Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant/Dining Help Thread

[pix13dust]

do you know where he's likely to be in September?

No I don’t. I hope he’s still there in November when I go!

 

[jf256]

Does erin mckennas accept dp snack credits keep getting contradictory info online.. if not i guess ill have to pay oop and spend the snack credits at f and w. Not vegan but have an egg allergy so with desserts its pretty much vegan or nothing.

 

[igrsod]

Does erin mckennas accept dp snack credits keep getting contradictory info online.. if not i guess ill have to pay oop and spend the snack credits at f and w. Not vegan but have an egg allergy so with desserts its pretty much vegan or nothing.

Last time we went, we used snacks at Erin McKennas. Not sure if things have changed

 

[magicmountainmama]

Has anyone had breakfast at Be Our Guest...do they have the veg sausages? And if we pre-order, can we modify our order when we check in? Would love to hear other's experiences with the BOG breakfast!

 

[FunkyDuckToo]

From The Points Guy site


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Disney World recently released a guide catering to folks who follow a plant-based lifestyle — and yes, you really can stick to diets or food restrictions while at The Most Magical Place On Earth, if you so choose. The guide, titled “Plant-Based Cuisine,” is available at all restaurants and quick-service counters in the Magic Kingdom. While some of the items are choices that previously existed, such as fresh seasonal vegetables at Crystal Palace, give Disney — which already has a solid reputation for working with guests with dietary needs — credit for taking it a bit further.

Skipper Canteen in Adventureland, for example, offers Perkins Thai Noodles with tofu, vegetables and rice noodles tossed in a spicy soy glaze. It also has the Falls Family Falafel, complete with toasted pumpkin seeds. Plant-based meatloaf and sloppy Joes at Liberty Square and Cosmic Ray’s are other choices you wouldn’t expect to find in a theme park. (Not all the plant-based choices fit a strictly vegan diet; you could remove the Gorgonzola cheese from the Wedge Salad at The Plaza.)

On a recent visit, my wife tried the Lighthouse Sandwich at Columbia Harbour House. Served on toasted multigrain bread, it included hummus with tomato and broccoli slaw with a side of potato chips. Columbia Harbour House was the first restaurant we dined at almost 10 years ago when we brought our daughter to Disney World for the first time, and the closest thing to vegan food available back then may have been a pickle alongside a plate of fried food.

Not all the items on Disney’s plant based menu are a resounding success. Being a bit less healthy (OK, a lot less healthy) than my wife, I contributed to this research project by sampling the Mermaid Donut at Prince Eric’s Village Market. As a guy who’s eaten many, many doughnuts in my day, I found the consistency of the Mermaid Donut … odd. It had a bit of a chewy texture I wasn’t expecting and that was different from other gluten-free doughnuts I’ve sampled.

The icing was OK, though a bit sweeter than I like. The mermaid tail was just bad (those of us who sampled it took healthy swigs of water afterward). Overall, the taste was completely off, sort of a cross between toothpaste, corn syrup and white chocolate. At a price of almost $6 when you figure in tax, it’s best to let this mermaid swim away and focus your plant-based hunger elsewhere.

However, don’t fret if you are looking for some alternative bakery options at Disney World. Head to the Erin McKenna bakery in Disney Springs to enjoy all sorts of sugary treats that are vegan, kosher and gluten-free — including a variety of doughnuts.

It isn’t all healthy, but it is allergen friendly. (photo by Lindsey Campbell)
Bottom Line
Disney deserves props for the evolution of its menus in the Magic Kingdom. Salads were hard to find even a few years ago, and the new plant-based menu at many locations now goes far beyond a typical salad. Being vegan in a theme park generally has meant, until now, packing your own food or being pretty hungry. Not only has Disney World broken that code for the Magic Kingdom, the menu makes it easy to track down these items across the parks.

The menus themselves are a brand-new item, so a few of the staff we came in contact with weren’t 100% sure where to locate one. That’s something I would expect Disney to improve upon relatively quickly.

If you’re in a pinch and can’t find a plant-based cuisine guide, you can always rely on my favorite vegan item. Yes, pineapple Dole Whip is vegan. You can bet I’ll be “eating healthier” at Aloha Isle and passing on the Mermaid Donut next time.

All photos by the author except where indicated.

Ed Pizzarello covers family travel for TPG Family and also blogs at Pizza in Motion. You can find him podcasting at Miles to Go and eating doughnuts on Twitter and Instagram.

Do the other parks offer a Plant-Based Cuisine Brochure or is it only MK? This is so helpful for my daughter! Thank you for sharing.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

Hi everyone
My local news just did a story on how popular the plant based burgers that are supposed to taste like meat are getting and how many restaurants including fast food places are starting to carry them.
I am all for more people eating less meat but as someone who has been a strict vegatarian for 20+years, I zero desire to eat something that tastes like a dead animal.
I usually don’t have much trouble finding options at my local restaurants but am concerned this new trend will change that.
I’m curious to hear from other longtime vegetarians. Have you or will you eat these burgers?

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Hi everyone
My local news just did a story on how popular the plant based burgers that are supposed to taste like meat are getting and how many restaurants including fast food places are starting to carry them.
I am all for more people eating less meat but as someone who has been a strict vegatarian for 20+years, I zero desire to eat something that tastes like a dead animal.
I usually don’t have much trouble finding options at my local restaurants but am concerned this new trend will change that.
I’m curious to hear from other longtime vegetarians. Have you or will you eat these burgers?

I think these new Impossible and Beyond burgers were mentioned a while back on this thread, as well as in a recent thread on the Community board, if you care to search for past responses. I've been a vegetarian since I was 10, so nearly 2/3 of my life. I do not personally care for these new burgers. I could maybe get past the taste (though they are too meaty for me), but my issue is that you can't tell by looking that they aren't meat like you can with gardenburgers, black bean, and Boca. I'd estimate that at least 1/4 of the time I order a veggie burger, I'm accidentally served a meat patty. While annoying, I could always tell before biting into it with the previous meat substitutes. Now I cannot. Since eating meat does make me physically ill, I'm not sure how often I'll risk ordering one of these new burgers. I can usually make a meal out of a couple of sides at most places and that's likely what I will continue doing if the only veg entree is one of these new burgers.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

I think these new Impossible and Beyond burgers were mentioned a while back on this thread, as well as in a recent thread on the Community board, if you care to search for past responses. I've been a vegetarian since I was 10, so nearly 2/3 of my life. I do not personally care for these new burgers. I could maybe get past the taste (though they are too meaty for me), but my issue is that you can't tell by looking that they aren't meat like you can with gardenburgers, black bean, and Boca. I'd estimate that at least 1/4 of the time I order a veggie burger, I'm accidentally served a meat patty. While annoying, I could always tell before biting into it with the previous meat substitutes. Now I cannot. Since eating meat does make me physically ill, I'm not sure how often I'll risk ordering one of these new burgers. I can usually make a meal out of a couple of sides at most places and that's likely what I will continue doing if the only veg entree is one of these new burgers.

I thought this was the only veg thread, I will definitely take a look for the other ones. In all honesty I haven’t tried one but really don’t plan on it either. On the rare occasion where my food from a restaurant had meat in it I could taste it right away and the taste made me sick to my stomach (probably all in my head) but it grossed me out.
I do think it’s great places are adding these options for people as long as they don’t take the other vegetarian options away.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I thought this was the only veg thread, I will definitely take a look for the other ones. In all honesty I haven’t tried one but really don’t plan on it either. On the rare occasion where my food from a restaurant had meat in it I could taste it right away and the taste made me sick to my stomach (probably all in my head) but it grossed me out.
I do think it’s great places are adding these options for people as long as they don’t take the other vegetarian options away.

Here's the link to thread on the Community board. It wasn't necessarily just for vegetarians to respond, but anyone in general.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/h...-the-other-impossible-foods-products.3753449/
I agree that it's great they are marketing new options, especially to encourage non-vegetarians to eat something besides meat, but so many places are using these to replace other veg options and that sucks.

The first time I had a Beyond burger at a restaurant, it looked like meat, so I asked the server who said that's how the Beyond burgers looked. I tried a bite and it tasted like meat, so I made my husband try it (he loves meat) and he thought it tasted like meat too. I was still concerned so ended up having the cook come out who confirmed that it was vegetarian. The next time I ordered the same burger at that restaurant, it looked similar to the last one I had so I didn't question anything. I wasn't super hungry and only ate a few bites, but ended up getting sick before even leaving the restaurant. The manager said they couldn't confirm, but that they may have given me the wrong burger. I've been too nervous to try another one anywhere since.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

Here's the link to thread on the Community board. It wasn't necessarily just for vegetarians to respond, but anyone in general.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/h...-the-other-impossible-foods-products.3753449/
I agree that it's great they are marketing new options, especially to encourage non-vegetarians to eat something besides meat, but so many places are using these to replace other veg options and that sucks.

The first time I had a Beyond burger at a restaurant, it looked like meat, so I asked the server who said that's how the Beyond burgers looked. I tried a bite and it tasted like meat, so I made my husband try it (he loves meat) and he thought it tasted like meat too. I was still concerned so ended up having the cook come out who confirmed that it was vegetarian. The next time I ordered the same burger at that restaurant, it looked similar to the last one I had so I didn't question anything. I wasn't super hungry and only ate a few bites, but ended up getting sick before even leaving the restaurant. The manager said they couldn't confirm, but that they may have given me the wrong burger. I've been too nervous to try another one anywhere since.

Thank you. I appreciate the link. That was my fear too when I saw the story on the news tonight. I’ve heard of these burgers before but didn’t realize on how big they have gotten recently. The rest of my family eats meat but will appease me once in a while and have a black bean burger for dinner instead of regular burger. I’ll have to pick some up for them to try.

 

[Miffy]

Hi everyone
My local news just did a story on how popular the plant based burgers that are supposed to taste like meat are getting and how many restaurants including fast food places are starting to carry them.
I am all for more people eating less meat but as someone who has been a strict vegatarian for 20+years, I zero desire to eat something that tastes like a dead animal.
I usually don’t have much trouble finding options at my local restaurants but am concerned this new trend will change that.
I’m curious to hear from other longtime vegetarians. Have you or will you eat these burgers?

I've been vegan or vegetarian for 20+ years (currently vegan), and I had one of these burgers at Restaurantosaurus at DAK. They used to have a regular old veggie burger on their menu, but no longer. I don't remember if it was Impossible or Beyond, but it was one of the two. That was my first and last try of such an item. It was indeed very "meaty," and was doing its best to mimic actual meat. Which was a huge turnoff to me, especially the slightly gristly aspect of it and the "bleeding." I had a few bites, got disgusted, and threw the rest out. I won't be having one again, and, unfortunately, this seems to be the veggie burger of choice everywhere now. They appear to me to be aimed at meat eaters, not vegetarians or vegans. I much prefer the old-style veggie burgers and miss Boca's former vegan burger, which isn't even available in stores anymore. However, there are many vegans and vegetarians who like these burgers, judging by reviews on Vegan Disney World, for example.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

I've been vegan or vegetarian for 20+ years (currently vegan), and I had one of these burgers at Restaurantosaurus at DAK. They used to have a regular old veggie burger on their menu, but no longer. I don't remember if it was Impossible or Beyond, but it was one of the two. That was my first and last try of such an item. It was indeed very "meaty," and was doing its best to mimic actual meat. Which was a huge turnoff to me, especially the slightly gristly aspect of it and the "bleeding." I had a few bites, got disgusted, and threw the rest out. I won't be having one again, and, unfortunately, this seems to be the veggie burger of choice everywhere now. They appear to me to be aimed at meat eaters, not vegetarians or vegans. I much prefer the old-style veggie burgers and miss Boca's former vegan burger, which isn't even available in stores anymore. However, there are many vegans and vegetarians who like these burgers, judging by reviews on Vegan Disney World, for example.

I give you credit for even trying it. I’m almost positive my reaction would be very similar to yours. One of these days when I am in the right frame of mind, I will ask my boyfriend order it for his dinner just to say I have tried it. Thanks for your viewpoint.
I wasn’t even thinking of Disney resturants when I wrote my post, I was more worried about our local restaurants. I know I am in the minority but out of all the places we travel to Disney has little to no options me. 99% of there restaurants ( with the exception of Disney springs) have 1 dish on the menu and it is usually vegan to “satisfy” both groups. When I go out to eat, I like options, not forced to order the 1 combined vegan/veg item they have.
We actually have decided to rent a car for the first time on our upcoming September trip primarily to eat off property because of the lack of places to eat.

 

[Miffy]

I give you credit for even trying it. I’m almost positive my reaction would be very similar to yours. One of these days when I am in the right frame of mind, I will ask my boyfriend order it for his dinner just to say I have tried it. Thanks for your viewpoint.
I wasn’t even thinking of Disney resturants when I wrote my post, I was more worried about our local restaurants. I know I am in the minority but out of all the places we travel to Disney has little to no options me. 99% of there restaurants ( with the exception of Disney springs) have 1 dish on the menu and it is usually vegan to “satisfy” both groups. When I go out to eat, I like options, not forced to order the 1 combined vegan/veg item they have.
We actually have decided to rent a car for the first time on our upcoming September trip primarily to eat off property because of the lack of places to eat.

Traveling: The burgers were super new when I tried it. If I'd read more about it, I never would've risked it! BTW, I believe all the veggie burgers at WDW these days are either Impossibles or Beyonds. Very disappointing to me.

When I go to WDW, I'm staying onsite without a car, and I've found a lot of places to eat where there's more than one choice or where the choice there is appeals to me. Most of these choices are not on the menu--you have to ask. And, to remind you, I'm vegan, not just vegetarian.

For example:
(1) DHS: Mama Melrose's will make a delicious (to me) marinara sauce with pasta, a great vegan salad, and their bread has been vegan the last few times I was there. They also have either Tofutti or Rice Dream (I forget which) for dessert.
(2) MK: Columbia Harbour House has revived their Lighthouse Sandwich. Order it w/o the slaw and it's vegan. And pretty good, too. But usually when I'm at MK, I go to the GF for lunch.
(3) GF: Grand Floridian Cafe. They have nothing vegan on their menu, but I was there one day and I just asked--and they made the miso salmon dish with tofu instead of salmon, and it was so delicious that I make a point of going there for a meal every time I'm at WDW.
(4) Epcot: Amazingly, Rose & Crown now has a couple of vegan dishes--"fish" and chips and "bangers" and mash. I haven't had the bangers & mash, but I have had the "fish" and chips several times, and it's really good. Gardein "fish," I think. I think they may have another vegan item as well, but I'm not totally sure. Also, Tangierine Cafe has a veggie platter that's largely vegan. You have to check.
(5) DAK: Yak & Yeti will make several dishes on their menu vegan. You have to ask to talk with the allergy chef, and they'll give you the rundown. My fave is the sweet & sour (usually chicken, but they make it with tofu instead). Delish. And Tusker House, a character buffet, has so many vegan dishes that it's like paradise for a vegan. Ditto Boma (at AKL), where I've never eaten, because I usually have lunch, not dinner, and they serve breakfast and dinner only.

If you'd like some vegan/vegetarian guidance on food choices at WDW, check out the Vegan Disney World site. A wealth of info there.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

Traveling: The burgers were super new when I tried it. If I'd read more about it, I never would've risked it! BTW, I believe all the veggie burgers at WDW these days are either Impossibles or Beyonds. Very disappointing to me.

When I go to WDW, I'm staying onsite without a car, and I've found a lot of places to eat where there's more than one choice or where the choice there is appeals to me. Most of these choices are not on the menu--you have to ask. And, to remind you, I'm vegan, not just vegetarian.

For example:
(1) DHS: Mama Melrose's will make a delicious (to me) marinara sauce with pasta, a great vegan salad, and their bread has been vegan the last few times I was there. They also have either Tofutti or Rice Dream (I forget which) for dessert.
(2) MK: Columbia Harbour House has revived their Lighthouse Sandwich. Order it w/o the slaw and it's vegan. And pretty good, too. But usually when I'm at MK, I go to the GF for lunch.
(3) GF: Grand Floridian Cafe. They have nothing vegan on their menu, but I was there one day and I just asked--and they made the miso salmon dish with tofu instead of salmon, and it was so delicious that I make a point of going there for a meal every time I'm at WDW.
(4) Epcot: Amazingly, Rose & Crown now has a couple of vegan dishes--"fish" and chips and "bangers" and mash. I haven't had the bangers & mash, but I have had the "fish" and chips several times, and it's really good. Gardein "fish," I think. I think they may have another vegan item as well, but I'm not totally sure. Also, Tangierine Cafe has a veggie platter that's largely vegan. You have to check.
(5) DAK: Yak & Yeti will make several dishes on their menu vegan. You have to ask to talk with the allergy chef, and they'll give you the rundown. My fave is the sweet & sour (usually chicken, but they make it with tofu instead). Delish. And Tusker House, a character buffet, has so many vegan dishes that it's like paradise for a vegan. Ditto Boma (at AKL), where I've never eaten, because I usually have lunch, not dinner, and they serve breakfast and dinner only.

If you'd like some vegan/vegetarian guidance on food choices at WDW, check out the Vegan Disney World site. A wealth of info there.

You are very sweet to write that all out. Thank you!!
The way I see it is we shouldn’t have to hope & pray that when we get to a restaurant that there will be something there that they can make/modify for us. These items should be on the menu for everyone to see so we could make informed decisions on wheather or not to book tha ADR.

On my last trip, everyone in my party wanted to go to Ohana, I wasn’t thrilled to be pay $60 for noodles and veggies but sucked it up because everyone else wanted to go. To my surprise, the chef made me an amazing veggie stir fry that was probably my best meal of the whole trip but Just because I got lucky with a made up spur of the moment dish on last trip does not mean the same chef/experience will be there on my next one. We shouldn’t have to feel lucky to get a meal that we are paying top dollar for.

It will definitely be a different experience eating off property next trip but I’m kind of looking forward to eating what and when we want when we want it instead of what I thought we might want 180 days beforehand. Thanks again for all your tips.

 

[Miffy]

You are very sweet to write that all out. Thank you!!
The way I see it is we shouldn’t have to hope & pray that when we get to a restaurant that there will be something there that they can make/modify for us. These items should be on the menu for everyone to see so we could make informed decisions on wheather or not to book tha ADR.

On my last trip, everyone in my party wanted to go to Ohana, I wasn’t thrilled to be pay $60 for noodles and veggies but sucked it up because everyone else wanted to go. To my surprise, the chef made me an amazing veggie stir fry that was probably my best meal of the whole trip but Just because I got lucky with a made up spur of the moment dish on last trip does not mean the same chef/experience will be there on my next one. We shouldn’t have to feel lucky to get a meal that we are paying top dollar for.

It will definitely be a different experience eating off property next trip but I’m kind of looking forward to eating what and when we want when we want it instead of what I thought we might want 180 days beforehand. Thanks again for all your tips.

You're very welcome--and I know the exact experience you're describing. Which is why I plan where I'm going to eat and rarely go off plan--and I also never make dining reservations 180 days in advance, probably because I don't eat at any of the super hard-to-get restaurants. But I do think it'd be great to have a car and be able to dine off property. Have fun! I mean, you're at Disney--you will have fun!

 

[Navi4321]

These are the restaurants I've booked for my upcoming September trip. Are there any other restaurants people recommend that I should swap for? By the way, I'm on the dining plan, and my partner isn't vegan.

• Skipper Canteen
• La Hacienda de San Angel
• The Edison
• 'Ohana
• Sci-Fi Dine-in Theatre
• Sanaa
• Coral Reef
• The Crystal Palace
• Tusker House
• Mama Melrose
• California Grill
• Liberty Tree Tavern
• Teppan Edo

 

[thekaz]

These are the restaurants I've booked for my upcoming September trip. Are there any other restaurants people recommend that I should swap for? By the way, I'm on the dining plan, and my partner isn't vegan.

• Skipper Canteen
• La Hacienda de San Angel
• The Edison
• 'Ohana
• Sci-Fi Dine-in Theatre
• Sanaa
• Coral Reef
• The Crystal Palace
• Tusker House
• Mama Melrose
• California Grill
• Liberty Tree Tavern
• Teppan Edo

I haven't been to either, but what made you pick Sanaa over Jiko? The vegan menu at Jiko looks really interesting and am considering trying it on our trip next month...

Last time I went to Teppan Edo, I was a bit underwhelmed. We have pretty good hibachi places around us (one even offers tofu!), and Teppan didn't compare. Otherwise, they all look like great choices.

 

[Navi4321]

I haven't been to either, but what made you pick Sanaa over Jiko? The vegan menu at Jiko looks really interesting and am considering trying it on our trip next month...

Last time I went to Teppan Edo, I was a bit underwhelmed. We have pretty good hibachi places around us (one even offers tofu!), and Teppan didn't compare. Otherwise, they all look like great choices.

We were planning on going to Sanaa for lunch while it's light outside to enjoy the view of the animals! But Jiko (and Boma) were strong contenders!

I've never been to a hibachi restaurant so won't have much to compare it to. Is there anywhere else in the world showcase you'd recommend instead?

 

[thekaz]

We were planning on going to Sanaa for lunch while it's light outside to enjoy the view of the animals! But Jiko (and Boma) were strong contenders!

I've never been to a hibachi restaurant so won't have much to compare it to. Is there anywhere else in the world showcase you'd recommend instead?

Oh, if you've never been, then definitely go! If it's a really fun experience! And the food isn't bad, it is just merely good

 

[ttintagel]

Traveling: The burgers were super new when I tried it. If I'd read more about it, I never would've risked it! BTW, I believe all the veggie burgers at WDW these days are either Impossibles or Beyonds. Very disappointing to me.

When I go to WDW, I'm staying onsite without a car, and I've found a lot of places to eat where there's more than one choice or where the choice there is appeals to me. Most of these choices are not on the menu--you have to ask. And, to remind you, I'm vegan, not just vegetarian.

For example:
(1) DHS: Mama Melrose's will make a delicious (to me) marinara sauce with pasta, a great vegan salad, and their bread has been vegan the last few times I was there. They also have either Tofutti or Rice Dream (I forget which) for dessert.
(2) MK: Columbia Harbour House has revived their Lighthouse Sandwich. Order it w/o the slaw and it's vegan. And pretty good, too. But usually when I'm at MK, I go to the GF for lunch.
(3) GF: Grand Floridian Cafe. They have nothing vegan on their menu, but I was there one day and I just asked--and they made the miso salmon dish with tofu instead of salmon, and it was so delicious that I make a point of going there for a meal every time I'm at WDW.
(4) Epcot: Amazingly, Rose & Crown now has a couple of vegan dishes--"fish" and chips and "bangers" and mash. I haven't had the bangers & mash, but I have had the "fish" and chips several times, and it's really good. Gardein "fish," I think. I think they may have another vegan item as well, but I'm not totally sure. Also, Tangierine Cafe has a veggie platter that's largely vegan. You have to check.
(5) DAK: Yak & Yeti will make several dishes on their menu vegan. You have to ask to talk with the allergy chef, and they'll give you the rundown. My fave is the sweet & sour (usually chicken, but they make it with tofu instead). Delish. And Tusker House, a character buffet, has so many vegan dishes that it's like paradise for a vegan. Ditto Boma (at AKL), where I've never eaten, because I usually have lunch, not dinner, and they serve breakfast and dinner only.

If you'd like some vegan/vegetarian guidance on food choices at WDW, check out the Vegan Disney World site. A wealth of info there.

Hooray for the return of the Lighthouse Sandwich! I was so bummed when I heard it had been discontinued. Now, if only they'd bring back the vegetable pot pie at Liberty Tree Tavern...