Garden Grill Lunch Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in May 2021. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut, hazelnut, cabbage, and chicken & turkey allergies.
Lunch at Garden Grill
Garden Grill, located in the Land Pavilion in Epcot, is a family-style all-you-care-to-enjoy meal with Farmer Mickey and friends (including my favorites Chip & Dale). It’s been years since I’ve dined at Garden Grill, so when our friend came to visit and suggested Garden Grill, we decided it was the perfect time to check it out. Brandon had never been to the restaurant and was very excited to dine there, especially knowing that the restaurant rotates slowly around the Living with the Land attraction which we both love.
COVID-19 & Reopening Notes
On this particular visit, we made reservations in advance since we planned it ahead of time. If you’re having a hard time finding options, especially in Epcot, we always recommend checking the My Disney Experience app a day or two ahead of when you’re interested in dining at a restaurant. We actually get a lot of last minute dining options this way, so it’s always worth checking.
When we arrived at the restaurant, our friend checked in at the podium in front of Garden Grill. But, you can also check in through the app. We’ve had some hit or miss experiences with checking in only through the My Disney Experience app, so it’s definitely worth checking with a cast member when you arrive at a restaurant too.
On this visit, the restaurant was still implementing social distance seating, and we were seated in a rather large booth. Garden Grill also has two levels for dining. At the time that we dined there, the top level was only being used for Disney characters and no guests were seated in that area for their meal. However, this may be different when you dine there.
We also recommend checking Disney’s current guidelines and recommendations. On this visit, mask rules were different than they are currently at the Disney Parks & Resorts, so it’s always worth checking before you go.
Atmosphere
Because Garden Grill is located in the Land Pavilion in Epcot, it has a very garden and nature inspired theme. It also slowly rotates around the Living with the Land attraction, which means you can actually see different parts of the ride as you dine.
Garden Grill Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
There’s a lot of nostalgia in this restaurant for me because it hasn’t changed much in the almost 2 decades that I’ve been visiting Disney regularly.
Garden Grill Mural / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
My favorite part is getting to see different views of the Living with the Land attraction. I love this hidden mural that you pass by in the restaurant.
Garden Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Here are a few images from our booth as the restaurant rotated. Up first, the classic prairie scene of the attraction.
Garden Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
You’ll also see the farmhouse from the attraction from a totally different angle. It’s such a great touch that they have part of the house decorated and visible from only the restaurant — so you get to see something unique and a bit hidden!
Farmer Mickey at Garden Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
But, of course, one of the best parts of Garden Grill is seeing Farmer Mickey and all his friends. Because this meal was socially distanced, the characters did not come to your table for autographs. Instead, they came by behind each booth to wave and pose for photos.
Pluto at the Garden Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The characters on our visit included Mickey, Pluto, and Chip & Dale. They all came around several times, and we had a lot of fun interacting with them.
Dale at Garden Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Of course, my personal favorite are Chip & Dale. They were getting into their normal hijinks and made the meal just so much fun.
Having fun with the characters at Garden Grill / Photo Taken by our friend Shawn
You can see a bit behind the scenes of us getting to interact with the characters from this photo that our friend took. I was super excited to see Chip & Dale!
Hidden Mickey at Garden Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
We had some really cute table-ware set for us too. Gotta love the hidden Mickey!
The Food
Like most restaurants owned and operated by Disney, Garden Grill does have an allergy-friendly menu. You can also always speak to a chef when you dine at any Disney owned location for questions you might have or to discuss options for your special dietary needs, especially if they are not listed on the allergy-friendly menu.
Brandon with Allergy-Friendly Menu at Garden Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On this visit, our server recommended we speak to a chef to discuss options, and we reviewed the allergy-friendly menu given to us prior to speaking with a chef. Thankfully, the options were fairly easy for us with just a few simple modifications.
Garden Grill Table / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Side note, how cute are the mason jars that your drinks are served in at Garden Grill?! Such a fun touch.
Garden Grill - Gluten Free Rolls with Dairy Free Buttery Spread / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The main allergy-friendly menu offers a top 8 free platter that is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, fish/shellfish free, peanut/tree nut free, and soy free. With that in mind, I was served the Bloomfield Farms brand GF rolls with Earth Balance vegan buttery spread. These were well-heated and tasted great along with the Earth Balance.
Garde Grill - Salad / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Our table also had a shared garden salad that featured a vinaigrette, tomatoes, cucumbers, and kalamata olives. This was also gluten free, dairy free, egg free, fish/shellfish free, peanut/tree nut free, and soy free. As an aside, the salads served at this pavilion are usually made with fresh greens and other veggies grown in the pavilion, which is so neat.
Since this was a shared dish, we worked to ensure that we avoided any cross-contamination, by sharing salad before eating any gluten-filled bread products. All of us agreed that the salad was very tasty. The vinaigrette offered a lot of fresh flavors, and of course, having the veggies in the mix was great too. It may not have been anything special, but we all really liked it and felt it was a great way to start the meal.
Garden Grill - Gluten Free Skillet / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For our entrees, we were each served a skillet. The chef brought both Brandon and I are own skillets to avoid cross-contamination, and boy, was it a lot of food! For the main course, I was served: Grilled Beef Chimichurri, Roast Turkey Breast, Rice Pilaf, Corn & Lima Beans, Sautéed Green Beans, and Mashed Potatoes. The mashed potatoes contained dairy, but everything else on the platter was gluten free, dairy free, egg free, fish/shellfish free, peanut/tree nut free, and soy free. I believe the mashed potatoes may also have soy in them, so you’ll want to double-check as some locations will note that potatoes contain both dairy and soy.
Overall, I was really pleased with everything I was served. The beef and turkey were well-cooked and tasted great. The corn & lima beans were pretty plain and were probably my least favorite part of the entree, but the rice pilaf, green beans, and mashed potatoes were all very good. It was a lot of food, and I definitely left the restaurant full!
Garden Grill - NOT Gluten Free Skillet / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Brandon was served a very similar platter to mine, but his did not include the roast turkey and included an addition of herb stuffing. We were advised that the stuffing is made with vegetable stock — which is good to know if you’re vegetarian or have any poultry allergies. Brandon’s meal was fish/shellfish free, peanut/tree nut free, chicken & turkey free, and cabbage free.
Like me, Brandon thought this was a solid entree. He really loved the mashed potatoes and beef and ordered seconds for both of these items. He’s not a huge vegetable or stuffing fan, but if you are, you’ll have some decent options with the sides, as well.
Garden Grill - Gluten Free Shortcake / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For my dessert, I was served a massive portion of a house-made allergy-friendly berry shortcake that was marked gluten free, dairy free, egg free, fish/shellfish free, peanut/tree nut free, and soy free. It was also vegan. I was not sure what to expect with this dessert, and I was pleasantly surprised. The shortcake itself was a bit dense but tasted great. It wasn’t overly sweet and was almost like a cross-between Angel Food Cake and a muffin. I am guessing that the restaurant used a Namaste brand mix to make the cake, but I didn’t ask the chef on this visit.
The berries were a bit on the sweet side, so I would have loved a dairy free whipped topping on the shortcake — which some Disney locations are now serving. But, I would definitely be happy to get this dessert again. It was nice to have something just a bit different and that wasn’t sorbet!
Garden Grill - Enjoy Life Cookes & Chocolate / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Brandon is not at all a berry fan, so he asked the chef if there were any Enjoy Life Foods cookies or candy bars on hand. Luckily, the chef said they did. They brought Brandon a ricemilk crunch bar and some double chocolate chip cookies. Brandon has had these before (even if he forgets that sometimes like he says in the video) but really liked the chocolate bar. It’s always good to know that these are an option if you don’t really love the current dessert offerings available at a restaurant.
If you want to hear more about our experience, check out the vlog we did on our YouTube channel.
Overall
While our meal at Garden Grill wasn’t the best we’ve ever had in Epcot or at a character meal, we both were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the options. Add in a fun and unique location and Disney characters, and you have a solid meal option in the park. One day we’d like to try the character breakfast at Garden Grill too and look forward to making another trip back at some point.
Have you been to Garden Grill? What was your experience with the food and character dining?