*This dining experience took place in April 2014.
I love meeting up with Gluten Free Friends and even better…meeting up with friends and getting amazing food. I recently attended the Gluten-Free Living Conference in April and had the chance to share the Disney special diets love with several friends visiting from out-of-state.
And you know we had to go to Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory for beignets. It’s become a must-do to take my GF friends there whenever they visit the area. On this visit, I met up with my friend Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and she brought along our friends Jennifer from Gluten Free Go-To Guide and the one and only Jules from GF Jules.
I arrived just a wee bit late for our morning beignet stop before the conference because I was at an earlier breakfast over at Olivia’s (yes, this girl needs some extra protein in the morning or I would have been in a sugar coma). The nice part is that they had already ordered the beignets and were waiting for them to be done. Yep, these ladies were on a beignet mission!
Chef Tony brought these out for us, and I loved seeing them in some updated packaging – a to-go box with the allergy pick placed in them. This is a really nice touch because it does help ensure that no kitchen mishaps occur. I always feel reassured when I see an allergy notification.
I’m not gonna lie…we ordered a lot of beignets. And we devoured each and every one of these powdered sugar gems.
One of the cool parts of this visit is that we got to check out the recipe for the beignets. I admit, I’m only slightly tempted to make them at home. I’m just glad I have a place where I can get these to order – no muss, no fuss! But, if I ever want to make them…the recipe is waiting for me.
Alexis & I also took a picture with Chef Tony. Yep, he’s a total rockstar in my book!
Thanks again to Chef Tony & the team for always taking care of us. It was a lot of fun to share the beignet love with some gluten free friends and to share with them the amazing dedication to special diets that Disney has — all while enjoying some delicious eats!
Have you been to Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory for beignets?
I always enjoy the beignets at POFQ and glad they they make a gluten free version, and they take care of making sure that they are not contaminated with other allergens.
It’s pretty amazing that they offer them for special diets guests. They are a wonderful treat!
I will be visiting Disney World in May and am doing some homework on gluten free goodies, Thank you so much for this blog because I don’t see gluten free options on Sassagoula Floatworks menu. I’ve never had a beignet before! Do we have to call ahead to get the gluten free version or is it something I can just show up and order? Thank you again for all of your wonderful information!
Hi Allison! Thanks for the kind words! 🙂 The great part about the beignets is they have them available to make the entire time the restaurant is open now. No advance notice needed 🙂 Just pop by the Beignet station and ask for the GF beignets. They will get a chef who will assist you with the order! Sassagoula also has a ton of great GF options. Here’s a review that includes some of the lunch options available for GF diners: https://www.glutenfreedairyfreewdw.com/sassagoula-floatworks-food-factory-lunchdinner-port-orleans-french-quarter/
First of all – Thank goodness for your website!!! As a celiac, I was really worried about how I was going to manage our upcoming WDW trip. Now, I’m as worry free as can be! I’m like you – LOVE – and miss my fried foods! I’m looking forward to fish and chips and these awesome beignets! Just a quick question. Do these beignets count as a snack or as a quick-service meal?
Thank you, Cara! I’m so glad the site has helped! The beignets count as a snack credit (under $4!). How awesome is that?! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Sarah and Alexis, I so wanted to love the GF beignets at Sassagoula Floatworks! I’ve been reading about them on your blogs for the past year and fantasizing about them ever since. Lord only knows how much I loved beignets prior to finding out I had a gluten allergy. I could have eaten them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! So today was the big day; we’re vacationing in WDW and this was on my bucket list of GF foods to order, most of which you’ve recommended and I’ve loved (especially the allergy chicken strips! Yum!). My husband and son who aren’t GF took one for the team and each tried a GF beignet. The looks of disgust on their faces were concerning to say the least so I bit in and also found a tin-like, overwhelming aluminum aftertaste! It was such a huge disappointment! I was left pondering which ingredient could have lead to this and thought maybe the egg replacer as it sometimes has a sulfur-like taste to it. I don’t know, but I felt compelled to order regular beignets for my family to make up for the huge let down. Did we just get a bad batch or old oil in the fryer?
I love your blog and podcast for keeping me informed and excited about upcoming trips because I’m a huge GF foodie!! Thanks for all you do Sarah and Alexis too!!
Hi Gabriella! I hope you are an amazing time on your vacation at Disney! I’m sorry to hear that the beignets weren’t as amazing as both Alexis & I know they can be! I would definitely recommend that if you go back to chat with the chefs about it. Sometimes, cooking them a little more or less makes a big difference. I know Alexis prefers them cooked a little less and I love them either way. I know the chefs at Port Orleans always want to go above and beyond, so don’t hesitate to ask them about your order (especially if you aren’t a fan of the taste), the next time! 🙂 I’m so glad that I have helped w/your trip planning and I know Alexis feels the same way too! Enjoy the magical vacation and we can’t wait to hear where else you dined on the visit!
I noticed from the recipe that they are also dairy free?!
I’m from south Louisiana and can’t find dairy free beignets anywhere here. We will definitely make a special trip to this restaurant if I can get them there! Happy! Happy! We miss beignets!!!
They are dairy free! And they are delicious! 🙂 If you get a chance to visit Disney World, this is definitely a spot to visit 🙂
I finally had the chance to order some dairy-free beignets! They were amazing and I would never known about them without this blog! Thank you for all of the information you provide….they were delicious!
So glad you got to enjoy Nicole!!
Oh. Em. Gee!!! I have got to try these!!! And since they are dairy free, my son will probably love them too! Thanks for everything on your page. It’s going to help planning our April trip better.
They are so good! I hope you and your family love them as much as I do! 🙂 So glad to hear that the blog has been helpful to you!