A few nights ago, The Edison at Disney Springs (located across the path from STK Orlando in The Landing) soft opened to guests for dinner, so we decided to stop by and try it out. For those unaware of the venue, here’s a brief description from the Disney World website:

Experience a clever tribute to an era fueled by invention and imagination! Designed to look like a 1920s electric company, The Edison exudes an air of romance and Old World sophistication.

Anticipate expansive 35-foot ceilings and a range of themed areas, including: The Ember Parlour, Telegraph Lounge, The Patent Office, The Tesla Lounge, The Radio Room, Waterfront Patio, and The Lab.

There aren’t a ton of walls in The Edison, so I’m not sure what clearly delineated these themed rooms, but I couldn’t figure it out in most cases. Either way, the interior is nice, although it really feels like a slightly more expensive version of the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen. This was especially evident when a character in steampunk clothing came out and started interacting with guests at their tables. I imagine The Edison was going to have a unique look and theme for Orlando, but they got beat to the punch by taking two-and-a-half years to build this.

We have a complete video tour of The Edison for you to enjoy:

With all that out of the way, let’s talk about the food and drinks…

Drinks

The Edison offers a fairly large drink menu…

The drink menu is “cleverly” titled the “Catalog of Parts”.

We tried most of the Edison signature drinks, you’ll find a review of those just below this drink menu.

And now on to the drinks that we tried…

Gears & Cogs ($14.00)

Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Tanqueray 10 Gin, Pernod Absinthe, Cucumber Soda, Fresh Lime

Here’s to the only Absinthe drink I’ve ever had that I thought was good. But this isn’t just good, it’s fantastic, likely in my top 10 alcoholic drinks you’ll find anywhere at Walt Disney World. This absinthe drink is so good that it should force AbracadBAR at the Boardwalk to close, since they can’t seem to figure this out.

Blinker ($14.00)

Knob Creek Rye, Coal Ila 12 Scotch, Florida Grapefruit, Lime, Raspberry

The Blinker is just fine, but fairly forgettable in the grand scheme of all that we ordered.

Airship Pirate ($14.00)

Cruzan White Rum, Kraken Dark Rum, Giffard Orgeat, Pineapple, Citrus

The Airship Pirate has to compete with a lot of other similar drinks on property, but it is by far the best executed. If it wasn’t for the Gears & Cogs, this would be my favorite drink at The Edison. Even in second place on my list, it is certainly worth a try if you happen to visit.

Boiler Mule ($14.00)

Reyka Islandic, Ancho Reyes, Cider, Ginger Beer, Cinnamon

Very similar in style to the Gold Rush at Paddlefish, this is of a relatable quality and a much better price, so you may be better off just going to have it at The Edison for $6 less a cup. I was happy with it and would order it again.

The Edison ($14.00)

Stranahan’s Edison Barrel Selection, Lemon, Pear Brandy, Local Honey

The whiskey is smooth, kind of smokey in flavor, perfectly mixed with the local honey in this drink. The Pear Brandy sweetens the entire concoction just enough, making this an absolutely perfect blend and another “must” at The Edison.

The Aviator ($14.00)

Nolet’s Gin, Lemon, Maraschino, Creme De Violette

I wasn’t crazy about this drink, but you certainly don’t have to stick to specialty drinks and cocktails like we did, As you see above, The Edison has a seemingly endless bar menu and just about anything is possible given the ingredient choices at their disposal.

Appetizers & Entrees

Here is the Dinner menu, including appetizers and entrees…

DB “Clothesline Candied Bacon” ($12.00)

Maple, Black Pepper, Sour Pickle

Yes, that is bacon on a clothesline, held by clothespins. Yes, it is 4 pieces for $12. Now that I’ve answered your questions, let me explain that you should order this. The candied bacon is great, especially with the accompanying sauce, probably the best version of the treat I have had. It also makes for a fun photo to share on social media that will certainly have your friends and family talking.

Hawkers’ Box of Balls ($14.00)

Lamb Meatballs, Mint, Harissa, Strained Yogurt

Good flavor, a fair amount of spice. It’s not the largest serving for the price, but these lamb meatballs do no disappoint.

Electri-Fries ($12.00)

L. Burbank Hand Cut Potatoes, Edison Special Sauce, Bacon, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Chopped Green Onion

These were a tremendous letdown. The toppings made the fries soggy upon arrival, and The Edison Special Sauce is just ketchup and mayonnaise. The blue cheese flavor dominated most of the dish, making it hard to taste much else. They sound good on paper, but they weren’t very good served in this hammer, despite the large portion size.

Scottish Salmon ($28.00)

Artichoke Puree, Fennel, Green Apple Slaw

This is a sizable piece of salmon and it is cooked to perfection. The crunchier top layer is beautifully seasoned and brings out a lot of the flavor in the fish. One of the better pieces of salmon you’ll find at Walt Disney World. Sadly, it could use a substantial side dish though.

Old Fashioned Meatloaf and Gravy ($24.00)

Bacon Wrapped, Spicy Ketchup Glaze, Mashed Potato

The meatloaf was very good, a profound step up from the likes of 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It was topped with unadvertised mushrooms, and despite being “bacon-wrapped”, it was actually just a piece laid over the top of the entree. The mashed potatoes were solid, a viable side if you want to add one to the salmon dish (you can see the side dish version below). They come in a small pot.

The Edison ($22.00)

Signature beef blend of sirloin, short rib, & brisket, cabot cloth bound cheddar, onion rings, smoked bacon, house made pickles, lettuce tomato, special sauce with fries

When I do a review of a new restaurant, I try to order what I think most of our readers are interested in. A hamburger is accessible to most people, so I decided to try that. First off, the french fries were fantastic. It’s a shame that these get annihilated in the Electri-Fries appetizer, because they are plenty good with just some ketchup. As for the burger, the ingredients were all of the highest quality. The patty was extraordinarily flavorful with a crisp exterior. The bun was pleasant, the cheese, bacon, and onion straws (not rings as advertised) all perfectly accompanying the patty. There are a lot of good hamburgers at Walt Disney World, but as far as sit-down restaurants go, this might be the very best I’ve had (even better than D-Luxe, as it should be considering one is table and the other counter service).

Dessert

Here is the dessert menu, labeled as “Sweets”…

Black Cherry Cream Milkshake ($16.00) – with added Vanilla Vodka

Vanilla gelato, sour cherries, gummi poppers topped with a pixy stix, rainbow pop, whipped cream, nerds

I’m not a big Black Cherry fan typically as I’d typically prefer a chocolate milkshake, but the combination of ingredients here gave this more of a birthday cake flavoring with a hint of black cherry, as weird as that might sound. It is at times strange in flavor given the presence of Nerds, pixy stix and such, but quite good and unique compared to what you’ll find at Toothsome or Planet Hollywood Observatory. The added vodka was a good decision as well, as it blended nicely with gelato (and was especially good after it soaked into the “gummi poppers”, which we left to consume at the end).

OVERALL

I’m still not entirely sure what to make of a meal at The Edison just based on the diversity of the menu, but it certainly wasn’t bad. The drinks were excellent, dessert was fantastic, and the appetizers and entrees were all around solid. It’s not the best restaurant at Disney Springs, but it may end up being one of the best bars, lounges, or “nightclubs” the entirety of Walt Disney World has to offer.

What little live music we saw during dinner was great (The entertainment line-up will include unique acts like contortionists, aerialists, live cabaret, and DJs), but it is off-putting that they will have a cover charge of $10 to enter after 10pm. Based on the average drink prices here (which are on par with the rest of Disney World), it does seem a little silly to have a cover charge.

The dress code is also a strange beast and may hurt The Edision in the end. I don’t foresee a lot of tourists going back to the hotel to change or rushing to a store to buy a particular article of clothing just to enter without any pre-planning. The dress code isn’t at Victoria and Alberty’s levels, but it may be enough to dissuade some guests. Luckily, for The Edision at least, the venue isn’t huge and the repeat local customers and presence of a few guests who prepared for a cover charge and dress code should keep the place full enough every night.

Here’s the lowdown on the requirements and rules:

Guests arriving after 10:00 PM each night must wear venue-appropriate attire. Men may wear slacks, jeans or dress shorts. Jackets are optional. No ball caps, sleeveless shirts or flip-flops allowed.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, there will be a $10 cover charge starting at 10:00 PM.

Please note: Guests must be at least 21 years of age to enter The Edison after 10:00 PM.

Regardless, clubs aren’t really “my scene”, but I will very likely return many times for drinks and some dishes at The Edison at Disney Springs.

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Tom Corless