Are you ready for Oktoberfest, Irish style? Because, if you are, then Raglan Road at Disney Springs is going to be the place to be for the next month as it serves up a whole new take on this annual German celebration.
Regular Disney Springs visitors will already be familiar with the superbly presented yearly events for St Patrick’s Day each March and Raglan Road’s Great Irish Hooley in the last week of August, but this is something completely different, and it promises to be THE ideal way to enjoy the combination of the start of autumn AND that lively festival spirit.
Just to start with, the entertainment is always lively and always authentic, both on Raglan Road’s main stage and their outdoor patio stage, and the food is never less than supremely tasty. That’s been their stock in trade for nearly 20 years.
For anyone new to either Disney Springs or this impressive Irish bar/restaurant, this is the heart of Walt Disney World’s shopping, dining and entertainment district, in the middle of The Landing section, bordered on one side by the shimmering fresh water spring that splits The Landing from the Town Center.
Opened in October 2005, Raglan Road is the product of genuine Irish ancestry and creativity, importing much of the interior décor and styling directly from Ireland and doing the same for its live music and dancing, which runs every day, from 4.30-pm Monday to Friday and 12 noon at the weekends.
Their own in-house dancers are complemented by visiting artists and bands from places such as Connemara, Downpatrick and Dublin, while the food and drinks are another real highlight, including fresh, bold twists on traditional dishes and some of the best ales and ciders imported directly from the Emerald Isle.
We have always enjoyed great meals at Raglan Road, from their earliest days when Irish celebrity chef Kevin Dundon was the man behind the menu to recent times, when the culinary torch was passed to Mark O’Neill in 2019 and there was a whole selection of new dishes to try.
And now we have Oktoberfeis. And no, we didn’t write that wrong! This is definitely the marriage of two (beer-loving) cultures, hence we get the famous Munich tradition of Oktober allied to the Irish word for festival, which is, of course, feis.
So, welcome to Oktoberfeis from now until October 6!
And, in honour of the occasion, this first Irish Oktoberfest festival will feature a very special local beer, as Raglan Road will pour its Bavarian Irish Pumpkin Ale in collaboration with the Crooked Can Brewing of nearby Winter Garden (and regular blog readers will know Debbie’s Villas is a big fan of the Crooked Can and its Plant Street Market).
This classic Amber Pumpkin Ale is painstakingly brewed with both Irish and German malt as well as pumpkin spice for that extra autumn flavour. Just as importantly, this exclusive-to-Raglan-Road brew on tap will be served in the pub’s authentic and highly collectible Oktoberfeis steins.
And that’s not all. Raglan Road Chef O’Neill and his team are aiming to showcase an irresistible menu of festival dishes, available either a la carte or as a full three-course dining experience.
Their special menu includes a Potato Pretzel with beer-braised caramelized onion and cheese sauce, and a Pork Chop Schnitzel with crispy skin on fried potato wedges with mustard cream sauce, pear and shallot relish, topped with fine-grated Parmesan. A sweet Oktoberfeis ending then features another autumn classic: the traditional Apple Strudel with vanilla custard and vanilla mascarpone with oat crumble.
As an additional element, Cookes of Dublin, the counter service dining option next to Raglan Road’s outdoor Hole in the Wall bar, will also participate in the Oktoberfeis fun, serving the Bavarian Irish Pumpkin Ale in special edition cans – which we can also see being highly collectible – and offering a delicious Pork Schnitzel Sandwich with pickled slaw, pear chutney, wholegrain mustard mayonnaise, and crispy fried onions.
The whole three-course menu promises a German feast with Irish flair and should be enough to tempt regular visitors back to this Dublin delight for one more sampling. And, if you haven’t been before, well, you’re in for a distinct treat.
As Raglan Road general manager Rachael Conroy explained: “Oktoberfeis is celebrated in large throughout Ireland and other European cities every year, and we’re getting in on the beer-fest fun [this year]. We are all very excited to share some delicious tastes of fall, which is one of our favourite seasons!”
PS: If all that isn’t enough, and you still crave the traditional German oompah band with your Oktober festival, don’t forget Disney’s EPCOT park offers the year-round entertainment of its Biergarten Restaurant, with a full German band,
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