Centertown Market is a counter-service restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Caribbean Beach Resort. The restaurant offers American, Caribbean and Latin food and is accepted on the Disney Dining Plan as a counter-service credit. Centertown Market sits right next to the Caribbean Beach lobby and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In this post, we’ll review the restaurant’s atmosphere, lunch and dinner offerings and value.

Since the addition of the Disney Skyliner and remodel of Caribbean Beach, the resort has been a hot ticket item! We have (mostly) nice things to say about the other moderate hotels but Caribbean Beach is the most popular, and for good reason. The Skyliner is a game changer, they redid their rooms to be more modern and they’ve updated the dining scene to be one of the most underrated spots in all of Disney World. Centertown Market is a big part of that, getting refreshed in 2018.

Being in such a big resort, the counter-service spot needs room to hold everyone. The layout in Centertown Market is very open, with an ordering bay, a spot to pick up the food (and mobile orders) and ample seating. When we’ve visited, the restaurant hasn’t been especially full. There have been whole sections of seating not used.

I wonder what role the Skyliner and nearby resorts play into Centertown Market’s popularity. The Riviera and excellent Primo Piatto are a short walk away from the Caribbean Beach lobby. Hollywood Studios is less than a 5 minute Skyliner ride away and Epcot, with a vast array of dining options, isn’t much farther. On top of that, Sebastian’s Bistro, Banana Cabana and Spyglass Grill are all closer to the majority of Caribbean Beach rooms than Centertown Market. Without having been there for breakfast, I’d guess that’s the most popular meal time to eat near the lobby and the rest of the day would have average crowds.

The name is deceiving, as Centertown Market isn’t in the center of Caribbean Beach Resort at all. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the Skyliner and roughly the same from the majority of the hotel’s rooms. That said, it’s a pleasant walk if the weather isn’t scorching. With the crowded field of restaurants in the area, finding a place in WDW dining scene might be hard for Centertown Market but it’s a nice respite from the busy nearby value resorts and Hollywood Studios.

Once inside of the restaurant, there’s an ordering bay. A grab & go area is just to the right of this spot, for those not ordering hot food. I like the large umbrella centerpiece overhead, it’s representative of the restaurant’s decor. There’s just enough theme to make Centertown Market not feel like a food court.

That sounds negative but every other moderate resort’s counter-service dining falls into the food court trap, for better or worse. None of them are as crowded or chaotic as what value resorts offer, but there’s a reason that WDW’s deluxe resorts have smaller counter-service spots. They feel more personal and less like a mall.

Centertown Market’s seating is able to navigate this by spreading out the seating. There’s pockets of tables and chairs in 4 or 5 sections. Pastel walls invoke the Caribbean design throughout the restaurant and there’s a few accents to bring some personality to the area.

The atmosphere doesn’t end up being one to seek out but the restaurant is strangely peaceful for being so big. There’s also seating outside that offers views of the water, Riviera Resort and the Skyliner. Centertown Market is a good place for a relaxed and refreshing lunch.

Moving onto the food, here’s a look at the menu. There’s generally one specialty item going but otherwise it appears that the menu stays the same. Everything falls within the $11-$18 range which is about the norm for Disney World counter-service spots.

Centertown Market does have a few specialty drinks – both with alcohol and without. This makes the spot a better value on the Disney Dining Plan. Above is Bubbles of the Sea, which was on the sweet side but refreshing. I also tried the Frozen Tropical Colada and the same could be said about the pre-mixed cocktail. We enjoyed both drinks but wouldn’t say they’re our favorites. Adding a $16.50 drink your counter-service meal makes the DDP’s value go way up though!

Above is the Hot Cuban Sandwich consisting of Slow-roasted Pork, Ham, Swiss, Pickles, and Mustard on a Sandwich Roll. We both enjoyed this sandwich. The pork was very juicy and there was a generous helping of meat on here. I would have preferred the bread to be a little less toasted/crunch but Melissa disagreed so your mileage will vary there. At $12.99, this Cuban Sandwich was better than most we’ve tried around Disney World.

Since I brought up the Disney Dining Plan, they let us include the Cuban Fries as the sandwich’s side. Like the drinks, that makes the value of the plan go way up. For their part, the Cuban Fries were pretty good. Disney World doesn’t have my favorite french fries in general, so putting cheese, ham and pickles on top of them only makes them better.

I ordered the Mixed Grill Platter. This comes with Roasted Citrus-marinated Chicken, Barbecued Pork Ribs, and Grilled Andouille Sausage served with Fried Yucca, Seasonal Vegetables, Creamy Mango Coleslaw, and a Roll. This reminds me of what you might find at nearby Sebastian’s Bistro, a restaurant we really like. This platter doesn’t quite reach that level of quality but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My favorite portion here was the Sausage with a smoky, rich flavor and a touch of spice. I also really enjoyed the Citrus-marinated Chicken as it was juicy and the citrus was noticeable, giving the meat a nice zip. The ribs were the lowlight, as I found them to be average both in sauce and meat. In terms of sides, the Coleslaw and Yucca were both really tasty. At $17.49, this is a very filling meal with a surprising amount of quality. I’d happily get this again.

We both came away impressed by Centertown Market. Initially, we dropped by because I hadn’t reviewed the restaurant in a long time and it was in between Hollywood Studios and Epcot, fitting our day’s itinerary. Even with our delicious meal here, it’s hard to find where the restaurant fits into a Disney World trip. If you’re staying at Caribbean Beach then stopping by for lunch or dinner is a good option. We like the food but prefer Primo Piatto and a few places in Hollywood Studios or Epcot just slightly more. That said, if the menu is appealing then I don’t think anyone would be disappointed in Centertown Market.

Overall Rating – 8/10

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