Is there anything better than eating poolside?

Honestly, we’d answer no…not much is better than a poolside lunch! And one of the big perks of staying at a Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, like Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, is the chance to sit back and relax and enjoy a few slower meals during the hustle and bustle of your Disney vacay. With several pools and dining options at many of them, it’s easy to have your poolside cocktail and eat lunch too.

That is precisely what we did at Saratoga Springs one day — specifically at the Paddock Grill. Would this leisurely lunch stack up to our laid-back mealtime fantasy? Keep reading to find out!

Atmosphere

The Paddock Grill is located at the aptly named Paddock Pool. This is the second-largest pool at Saratoga Springs, behind the High Springs Pool, and you’ll find a slide, zero entry, and of course, an eatery.

Seating directly outside the Paddock Grill is somewhat limited because they actually serve the entire pool area! If you do choose to sit close to the grill itself, you’ll find a few high tops.

When you order, they’ll give you a (slightly ridiculous) flag to clip onto your chair, so their team knows where to deliver the goods.

Diners will also find a small condiment selection at the Paddock Grill.

Have a refillable mug? You can fill it up here as well!

You may also spot a few items for sale that are a little…different…from what you’d typically find at a Disney restaurant — like goggles and sunscreen. Well…you are at a pool bar after all!? Additionally in these displays, you may see a few pre-packaged Disney snack items.

But we were in the mood for something more substantial so we grabbed a table and a menu!

Eats

The Paddock Grill serves up classic favorites — some with a twist — such as burgers, salads, and sandwiches. They also have a variety of alcoholic beverages, including beer and mixed drinks.

After speaking with our bartender for a few minutes, we decided on the Millionaire Margarita for $14, which is exclusive to Saratoga Springs and a best-seller.

This poolside drink was made of 1800 Resposado Tequila, Grand Marnier, Lime Juice, and Sweet-and-Sour.

This was a solid cocktail and a pretty decent margarita, as far as Disney margaritas go. It had a good balance between sweet and tart, leaning slightly more to the sweet side.

However, the main reason the bartender suggested it was because of the high-quality tequila used (1800 Resposado), making it a great value — especially if you’re using the dining plan. Overall, if you’re a margarita fan sitting poolside, it’s worth a try!

Beyond the drinks, we took a look at the food menu:

After once again consulting with the bartender, he let us know the Spicy Chicken Sandwich is one of the most popular items on the menu. Consider us sold!

When our meal arrived, it was packaged to go! This is standard we confirmed, for easy pool-side clean up, or for grabbing and going to your room.

The Spicy Chicken Sandwich comes with Fried Chicken topped with Celery and Carrot Slaw, Spicy Pepper Sauce, and Blue Cheese.

It also came with our choice of French Fries or Vegetable Slaw, but TBH,  it’s hard to sway us away from potatoes. And we’re glad we didn’t — this was a very generous portion of crispy, golden fries!

Overall, this was a REALLY good sandwich. The spice was perfectly balanced with flavor — meaning it wasn’t just hot for hot’s sake. And we welcomed the crunch from the celery and carrot salad. Plus the blue cheese wasn’t too overwhelming, even if you’re not a fan.

If you’re incredibly heat averse, we wouldn’t recommend this sandwich. However if you’re a little more experienced in the spice world, you’ll likely be delighted with this meal, considering it’s hot but not daunting.

As far as quick service meals go, we were surprised by this sandwich and would happily munch on it again!

Overall

While this isn’t a location we’d recommend going out of your way to visit, those who are enjoying a laid back day at Saratoga Springs will find the charm in the Paddock Grill. Our bartender was incredibly helpful, and the Spicy Chicken Sandwich was far better than we expected. Plus we loved the poolside service!

Will this be the best meal of your trip? Likely no. But will you enjoy it when you’re kicking back poolside? Likely yes! And considering that’s what we were after, we’d say it was a successful meal.

For more information at dining at Saratoga Springs, check out this DFB Guide Video!

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Have you dined at the Paddock Grill? Share your experience in the comments!