Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant/Dining Help Thread

[Physics Guy]

Just wanted to mention it here but a number of the blogs are reporting that Babycakes is closing March 19, 2014.

 

[bumbershoot]

Seems like that could be easily verified: http://www.babycakesnyc.com/downtown-disney-orlando-fl.html


I do see that one of the blogs says "BabyCakes NYC will continue to provide gluten-free products to select Walt Disney World Resort food courts and restaurants."

 

[11point5]

I just got back from an amazing 10 days of vegetarian eating at Disney World but learned I am TERRIBLE at taking food pictures lol!!
We ate at:
Boma (breakfast and dinner buffet- both AMAZING! Highlight from dinner was the lentil vegetable soup - WOW! And I was very surprised to HATE the zebra domes! But my dad loved them. I will definitely eat here multiple times in my future!)

Sanaa (vegetarian sampler - very unimpressed with this)

Be Our Guest (lunch quinoa salad - delicious! dinner ratatouille - even better!! atmosphere - best thing of all!!!!!!!!!!!)

Le Cellier (truffle mushroom thing..? really pricey and oily and just vegetables. would not eat this again EVER, but I think they change their veg option seasonally and I would happily try something else)

Kona Cafe (breakfast - Tonga Toast! OMG YUM. Definitely will order this again!)

Garden Grill (my favourite veg dinner of the trip!! I don't know what my entree was though!?!! Some kind of crispy, lightly fried cornbread/lentil patty with stewed veggies? It was honestly SO good and I'm trying to find pictures or the recipe somewhere and so far no luck! PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU KNOW WHAT THIS WAS!!!!! I am emailing special diets about it too!)

Teppan Edo (lunch - awesome! Really fun to watch the chef do fancy things with our food on the flattop grill at the table and my veggies were seasoned and cooked perfectly here! I was able to get plain rice instead of the beef rice that comes with the meat entrees. Also the green tea cheesecake with raspberry sauce was PHENOMENAL and I DO have a picture of that!!!!!! And I don't even LIKE cheesecake very much but this was UNREAL)

Spirit of Aloha (dinner show - very disappointing meal. I was told by special diets there were 3 veg options, and the girl who sat us confirmed this and said a chef would come out to talk to me. Then our server just brought out steamed veggies SWIMMING in soy sauce on white rice for my meal, without asking, and I never saw a chef. I would NOT have picked this for my dinner because we paid so much for the meal and I had practically the same thing for lunch at Teppan Edo, but Teppan Edo's was SUBSTANTIALLY better. I would probably not do Spirit of Aloha again)

Tony's Town Square (dinner - pretty average but I love this place! There was no veg option listed on the menu but our server said they could do a pasta in balsamic sauce with veggies, so that's what I had. This might have actually been vegan; the pasta had a different texture, but I didn't mind it. It was really tasty, just not a very balanced meal (where's my proteinnn??). I would still eat here again!)

50s Prime Time Diner (dinner vegetarian lasagna. This was TERRIBLE. Literally no flavour, I was very disappointed here. Cool atmosphere, and I had a delicious vegan milkshake, but I wouldn't come back here for a meal)

Rainforest Cafe, AK (lunch - pretty good. This is another restaurant I really love, so I'll eat here again! I had a mushroom wrap with balsamic sauce, and other than being too saucy/drippy and the fact that I was getting tired of mushrooms in my meals, this was really tasty.)

Earl of Sandwich (lunch - HEAVENLY! I will always always go here on every trip. They have a yummy sub called the veggie that isn't on the menu but it's awesome - lettuce, tomato, avocado, cucumber I think, and I think some roasted red peppers? I know there wasn't cheese, which surprised me, but it was SOO tasty anyway!)

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (lunch - really tasty! I had the veggie burger, which is a black bean based patty instead of a soy based patty like veggie burgers usually are, and it was really well seasoned and topped. I did NOT like the sweet potato fries though; they tasted like they were fried in extra sugar or something?!? They were VERY extra-sweet somehow, and I normally LOVE sweet potato fries! Also I am used to getting a chipotle ranch/mayo dip for sweet potato fries and I asked our server for something like that and she said they did not do a dip for the fries. So that was a downer but I would just get regular fries next time as my side. I would totally eat here again!)

Garden View Tea Room (not really a meal, but I LOVE LOVE LOVED this experience and I can't wait to do it again on my next trip!!! We ordered the Buckingham but asked for 2 courses of scones/desserts instead of 1 course of finger sandwiches and 1 course of scones/desserts. EVERYTHING WAS SO FANCY AND YUMMY!)

Via Napoli (lunch. this was a night-before decision, and we didn't really even look at the menu before we arrived, which is VERY unlike me! I was craving pizza and was SHOCKED to see that an INDIVIDUAL pizza was like $21 ?!? But I ordered it anyway, the broccolini one, and it. was. so. unbelievably. fresh and delicious!! I can totally see why everyone loves this place! Plus, the individual was HUGE for one person, and I did eat the whole thing but I was stuffed after! I still can't get over how great this meal was. Probably my 2nd favourite from the trip. Worth every penny!! Will DEFINITELY eat here again too!)

And that's it! We also ate at our resort food court (Riverside Mill at POR) for most breakfasts and a couple lunches/dinners, but I just had boring old food court stuff.

 

[Austinsmom068]

Called Disney dining today to make my 180 ADR. When I told the CM that I was a vegan and a member of my party had a fish allergy she told me that she would note the fish allergy and not the vegan. She said vegan was a lifestyle choice and apparently not important to her. I told her I was a vegan for 18 yrs and cannot or will not eat ANY animal products and that if I did I would get sick. Still she wouldn't make a note of it. I hung up with her and called back and spoke to a nice lady in dining and she make sure to check off on all my ADRs all fish, eggs, dairy and other. Then she put a note that I was vegan. Has anybody had a problem like this before?

 

[JessicaKnits]

Called Disney dining today to make my 180 ADR. When I told the CM that I was a vegan and a member of my party had a fish allergy she told me that she would note the fish allergy and not the vegan. She said vegan was a lifestyle choice and apparently not important to her. I told her I was a vegan for 18 yrs and cannot or will not eat ANY animal products and that if I did I would get sick. Still she wouldn't make a note of it. I hung up with her and called back and spoke to a nice lady in dining and she make sure to check off on all my ADRs all fish, eggs, dairy and other. Then she put a note that I was vegan. Has anybody had a problem like this before?

I emailed special dining and they told me it did not need to be listed on our reservation. We are pescetarian, not vegan, but I mostly wanted it noted for the buffets because we worried about hidden uses of animal products like bacon, chicken broth, etc. When I called in they were able to add it, although not all restaurants recognized this and we had to remind them anyway. I think your best bet is to tell your server at every meal to avoid cross contamination.

 

[Physics Guy]

She said vegan was a lifestyle choice and apparently not important to her.

So angering. That CM should speak to my wife's doctor who placed her on a strict plant-based, no oil diet because of a severe type of reflux, which is triggered by fats, especially animal fats. Trust me, my wife does not want to be on this diet so for some CM's to believe it's a "lifestyle" tells me they are profoundly misinformed. I chose to be vegan in support of my wife so it's easier for us to eat together. It's actually easier for me than for her, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac so I see the health benefits side of the diet.

I just check off all the fish/shellfish, dairy, eggs etc. when I make the reservations online and then explain to the wait staff wherever we go. We've had mostly wonderful experiences eating vegan at Disney (both Florida and California) and it's still my favorite part of our vacations! I let me wife and kids choose the rides they want as long as they let me plan all the meals.

 

[hml12299]

This has probably be mentioned on here, but if looking for a QS meal in Epcot - Tangierine Cafe in Morocco!! Vegetarian Plate was soooo good! It may have been vegan, but I don't know that specifically. It was also really big. My husband and I split and definitely worth the $10.

Walt Disney World Trips:
January 2004 - Coronado Springs
March 2014 - All-Star Sports
Hoping to plan January 2016 trip!!

 

[stacy~**]

Can someone confirm that Whispering Canyon will serve the quinoa cakes for lunch? It makes me nervous since they aren't on the lunch menu.

 

[jezebel73]

Hello all! I'm approaching my 180 day mark and am trying to make a list of restaurants to try. We've never done sit down, my 3 year old hasn't had the patience for it, but I'm hoping by September he'll be okay with it. My husband occasionally eats fish on vacation but otherwise we're all vegetarian. Where's good that we won't be eating pasta every meal? I want Tusker House and Crystal Palace for character meals, so I'll need 4 more sit downs. Thanks!

I've been to Disney 7 times as a vegetarian and have never had an issue. I check menus in advance and I think the only place I ever spoke with personally was Victoria & Albert's because they called ME! If you are vegan, I would recommend calling ahead though.

All buffets are great for veggies. I can't think of a table service place without an option. Almost all counter service have something. I think your biggest challenge will be for the child meals if he is also veg.

Some of my favorites - the shepherd's pie at Sci Fi, Boma for lunch/dinner, Tusker house, veggie sandwich at Columbia Harbour House.
Can't wait to try this year: Via Napoli, Wave, and Be Our Guest - the menus look tasty

 

[prudence64]

Does anyone know if the onion soup at chefs de France is vegetarian?

 

[MagicalPix]

I am so thankful for this thread!

My husband and I have been eating gluten-free for 2 years, vegetarian for 1 1/5 years, and now vegan for 1 year. I actually just got my certificate from Cornell in plant-based nutrition

We've been to Disney 13 times, and once as g-free, and now twice as gluten-free and animal products-free.

I am two weeks away from reserving my ADRs for my October trip and so I'm thinking about where to eat. We have had great experiences at Teppan Edo and Be Our Guest. I LOVE salads and so I wish Disney had more entree salads where I can just say "hold the meat and cheese" and be happy, but they really don't. There's not even menus with fantastic "sides" like potatoes, beans, rice, veggies, etc that I can make a "veggie plate" into, like I do at most restaurants.

I haven't been to Boma in years, so I'm thinking about booking that, along with Teppan Edo. I may also do a buffet or two where I can pick and choose what makes it on my plate.

If you know of a great entree salad at a table service restaurant, I'd love to know about it!!

Thanks for all of your help! We're in this together

 

[hpfan100]

I am so thankful for this thread! My husband and I have been eating gluten-free for 2 years, vegetarian for 1 1/5 years, and now vegan for 1 year. I actually just got my certificate from Cornell in plant-based nutrition We've been to Disney 13 times, and once as g-free, and now twice as gluten-free and animal products-free. I am two weeks away from reserving my ADRs for my October trip and so I'm thinking about where to eat. We have had great experiences at Teppan Edo and Be Our Guest. I LOVE salads and so I wish Disney had more entree salads where I can just say "hold the meat and cheese" and be happy, but they really don't. There's not even menus with fantastic "sides" like potatoes, beans, rice, veggies, etc that I can make a "veggie plate" into, like I do at most restaurants. I haven't been to Boma in years, so I'm thinking about booking that, along with Teppan Edo. I may also do a buffet or two where I can pick and choose what makes it on my plate. If you know of a great entree salad at a table service restaurant, I'd love to know about it!! Thanks for all of your help! We're in this together

I had a great salad at rainforest cafe both at disney and here at my local one. The side salad at be our guest was great.

 

[OldSchoolReasons]

Does anyone know if the Mickey shaped breakfast waffles are vegan as is or if you have to request them to be made that way?

I've seen conflicting info online.

 

[dachsie]

I would imagine they are made with eggs and milk so probably not vegan

 

[Physics Guy]

Does anyone know if the Mickey shaped breakfast waffles are vegan as is or if you have to request them to be made that way?

I've seen conflicting info online.

From our experience, they are NOT vegan, but have asked for the vegan ones, and they were prepared for us. Ohana does a nice vegan breakfast including vegan mickey waffles and a tofu/veggie dish.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I am so thankful for this thread!

My husband and I have been eating gluten-free for 2 years, vegetarian for 1 1/5 years, and now vegan for 1 year. I actually just got my certificate from Cornell in plant-based nutrition

We've been to Disney 13 times, and once as g-free, and now twice as gluten-free and animal products-free.

I am two weeks away from reserving my ADRs for my October trip and so I'm thinking about where to eat. We have had great experiences at Teppan Edo and Be Our Guest. I LOVE salads and so I wish Disney had more entree salads where I can just say "hold the meat and cheese" and be happy, but they really don't. There's not even menus with fantastic "sides" like potatoes, beans, rice, veggies, etc that I can make a "veggie plate" into, like I do at most restaurants.

I haven't been to Boma in years, so I'm thinking about booking that, along with Teppan Edo. I may also do a buffet or two where I can pick and choose what makes it on my plate.

If you know of a great entree salad at a table service restaurant, I'd love to know about it!!

Thanks for all of your help! We're in this together

I would suggest you just ask the chef. While they may not offer these sides as items on the menu, they usually have the ingredients in the kitchen. If you say "I'd really like a salad with lots of veggies and some kind of protein - nuts, beans, tofu" they can often put something together for you. I've requested this at Rose and Crown and at Yak and Yeti (sit down) with great success.

I'd also like to suggest Kouzzina - we had an excellent vegan meal there on an earlier trip. We just told the chef we were vegan and liked lots of veggies and he surprised us. It was a selection of small dishes and everything was delicious.

TP

 

[OldSchoolReasons]

From our experience, they are NOT vegan, but have asked for the vegan ones, and they were prepared for us. Ohana does a nice vegan breakfast including vegan mickey waffles and a tofu/veggie dish.

Great thank you!

 

[OldSchoolReasons]

I'm sure other people have seen these but WDW just sent me a full list of vegan products available on request at every Disney venue. It's here!

I've heard really good things about Daiya (we don't get it in the UK) so excited to try that!

 

[Physics Guy]

I'm sure other people have seen these but WDW just sent me a full list of vegan products available on request at every Disney venue. It's here!

I've heard really good things about Daiya (we don't get it in the UK) so excited to try that!

Wow, I've never seen this, thanks so much! This will be so helpful for us. Already put it in my dropbox and I'll have it accessible on my phone for our trips.

(And we have lots of Daiya in our fridge at all times. Amazing stuff. Shredded cheeses, block cheeses, cream cheese, tastes great and melts great too. Keep your eyes on Hampton Creek Foods as well, they make a vegan mayo and are about to explode on the scene with vegan egg substitutes you can even make omelets out of.)

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I've never seen that list either - it's great! Will print it out and save a copy.

Another fan of Daiya here, although not everybody in my family likes it. I love the Swiss and Pepper Jack cheeses and the strawberry cream cheese.

TP