Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant/Dining Help Thread

[Vegcentric]

This thread is great - thank you! I haven't had time to read through all of it yet, so forgive me if I've missed this. And thanks all for the great recent vegan and vegetarian dining reviews we've had here lately!

I'm wondering if there is a place or if we can create a place (either in this thread or in a new thread) where we post photos of vegan and vegetarian meals at the signature restaurants. We're trying to decide between a few signature restaurants for our upcoming trip, and it would be nice to browse through one place to see what people have gotten in the past.

If a thread/ space like this already exists, it would be great if someone could direct me to it. If not, can we post pictures/ descriptions here? Or let me know if you'd like me to create a separate thread. Thanks!

I remember someone attempting to make a thread like that before, and it wound up getting merged with the general Food Picture thread. So I think your best bet is requesting people to post the pictures in this thread rather than make another one entirely, as it might be consolidated again. There's also a plethora of dining reviews on the dining reviews board, all I do is just do a search for "vegan" and they all pop up.

 

[UncleOrville]

I remember someone attempting to make a thread like that before, and it wound up getting merged with the general Food Picture thread. So I think your best bet is requesting people to post the pictures in this thread rather than make another one entirely, as it might be consolidated again. There's also a plethora of dining reviews on the dining reviews board, all I do is just do a search for "vegan" and they all pop up.

Thanks for the advice! So, good, yes, let's post here our pictures of vegan/ vegetarian meals from signature restaurants - if those of you who have them would be so kind.

I've read lots of the dining reviews (and will be checking out yours this weekend ), but I just thought it would be a great resource to have all signature meal pictures in one place for people who are like me and can't decide between a few of the restaurants.

 

[MelanieC]

Yeah, I tried to make a vegan/vegetarian picture thread and it got merged. It's really hard to sift through the large one to just look for veg/vegan pictures.

I ate at jiko off the vegan menu and it was awesome. I'll post some pictures here when I'm back.

 

[MangoChef]

Hi, I'm a Chef that works in a hotel. A lot of posts here are wondering why cooks and chefs get "put off" by vegan requests. Short answer, vegan meals mean more work. When working on a kitchen line you go on autopilot, you have all your prep in front of you (from the established menu) and a vegan meal means stopping what you're doing, going to the walk in, prepping the vegan meal and making the new meal. In this time the cook or chef could have gotten 20 "regular menu" meals done in the time it takes to do one vegan meal.

Also, we cook for the "majority" and the majority likes rice cooked with chicken stock, refried beans cooked with lard and sweet dressings made with honey. I will try to help you with you food needs but getting mad that I cook rice with chicken stock is not going to make me change my recipes.

 

[bicker]

It isn't a matter of anyone "getting mad" but rather folks simply choosing to avoid restaurants which are unwilling to serve vegetarians without prejudice. I was reading an article yesterday that outlined how increasingly the vegetarian in a dining party exerts veto power over restaurant choices where the restaurant won't adequately comply with the tenets of vegetarianism. "I can't eat anything there" trumps "I like that place more than that other place." So the restaurants that adequately serve their vegetarian patrons wins.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

It isn't a matter of anyone "getting mad" but rather folks simply choosing to avoid restaurants which are unwilling to serve vegetarians without prejudice. I was reading an article yesterday that outlined how increasingly the vegetarian in a dining party exerts veto power over restaurant choices where the restaurant won't adequately comply with the tenets of vegetarianism. "I can't eat anything there" trumps "I like that place more than that other place." So the restaurants that adequately serve their vegetarian patrons wins.

That's true, even before I gave up most meat, I had a very close vegetarian friend, and whenever we went out it was to a few select restaurants where she'd have a variety of options.

 

[Vegcentric]

That's true, even before I gave up most meat, I had a very close vegetarian friend, and whenever we went out it was to a few select restaurants where she'd have a variety of options.

Yep. Assuming you have good friends and family who want you to be able to eat something, most of the time it means finding a suitable restaurant. What I get extremely annoyed about - and this has happened at Disney before - is doing all the work before the vacation to ensure that you aren't stepping on anyone's toes. I mean, I've e-mailed restaurants and did the paperwork for the dietary request and was told it would be sent to the chefs before we got there to let them know we were coming.
The annoying bit comes into play when I'd get to those restaurants, and no one was aware at all that we were coming, despite the work I did weeks in advance. And then the chefs still become put out...even though I tried my best. I've heard from a lot of people though that the dietary hotline is very, very hit or miss.

 

[roxiepenguin]

I'm only into pg 6 of this WONDERFULLY helpful thread! TY for all of the work and sharing info/stories. I've really been wondering if it was 'worth the hassle' of doing the special dietary request thing for the ADRs we've made, so all of this help!

 

[MelanieC]

I'm only into pg 6 of this WONDERFULLY helpful thread! TY for all of the work and sharing info/stories. I've really been wondering if it was 'worth the hassle' of doing the special dietary request thing for the ADRs we've made, so all of this help!

Glad this is helping. For the most part, I've been extremely satisfied with Disney's special dietary help.

 

[VeganCupcake]

Hi, I'm a Chef that works in a hotel. A lot of posts here are wondering why cooks and chefs get "put off" by vegan requests. Short answer, vegan meals mean more work. When working on a kitchen line you go on autopilot, you have all your prep in front of you (from the established menu) and a vegan meal means stopping what you're doing, going to the walk in, prepping the vegan meal and making the new meal. In this time the cook or chef could have gotten 20 "regular menu" meals done in the time it takes to do one vegan meal.

Also, we cook for the "majority" and the majority likes rice cooked with chicken stock, refried beans cooked with lard and sweet dressings made with honey. I will try to help you with you food needs but getting mad that I cook rice with chicken stock is not going to make me change my recipes.

Can you tell us which of the refried beans are cooked with lard please? Also,before I am allowed to make any dining reservation I have to check off that I agree to their guest policies-this being one of them-

All Walt Disney World Resort table-service restaurants that accept reservations offer balanced menu choices and can accommodate lifestyle dining options (such as no sugar added, low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian or vegan). Please advise a Cast Member of your request at the time you place your order and he or she will be happy to assist. For dinner shows, 24-hour notice is required for any lifestyle menu request. Our quick-service locations also offer balanced menu choices and can accommodate most lifestyle dining options.

This being said, I don't think it fair or very "Disney" for a chef to make anyone with a special diet feel like they are a burden. I never feel like I should have a problem finding something to eat. If its in Disney's policies, then the chef's should be more than happy to abide by them. Ohana doesn't have a vegan breakfast listed on their menu, yet the chef who helped me when I went was more than happy to make their standard vegan breakfast dish for me. They keep the ingredients on hand for this one vegan dish there so it eliminates problems and there is always an easy option for them to make. It was awesome too!

 

[Laura]

WDW wants us all to eat on-site. This means that they HAVE to expect many guests to have certain food issues that they must accommodate.

I've read many vegetarian/vegan guest reviews of Disney restaurants. Sometimes a chef is grumpy and is obviously "put out" about doing a special dish. But also, sometimes they're happy to do something creative and get off the line making the same ol' same ol' every night like a robot.

 

[Vegcentric]

Can you tell us which of the refried beans are cooked with lard please? Also,before I am allowed to make any dining reservation I have to check off that I agree to their guest policies-this being one of them-

All Walt Disney World Resort table-service restaurants that accept reservations offer balanced menu choices and can accommodate lifestyle dining options (such as no sugar added, low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian or vegan). Please advise a Cast Member of your request at the time you place your order and he or she will be happy to assist. For dinner shows, 24-hour notice is required for any lifestyle menu request. Our quick-service locations also offer balanced menu choices and can accommodate most lifestyle dining options.

This being said, I don't think it fair or very "Disney" for a chef to make anyone with a special diet feel like they are a burden. I never feel like I should have a problem finding something to eat. If its in Disney's policies, then the chef's should be more than happy to abide by them. Ohana doesn't have a vegan breakfast listed on their menu, yet the chef who helped me when I went was more than happy to make their standard vegan breakfast dish for me. They keep the ingredients on hand for this one vegan dish there so it eliminates problems and there is always an easy option for them to make. It was awesome too!

Aaah yes, the policy. I've seen this too, and it made me feel a lot better when I made reservations. Plus, since we don't do rental cars while we're down there we are pretty much stuck on Disney property anyways...we don't get cabs to go out into the city or anything like that. So we stay put on property and eat Disney food.
When we're at home, we don't go into a restaurant and just expect them to meet our dietary restrictions. When we eat out, we eat at the restaurants we know are going to take care of us. Down in Disney, we aren't going to change our dining ethics and habits just because we're on vacation. So it's great that for the most part, Disney is very accommodating to vegetarians and vegans. I've seen a lot of things on the menu that can at least be made vegan with a little bit of effort.
Though that policy is in place, I've still run into problems like I have mentioned before. That's why this time around, I'm doing even more homework before I go and planning on visiting the restaurants where vegans have had the most luck (like Jiko, Sanaa, etc.). I definitely understand that preparing a vegan meal is a lot more work, but like vegancupcake pointed out, it's in the Disney policy that they can do meals for those customers...though I guess it's doesn't say in the policy, "We'll do it with a smile and be really enthusiastic to help you!"...that all comes down to the chef and their personality, and what kind of day they're having, I guess.

 

[MangoChef]

[del

 

[Pumbaa_]

This thread seems to be getting off track.

This is a Disney Dining board and dining in Disney.
thanks for staying on topic

 

[VeganCupcake]

Just wondering if anyone had found out about the popcorn being vegan at WDW???? Also to be clear- I need to ask for a tapioca bun when getting veggie burgers?

 

[UncleOrville]

Vegcentric, I just read your review of the California Grill and have to say I'm glad that I decided to switch the ADR I had made there to Citricos. My sister is vegan with food allergies (so chefs are sometimes really put out by her!) and it just puts a damper on the whole dining experience when chefs/ servers just seem annoyed.

I'm still debating the ADRs at signature restaurants that we've made - we currently have Citricos, the Flying Fish, and the Yachtsman Steakhouse laughing: I know) - and going through past and present reviews is really helpful! Thanks again!

 

[Vegcentric]

Vegcentric, I just read your review of the California Grill and have to say I'm glad that I decided to switch the ADR I had made there to Citricos. My sister is vegan with food allergies (so chefs are sometimes really put out by her!) and it just puts a damper on the whole dining experience when chefs/ servers just seem annoyed.

I'm still debating the ADRs at signature restaurants that we've made - we currently have Citricos, the Flying Fish, and the Yachtsman Steakhouse laughing: I know) - and going through past and present reviews is really helpful! Thanks again!

Glad you found it helpful! I currently have an ADR for Citrico's party for the atmosphere and partly because of the vegetarian entree they have on the menu. It's seared tofu with lentils and some ratatouille of sorts. It sounded vegan, though I am not 100% sure.

 

[UncleOrville]

Glad you found it helpful! I currently have an ADR for Citrico's party for the atmosphere and partly because of the vegetarian entree they have on the menu. It's seared tofu with lentils and some ratatouille of sorts. It sounded vegan, though I am not 100% sure.

We're in the same boat! We tried California Grill a few years ago (no vegans at the time), but have never done Citrico's and we'd like to experience the restaurant atmosphere and also think the vegetarian entree sounds good and like it could be made vegan more easily than any of the CA Grill options.

 

[Vegcentric]

We're in the same boat! We tried California Grill a few years ago (no vegans at the time), but have never done Citrico's and we'd like to experience the restaurant atmosphere and also think the vegetarian entree sounds good and like it could be made vegan more easily than any of the CA Grill options.

I know other vegans have had luck there with the vegan unplugged dishes, but I just didn't think they were very filling! So my plan for this year, since we're going to Cali Grill with my sister and her fiance, is to eat a bit before hand and then maybe just have some sushi and a cocktail.

 

[Plasticletters]

I'm only into pg 6 of this WONDERFULLY helpful thread! TY for all of the work and sharing info/stories. I've really been wondering if it was 'worth the hassle' of doing the special dietary request thing for the ADRs we've made, so all of this help!

I'm glad the thread has been helpful to you