2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival: That’s a Wrap!
The 2025 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival officially ended on November 22. One of our favorite festivals, we spent many afternoons sampling the park’s kitchens, trying over 40 food and beverage offerings. While most were great, there were a few items that left us feeling a little sad.
In this article, we’ll share the dishes we loved and the ones we suggest you avoid. And we crown the 2025 Food & Wine champion. Let’s get to the food!
The good
Schiacciata Sandwich
Forest & Field served up the delicious Schiacciata Sandwich. I’m generally not a fan of mortadella or squash, but this dish surprised me. The ingredients worked very well together, bringing a great blend of savory with a touch of sweet heat from the peppers. I’m also a sucker for focaccia bread, so maybe that helped.
Apple-Cinnamon and Caramel Mini Churros Sundae
Up next is my favorite dessert of Food & Wine: the Apple-Cinnamon and Caramel Mini Churros Sundae from Milled & Mulled. If you’re a churro fan, this sundae is for you. I ended up enjoying it several times throughout the summer. The gelato made those brutal temps a little more bearable. It also helped bring all the flavors together.
Roasted Lamb Chop
Heading over to Australia, we found the roasted lamb chop with mint pesto and crushed salt and vinegar potato chips. Lamb isn’t something I seek out, but I knew I had to give this one a try. While the lamb was tender and full of flavor, the mint pesto combined with the salt and vinegar chips took this one to the next level. I almost crowned it champion.
The not-so-good
Butternut Squash and Ginger Bisque
Milled & Mulled is back, but it probably doesn’t want to be. The Butternut Squash and Ginger Bisque was easily one of my least favorite items of this year’s festival. Its bitter undertones and strong pumpkin seed oil overpowered the dish.
Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli
Again, we have a kitchen returning under less-than-ideal circumstances. Forest & Field’s Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli was a letdown. First, the temperature was… weird. It was served chilled, which gave this dish an odd texture. And the combination of hazelnut, pomegranate, and pumpkin was extremely unpleasant for me.
Bratwurst
Germany Pavilion’s Bratwurst may be a Food & Wine Festival staple, but I wasn’t a fan in 2025. The sausage was underwhelming, maybe because it was served with an ordinary yellow mustard. I think an old-world ground variety would be a much better choice. I did enjoy the pretzel roll, however.
The 2025 Food & Wine Festival champion dish
Beer-braised Beef
The winner of this year’s Food & Wine Festival was found in Belgium. The returning Beer-braised Beef hit all the right notes. Some may say, “But it’s just beef and potatoes. How is that special?” I’ll tell you! The smoked Gouda was a perfect component, making for a hearty dish. You might not want a bowl in July, but it sure was tasty during cooler visits this fall.
After a few months of eating our way around World Showcase, this year’s EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival proved once again why it’s one of our favorites. The highs were delicious. Even with a few misses, the variety and creativity across the kitchens made every visit worthwhile. We can’t wait for Food & Wine to return in 2026. Until then, we’ll be dreaming about that Beer-braised Beef.
Read more: 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival: Opening Day Highlights
