are recommend, and probably needed, for this restaurant.
Maria and Enzo’s has an open, light, and airy atmosphere vs. Enzo’s Hideaway, whose atmosphere has a darker more intimate feel. Enzo’s Hideaway also has a full bar that offers first come, first serve seating.
Enzo’s Hideaway offers a full dinner menu with many items similar to those served at Maria and Enzo’s. Enzo’s Hideaway serves the same Angus ribeye dish for $52.00. They also serve the same grilled salmon dish as well as the caesar and Caprese Salad.
There are many items unique to Enzo’s Hideaway too. Eggplant Parmesan served with spaghetti and tomato sauce and Lemon-Oregano Pollo Arrosto, which is creamy polenta with fontina cheese, roasted carrots and onions are two dishes unique to Enzo’s Hideaway. Entree prices are between $28.00-$52.00. Enzo’s Hideaway dessert menu is the same as the dessert menu at Maria and Enzo’s.
A unique feature of Enzo’s Hideaway is, they have the largest selection of rums and scotches than any other bar or restaurant in Disney Springs! Sticking with the theme of the restaurant, they have a cocktail list called, ‘Giggle Water’. Giggle Water was a code word used for alcohol during the prohibition. Enzo’s Hideaway also offers a shareable sangria in both white in red for $15.00 a glass and $39.00 a pitcher.
Enzo’s Hideaway Sunday Supper
Enzo’s Hideaway celebrates the Italian culture on Sunday’s as well by serving Sunday Supper. Sunday Supper is served every Sunday from 5:00 pm-10:00 pm. The only menu available during this time is the Sunday Supper menu. Enzo’s Hideaway invites you to bring your favorite bottle of wine (or the cheapest) with no added corkage fee.
Sunday Supper is $45.00 per adult and $19.00 per child. This meal is served family style and starts with an anti-pasto board with a variety of meats and cheeses and a salad with first-pressed balsamic dressing. The next dish to be served is rigatoni with sauce topped with parmesan and reggiano cheese and fresh basil.
The feast continues with 1/2 roasted chicken, hand made meatballs, wagyu short ribs and sweet and spicy sausage. The meats are served with vegetables and roasted potatoes on the side. Dessert rounds out the supper with assorted pastries and ice cream.
Maria and Enzo’s Gluten Free
There are many reasons why someone would choose to exclude gluten from their diet and whatever that need may be, Disney will be there to accommodate you. When dining at Maria and Enzo’s and looking for gluten free foods, the first thing you want to do is let your server know that is what you are looking for.
Do not try and decide on your own if something contains gluten or not. Some foods are cooked in the same pans as others that may contain gluten and that is a risk that isn’t worth taking. Your server will do their absolute best to accommodate you.
The menu changes often so dish that was gluten free last time you were there may not be available anymore. That is why you should always speak a server, there might some off the many items they can make for you or there is always the option of gluten free pasta and marinara sauce. They have an egg-free pasta to accommodate anyone who is vegan as well.
This article is a guest post written by Molly.
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