Paddlefish

I never got to try this place before it was refreshed into Paddlefish, besides the beautiful lounge they used to have. Inside is really very nice. A clean feel, modern. Service here was not on par as other Disney restaurants. They seemed really distracted. It was noticeable enough to mention here. Food was just ok. I felt like we may have gone to early. We are not sure if we will try it again. I keep an eye on the menu changes, so maybe that will help get me back because the views are beautiful if you get a window seat.

We had a fantastic dinner at Paddlefish in Disney Springs! From the moment we arrived, the service was top-notch. Matt took care of us and was absolutely on point with his customer service—friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. The food was just as impressive. We especially enjoyed the clam chowder, the linguine clam pasta, and their soft bread. We also tried the crab cake, and it was absolutely delicious—rich, flavorful, and definitely a must-try. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a quality seafood dining experience in Disney Springs!

AMAZING on every level! This is the place you want to go to celebrate that special occasion. Every single dish was delicately crafted to elevate your taste buds. The crab guacamole was incredible! Loved the espresso martini and old fashioned. The cocktails here are well done! The service was fantastic and worth the price. It's such a unique concept, making a boat a restaurant, but it works, and the views are worth it.

“Scenic Views, Savory Bites, and Stellar Service” The view of the lake was absolutely stunning—like dining inside a living postcard. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting golden light across the water, the ambiance alone was enough to make the evening feel special. We started with the octopus appetizer, which was slightly on the chewy side—like it had just come from the gym. But the accompanying beans? To die for—rich, tender, and full of flavor. Our entrées didn’t disappoint: a generously portioned, wood-grilled mahi and a beautifully stuffed cod, served with crisp asparagus and red potatoes. Both dishes were perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. Special shout-out to our server, Felicity, who struck the ideal balance between attentive and unobtrusive. Friendly, efficient, and always one step ahead. Overall, a memorable evening with top-notch views, delicious food, and thoughtful service. Solid 4 stars—we’ll definitely be back (and maybe give the octopus another shot).

We had an amazing lunch at Paddlefish in Disney Springs! From the moment we arrived, the staff was welcoming and attentive, making the whole experience feel extra special. The scenery is stunning—such a beautiful spot to relax and take in the views. And the food? Absolutely delicious. The lobster corn dogs were the star of the show—we were so excited to see them back on the menu, and they did not disappoint! Every bite was packed with flavor. Highly recommend Paddlefish for a perfect mix of atmosphere, service, and standout food. Can’t wait to go back!

Absolutely loved our experience at Paddlefish! The oysters were incredibly fresh and flavorful — easily some of the best I’ve had. I also ordered the lobster roll, and it was perfection: buttery, packed with lobster, and served on a perfectly toasted roll. Our waitress was fantastic — friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. You can really taste the freshness in every bite. Highly recommend for seafood lovers!

I originally visited this restaurant when Downtown Disney first opened. It has changed a lot (the original restaurant felt more like the actual boat it’s supposed to be, while this current iteration feels more like a regular restaurant stuck to the side of a boat). In either case the food is excellent. I had the crab cake and the the Shrimp pasta and they were both delicious. The waiter was very helpful and pleasant as well. Make sure you have a reservation or you may have to wait an hour or longer.

Paddlefish: Delicious Seafood and Fantastic Service from Penelope, But Pricey for Frequent Visits Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 Stars) Paddlefish offers a unique and stylish dining experience aboard a steamboat in Disney Springs. The location and ambiance are definitely a draw, especially if you can snag a table with a view of the water. The seafood here is undeniably fresh and well-prepared – we thoroughly enjoyed the crab, which was cooked to perfection and tasted incredibly high-quality. However, it's worth noting that the prices at Paddlefish are quite high, which unfortunately means we can only justify a visit once a year during our Disney World trips. While the food quality is excellent, it's definitely a splurge. Despite the cost, our dining experience this year was made particularly enjoyable by our server, Penelope. She was absolutely fantastic! Penelope was attentive, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. She offered excellent recommendations and made sure we felt well taken care of throughout our entire meal. Her warm personality and genuine enthusiasm truly made our evening special. Overall, Paddlefish is a great choice for a special occasion or a once-a-year treat due to its higher price point. The atmosphere is lovely, and the food is top-notch. A special shout-out to Penelope for providing exceptional service that truly made our visit memorable!

We got a beautiful seat on the water side where we can watch the car boats drive around. 12 minute wait for our party of 3 which was good given how busy it was. Waitress was nice but very busy. Bread had a fun presentation like a flower but was average. I got filet and prawns both were very good. Filet was a very good size and cooked to my medium request. It had a bit of gristle which I don't prefer but the flavor and sauce was a nice pairing. My son had the seafood pasta and said it was very good as well.

We have eaten here many times through the years. They offer excellent seafood options and other food stuffs too! The service is outstanding and the atmosphere is top notch - or top sail - or, well you get it - REALLY GOOD! This is a bit pricey but then again when you consider where it is - it's not that bad either. We've never had a bad meal and they also offer kids activity for children as part of the dining experience - Coloring sheets and crayons or wax sticks that you can create different things with.

Our waitress was very friendly and sweet. Our table view was so nice! We liked the atmosphere the place. Our reservations were delayed by 10 mins past reservation time, even with us checking in 10 mins before hand. The rolls were fluffy and soft, not flavorful but nice to have if you're starving. The stuffed cod was subtle but flavorful if that makes sense. Not super fishy but very good! Fries were ok. Not $10 worth honestly. Greens beans we had(not pictured) were very plain. Too crunchy for my taste as well. The crab dip & sesame crackers was good but not amazing. The ladies bathroom on the 1st floor was absolutely terrible. The walls are nearly bubbling out and wallpaper is peeling. You can tell it's either very old restaurant, poor mgmt or just terribly built. Otherwise this place is good for dine in especially in the pouring rain!!

Our final stop of the day was dinner aboard the Paddlefish! We had a reservation and were seated early! Our booth was at the stern of the boat and we got in right before it started raining! We had an awesome server with a sweet personality-Noah-how is that for appropriate?! I had the salmon and veggies while Bill had the shrimp pasta with asparagus and crab sauce. Both dishes were super flavorful! We really enjoyed the meal and the experience and the rain had stopped by the time we needed to come off the boat! The noise ebbed and flowed as larger parties left. The decor was true to form and very tasteful!

Gotta start with the food. Every bit of everything anyone at the table had was phenomenal. My pork chop was incredibly flavorful and very juicy. The chimichurri and potatoes were the perfect accouterments. I had never heard of macque choux before, but we ordered it as a side for the table, and everyone loved it, we fought overtime the last bites! The edamame and bacon succotash was mostly corn, and while it was pretty good, we all agreed we wouldnt order it again, two orders of macque choux instead! The rest of my table ordered seafood, and while I don't eat seafood, there wasn't a single complaint about the food. The atmosphere of the restaurant in general isn't thrilling. Its white, clean, and fine, but boring. We got lucky and sat in a secluded-ish area right next to a window with a view of the water, which helped. But of you were just in the middle of the main part of the dining room, I can't imagine thered be anything wonderful to say. Our server was also just fine. He seemed bothered in the beginning, maybe because we brought out own wine (paid the corkage fee, of course, we weren't hiding anything), he seemed less bothered by the end but was not friendly, and never smiled. Overall, I do think the food quality overpowered the meh server, so id probably go back and hope for a different server and the same seat!

Paddlefish has the best clam chowder I've ever had, YUM. My sister and I got in without a reservation around 2pm on a Friday. Lovely service and a nice view of Disney Springs.

This restaurant was beautifully located on the lake at the beautiful Disney Spring. We joined the walk in list and were quoted 40 minutes for a part of 2 people. The bar was open seating so we made our way there and met Curt. He was AMAZING. He provided recommendations for our apps, entrees, and drinks. His recommendations were spot on and decadently delicious! We started with the lobster corn dogs. Mmmmmm! MMmmmmm!!! MMMMMMMMM!!!!! I've never tasted anything like it. The lobster pieces were huge and the cornmeal batter wasn't too thick. It came with a sauce that balanced every flavor out. It is a must try. Next, he recommended the stuffed cod. That dish was also excellent and the flavors of the seafood was the star. Our meal came with complementary dinner rolls with butter and who doesn't like free bread?!?! All in all, this place was a huge hit and we would recommend it to all our friends going to the Orlando/Disney World area.

Raquel was incredible and we loved having her as our waitress. We were given plenty of suggestions and she spoke with us about what we liked / vs what would be good. Her favorites on the menu also became our favorites. The view from the second floor is great even if the interior feels a tad cramped. I also left my bag and had to go back for it. They already had it waiting for me downstairs!

Everything about Paddlefish was awesome! Our server was so sweet, everything we ordered was delicious, and the atmosphere was so relaxed yet upscale. Would absolutely come back and recommend to anyone in Disney Springs!

We chose this place because we assumed it had good fish based on the name of the restaurant. I wasn't expecting it to be the best salmon I ever had (love salmon) but this salmon was "meh". Good size portion of fish but rather dry and a bit fishy tasting. The salmon has a glaze on it, which helped moisten it some. It gave it a little bit of flavor, but not enough to overcome the overall dryness of it. The meal also includes a medley of vegetables and mashed potatoes. I was forewarned by the server that the mashed potatoes had wasabi mixed in them. When I asked if it was overwhelming or hot, the answer was no not really. The wasabi overtook the taste of the mashed potato. This is not something I would ever consider adding to mashed potatoes. The flavor was such that I did not get past three bites of the potatoes.

The view was amazing! We were on the second floor of the restaurant. Our food was great. Was it worth the price tag? No. I've had much better food for the price.... But that's alright... it's all for the experience, right. We had an amazing view of the water. The driving cars in the water was the highlight. I loved that so much. I had the ribeye and the others at the table had the filet, the salmon, and the shrimp linguine. No one really had any complaints for the food. It was tender. One of my favorite foods is fried green tomatoes... and although they were fried perfectly, the sauce that they sit in was just okay. I would not order that again. The lobster corn dog was so delicious! That was worth the price tag. The shrimp cocktail... well... it was shrimp cocktail, nothing really stood out about it. Our waitress had to be one of the sweetest people on this earth... BUT... she needs a little help being a waitress... it was like we almost had to track her down just to get beverage refills. I have a drink with my Disney dining plan that she told me that I could get but couldn't because she NEVER CAME BACK TO THE TABLE!! She never came back once to ask if everything was okay. So although she had a great personality, she needed some help with managing the tables she had. Cuz eventually came back to bring us the check.... Not to ask if there was anything else we needed or wanted. We were thinking that going on a Wednesday night it wouldn't be too packed... lol... boy were we wrong! It's Disney Springs! Of course it was packed!

The food was really good, including the drinks (no pics). Zero negative comments. If the weather is decent, you can opt to sit outside. Great views! The service offered from the bottom to the top was excellent. Servers from other stations were open to provide service when needed. If you don't want to take the stairs, there is an elevator.

**INITIAL REVIEW** The weekend of my stepdad's birthday was filled with trying out new restaurants as a means to spend time together, but there was one restaurant that was highly-anticipated amongst my family, and that is Paddlefish. Located on the northside of Disney Springs, Paddlefish is a unique-looking restaurant, at least from the exterior. Given this is Disney property, Paddlefish definitely gave me vibes of the animated classic, "Disney and the Frog" with its riverboat design, with its two smoke stacks and paddle wheel, reminiscent of riverboat paddle steamers in classic Southern lore. Inside, however, Paddlefish looks more like a classic five-star restaurant on the river ith its simplistic circle patterns and use of blues and gold to have a modern accompany to the river, a design contrast from its exterior. Nothing wrong with it, just a sudden change from what you initially see. I was expecting more of the riverboat theme, actually. My family and I sat at the bow of the first floor of what seemed to be a three-floor restaurant which I discerned from the three stories of stairs outside of the restaurant. We sat at a table for six and the space was thoroughly used well. At times, there are tight squeezes between tables, but nothing that cannot be managed especially with a bigger person such as I. Besides the exterior aesthetics, the service and food truly shine here at Paddlefish. Now to be fair, some of the dishes are a dime a dozen, but there are some that have enough of a uniqueness compared to others. This is defiitely true for their bread, calamari, and etouffee. We also ordered watercress salad with salmon, stuffed cod, Florida little neck clams in a seafood boil, and linguine with clams. For dessert, we got both Florida's iconic dessert, key lime pie, and a chocolate mousse. There is one note of caution and one actual gripe that must be stressed. The note of caution: Paddlefish is expensive. I would say the average on each dish was over $25, but that is to be expected with seafood. As for my one gripe, the design for restrooms is really bad. With the number of people in the restaurant, there are not enough stalls in the restroom for patrons to use. Ultimately, Paddlefish is a fine restaurant, one of the better high-end dining establishments in Disney Springs. If you have the money, the occassion to be there, and like seafood, I suggest at least trying it once. If you like it, you've found another great place to eat for high-end special occassions on Disney property. If not, you would have at least tried and you would know it isn't your preference. I will definitely return for special occassions and if Paddlefish is just as good as they were my initial visit, I'll grant them their fifth star for consistency.

+.5 for service I guess if we're talking about Disney food quality, this place isn't bad. You even get a good ambiance here too, as you're dining on a "boat". Paddlefish was our first stop after arriving at Disney, as it was dinner time. My expectations weren't set too high given the location. I had the linguine and clams, and my group shared a crab cake, PEI mussels, and grilled octopus. The crab cake and grilled octopus were both actually not bad. The mussels unfortunately lacked any flavour outside the sauce that came with it. The linguine with clams was nothing spectacular, but good for what it was worth. Service was excellent here. For Disney food quality I'd say this place is good. Not gonna push it any further than that.

The food did not disappoint. The chef came to our table to insure diet preferences were met for zero refined sugar. They delivered on all points! There is snow crab service with bib placement! And the internal and external vibe is upscale nautical ambiance with nice high end touches within the dining room. Great for celebrations meetups or date nights!

Family weekend get away and came here without a reservation with only a 30-40 min wait for a table. Not bad for a busy Saturday night in Disney springs. Food was great, started off with the crab cake and it was very tasty and seasoned well. My wife got the stuffed cod, top notch probably one of there best dishes I tried a few bites and I wish I had gotten that. I had the mahi it was good slightly over cooked but no complaints on a busy Saturday, kiddo got the seafood boil again it was cooked perfectly, we prefer it a little spicier but still was very good. Great drinks especially the summer specials, typical old fashion was perfect not too sweet with a good bite Sorry no photos of the food was gone to fast.

This is specifically a review of a private event we hosted here recently, but I had to share about it. Definitely book your next party at Paddlefish!! The team who helped set up the event was easy to work with and kind, and the staff working the bar were excellent and attentive! Paddlefish has a great private room on their top deck that fit our party of about 20 comfortably, with access to the outside top deck area as well. I loved the ambiance, and since we did a lunchtime party, the deck was empty for us to enjoy despite being open to the public. I was so pleasantly surprised by the food - it was amazing, and everyone raved about it! I feel like party food can be hit or miss in bigger quantities, but everything hit the mark. I chose things from their party menu like a vegetable couscous, mashed potatoes, bbq chicken, and a salmon in a Dijon sauce that was to die for. The salmon may have been a fan favorite! Everything had awesome flavor and was refilled consistently for our group. The drinks were also very well-made by our bartenders, and they made sure we were always served quickly. I had such a great time at my party here, and I would recommend the private events here to anyone looking for a high quality small event! Now to return for dinner.

We came in as walk-ins on a busy Tuesday night. They had room in the bar lounge area and it was great. Our server M.J. Was awesome. Please note that their menus at lunch versus dinner are a little bit different. However, they still have majority of the same items minus the burger. They had enough for kids and everything we ate was good. Highly suggest getting the crab and guacamole. It's a huge portion and had tons of crab. We also did the crab fries which were also a large portion. Highly suggest both items, but make sure to share as they are big.

I love this restaurant! Beautiful views, great menu, awesome service, clean, fresh ingredients, aesthetically pleasing. They have two (maybe three) floors of seating. They can accolade large and small parties. Most tables have views of the lagoon which is fun because you can watch the car boats go by and watch the rainforest cafe volcano go off. We've been here a few times and have never been disappointed. Try to make a reservation or call ahead if possible, they're always busy. The seafood is really good, super fresh. Splurge a little and split a half tower. Worth every penny. My sister and I split one for lunch and could have easily fed 3 people. They give kids wixy sticks to the kids to play with while they wait. Nice touch.

This was one of the best meals my family and I had ever had at WDW. The service was prompt, server was friendly, and the food was fabulous. My clam chowder was amazing, possibly the best clam chowder I've ever had. The shrimp and grits was likewise extremely flavorful and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. All around, fantastic evening.

July 20/2024: Dinner with Ed/Lisa & my Al at Disney Springs. This place was an absolute ZOO! It was loud, noisy & simply put, overwhelmed with customers. We were able to get a table but it was SO NOISY that we ended up changing to a different table in a quieter section but it was still noisy. I had the Cornmeal encrusted catfish ($27.00). It came with edamame-smoked bacon succotash & a creole mustard with a small side salad. The fish was virtually tasteless and a small portion. The succotash saved the meal. It was delicious. The creole mustard was like water with the same taste. Although this was a cool location, the service took too long due to the crowds & the noise made table conversations too difficult. For all those reasons in give it a 2.5-Star & list it as not a do-over.

Reservations were made the day of just in case they were going to fully booked but be careful when making them because for some odd reason the timezone was wrong and therefore so were the reservations. Luckily I was still able to rebook on their website directly so just be aware of that. Since we had gotten there slightly early, we utilized their rooftop bar and admired the beautiful view of the sunset and the water. For drinks we tried their pink cosmo and dirty martini, both were great! We shared the mussel boil which was a relatively good size but I was not a huge fan of the flavor since it was pretty bland having mostly (or only) used Old Bay seasoning. Oysters were fresh and cleaned well with fresh horseradish, vinegar, and shrimp cocktail sauce. My sister enjoyed her flounder while I was very satisfied with my ettoufee. There was lots of crawfish and shrimp in their decadent and thick sauce over a bed of white rice. Overall, my sister and I had a perfect experience. We were in love with our waitress Lily who was beyond kind providing her personal recommendations and exceptional service. I would love to come and get all the same items again, besides the mussels, and highly recommend others to come here as well!

I'm a sucker for a lobster roll and this wasnt too bad. It was so creamy and I couldn't finish it because the portion was really large which is a plus. I prefer to sit outside as the interior seems a little bit older, but still a really nice vibe for a sunny day. The service was good and they were pretty hospitable.

Highly recommend if you're looking for a seafood restaurant around Disney Springs in Orlando. We started with cocktails and calamari. The calamari had fried peppers with it which made it even more tasty! The mahi dish was delicious (I requested the toppings on the side). Atmosphere was nice and located right off the river.

I'm officially a repeat customer and a huge fan of Paddlefish! I enjoy trying different things around Disney Springs but Paddlefish has got me hooked! First pro - always a quick seating so my family and I aren't waiting around. Second pro - bathrooms are right by the hostess stand so we can wash our hands before we sit down. Third pro - each dining area gives you a view of the outdoors whether it's Disney Springs shops or the water. I've dined on the first and second floor and haven't really gotten a chance to explore the beauty of their outdoor seating yet. I love the interior. You would've never guessed you're on a boat. The dining rooms are so elegant. Service is also top notch here. I've been with a party of 6 and a party of 3. All three times here, service is always great. We're always able to locate our server and the manager also stops by to check on our experience. The food here is what keeps me coming back though. I am in love with the seafood pasta they have here in a crab broth. The salad and clam chowder soup are also key items we need to order everytime we come. Last, we love the variety of kids dishes on the kids menu. The price points are great and they give a large portion. Best bang for our buck.

Celebrated Fathers Day at Paddlefish and had an excellent dinner. The service was great and the waiter was friendly and helpful. The ambiance was beautiful overlooking the water and onto the adjacent Disney resort. Our favorite dishes of the night were the grilled mahi and the Key west pink shrimp boil.

Really hate writing negative reviews but this place was not the place to go for a birthday dinner. My partner and I both paid $55 for a Filet Mignon cooked medium well and they both were grossly undercooked. When I mentioned this to the waiter, the manager never came out to apologize. The steak was clearly undercooked. The rest of the food was underwhelming as well, the dinner rolls weren't good either. This taught me to not go to Disney Springs for a good meal

It was okay. The place was beautiful. And the outdoor seating is very nice. There was nothing really spectacular. Our family was out and about in Disney springs and decided to get a bite. We ordered the muffuletta, crab ceviche, kids hot dog and fries, grilled chicken sandwich, sausage and peppers and the house salad. Surprisingly the grilled chicken was the star of the show. Piping hot juicy and flavorful.

We are in Orlando and decided to have dinner at Paddlefish. It was delicious. My husband had mahi and I had salmon plus we shared New England clam chowder. Adult beverages n yummy dinner, perfect. The staff is friendly and gracious. Although it's located at Disney Springs, it is worth the stop n walk and enjoy the food and surrounds. Thank you Paddlefish for a great evening.

Had reservations for 7 and they honored that, didn't have to wait to be seated, the ambiance is a bit loud and the tables are pretty closed to each other. The service was slow, and the food took about 35-40 minutes to come out, but the flavor was fantastic (at least for the chicken) And you may be wondering who goes to a seafood place to order chicken, well, i do and it was the best dish on the table, we had a vote. Got some Mahi dishes, a shrimp boil and fried green tomatoes (tomatoes were pretty good). It was my partner's birthday, they brought out a nice little cheesecake. Personally, it was a good experience for 1 time only.

We went there with friends. Robert was a great server. The food was decent, but the fish had mixed reviews at our table. I loved the cornmeal crusted catfish. The bread was yummy too. I would go back.

Made Reservation for a party of 10! This is a very crowded establishment, so STRONGLY recommend a Reservation! The food was Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! Because we had such a large party had the opportunity to taste A LOT of food! There isn't one single complaint so I'm gonna just name my favorites! But you can't go wrong with ANYTHING! APPETIZERS: I can't even pick a favorite- crab cake,skewers tied for first!! But fried green tomatoes and calamari were so good as well MAIN: I've never had a better Filet Mignon! And those potatoes melted in your mouth!!! DESSERT: Cheese cake wins with chocolate mousse a close 2nd! Service was incredible with how big our party was and how busy the restaurant was!!!

Best restaurant on our trip to Orlando. I thought they would be OK and mostly rely on their great location and the fact that it is located on a very old paddle boat. I was wrong the food was GREAT and so was the service. The location is great as well we sat outside on the 3rd floor and the views were amazing. We even could watch some fireworks.

Our reservation had fallen through at another restaurant so this was our backup on a Saturday night when everything else was over an hour wait. We were seated almost immediately as a walk-in with quick and attentive service. We had a great view from our table of the waterfront and overall the ambiance felt elevated and welcoming and the boat aesthetic was fun. As for food we got the seafood tower, linguine & clams, and ribeye along with free bread all to share between 2 people. The portions were definitely larger than expected and we left full with leftovers. For drinks we got the house sangria and paddlefish red wine Free bread - pretty standard dinner roll type bread but very soft Seafood tower - advertised to serve 4 probably more comfortably serves 3 as it comes with 6 oysters, 8 shrimp, ahi poke, and crab ceviche with a generous side of chips and saltines. Everything in this was quite delicious except the crab ceviche was pretty bland and I definitely wouldn't order it if it were on its own. Other than that the oysters were very fresh, shrimps were well cooked, and the tuna was surprisingly fresh and well seasoned (as someone from Hawaii I was impressed) Linguine & clams - the noodles itself were quite bland and tasted mostly like a standard butter pasta alone but the clams were very flavorful so together it made for a pretty decent dish. We started eating the pasta while scooping up the leftover "clam juice" in the pasta to accompany it and that helped a lot with the flavor. Overall satisfying and would order again Ribeye - had a decent amount of fat if you're into that and came with potatoes and steak sauce. I wouldn't say it was anything groundbreaking but a fine dish if you're craving a steak House sangria - fruity and delicious! House red wine - I'm definitely not a wine expert so I'll just leave it at it was a dry wine Overall, left satisfied and on the scale of Disney food pretty good but definitely a splurge as it's quite pricey!

The wait staff was friendly and restaurant had ample seating for many people at once. The food was good. I enjoyed all the dishes, especially the mussels appetizer. The clama were a good size and the sauce was tasty. I thought the caprese salad would have more cheese but it was overwhelming tomatoes with one piece of basil.

I cannot fathom what goes on behind the scenes at this giant restaurant. This place runs like a well oiled machine and with no flaws in sight. From the ambience, to the service, and of course, the food, everything was 5 stars. From start to finish our party of 8 raved and savored every bite. I ordered the snow crab and it was worth every penny. This crab was cooked to absolute perfection. Served with potatoes, a full corn on the cob and topped with moist cornbread. Others in my party ordered the shrimp boil, another positive review with a huge portion of shrimp. I was lucky enough to taste the filet Mignon - it was a generous size and absolutely delicious. Perfectly seared yet cooked as directed. The scallops were presented beautifully and also received a 10/10. Part of me regretted not ordering the stuffed cod, mentioned as a fan favorite, I now know why. Fun fact: I learned that this was originally the Empress Lilly named after Walt Disney's wife. It was also the first place to host character breakfasts.

Service is top notch, like can it get any better? Really it can't, they are on it, friendly, kind and caring. You can tell service and treating the customer as important is a priority for Paddlefish. We loved our server and loved the attention and service they offered. As for the establishment, I mean it's the old Empress Lily, the history of this place goes back to before the Disney Marketplace days, it's epic beyond epic, which is like stunningly epic, absurdly epic, it's one of the originals, just a new restaurant and every seat you can see water somewhere. We didn't window seat, but there is something cool about going aboard what looks like a ship for dinner, it's just exciting and all the decor makes the theme really come to life. Finally the food, it was good, but not numero ink, they have a great menu, everything taste great and loved the tenderness and flavor, loved it. I just know there is better, so that is why the 4 stars instead of 5. Overall paddlefish is a great date spot, with the root top bar overlooking the lake and Disney Springs, it's a winner anytime of year for any occasion. If you like seafood you'll love paddlefish.

Paddlefish was a very disappointing experience. We picked the restaurant based on recommendations from others. It is deep in Disney Springs. The restaurant is a conversion from the old Empress Lily. While I cannot judge their inability to seat us early, I can judge the fact that it was 70 Minutes from being seated until art entrees were served. Our server was generally inattentive. The food was good, but it wasn't great. It was certainly not enough to make up for 3 hours to have a simple dinner. Mama told you never judge a book by its cover. Paddlefish is a pretty restaurant, but pretty does not always deliver. Good food that is slow in a pretty environment with blah service isn't worth these prices.

Hate to say it but this is the first restaurant in a long time where we sent things back. We got both of pasta dishes (Linguine and Clams, and Shrimp Pasta) and both were insufferably bland. They were also watery like they were a soup? We were wondering if something went wrong, so we mentioned the problems to our server - who was beyond nice - and she tried to get us some extra sauce from the back to see if it would help. We actually had a chuckle about what if they just brought more bland, soup-consistency broth out, but then that's exactly what happened :( they brought out basically the same unfortunate soup. At the end we got a partial discount and ate almost none of it, but we were being nice and probably should've asked for a full discount or a replacement dinner. Again, I do want to stress our server was extremely gracious. I hope she finds somewhere that deserves her better than this restaurant. A couple other members of our group got non-seafood dishes, which were OK. But for the high prices, I think we were all dissatisfied. About the only worthwhile thing here were the cocktails, although those weren't a bargain, either. Unfortunately until this restaurant is operated by someone else, we won't be back. The nice location and views can't compensate for terrible food at high prices.

Ambiance is great. Service is great. Food is mediocre. Please don't order the chicken caesar wrap, it was not good. Very salty, hardly any lettuce, too much dressing. I definitely ordered the wrong thing. My husbands crispy chicken sandi was yummy though.

LATE REVIEW... January 25, 2024 Came for lunch with hubby while walking around Disney Springs area. We arrived around 11:30 am and waited only a few minutes before we were seated in the empty bar area. The nautical theme was seen throughout and the staff was friendly. Our server was always attentive even after a large party 10+ people were seated next to us. We ordered the fried calamari, shrimp cocktail, fish tacos, and clam chowder. Everything was fresh and cooked perfectly. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs so we had to take our fish tacos with us. We also saved room for their popular key lime pie. It was more like a cheesecake with a very light lime taste. Luckily we had extra limes from our tacos so I dipped my spoonfuls of cheesecake in some lime juice. ‍

Disney Spring is a madhouse of packed walkways, crazy lines and overpriced restaurants serving okay food. We went to Paddlefish because it was the only one that we could make a reservation at a time we wanted..but when we showed up for our reservation, we ended up waiting 30more mins for our table. Cue the Seinfeld episode of you know how to take a reservation... The restaurant from the outside looks beautiful, and inside was not as nice but still had class. We were on the third floor so I have to complain about the washrooms. The men's washroom had one toilet stale!?!? It was super strange to wait in line at a men's room to use one toilet. It looked like the pulled the urinal off the wall. Our waitress was fine but slow but obviously she had too many tables. The bread came out super quick and was very good. The cocktails were fantastic...but the mains were just okay. My shrimp pasta was great, kids linguine and chicken fingers were fine...but my wife's stuff cod was not warm and plain. My other daughter ordered the salad with salmon but it was so heavily salted that she couldn't eat it. We had to complain and the manager was great and offered to remake the meal, but we were short on time so they didn't charge us for the 2 mains which was fair. I would expect better execution at a place that charged these price points.

Love Paddlefish! Such a unique location in Disney Springs. The restaurant is located on a several story boat on the water, so the views are incredible. You can also see rainforest café and the volcano going off. We went on a Saturday afternoon around 12:30pm and it was not too busy. We sat outside and enjoyed the wonderful weather and the managers opened an umbrella for us so we wouldn't bake in the sun. Our server Raquel was absolutely fantastic. She was attentive and provided an excellent service experience. We ordered a pitcher of the sangria and unfortunately, it was very watery, flavorless and left more to be desired. I would suggest getting something else drink wise. The food however was phenomenal for any seafood lover. I had the ceviche and can honestly say it was the best I've ever had! Also enjoyed a Caesar, the battered shrimp and the lobster roll. The lobster roll was lacking in seasoning, but still a good quality dish. Overall a fairly good experience.

The restaurant has a stunning exterior and resembles a boat. The interior is pretty nice as well, and we were lucky to get a window table. Since we weren't super hungry, we decided to share a couple appetizers between the three of us. We decided to get the crab fries, crab cake, poke, and calamari. The calamari was nice and crispy and a decent sized portion. I thought the crab cake was pretty good too, wasn't too bready and could taste the crab meat. The poke was probably my least favorite of the shareables. There wasn't a ton of meat and it was cubes very small. The chips were seasoned though, which was nice as you don't see seasoned chips often. My favorite was definitely the crab fries. The sauce it came with was tasty (kind of thousand island-y) and there was a good amount of crab that was topped on the fries. I haven't had crab topped fries before and I think more places should definitely serve this dish! One thing that disappointed us was the service. Our water was never refilled during our entire meal - it was only refilled finally when we asked for the check. We tried to flag down a server multiple times for water and found it quite difficult to get their attention. The place is also really loud so if you want to have an initiate conversation this is probably not the place as you'll have difficulty hearing each other.

Generally, not my first choice when dining in downtown Disney Springs but they have good seafood food. I would stay away from the steaks though. The theme is comfortable, but it is also cumbersome with the rooms, stairs and in and outs of walking on a boat. The service is on par and the wait times are average and it can get busy, but always because it's just so big. if you wanna get away from all the high energy and huddle and bustle of the other restaurants and have a large group in this place might be for you. It's like a Red Lobster.

It's been several years since I dined at Paddlefish, so decided it was time for a return visit. We were seated along the windows which provided a wonderful view of the water and the amphicars. We started with the Crab Fries, French fries with remoulade sauce and crab meat. This is a great starter with plenty of crab meat. We shared a crab cake sandwich and Blue crab ceviche. The one down thing about the sandwich is it's topped with American cheese. Otherwise the sandwich had great flavor and is served with house made chips. The ceviche is served "dry" without the extra tomato and lime juice. There is plenty of crab, avocado, onion and tomato and is served with seasoned tortilla chips to eat the ceviche with. Claudia was our server and took wonderful care of us. She noticed the tortilla chips served were from the last of the batch with more broken chips and replaced them.

Seafood in Disney Springs was not my first choice, but it was a good spot to sit down and enjoy a nice meal with co-workers. Not the cheapest spot or best view (unless you sit outside) I found Paddlefish to excel in their service. Yelp tip: Upper deck seating is only open during dinner service and tables for larger groups, we had 15 people, will be seated inside. The outdoor tables do not move. I split the shrimp pasta and the shrimp po' boy and I would vote the pasta over the sandwich. The flavor of the crab and shrimp worked well with a pasta and the portion size was great. There was lots of food and we ordered the crab fries and calamari. The crab fries were superb and came with this sauce that was tangy and just right. Surprisingly they gave ample amounts of crab and it didn't taste fishy. The calamari was standard and actually less than I expected. Overall if you want a quiet place to rest your feet, get some good service, and get a seafood fix then come here. They do have non-seafood items like the pork chop, pictured here, but nothing to rave about.

I would definitely recommend this place. The drinks were great and service was fast. There was no issues with spilling the check. I also really likes the ferry boat theme of the restaurant! I am looking forward to dining here in the future.

We usually eat at Boathouse when we're in Disney Springs but we struggled to get a reservation on the day we wanted - so we ended up next door at Paddlefish for dinner. We should have known by the lack of wait that something was up. Overall, food was just alright. Some things were a little too salty, some seemed to be missing a seasoning or other... just a little disappointing. Nothing was done WRONG but at the same time, nothing was memorable. However, I did really enjoy my scallop entree, but my photo didn't do it justice since presentation was just ok. I would definitely recommend Boathouse over Paddlefish any day, but if you don't want to wait, Paddlefish still serves up some fresh seafood that may be worth your while.