EatEPCOT

We Tried Several New Dishes and Drinks at EPCOT’s 2026 Food & Wine Festival

Written by Kevin Posted September 2nd, 2026

It’s my favorite time of year again as the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival officially got underway last week. This year’s Global Marketplaces offer a mix of new offerings and returning favorites. I was there on opening day to give a few of the dishes and drinks a sample.

What’s new in 2026?

There’s plenty of new food and drink this year. And while there may be only one new Global Marketplace in 2026 – CommuniCore’s The Wedge – many kitchens have completely overhauled food offerings, making them feel brand new.

Keeping with tradition, Food & Wine once again has staggered Marketplace openings. There are six delayed openings, with four of those coming on October 2. That’s when the ever-popular Coastal Eats debuts near Creations Shop. Here’s the entire lineup of delayed kitchens:

Festival Favorites (September 9)
The Wedge Hosted by Dairy Does More (September 18)
Coastal Eats (October 2)
Earth Eats (October 2)
India (October 2)
The Alps (October 2)

The Wedge, similar to last year’s Macatizers, remains closed until CommuniCore finishes hosting Cool Kid Summer. This year’s menu, while mostly brand-new, still emphasizes cheese and dairy offerings.

Festival Favorites will feature new presentations for several returning food items. The menu has two savory items and one sweet dish. A new sweet Frozen cocktail, “Apple Blossom,” pairs Apple cider, Ginger Ale, Apple Brandy, mini marshmallows, and maple syrup. Festival Favorites will open once Grab-N-Goof vacates the premises.

What we tried

Enough with the stuff we couldn’t try. Let’s get to the food and drinks we actually tried on opening day of the Food & Wine Festival! Our focus this year was to try new items. For the most part, we really enjoyed everything we sampled.

Mexico

My wife wanted to start in Mexico, which features a mostly-new food menu and a new presentation for a returning dish. We started with the Tostada de Osso Buco, which included a fried corn tortilla with chipotle black beans, salsa verde, queso fresco, and chives. The pork was cooked perfectly. It was tender and savory, while the chipotle black beans brought a nice smoky note. This was a great dish to start the day.

Paleta de Moras and Tostada de Osso Buco at EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival — Paleta de Moras and Tostada de Osso Buco

For dessert, we ordered the Paleta de Moras, a berry ice pop filled with sweetened condensed milk and topped with chili lime seasoning. This one was a refreshing choice for the very warm opening day of the festival. While I wasn’t overly fond of the tartness brought on by the chili lime, the berry ice pop and condensed milk paired well. This is one I’d highly recommend for any hot day around World Showcase.

Cherry Nostalgia and Fruta de la Pasiόn at EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival — Cherry Nostalgia and Fruta de la Pasiόn

We also picked up the two new cocktail offerings, starting with the Fruta de la Pasiόn. This one wasn’t a hit. The smoky flavor of the mezcal overpowered the refreshing fruit flavors of the passion fruit purée and citrus juices.

The Cherry Nostalgia was another miss. While this one had a much lighter flavor with its botanical liqueur, cherry, and lime, it was just too sweet for me.

American Adventure

The Hops & Barley menu features one new savory item, the Smoked Brisket and Cheddar Melt. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for good BBQ, and this one didn’t disappoint. The brisket was tender and juicy, the caramelized onions paired perfectly with the barbecue and cheddar sauce, and the potato roll brought it together in a cloud. I’ll gladly return for this one several times this Festival.

Smoked Brisket and Cheddar Melt and Chocolate Pudding Cake at EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival — Smoked Brisket and Cheddar Melt and Chocolate Pudding Cake

My wife immediately clocked the Chocolate Pudding Cake. She loved it, and so did I. This one may end up being our favorite sweet offering from the 2026 Food & Wine. The chocolate cake was moist, and the pudding in the center gave it the right amount of richness. The Kentucky bourbon caramel added just enough sweetness to make this a must-recommend this year.

Japan

Another tried-and-true Marketplace, Japan has always offered some of my favorite beverage offerings. The Mango Apple Fruit Pearl was refreshing in the Florida heat. It’s a sweet mango-apple drink with cream calpico (a creamy and tangy fruit-flavored Japanese beverage) and apple popping pearls. I couldn’t recommend this one enough after trying it.

We also tried the new Beef Wagyu Temaki Hand Roll and Spicy Temaki Hand Roll. I’m not the biggest fan of seafood, but my wife loves sushi. Unfortunately, the Beef Wagyu was a pass for both of us. The seaweed wrap introduced an unpleasant seafood flavor that overpowered the beef, pickled ginger, and spicy mayonnaise. I had to ditch the wrap to even finish the dish. Finally, the rice was overly dry. Maybe we just had bad luck on opening day.

On the other hand, my wife was very pleased with the Spicy Tuna version. She said the ingredients by themselves were a little underwhelming, but the seaweed brought it all together. Unless you’re really into seaweed and sushi, this may be a pass for you.

Beef Wagyu Temaki Hand Rolls at EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival — Beef Wagyu Temaki Hand Roll and Spicy Temaki Hand Roll

While the 2026 Food & Wine Festival just started, I’m already looking forward to our next visit. With 29 Marketplaces, there are still plenty of new and returning dishes to try. I’ll be sure to share our favorites with you after future visits.

The 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival runs through November 21, 2026.