Paddlefish at Disney Springs is serving up fresh local seafood, amazing drinks, and a view to die for!
I will be the first to admit when I heard the news of Fulton’s Crab House was closing, I was extremely upset. But when we got the chance to check out the new Paddlefish I was excited and hopeful that with the new renovations and name that it only made it that much better.The minute we walked in I could tell that they put in a lot of thought into the details that transformed it from a riverboat to a modern yacht. There are still 3 levels, and each level has a different layout, design, and seating options. There is a new addition to a rooftop bar with incredible views of Disney Springs. We were lucky enough to catch the beautiful sunset while we were up top enjoying some beverages.
We both got the prohibition Mai Tai, which surprisingly was not super sweet; the sweetness came from the infused alcohol, which gave this drink a unique twist. On the first level in the bow of the boat is a unique area with a bar and a view into the kitchen area where they cook seafood boils with an area to the side that let you take a glimpse of some of their fresh seafood. We were seated on the first level with a seat by the huge windows overlooking the water, Disney Springs, and Disney’s Saratoga Resort. It was also fun to see the occasional passing of the Amphicars! It definitely is a view that everyone needs to see.
Now to dive into our amazing meal! Let’s begin with the starters. First, we got to try the seafood tower with Dutch Harbor King crab, jumbo Gulf shrimp, two types of fresh oysters, lump crab ceviche, and Ahi tuna poke all on different levels. The seafood was incredibly fresh.
We then tried the crab cake and scallops. The crab cake was atop a perfectly cooked and seasoned fried green tomato, there was virtually no filler, and the taste was amazing, everything you would expect from true crab cake. The scallops were fresh, tender, and very high quality. They were cooked in brown butter and served with cauliflower puree and side of crispy Brussel sprouts. The chef then said he was going to bring out some bacon and egg, which left us a little confused, to our surprise it was a braised pork belly with a panko crusted 5-minute egg. When you cut through the egg, the yolk ran down over the top of the pork belly, which tasted amazing. I know most people reading the article all have the same question… Did they get rid of the lobster corn dogs? The answer is no, they brought them back but made them better! I know you’re asking how that is possible. They switched from a wet batter to a more dry batter with seasonings which made them non-greasy and taste amazing.
For our entrees, we chose the braised short ribs with crab mashed potatoes and crispy brussels sprouts, and one of the seafood boils. The short ribs were braised for 18 hours, which as you can imagine, made them unbelievably tender and extremely tasty. The outside of the brussels sprouts was crispy which made them quickly become a favorite. We chose the low country seafood boil, which had snow crab, Gulf of Mexico shrimp, boudin, corn, and new potatoes all served to boil in a large kettle. They have 4 different made to order styles of seafood boil or you can build your own.
Even though we were stuffed from all the amazing food, we knew we had to try some desserts. We almost had a hard time choosing with all the sweet offerings. We ended up picking the chocolate bourbon pecan tart with candied bacon. We found out that it was Chef Mark’s mother’s recipe. It was killer! We also chose the strawberry shortcake. It was layered with lemon flavored cake, fresh strawberries, a strawberry sauce, and topped with a fresh whipped cream.
One thing that surprised me was that even though this is a big restaurant, they use a lot of ingredients that are locally sourced. Examples of this are their vegetables and berries that come from a local farmers market. You can’t get fresher than that!!
With the new modern look and feel of the restaurant, updated menu focused on local fresh quality food, and the talents of Chef Mark and his amazing team, we feel Paddlefish is a great addition to the Disney Springs area! To learn more about Paddlefish, or to make a reservation, check out their website here!