The Cake Bake Shop is now open at Disney’s BoardWalk, and we made it out to dinner on opening night to give Disney World’s newest restaurant a try. The Cake Bake Shop is essentially two offerings in one building, with the restaurant taking up most of the space, but a grab-and-go bakery is also available from morning to night. For our review of The Cake Bake Shop, we’re focusing only on the restaurant portion to help you determine if it should make your shortlist on your next Walt Disney World vacation or not. A point of clarification at the top of this review: we were not hosted, we were not invited, we made our own reservation, and we paid 100% out of our own pockets with zero discounts. Ok, let’s jump into the review!
Theming: Wonderful Execution at the Wrong Resort
We’ll start with a look at the theming of The Cake Bake Shop. To say that it’s a departure from the ESPN Club before would be an understatement. With the exception of a single Easter Egg, there isn’t a single thing that would make you think about the ESPN Club when walking into The Cake Bake Shop. In fact, there really isn’t much that would make you think about Disney’s BoardWalk when you walk into The Cake Bake Shop. Our takeaway was that the interior of the location is wonderfully executed against the vision of the restaurant, but that it’s at the wrong resort.
A stark white exterior is only lacking a red-shingled roof to fit right in at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Yes, there has been a ton of chatter recently about the high prices of The Cake Bake Shop (and we’ll get to that), but before the menu was posted, Disney fans were complaining about the theming of the location – both what was shown and what was known about other locations for the third-party Cake Bake Shop.
Inside, the decor and style screams Grand Floridian. Given that The Cake Bake Shop is a third-party offering, it’s not like owner Gwendolyn Rogers had her pick of any corner of Walt Disney World. While I’m not sure of the exact circumstances that led to the closure of the ESPN Club and Disney’s decision to make a complete 180 for the space, it is worth underlining that this is Disney’s decision. Before I get too far into the review, I want to be clear that I’m drawing a pretty strong line in the sand here to note that I’m judging The Cake Bake Shop based on its four walls, and I’m judging Disney for putting it there. Let’s get a little off-topic for a minute.
Dining at Disney’s BoardWalk is in a really rough spot right now. Among Disney World’s deluxe resorts, it has the fewest accessible dining options. There is really only so much BoardWalk Pizza one can eat in a week, and relying on EPCOT isn’t always an option. Instead, you’re stuck with pricey table service options such as Flying Fish, Trattoria al Forno, and now, The Cake Bake Shop. Disney needs to right the ship, and we’ll have more to say on that in a bit, but for now, I can’t put blame on The Cake Bake Shop for not being the savior that BoardWalk needs. Rant over (for now).
Turning our attention back to the theming of The Cake Bake Shop, we’ll take a quick look around, but if you want a more detailed look, check out our first look photo tour of the space from yesterday. The centerpiece of the main dining area is also the strongest argument for a BoardWalk vibe, and even then, it’s a loose argument (and pretty as the space may be). A central structure resembles the look of a carousel, and we’re even told that soon there will be additional decor that will sit atop the structure that will spin – perhaps a Christmas tree once the seasons change.
Perimeter rooms will soon become open-air when the weather gets a bit cooler and they can open the windows. It should be a really pretty spot after sunset during the winter months.
Overall, the theming worked for what it was trying to accomplish. If you’ve been to the other Cake Bake Shop locations, this one will feel similar, with similar chairs and finishes. I will say this, I thought that it would just be too much, visually, for me. However, being inside the space, the decor was rather simple and far less busy or overwhelming than I expected. Honestly, it’s really well done. Again, it’s a space that would be perfect just off of the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, but once you’re inside the venue, it really doesn’t matter where it is located because it does a great job of being The Cake Bake Shop.
The venue looks even better at night. Our meal experience was quite lengthy due to all of the photos and taking notes on the food (timely delivery from the server and kitchen), so as we were finishing our meal, we started to see the soft ambiance created by the carefully placed lightning throughout the restaurant. It was never dark, but it wasn’t bright either.
The Cake Bake Shop Menu & Prices
With zero concept art or photos of the interior prior to opening, the chatter has been about the menu board posted outside and the even-exorbitant-for-Disney prices. In fact, there was a menu adjustment just days before the location opened to the public to reflect not only some subtractions of menu items, but also subtractions of prices (and an increase in some prices) following social media backlash. We’re told that some popular items left the menu following test meals because the kitchen couldn’t prepare the dish exactly like they wanted to in the rather tight timeframe that a Disney meal demands. In short, while you could spend 2-3 hours at The Cake Bake Shop, the reality is that people generally want to dine and get on with their vacation. To that end, some popular pre-opening options left the menu, but might make a return once the kitchen gets a chance to fine-tune things.
Instead of flipping through the pages of the menu, here’s the latest version of the menu in single-page form posted outside of the entrance to the restaurant.
I’ll try to do my best to tackle the pricing issue here before we take our first bite of food. In my view, the topic of pricing continues the discussion we were having earlier about the variety (or lack thereof) for dining options at BoardWalk.
Let’s take a look at another Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, as an example. Nobody bats an eye at the existence of Jiko because options like Sanaa or even The Mara, exist. In short, when you have a plethora of options, everyone can find what suits their needs. At Jiko, the cheapest entree is $41 during dinner and you can pay up to $62 right now if you want a filet mignon from the oak grill. Appetizers run between $16 and $19 currently. At the same time, The Mara offers a combination bowl for $16, a signature-blend bacon cheddar burger for $15, and a pork sandwich for $12 – all while still having something basic and super accessible like chicken strips with a side for $11.
At Disney’s BoardWalk Resort, you have the BoardWalk Deli that offers some grab-and-go sandwiches, but the variety of options simply isn’t there. In fact, the only place where you can currently order a hamburger at BoardWalk is…The Cake Bake Shop. When guests staying at the resort don’t have top, middle, and lower-tier options for dining, a $20 egg sandwich or $35 Po’ Boy or $27 burger really stands out.
With that said, pricing at The Cake Bake Shop is still a bit eye-watering in places. Not to get ahead of ourselves, but our bill, before gratuity, was $210 for 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, a slice of cake, and a splurge on a $7 Coca-Cola. In general, I don’t necessarily like to review alcoholic beverages simply because many people know what they like there. You don’t need to hear my thoughts on an Old Fashioned every time I review a new restaurant. Beyond that, we didn’t need the bill creeping towards $300 if we had a few $20 drinks.
When talking about price, it’s important to remember that price is what is written on the menu, but value is what you actually pay for. That concept is at the root of every review that we do, whether it’s a new Disney After Hours event, or a new dish at a restaurant. At the end of the day, it’s value that you remember – whether it be your entire Walt Disney World experience or a single purchase.
With that in mind, it’s time to order some dishes and attempt to extract the value of visiting The Cake Bake Shop.
The Cake Bake Shop Dinner Review
As outlined earlier, we visited on opening day, which meant that the only meal period that The Cake Bake Shop was seating was dinner (starting at 4pm). Starting today, The Cake Bake Shop is open from 7am to 11pm, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Like many restaurants around Walt Disney World, The Cake Bake Shop lunch and dinner menus are the same offerings.
One more thing to note before we take our first bite – the menu probably isn’t what you expect. There are a lot of New Orleans-inspired dishes that, at first glance, seem out of place on at a place with the aesthetic of The Cake Bake Shop. I was expecting salads and tea-time sandwiches, not asking the server for a spoon so I could enjoy the gumbo puddle at the bottom of my french fry appetizer.
The reason for the New Orleans flavor on the menu is simple: owner Gwendolyn Rogers was born in New Orleans and wanted to put some New Orleans favorites on the menu. And, spoiler alert: my favorite thing on the menu that we tried is a New Orleans classic, so it works!
Gumbo Poutine | $26.99
Gwendolyn’s gumbo is made with an all-butter roux, bell peppers, celery, creole seasoning, thyme, garlic, roasted chicken and andouille sausage ladled on our pommes frites with cheese curds.
Our first appetizer was the Gumbo Poutine. This is the dish I was previously alluding to when talking about the need for a spoon. In the overhead photo below, you can see that the entire dish actually does sit in a puddle of gumbo, patiently waiting for you to make your way to it.
In this business, the camera eats first. To that end, I typically never comment on whether a meal was temperature hot or not when I take my first bite – it’s unfair to the kitchen and servers who almost always do a wonderful job of delivering the plate in a timely manner. However, I will break my rule for this dish and say that the dish was still hot after the ordeal of trying to take photos. It was a nice surprise for someone who hasn’t had a warm meal at Walt Disney World in 10 years.
The flavor of the gumbo itself was excellent, with a slightly spicy kick at the back of your throat after each bite, but nothing that should deter you from ordering the dish. The cheese curds were perfectly melted over the top of the fries, and because the dish was so warm, they almost had the consistency of a cheese sauce rather than a tough cheese that required a knife to get involved.
For the price I would’ve liked to have seen maybe 20% more chicken and sausage, but I didn’t leave disappointed in the slightest when it came to flavor. Gwendolyn’s gumbo did not disappoint, and this is a dish that we’d happily order again.
Broccoli Quiche | $23.99
Our famous custard quiche is made with fresh broccoli, shallots, Parmesan cheese, and baked in our European all-butter pastry dough crust. Served with an arugula salade dressed with our homemade lemon vinaigrette and topped with Parmesan cheese.
While technically not an item that falls under the appetizer heading, we couldn’t say no to trying one of the quiche’s on the menu before we made our way to the signature dishes. Boy are we glad we made a bit stop for the Broccoli Quiche!
In this closer photo, you can see the whole broccoli used to make the quiche. You can also see the bake, which includes a slight char finish to the top of the quiche without compromising the interior of the dish. A thick crust is never difficult to manage and the slice keeps its structure well. What you can’t see is the impossibly light and airy texture that almost makes you wonder how the quiche doesn’t defy gravity and float off of your fork. Seriously, this was incredibly well-executed and something we’d order again.
The dish also has a rather significant portion of arugula salade, which has a standout homemade lemon vinaigrette that introduces a tartness to the dish that is otherwise not present with the savory quiche. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese also adds a bit of flavor.
New Orleans Shrimp Po’boy | $34.99
A classic New Orleans Po’ Boy sandwich served on French bread shipped in daily from Gambino’s Bakery in New Orleans. The bread is lightly toasted and dressed with a dozen fried shrimp, our homemade rémoulade sauce, mayonnaise, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and pickles. Served with a side of New Orleans Crystal hot sauce and pommes frites.
A dozen fried shrimp. A dozen. In a sandwich. A dozen.
Ok, I’ll admit that I was impressed by that description, but I was still expecting them to be rather small shrimp. Other po’boys on Walt Disney World property use single-bite shrimp, and I was expecting the same here. I’m happy to report that that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. The shrimp were impressive 2-3 bite shrimp, and quite plump. The math is that there are 6 shrimp in each of the two slices of bread, with one row of three shrimp on one side of the sandwich and three shrimp on the other side of the sandwich. Texture-wise, the shrimp were very lightly breaded. Flavor-wise, there was next to zero “fishy” flavor, which allowed the other ingredients in the sandwich to shine.
This is yet another dish that comes at a high price point but delivers on flavor and portion – exactly what you’d want when determining value. Besides the fact that the sandwich comes with a dozen shrimp (have I mentioned that?), the standout is the exceptional homemade rémoulade sauce. It’s present in every bite and it’s a creamy, slightly tangy sauce that packs a flavorful punch. Other ingredients in the sandwich make it a really well-rounded offering. This would likely be my top pick for a return visit.
Our bread was lightly toasted, which I prefer when dealing with French bread. If it spends too much time toasting, it gets overly flaky and the texture of the bread becomes so crunchy that it becomes a war between my enjoyment of the dish and the roughness of the bread in each bite. Shipping in the bread daily from Gambino’s Bakery in New Orleans is impressive, but probably lost on me given that I’m not too much of a bread snob. Some of you may enjoy it though!
The dish also comes with classic New Orleans Crystal hot sauce in addition to other typical condiments. I’ll be honest, I think that the hot sauce was meant for the po’boy, but I enjoyed the homemade rémoulade sauce so much that I used the hot sauce for the fries. To each their own.
Roasted Salmon Filet | $39.99
Fresh wild salmon filet finished with a lemon dill crème fraîche served with smashed fingerling potatoes and roasted asparagus
Next up for entrees is the Roasted Salmon Filet. A decent portioned filet comes served with a good helping of lemon dill crème fraîche. Some smashed fingerling potatoes are hiding behind the salmon in the photo below, but we’ll get to those in a bit. The salmon itself was wonderfully prepared. To the eye, it looked to be dry in places, but we’re happy to report that we didn’t find a single dry bite, crème fraîche or not.
The salmon was wonderfully flakey, and walked the line aptly, preserving a classic salmon flavor without being too “fishy”. The lemon dill sauce had a refreshing lemon flavor but didn’t become too tangy like what we found with the quiche arugula salade. The asparagus was soft, perhaps overcooked a bit compared to what we’re used to.
An unexpectedly wonderful part of the dish was the smashed fingerling potatoes. They were cooked in a way that actually left the exterior crunchier than I’ve ever experienced while maintaining a nice soft interior. I would go as far as describing the skin as being crispy. Whatever the description, they were quite enjoyable and I hope that they are presented similar for your visit. Overall,
“Choose Two” | $26.99
Your choice of two half portions of the following items in any combination: Turkey & Gruyère Sandwich | French Ham & Brie Sandwich | Chicken Salade Croissant | Cup of Soupe | Lemon Caesar Salade | Blackberry Avocado Salade
Sort of like a Panera “You Pick Two”, this entree allows you to try two half-portions of a number of combinations. We figured this would be a good way to introduce some bang for your buck if you wanted to try a couple of different qualifying items. We opted for the Turkey & Gruyère Sandwich and the Chicken Salade Croissant.
We were disappointed in the Turkey & Gruyère sandwich. Here’s the description, followed by our thoughts:
Toasted French baguette topped with slices of turkey and Gruyère cheese with a Maille Dijon mustard and mayonnaise sauce. Served with an arugula salade dressed with our homemade lemon vinaigrette and topped with Parmesan cheese.
Knowing that the standalone version of this sandwich is $24, I wouldn’t suggest ordering it. There’s not much more to it than what you see. Honestly, it’s probably worth $12 at most, which makes this likely one of the worst values on the menu (definitely the worst value of what we tried during our meal). Pass.
The second half of our “You Pick Two” option was much, much better. Here’s the description of the Chicken Salade Croissant, followed by our thoughts:
Our homemade chicken salade is made with gently poached chicken breast, sliced red grapes, celery, and fresh tarragon. Served on a freshly baked croissant with butter lettuce. Served with an arugula salade dressed with our homemade lemon vinaigrette and topped with Parmesan cheese.
The homemade chicken salade was exceptional. A perfectly dense scoop of delicious chicken salade sits inside a lovely, buttery croissant. A single leaf of lettuce is more decorative than anything else. The Choose Two option is priced the same as the whole portion for the chicken salade alone, and while we might choose a soup in the future, we’re more likely to just go with the whole portion of the chicken salade instead.
Classic Burger with Pomme Frites | $26.99
Ground beef chuck served on a toasted brioche buttered bun. Topped with shredded lettuce, pickles, beefsteak tomato, chopped white onion, mayonnaise, and melted Tillamook cheddar cheese. Substitute with a Beyond Burger for an additional $3.
This is the best burger at BoardWalk, hands down. It’s also the only burger at BoardWalk. That said, nothing about the burger is exceptional. It’s a middle-of-the-road burger that we wouldn’t order again knowing how many great burger options there are at Walt Disney World. But again, if you’re staying at BoardWalk and want a burger, you have literally one option.
If you’re not afraid of jumping on a bus for a journey, there are much better burgers at D-Luxe Burger in Disney Springs or, my favorite, the Stack Burger at Steakhouse 71. The Cake Bake Shop burger is a servicable burger for those in your group that might not be interested in some of the other options, and we’re happy to see that the price dropped to just $27 after being initially listed at $32.
Here’s a look inside. Again, nothing really to write home about here. One thing I did like about the burger was that the chopped white onion was beneath the patty with some more mayo. It was a nice little surprise in an otherwise unsurprising burger. Something that we experienced that I’m sure will be remedied quickly is that the burger was, somehow, cooked inconsistently. We ordered medium-rare and one side of the burger was well done, while the other bordered on rare. I’m sure it’ll be an equipment issue that can be fixed quickly.
The patty itself was substantial enough in terms of portion, and if you aren’t in the market for a unique burger, this is entirely palatable.
Raspberry Champagne Cake | $22.99
Three layers of fluffy vanilla cake brushed with a French champagne simple syrup, filled with our Raspberry Pixie Jam™ and fresh raspberries. Frosted with our champagne vanilla buttercream and topped with fresh raspberries.
As full as we were (more on to-go boxes in a moment), we figured that we couldn’t go to a place called The Cake Bake Shop and not get a slice of cake. I’m pretty sure that everything that can be ordered for dessert can be purchased next door at the bakery (and for the same price), but with lines out the door last night, we were happy to have our cake served at the table.
There are a number of cake options, so while we will say that the flavor of our specific cake was delicious (shout out to the champagne-flavored frosting and syrup!), your tastes could be completely different. Dessert is almost like cocktails when it comes to our reviews in that we generally skip them. But again, when in Rome…
While the flavors of the frosting and raspberry were delicious, we found that the cake itself left some to be desired. As a matter of fact, we’d even call it borderline dry. Hopefully that’s not a trend for the cakes as a whole.
Before we get into our closing thoughts, I think that the to-go boxes are actually notable. As is obvious from the room that we were sitting in, it is clear that Gwendolyn has a clear vision and does things her own way. That not only includes the custom Cake Bake Shop-branded shoes that all of the servers wear, but also the to-go boxes. The boxes are branded with The Cake Bake Shop logo, and they are completely microwave and dishwasher safe. Should you find the need for extra tupperware-style storage containers, why not load up the pantry with Cake Bake Shop-branded containers?
Should you find yourself with entirely too much food, they even offer a Cake Bake Shop-branded to-go bag.
Finally, here’s a look at the children’s coloring activity, offered when you walk in with any children in the party.
Closing Thoughts on The Cake Bake Shop
So, let’s go back to the question of value that we outlined earlier in the article. We’re nearly 4,000 words into the article, so there might not be much more we can say that would change your mind (if it was even malleable coming into the review). While the argument about pricing was strong and rather widespread before the location opened (and for good reason), there is also an argument that there is some value at The Cake Bake Shop too.
Now, we aren’t using the word “value” here as in All-Star Sports is a value resort, we’re more talking about return on investment for money paid. We found that most of the ingredients used were of a high enough quality and flavor to earn The Cake Bake Shop a return visit, and perhaps, a first visit for you. Yes, the pricing was higher than what we expected, but so too was the quality of the meal, which closes the gap between outrageous and pricy. I won’t go back to eat somewhere where the pricing is outrageous, but I will return if the meal is great but pricy.
There are little touches of excellence everywhere, but where it really shines through is the decision to employ staff that is nearly 100% from other Walt Disney World restaurants (our server was perhaps the best we’ve ever had at a Walt Disney World restaurant, and he also works at Nomad Lounge).
Now, I’ll still think that I’ll spend most of my non-park time in the Belle Vue Lounge huddled over a pizza, but I also think that The Cake Bake Shop is an option worth trying that doesn’t demand as much out of you as Flying Fish, and offers something a little bit more unique than Trattoria al Forno.
We’ll close out by saying this: I think it’s fair to say that The Cake Bake Shop deserves your forks, not pitchforks. If the pricing isn’t for you, that’s perfectly fine – you aren’t missing out on a must-do experience at Walt Disney World. For those demanding more out of BoardWalk dining, that’s on Walt Disney World to fix, not The Cake Bake Shop – and we do hope that Disney addresses it soon.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
Obviously those photos were provided by management, and not the actual food you ordered or consumed on the day. A biased (paid for) review in my opinion.
Thanks for the compliment! I took all of these photos of the food delivered to our table by myself
I also paid for our meal 100%, as noted at the top of the article
If you read Blog Mickey at all or see him in the parks you know he’s an expert photographer who takes fantastic, professional pictures. Himself.
Thanks for the unbiased review. There certainly seems to be exceptional, good and mediocre things called out and worth considering. Value is a matter of perspective and the experiences you want and you want to pay for. Some people won’t pay $26 for a slice of cake but will pay $26 and stand in line for 6 hours for popcorn bucket. You do you!
I would have loved to read this review but there are so many ads on this page I couldn’t handle it.
We utilize the industry standard ad density, and I’m always trying to find a balance between reader experience and creating income to keep the site running. I’m sorry you had a bad experience. I’ve generally found that reading longer articles like this one is better on desktop or larger screens
Thank you for such a great review. It falls in line with what I’ve seen on YT reviews. Some items are great, some aren’t, and the cake could be great and moist, or not so much and dry. I am one of those waiting on afternoon tea since that was such a fun experience at GF. I wonder if this location will offer that once it gets its rhythm going.