Raglan Road Irish Pub in Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! For most Americans, St. Patrick’s Day conjures up images of green beer, festive parades, corned beef and cabbage, leprechauns, four leaf clovers, and all sorts of crazy green themed apparel. Interestingly enough, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in Boston (in 1737), not Ireland! Today St. Patrick’s Day is more of a festive American holiday. Today, the festive holiday is celebrated by both the Irish and non-Irish, mostly as an excuse to party and drink green beer. What once started as a religious holiday to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland has now become an international celebration of Irish heritage.

One of the country’s best Irish Pubs – at Disney Springs!

While you could visit any standard bar and enjoy the Irish festivities, visiting an authentic Irish pub is so much more unique as you will get to experience true Irish food, music, and decor. Raglan Road is one of these fantastic Irish restaurants. This Orlando gem offers authentic, creative Irish dishes and a gorgeous dining room that was designed in Ireland. Best of all, you can enjoy free step dancing performances!

Check out the gorgeous domed ceilings!

Beautiful domed ceilings of Ragland Road - Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida

Step dancers getting ready for a lively show…

Irish step dancing at Ragland Road - Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida

Gorgeous stained glass windows and professional step dancers getting ready to perform

Beautiful Raglan Road Irish Pub in Downtown Disney Orlando Florida

Not only is Raglan Road one of the best restaurants in Orlando, it also is one of the best Irish pubs I’ve come across. Every March, they hold a week long Irish festival, known as the Mighty St. Patrick’s Day Festival. Ditch the green beer and enjoy an authentic Irish celebration, strangely enough, in Orlando of all places! As green beer is more of an American tradition, Raglan Road believes in drinking the beer as it was intended to (not adding any dyes).

Incredible step dancing!

What Raglan Road does offer is traditional Irish music and amazing Irish step dancing performances, authentic dishes (the chef and owners are from Ireland), and a gorgeous bar and dining area (the entire interior was built in Ireland and shipped to Disney Springs – talk about authentic!).

Check out a little snippet of one of the wonderful step dancing performances!

The Rollicking Raglan Brunch Irish Dance Show takes place Saturday & Sundays from noon to 3:45pm. Weekdays you can enjoy the show every hour from 5-10pm.  In between, step dancing performances, you’ll be able to listen to some great live Irish music.

Authentic Irish cuisine!

According to Raglan Road, you will not find corned beef and cabbage on the menu because it is a New York dish, not Irish, and they prefer to keep the menu authentic. Head Chef Kevin Dundon has won many awards including Irish dish of the year for his Glazed Loin of Bacon with Colcannon Mash. He is also famous for his book: Full on Irish: Creative Contemporary Cooking. Various media have spotlighted the recipes.

Update: As of 2023, the new chef is Mark O’Neil. There have been numerous updates to the menu since O’Neil took over including a delicious plant based shepherd’s pie!

Vegan Sheprherds pie at Ragland Road in Orlando, Florida
Where else will you find vegan Shepherd’s Pie?

Below are a few highlights from the diverse menu:

  • Full Irish Breakfast
  • Homemade Pancakes with banana and cashew caramel sauce
  • Traditional and vegan shepherd’s pie
  • Salmon salad
  • Pan-seared shrimp in a garlic & chili lemon butter sauce with sliced baguette
  • Irish style crispy boxty potato cake, with pulled ham hock, caramelized red onions, and a Dubliner cheese sauce
  • Every dish at Raglan is cooked to order as they do not believe in using any canned foods or pre-cooked food.

Lots of allergy friendly fare

The menu at Raglan Road includes both modern and creative, as well as traditional Irish dishes. Even vegetarians and those dining gluten-free will have a few options. In fact, Raglan Road is one of the top allergy friendly restaurants in Orlando.

You can’t go wrong with the classic Fish and Chips entree. So delicious! Pictured below is the gluten-free version. A special batter is used for several dishes at Raglan Road, including the onion rings and french fries. They offer a very extensive menu for those avoiding gluten.

Gluten free fish and chips at Ragland Road in Downtown Disney Orlando, Florida
Gluten-free onion rings at Ragland Road in Downtown Disney Orlando Florida

The Raglan Risotto is another great option. Originally consisting of garden pea risotto, aged pecorino, buffalo mozzarella & pea tendrils, I decided to make this dish vegetarian. The chefs have no problem catering to any special requests, making it a great place for vegans and vegetarians to eat alongside their carnivore friends. Update: As of 2023, the Risotto is no longer on the menu. The plant-based Shepherd’s Pie is a great vegan alternative.

Butternut Squash Risotto at Ragland Road - Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida

The best restaurant in Orlando

Overall, you will find that Raglan Road offers a winning combination of service, food, and entertainment. You really can’t get much better than Raglan Road in terms of a prime place to spend St. Patrick’s day in Orlando (or any other day for that matter just to enjoy the fun food and fun Irish culture).

Have you ever visited Ragland Road? What are some of your favorite Orlando restaurants?