Top 10 best table-service restaurants for those on a budget

Dining at Disney World can get very expensive, especially when you want to sit down, relax and be served. Many of the restaurant dinner entrée start at $20 and go up from there. For those who have a budget, it can be overwhelming and sometimes stressful to find restaurants. We’ve picked some of favorite table-service restaurants for those looking to pinch a few pennies.

Here is our list of the top 10 best table-service restaurants for those on a budget:

Trail’s End Restaurant

Trail’s End Restaurant is located at Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. It sits next to Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review at Pioneer Hall. It’s an all-you-care-to-eat buffet for breakfast and dinner that features tradition American fare. Some of the menu items, include fried chicken, pasta, peel-n-eat shrimp, hand-carved roasted meats and for dessert, Wilderness S’mores.

The cost of the buffet is 18 (kids 11) for breakfast and 25 (kids 14) for dinner. At lunch, the menu is a la cart and the prices range from 13 to 18 for adult entrees and kids’ meals are 8.59.

This is one of the best deals at Disney Word and the food is good. If you’re looking to fill up, this is the restaurant for you.

Plaza Restaurant

At Magic Kingdom, Plaza Restaurant is the best restaurant for getting the biggest bang for your buck. The menu consists mostly of sandwiches, but there is meatloaf and a salad on the menu.

The entreés range from 11.99 to 18.99. You’ll want to save room for one of their ice cream desserts. They range from 4.99 to 8.49, with most being 4.99 or 5.49. Kids’ meals are just 8.59.

We find the food here to be quite good, especially for a sit-down park restaurant. The dining room is small, so you’ll want to make a reservation if you’re planning on dining here.

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop

By Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Beach Club, sits a little seaside restaurant, Beaches and Cream Soda Shop.  The menu features juicy burgers, sandwiches, soups and of course, shakes and other ice cream desserts. Beaches and Cream is most know for their enormous dessert – The Kitchen Sink.

The prices are very reasonable. Entreés range anywhere from 8.49 to 15.99 and kids’ meals are 8.59. Desserts range from 5.99 to 8.49, except for the Kitchen Sink, it serves four and is 28.99.

50’s Prime Time Café

Take a trip back in time at 50’s Prime Time Café in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s located next to Hollywood & Vine at the front of the park. It’s one of our favorite stops for family fun and delicious food.

Entreés range from 13.99 to 23.99. One of our favorites is a sampling of Mom’s favorite recipes (golden-fried chicken, fork tender pot roast and traditional meatloaf with all the fixings). It’s even large enough to share. The kids’ meals are 8.59 and there are eight choices for them. It has one of the largest kids’ menus.

The food here is always good. The service is fun! (You better watch your manners or “Mom” will scold you.) Your whole family will have a great time – big and little kids alike. If there is only two of you and the restaurant is booked up, you can take a seat at the bar, Tune-In Lounge. Anything you can order in the restaurant can be ordered here.

ESPN Club

Sports fans love ESPN Club!  Located at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas, nearly every seat in the house has a view of a TV, so you can cheer on your favorite team while on vacation.

Most of the entreés range from 12.49 to 18.49 and kids’ meals are 8.59. Some of the menu items you’ll find include burgers (there are eight on the menu), crawfish salad po’ boy, Philly cheesesteak, and chicken and waffles. One of our favorite menu items is the Boo-Yah! Chili (7.49).

The food is pretty good and the portions are large. It can get a bit noisy at times, especially when there is a big game going on.

Crossroads at House of Blues

Located in Downtown Disney West Side, soon-to-be Disney Springs West Side, is the House of Blues. Guests can listen to live music, grab a quick bite at The Smokehouse, grab a cocktail at The Front Porch or sit down, relax and enjoy a meal at Crossroads. The menu is quite large here – 19 appetizers and 35 entreés. There is sure to be something that you’ll enjoy. There are American classics, creole and cajun dishes, sandwiches and salads. One of our favorites is the shrimp and grits.

Prices range 12.99 to 29.49, with the majority of them being in the mid to high teens. Kids can choose from seven menu items including chicken tenders, pizza and mac & cheese. All are 6.99 except for the pizza, it’s 8.99.

The food here is pretty good and we love that they have such a large selection to choose from on the menu. It’s the perfect stop for table-service dining when you’re visiting Downtown Disney on a budget.

Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room

If you’re looking for something a little different, there is plenty of that in Epcot. One of the most affordable restaurants at this park is Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room in the United Kingdom Pavilion.

Entreés range from 15.99 to 31.99 and even the kids can enjoy some fun British food, such as fish and chips, and bangers and mash for 8.59. The grilled New York strip steak and fried fish is the most expensive menu item at 31.99, but it’s a large portion and it can be shared. It’s a great option if one of the diners isn’t a big eater.

The food here is great! It’s one of the most popular restaurants in Epcot and it has an amazing view of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, the nighttime firework show. If you’re looking to get one of the best viewing seats, book your reservations for an hour to an hour and a half before the show starts. Disney can’t guarantee a seat with a fantastic view, but it’s worth asking.

Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano

Located near Muppet Vision 3D, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano features just what you’d expect – Italian food. Guests can enjoy a variety of flatbreads, several pasta dishes and a charred strip steak.

Kids’ menu options include pizza, spaghetti or penne pasta and chicken parmigiana for 8.59. The entreés here are a little more pricey. They range from 16.99 to 23.99, except for the steak which is 32.99.

The food here is pretty good. It’s even included in the Fantasmic! dining package for those that want priority seating for the nighttime show.

Tony’s Town Square

As you enter Magic Kingdom, you’ll notice Tony’s Town Square Restaurant on the right side before entering Main Street U.S.A. The restaurant pays homage to the scene where Lady and Tramp share spaghetti. Tony’s features Italian classics like spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmigiana and shrimp scampi. If you’re not a fan of that, there is a fresh catch of the day and New York Strip Steak.

Menu prices are 17.99 to 32.99 (for the steak) and kids’ items include spaghetti and meatballs, pizza and multigrain grilled cheese dippers for 8.59. The foods okay. It’s not our favorite Italian restaurant on property, but it’s budget friendly.

The Fountain

The Fountain, located on the Dolphin side of Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, features typical American diner fare.  Guests can choose from soups, salads, classic fountain favorite – build-your-own burger or hot dog, open faced Reuben and plenty of sweet treats. The ice cream panini is pretty good.

Prices run from 4.50 to 5.95 for starts and 7.95 to 15.95 for entreés. You can enjoy fun diner favorites on a very limited budget and still have a good meal.

What restaurants do you do to when you’re trying to save money at Disney World? We’d love to know if yours made our list!