Homecoming is located along the water of the springs that run through Disney Springs. Just like the name suggests comfort food is the specialty here. Celebrity Chef Art Smith is the mastermind behind this Southern Florida cuisine. Originally from Florida, Smith makes his return to his home state and gives this place its name. If you have never heard of him before maybe you have heard of Oprah Winfrey? He was her personal chef for years!
Once inside this small dining location, you will instantly feel like you stepped out of Disney into a barn. It’s light and airy and has a very homey feel, at least for those of us who are used to the country life. It is covered with the details of the history of Florida.
Homecomin’ Breakdown
- Service: Table-Service
- Type of Food: American, Vegetarian-Friendly, Allergy Options
- Price: $$$
- Location: The Landing, Disney Springs
- Disney Dining Plan: Yes, 1 Credits
- Discounts: Annual Passholder, Tables in Wonderland
- Features: Reservations, Alcohol, Full Bar
- Good For: Casual Dining
- Reservations: Recommended
- Menu: Official Lunch Menu / Official Dinner Menu
A Tour Around Homecomin’
The first thing I want to point out is when you come to the inside podium for check in be sure to look behind the checkin desk. It’s filled with plates and autographs of celebrities who have dined at this location!
Star Wars fans will delight in seeing a signed plate by Ashley Eckstein an actress who played Ahsoka Tano in the popular Clone Wars series.
The inside, pairs perfectly with the southern comfort food menu. Inside is exposed beams and lots of farmhouse flair. This is a look back at the the large open bar that is to the right when you walk inside the main entrance of Homecomin’.
Of course, we have to show off the kitchen here as well. You can see right into the kitchen and if you are lucky you can even be seated near it.
Homecomin’ Dishes
Appetizers
There may have been one trip to this spot where we just went ham and ordered all the appetizers off the menu. The best thing is no one dish disappointed the big group of us, and there was a lot of people to please!
Bee Haven Bay Fried Green Tomatoes
At last, I got the chance to try fried green tomatoes! They were so yummy too! This dish is listed as Bee Haven Bay Fried Green Tomatoes on the menu. It’s the Fried Green Tomato topped with shaved ham, rémoulade sauce, and dressed local greens.
Thigh High Chicken Biscuits
A look at the Thigh High Chicken Biscuits. This app includes three biscuits topped with Chef Art’s famous fried chicken thighs and bread and butter pickles. Drizzled with hot honey. This was a great app to try out the famous Chef Art Smith friend chicken if you have your sights set on a different entree from the main menu.
Bunch of Puppies
This basket is filled with house-made hushpuppies served with pimento cheese and red jalapeño jelly. They were gone so fast I didn’t even get a chance to try one. But from what I heard from the others is they were VERY good.
Jasper Board
This was the sleeper app on the table. No one really went for it until we were down to the end and faced with nothing else to pick at. BUT it was all because we were so wrong! This Jasper Board was filled with an array of Southern goodness perfect for sharing with the table. Smoked fish dip (the BEST), pimento cheese, shaved country ham, bread and butter pickles, candied pecans, and buttermilk crackers.
These are the buttermilk crackers that come with the Jasper board above.
Lollipop Chicken Legs
I couldn’t believe the size of these Hot Legs. I really don’t think the picture above is doing this dish any justice. Four lollipop-style chicken legs, hand-breaded then fried and tossed in our Fresno pepper hot sauce served with icebox dressing for dipping
Main Entrees at Homecomin’
Homecoming features specialties like fried chicken and shrimp & grits. Their chicken is marinated for 24 hours in buttermilk, this keeps their chicken from being dried out and tasteless. If you are struggling with what to pick out on the menu I would stay stick with a chicken dish, you just can’t go wrong.
Fried Chicken & Doughnuts
If you aren’t sure what to get consider this classic. The fried chicken and donuts dish is two pieces of Chef Art Smith’s famous fried chicken served with house-made sugar doughnuts and a choice of side item. Above I opted to go with the mashed potatoes. But I also recommend the mac and cheese as a side here as well, so yummy!
The Art Burger
This spin on a hamburger has two beef patties topped with American cheese, Art’s special sauce, tomato-bacon jam, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles on a brioche bun served with house-made barbecue chips drizzled with icebox dressing.
We noticed the last time we dined in the Art Burger got a bit of an update. Below is a picture of what it looked like last time we dined in a Homecomin.
Fried Chicken Sandwich
This sandwich has chicken that is Buttermilk-brined for 24 hours and double-battered, dressed with hot sauce, aioli, iceberg lettuce, tomato and bread and butter pickles served with house-made barbecue chips drizzled with icebox dressing.
Fried Chicken Salad
Fried Chicken Salad was amazing. The icebox dressing is very reminiscent of ranch dressing, my favorite! I would definitely get this salad again so tasty and filling. Their fried chicken is really the best thing on the menu and with a salad, I feel like it makes it a slightly healthier pick.
The salad includes crispy fried chicken over mixed greens, pecan-smoked bacon, egg, heirloom cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cucumber tossed with icebox dressing, cheddar biscuit croutons, and fresh herbs.
Art’s Famous Fried Chicken
This was another hit, you really can’t go wrong with fried chicken here! Art’s Famous Fried Chicken is Buttermilk-brined for 24 hours then perfectly fried and served with creamy mashed potatoes, a cheddar drop biscuit, and love.
Braised Short Ribs
Just to do something different I also have tried out something I didn’t think of as a traditional southern dish, Braised Short Ribs. The flavor was packed in this beef and it was so tender it melted in your mouth. The portion was giant it’s more than enough for two in my opinion.
This dish is described as, a fancy “pot roast” made by slow-cooking boneless beef short ribs until they are fork tender. Served over creamy mashed potatoes with a demi-glace sauce and French green beans.
The Country Club
Grilled chicken topped with white cheddar, pecan-smoked bacon, red jalapeño jelly, lettuce, and tomato on a brioche bun. Opting to go a little healthier and try the grilled chicken I thought this dish would be a good test. The chicken was great here not as good as the fried chicken, it’s hard to top that but I still really enjoyed this grilled chicken sandwich.
Dessert from Homecomin’
Hummingbird Cake
You will be dreaming of this dessert for months after eating it. A very heavy cake with banana and pineapple flavors paired perfectly with homemade vanilla ice cream. I wish they gave you a whole bowl on the side of ice cream. When you share the ice cream goes fast and it’s the perfect complement to this cake.
Hamilton County Chocolate Pecan Pie
Hamilton County Chocolate Pecan Pie, a 100-year-old traditional Smith Family Farm recipe served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. If you are a lover of pecan pie this is a must get, one of my friends gets this every time we meet up for a meal here!
Doughnuts
These are the same doughnuts that you can get with the fried chicken or with your brunch here. They are so yummy and if you opt for a menu item without them you don’t want to miss out. On our last trip here we found out from our waitress that Homecomin’ actually owns Everglazed Donuts just down the way so you could always opt for a stroll around Disney Springs and stop in for a more decadent doughnut at Everglazed.
Auntie’s Chocolate Cake
This cake is huge! It’s the perfect portion for sharing. The chocolate cake is layered and topped with chocolate-pecan frosting. It was perfect, my only complaint is there wasn’t more ice cream to balance out the richness of the cake. On the plus side, those candied pecans stole the show I could have had a whole bowl of them they almost out-shown the chocolate cake.
Homecoming Photos
Homecoming Recommendation
If you love comfort food and aren’t worried about eating healthy than Homecoming is a great place for you to try. One of my favorite parts about this restaurant is that a vast majority of ingredients are sourced from local farms, ranches or fisheries. The prices at the restaurant are pretty reasonable as far as Disney pricing goes. If you stick with a sandwich or burger off the menu plus combine it with a discount card (if eligible) it makes it about the price of a higher-end quick service location in the parks.
If you are looking to be in and out quickly you may want to give the outside bar a try. Here you can pick up a more limited amount of food items but it does include some of the best, like the fried chicken sandwich. The Shine Cake is also available here and a delicious way to treat yourself after a long day of running around Disney World.
Want more dining tips? Check out our Best Disney World Restaurants recommendations along with Worst Disney Dining Sit Down Restaurants. If you are visiting with young ones read our Best Places to Eat with Kids at Disney World.
I have been visiting the parks annually since my parents first brought me at just a year old. Recently I was able to fulfill my life long dream of being a Florida local and moved from the wintery Northeast to the sunshine and fun of central Florida. Now I am hoping to share my Disney knowledge with you so you can have the best vacation possible!
