Frontera Cocina Review at Disney Springs

Frontera Cocina is a restaurant offering Mexican cuisine at Disney Springs. If you enjoy authentic Mexican, you’ll want to consider this venue. The food is sublime and probably not what you expect at an average Mexican restaurant. This Frontera Cocina review will discuss dining at the restaurant and preview some of the popular food items on the menu. I have to mention that the food at Frontera is composed of high-quality ingredients.

The owner, Chef Rick Bayless, is a seven-time winner of the James Beard Foundation Award. He is also a well-known celebrity chef and owns several popular restaurants nationwide.

Frontera Cocina sits in the center of the Town Center section of Disney Springs. It’s directly behind the Disney Springs Welcome Center and Guest Relations. If you’re coming from the Disney Resort bus stop, you’ll stay straight when you enter Town Center. It will be ahead on the left before you reach the bridge. Sprinkles Cupcakes sits across the sidewalk from it.

Frontera Cocina is also closest to the Lime parking garage for those driving to Disney Springs. When you exit the garage, you’ll take a left and then a right when you reach the Welcome Center. Those unfamiliar with the venue might want to review our Disney Springs transportation guide. It includes tips for getting to, from, and around the area.

Frontera Cocina has indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating overlooks the springs. If the weather is nice, we prefer to dine outside.

Frontera Cocina features authentic Mexican flavors. From steaks to salads, the menu offers something for everyone. You can expect traditional Mexican menu items like tacos and enchiladas. But they also have specialty items like pork belly carnitas.

There is something for everyone, from steak entrees to salads. You can also expect to find familiar items, like tacos and enchiladas. Then, there are specialty items like pork belly carnitas, Cochinita Pibil, and Mahi Mahi al Mojo de Ajo, to name a few.

From time to time, Frontera Cocina offers an additional menu featuring seasonal items. For instance, a “Taste of Baja” menu was available on one visit. You can preview the entire Frontera Cocina menu with prices on their website.

Before delving into the food, let’s look around the restaurant. Frontera Cocina has a warm and casual vibe. It feels classy but fun and inviting. But I don’t think it’s a restaurant that will make anyone feel out of place. The open kitchen is located on the front right side of the house. This seems to be a more modern placement in newer establishments.

This long wall is painted bright yellow and features a pop of color in the art display. Toward the back of the restaurant, an open bar is available. If the restaurant is crowded, the bar offers the full menu. We have done a few walk-ups in the past where we were sat at the bar. An accessible bar is also available.

Inside, the restaurant has nice lighting and ambiance. Most tables are banquets with a booth on the back, and the opposite side has chairs. Each table has a place setting, and complimentary water is brought to the table.

First, the Taqueria Salad is described per the menu as Arcadian lettuce, poblano rajas, crunchy tortilla strips, Cotija cheese, and avocado-lime vinaigrette.

This salad is reasonably priced. For an additional fee, we added the Creekstone Natural carne asada. It is one of my favorite meals at Frontera Cocina. The price for the salad is a no-brainer if you are on a budget. You can also add grilled chicken breast or Mojo garlic grilled shrimp. It is a filling meal, and the poblano rajas add just the right amount of spice to the salad.

The pork belly tacos are next on our list of Frontera Cocina menu items. After reviewing the menu, I had this in mind. The pork came out falling apart and had a smoky-sweet flavor. Warm corn tortillas came to the table to turn this into a delicious soft taco.

The pork belly tacos are described as crispy pork belly, smoky bacon, grilled knob onions, black bean refritos with queso fresco, guacamole, red onion, cilantro, and three chile-agave salsa.

This entree cost around $24.00. The description notes “cilantro.” I am not a fan of cilantro. I’ve read before that either you love it or hate it. Personally, I fall into the “hate it” category. However, I didn’t notice any strong notes of cilantro in this dish.

Our third dish is the carne asada tacos grilled steak, poblano rajas, black bean refritos with queso fresco, salsa verde, and guacamole.

This is a very flavorful steak taco dish. We’ve ordered it on multiple occasions. This would be a good option if you want something more straightforward. On another note, if you don’t care for black beans, you can always substitute them for rice.

This item comes with fresh, warm corn tortillas on the side. The server will continue to bring fresh tortillas during the meal as needed. It is a good amount of food, and the picture probably doesn’t do it justice to the actual portion size.

This next meal was prepared for food allergies. Walt Disney World has an excellent reputation for handling food allergies. If you have read our other Disney restaurant reviews, you may recall that my son suffers from severe food allergies. He is allergic to dairy, fish, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and tomatoes.

Frontera Cocina is one of the best places to eat for people with food allergies. Even the regular menu mentions common food allergies. The servers are trained to handle guests with food allergies. They note your allergies and discuss how they will accommodate your meal.

In our instance, my son ordered his favorite, the carne asada tacos. They leave off the dairy and tomato items. He also prefers rice instead of beans. They also note that his food will be prepared in separate cooking pans to avoid cross-contamination. His tortillas are allergen-free but are brought out separately to avoid cross-contamination at the table.

If you are planning to dine at Frontera Cocina, there might be a few discounts that apply.

• Walt Disney World Annual Passholders receive a 10% discount for food and non-alcoholic beverages at lunch and dinner.

• Disney Springs Cast Member Discount: Cast Members receive 20% off food and non-alcoholic beverage purchases.

• Frontera Cocina participates in the Disney Dining Plan.

Additionally, several specials are offered throughout the week. For example, guests can enjoy Margarita Mondays, where $5.00 Margarita clasicas are offered all day. On Tuesdays, guests can enjoy Tequila Tuesdays, where $5.00 shots of Tequila are available. Guests can also enjoy $6.00 shots of Mezcal on Wild Wednesdays. (These specials are subject to change. But were available as of this last update.)

Frontera Cocina also has an Express Window on the side of the building. This is common with many of the restaurants at Disney Springs. For example, Morimoto Asia has a separate street food window, and Homecomin’ has the Shine Bar. The express window offers the opportunity to pick something up and eat on the patio or take it with you.

Overall, Frontera Cocina is a longtime favorite for my family. We can’t recommend it enough. With all the restaurants at Disney Springs, there aren’t too many places we return to often. But Frontera Cocina is one of them.

For more of our favorites, you might enjoy our list of the Best Disney Springs Restaurants Ranked. Some of our favorites include these individual reviews:

• Morimoto Asia Review
• The Polite Pig Review
• Rainforest Cafe Review at Disney Springs
• D-Luxe Burger Review
• STK Orlando Review
• Jaleo Review Disney Springs
• Thigh-High Chicken Biscuits at Homecomin’
• Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ Review
• Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill Review

For everything else, try our Disney World Dining Guide.

In the Comments

What do you think of Frontera Cocina? Have you had the opportunity to dine here? Did you enjoy this review? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. We’d love to hear your take or experiences. Or, even better, let us know what you had!