Although I had tried breakfast at the Sci-Fi during its short tenure of November 1, 2015 to January 23, 2016, it had been 6 1/2 years since our family had dined there for lunch. As you can see from the photos, this restaurant has a very fun, unique theme. Modeled after a drive-in theater, guests dine “under the stars” in 50’s era cars and watch old clips from science fiction movies and cartoons like Tom & Jerry…
The majority of cars hold 6 people sitting in three rows of two seats. However, there are a few tables in the back of the restaurant.
We were seated in the front and middle rows of a car in the front left side of the theater, with the kids sharing the front seat while I had the middle all to myself…
One of the items that the Sci Fi is known for is their milkshakes…especially the adult milkshake called Orbiting Oreos…
My son ordered one of these…
Orbiting Oreos – Oreo Shakes mixed with Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, served with a souvenir glow cube
…and my daughter ordered their seasonal shake (which was Peppermint) and had them add Godiva Chocolate Liqueur to it. They both enjoyed their shakes!
Then for an appetizer we shared the Spinach & Artichoke Dip…
Spinach & Artichoke Dip – A blend of Monterey Jack and Parmesan, Spinach, and Artichokes, served with Corn Tortilla Chips
First I must apologize that the photo makes this appetizer look the opposite of appetizing. It was actually pretty good though, at least the couple of bites that I got to try were tasty. The dip spent most of the time in the front seat of our car.
Now on to our entrees…
My daughter ordered what I had planned to order…
Sci Fi Angus Burger topped with Pulled Pork, Sriracha Barbecue Sauce, Swiss Cheese, and Pickled Apple Slaw
My son also ordered a burger, but he went with the Sci-Fi Seasonal Specialty Burger…
His burger was topped by a big slice of fried Boursin cheese. They both said their burgers were good.
As I said before, I had wanted to order a burger too. However, I decided I should order something different for the sake of this dining review.
Smoked Turkey Sandwich with Hickory-smoked Bacon, Lettuce, and Vine-ripened Tomatoes, and Avocado Mayonnaise
This was supposed to be served on a multigrain roll but I asked and received instead ciabatta. This sandwich was disappointing, as it was served cold. The turkey tasted like packaged lunch meat, so not even the bacon or avocado mayonnaise could help it. For $14.00 I was expecting a warm sandwich with better quality meat. I see they have made some changes to this sandwich and it is now listed on their current menu as, Oven-roasted Turkey Sandwich with House-brined Herb-roasted Turkey served on a Fresh-baked Multigrain Croissant with Bacon, lettuce, Vine-ripened Marinated Tomatoes, and Cilantro-Avocado Aïoli. Although the description sounds improved, if it’s still a cold sandwich I would probably pass. Oh, and FYI, they raised the price on this sandwich to $15.00.
We then took a look at their dessert menu…
…but nothing was calling our name.
So when it was Intermission Time…
…we requested and paid our Parking Violation ticket.
So my advice to those who have never been to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater is to go there for the fun theming and atmosphere. The burgers and shakes are pretty good too. But if I had to choose just one restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I would still choose 50’s Prime Time Cafe.
And that just leaves the ratings, which is 4 stars by both Yelp and Trip Advisor. I would probably agree. In addition, of the nearly 3,000 restaurants reviewed on Trip Advisor, Sci-Fi ranks #167 best.
Taste of Disney 