The Solo Scale:

---

One of the newer restaurants on the Disney Springs block belongs to Summer House on the Lake. As the name suggests, it’s right there on the water on the West Side. It’s right by the Aerophile Balloon, Salt & Straw, and Jaleo.

The newness of the restaurant helps to explain why it’s so difficult to get reservations. I tried multiple times and had no luck. However, as a solo traveller, my secret skill is getting a seat at a bar. I didn’t need to worry. It was a Sunday night and I had absolutely no issue getting a free spot at the bar. In fact, there were about a dozen open seats beside me. So if you can’t get a table, you have two options. Put your name in and wait, or opt for a bar-seat and get the same great service and food.

With the bar, you also get a super convenient way to order. You can always place your order with the waitstaff, but they have QR codes to lead you to the menu. That’s the same place you can both place your orders and pay your bill. If you don’t really want to have a conversation with anyone, that QR code is your ticket to avoid it all.

When it came time to order, I got a glass of white wine when I put my order for food in. I was solo on this trip, so I ordered two items off of the appetizer/small bites menu. Even doing that, it was a lot of food.

During this dinner, I ordered the Cheesy Dream Puffs, which were popover style pieces of bread with cheese, rosemary, and amazing texture. They were absolutely excellent, but I actually don’t recommend these unless you’re very hungry. They’re delicious and fantastic value for money, but they’re best consumed fresh. I took half of them to go, but even by the next morning, they were dry and had lost the dreamy cheesy flavour that made them so amazing. The moisture was gone and with it, the taste.

The second item I ordered were the salmon poke nachos. These were incredible. The wonton chips were super light and refreshing and they’re dressed with the right amount of salmon, herbs, and sauces. It’s not too heavy or filling, but the flavours pack a huge punch and leave you satisfied without feeling overly full on fried food. I’d order this again in a heartbeat.

Overall, I had a great time at Summer House. Sitting at the bar and watching the lake at Disney Springs was amazing, the food was top-notch, and having the service of the bartender meant that I never waited for too long. Eating off the appetizer menu gave me fairly decent portions for a decent price. It’s already on my list of restaurants I plan to return to on my next visit (especially because I want to explore their dessert to-go counter!)

For more information and to see the latest menu, check out the website!

---