*This gluten free dining experience took place in June 2018.

Dinner at Boatwright’s Dining Hall

Boatwright’s Dining Hall is a table service restaurant located at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort. It was a longtime favorite of mine for many years due to some pretty awesome chefs who were working there. Chef Tony who used to the head chef there is one of the big masterminds behind the allergy-friendly beignets over at Port Orleans French Quarter. And his work creating special dietary needs options that were delicious and authentic made both Riverside and French Quarter excellent resorts for guests with special dietary needs. Though Chef Tony is no longer there (if you visit him at Restaurant Akershus in the Norwary Pavilion, you’re in for a treat!), I was hopeful that were would still be plenty of great options, when I had dinner there with my family recently. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a great experience when I dined there two years ago, so I was cautiously optimistic.

*This dining experience took place in February 2016.

Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Boatwright’s, a table service restaurant at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort, has long been a favorite restaurant of mine — one that I definitely think is a bit of a hidden gem. With great comfort food with a Southern and Cajun twist, like chicken and waffles, and terrific special diets accommodations, I’ve enjoyed getting lots of great eats at Boatwright’s.

On this particular occasion, I dined at Boatwright’s for my birthday and was looking forward to a great meal. Boatwright’s does currently have an allergy-friendly dinner menu, and while there weren’t a ton of gluten free and dairy free items listed, I was confident that after speaking with a chef I’d be able to get some of my favorites like Crawfish Bites.

Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Before my meal, I was given Deanna’s Gluten Free rolls (formerly GNI Brand), with some Smart Balance buttery spread, which is vegan and gluten free. The rolls were heated well, though I do wish the restaurant carried Earth Balance, as I prefer that over Smart Balance.

Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

For an entree, I ordered Colonel Peace’s Pieces, which is a combination of crawfish bites, okra, and oysters. The restaurant currently uses corn flour as it’s batter base for all orders, so this dish is naturally gluten free, which is very nice! My version did need to be modified to be dairy free.

The remoulade sauce is so good, and one I can’t pass up when I’m at Boatwright’s. It is both gluten free & dairy free naturally, though initially, I was told it was no longer dairy free. After confirming with the chef, it is still dairy free, as the remoulade is mayo based, I was able to enjoy it safely.

Overall, I did enjoy the appetizer, though I have to say I personally miss the crawfish bites. This version was good, and while I liked the okra, the oysters were not my favorite (that’s a personal preference). I also found the dish to be very underseasoned. Of course, nothing a bunch of remoulade wouldn’t fix!

Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

I had my heart set on the chicken and waffles, which I have really enjoyed at Boatwright’s. Unfortunately, the chef was unable to accommodate my request, as they currently use Cup4Cup mix for their waffles which does contain dairy.

I ended up ordering the classic jambalaya, though found my dish to be a bit lacking. For some reason it did not contain sausage or shrimp, as it normally does. The flavors were good, but I would have liked to have had the other proteins in addition to the chicken.

You can read more about Boatwright’s from Alexis at Alexis’s Gluten Free Adventures, including her review of the gluten free chicken and waffles.

Overall, I still really love Boatwright’s, though my experience wasn’t as amazing as it has been in the past. It’s truly a nice hidden gem with interesting and unique offerings all set in a lovely atmosphere.

Have you been to Boatwright’s? What did you order when you dined here?

*This dining experience took place in February 2015.

Ah, Boatwright’s Dining Hall. Every time I go I am treated to a great meal, and this time my meal was epic. That’s because I finally got to indulge in a little thing called chicken and waffles. Yes, honest to goodness deep fried chicken and waffles. But before I get into all that deep fried goodness, let me back up with my entire meal experience. 

On this particular occasion, I was celebrating (a bit belatedly) my birthday. Last year, I went to Boatwright’s Dining Hall for the first time on my birthday, so it seemed fitting to make it a part of my birthday tradition. It was great too because almost all of my friends who dined with me the year before were able to come to dinner this year. Many of them also have special dietary needs, so it’s fun to see what everyone gets. You can read Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando’s review of our dinner on her website. 

Alexis had ordered chicken and waffles on a previous visit to Boatwright’s, and while I also got the fried chicken, I didn’t get the waffles (huge mistake on my part), and for this visit I wanted to make sure I ordered this for the birthday celebration. Because of this I requested the chicken and waffles in advance. The restaurant asks that you request at least 2 weeks in advance through Disney’s Special Diets Department. This ensures that they have all the ingredients on hand and everything will be ready for you when you arrive (trust me, you don’t want to go and be disappointed you can’t order this or the crawfish bites).  

After we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted by Chef Paul who came prepared with a huge basket of GNI brand rolls and extra virgin olive oil. This restaurant consistently heats the GNI rolls really well, so they make for a terrific pre-dinner starter. My gluten-filled eating family and friends enjoyed the house-made cornbread, and I have to admit I secretly hope that one day Boatwright’s will also make a gluten free and dairy free version for special diets guests.  

For an appetizer, I ordered the crawfish bites — of course! This time, I was pleasantly surprised to taste some new spices on the crawfish bites. The new seasoning added even more of a cajun/creole feel to the dish, and I really enjoyed the bit of spice it added. Of course, how can you really go wrong with anything that’s deep fried and seafood? The remoulade with its creaminess mellowed out the spice of the crawfish bites. Luckily, I split these with other diners, which is a good thing because I am pretty sure I’d be able to eat the entire plate myself. 

And good thing I saved room because I needed it for the deliciousness that is chicken and waffles. I have to say that this dish totally exceeded my expectations (which I have to admit were pretty high after hearing Alexis rave about it). The chicken itself was super crispy (Chef Paul used a batter that included an egg wash and Namaste all purpose gluten free flour) and very well seasoned. I’ve said it before, but I will say it again – Chef Paul is an expert at seasoning fried foods! 

The waffles were also extra crispy on the outside. When combined with the sweetness of the maple syrup and the salty fried chicken – the combo was just out of this world. It’s been years since I’ve had proper chicken and waffles, and I am so excited that I can now order it at Boatwright’s Dining Hall. I’m pretty sure this will be a regular on my entree rotation along with the sweet tea brined pork chop (another favorite). 

When it comes to dessert, I’m always too full to get dessert here. Of course, if I had room I would probably run over (or maybe slowly stroll depending on how full I am!) to Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory at Port Orleans French Quarter for the gluten free and dairy free beignets. They are so good. Boatwright’s does have several options, so if you’re looking for dessert you’ll definitely have a few items to choose from (if you’re gluten free, you have to check out the bananas foster – it gets rave reviews!).

One again, I have to say a big thanks to the Boatwright’s team for making my birthday dinner wonderful. I can’t wait to visit again soon!

Have you been to Boatwright’s Dining Hall? What is your favorite menu item to order there?

*This dining experience took place in December 2014.

It’s no secret that Boatwright’s Dining Hall is one of my favorite restaurants on Disney property. Since my birthday visit last February, I have dined at Boatwright’s more times than I can count and each meal has been amazing. That’s a testament to how great the restaurant, chefs, and menu are there.

When it came to a birthday dinner for my mom, I asked her what her choice would be, and to her it was no question – Boatwright’s. It just so happens that my mom’s birthday is also Christmas Eve, so we were celebrating both the holiday and my mom’s birthday that evening. The restaurant was definitely pretty busy, so as with any Disney dining, I recommend making ADRs anytime you want to dine at a table service location.

We were greeted by Chef Paul, who has prepared many of my meals at Boatwright’s and at other Port Orleans restaurants like Riverside Mill. I knew that I wanted to get the crawfish bites (of course) and the sweet-tea brined pork chop (now known on the menu as the Louisiana Lugger). You know you go to a restaurant a lot when you know what items you want to order before you even get there.

First up were GNI brand rolls with some extra virgin olive oil. I know I’ve said it before, but I will say it again – the Boatwright’s chefs really know how to heat these rolls up. Not heated up properly, these rolls can be less than great, but the chefs here always make sure they are well heated. The extra virgin olive oil is always a nice way to enjoy the rolls too.

Up next came my favorite crawfish bites. As always, these were outstanding. Crispy and delicious, I love the light batter and the freshness of the crawfish. And they are always perfectly seasoned at Boatwright’s. I have to hand it to Chef Paul; he really has the gift for salting his fried foods perfectly (as does Chef Tony). Some restaurants tend to under-salt their fried foods (Raglan Road never salts or grossly under-salts their fried foods), so this is just another testament to how great this culinary team is.

The portion size of this appetizer is pretty generous, so I always recommend sharing it with your dinner-mates. My family adores the gluten free version as well as the glutenous one, so regardless of your special dietary needs I can highly recommend them as a crowd-pleasing appetizer.

One important note about the gluten free (and dairy free) crawfish bites. The current menu version is more of a crawfish cake not the previous version of crawfish bites. If you would like to order the crawfish bites, I recommend contacting Disney’s Special Diets Department ([email protected]) at least 2 weeks in advance to request them. The restaurant can still accommodate with advance notice.

One of my favorite entrees at Boatwright’s is the sweet-tea brined pork chop with sweet potato hash. With the perfectly grilled pork chop to the sweet potato hash topped with crispy fried gluten free and dairy free onion straws, there’s nothing about this dish I don’t like. The onion straws absolutely make the dish (how can you not like an onion straw?!) and the chefs here know all too well that I love them (hence the heaping piles on my plate).

Like the crawfish bites, if you are interested in onion straws you’ll want to contact Special Diets at least two weeks in advance to request. And trust me, you’ll want to. They are worth the extra email or two!

I don’t tend to get desserts at restaurants, and this night I had a homemade gluten free and dairy free German chocolate cake waiting at home for my mom’s birthday, but Boatwright’s does carry several options for gluten free and dairy free diners.

Overall, my mom was really excited to spend her birthday at Boatwright’s (she even got a special dessert for the occasion) and spending our Christmas Eve there was even more special. Thanks to Chef Paul and the entire culinary team for a wonderful holiday meal!

Have you been to Boatwright’s Dining Hall? What’s your favorite menu item?

*This dining experience took place in August 2014.

When it comes to my favorite restaurants on Disney property, I have to say it probably boils down to two. These are the two that I consider the ones I could eat at nightly and not be bored or disappointed. One is Sanaa and the other is Boatwright’s Dining Hall. Both have decidedly unique culinary themes and both are a bit spicy (and condiment heavy, which I adore). I also consider both of them to be a bit of hidden gems on property; both very affordable and delicious. 

And they are equally popular with my family and friends. Case in point? This meal was requested by my friend for his birthday! Yep, people love Boatwright’s. What I love most about it is the food is excellently prepared and delicious. Port Orleans resort restaurants in general are all about real food. Boatwright’s, to me, is pure comfort food, with a Cajun and Southern twist. And they have crawfish bites and remoulade. Enough said.

On this particular occasion, we were greeted by Chef Tony. He had been making up a beignet storm at the August Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW meet-up that afternoon; let’s just say the meet-up and the beignets were very popular! It was a terrific meet-up, and I’m so glad the team at Port Orleans really worked to accommodate our group.

At dinner, one of the first things that Chef Tony did was bring me out a basket of GNI rolls and some extra virgin olive oil with herbs. This is, as it always is here, a perfect combo. The GNI rolls were heated really well (more bonus points for Boatwright’s!) and I love having some variation with the olive oil. 

Of course, I really can’t go to Boatwright’s and not get crawfish bites. I think it’s literally impossible. Chef Tony served them up with a huge serving of remoulade (ah, the culinary team here knows me all too well). Our group shared these, and everyone agreed they are delicious.

Every time I eat these, I have visions of a crawfish Po’ Boy made at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory using these in my head. That would be so amazing.  

For my entree, I ordered the sweet tea brined pork chop with sweet potato and bacon hash. The onion straws do normally contain gluten and dairy, but with advance notice (2 weeks through Disney’s Special Diets Department), they are able to make these along with the crawfish bites gluten free and dairy free. 

I’ve had this dish several times, and this is officially my favorite dish on the menu. Those onion straws are my culinary jam. Breaded in Namaste pancake and waffle mix with some spice added to it, these were heavenly. And, as you can see from the photo I was not lacking in the portion department with these either. They truly add a nice crunch to the dish, and I’m so grateful that the team can make them for me here. Onion straws for the win!

The sweet potato hash is excellent. Combined with the flavors from the pork chop and the onion straws, the dish just is perfection. And the portions are huge! One thing I know, you will never leave hungry at Boatwright’s!

Boatwright’s continues to impress me. I can’t believe it took me until this year to dine there. It has quickly come up the ranks as one of my favorite places to dine, and yes, I’m quickly going through the menu options! With big flavors and comforting dishes, I look forward to my next meal and more to come!

Have you been to Boatwright’s? What dishes do you order there?

*This dining experience took place in July 2014.

There are a few locations at Disney World that I consider hidden gems – locations that are truly overlooked. To me, Boatwright’s Dining Hall is one of those hidden gems. Nestled in the main lobby building of Port Orleans Riverside Resort, guests will find this a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of so many Disney World restaurants.

In addition to the rustic atmosphere, guests will be blown away by the impressive array of comfort food with a Cajun and Southern twist served at Boatwright’s. And as a special diets diner, I’ve been even more impressed with the variety of dishes that are available too. I have two words that says it all…Crawfish Bites (and yes, they are gluten fee and dairy free). 

I recently stopped by Boatwright’s for dinner with friends and fellow bloggers, Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and Amanda from Eating Out Without. Both Alexis & I got hooked on Boatwright’s after dining here for my birthday in February 2014. And when it came to deciding where to have dinner as a group, we knew just the place – especially since Amanda had never been before! We wanted to have a memorable mean and dining at Boatwright’s is always memorable.  

Prior to our meal, both Alexis and I made advance notice for a few requests – the crawfish bites appetizer (to be made gluten free and dairy free) and for something really exciting…fried chicken (and waffles in the case of Alexis, but more on that later). We recommend you contact Disney’s Special Diets Department for such requests. 

Once seated, we were greeted by our lovely server and Chef Tony who also brought us GNI brand rolls and some extra virgin olive oil with herbs. I am a huge olive oil fan, and anything of good quality with herbs is OK by me. Admittedly, I don’t think any of us at the table ate more than one of these rolls because we were saving room for the rest of the meal.  

First up were our appetizers. As I’ve mentioned (perhaps ad naseum), the crawfish bites here are outstanding and must do every time I visit. Perfectly seasoned, well fried, and smothered in a dairy free remoulade sauce…well, that’s just culinary perfection to me. It’s simple and so delicious. 

Typically, the crawfish bites are not gluten free or dairy free, and I’m always glad when I’m able to request them in advance. 

Chef Tony also brought out a delicious and fresh seasonal salad. With almonds, fresh strawberries and a beautiful balsamic vinaigrette, this was a new favorite for me. I have a bit of an obsession with balsamic vinegar and it paired well with the fresh fruit. Although I am always prone to ordering the crawfish bites, I may have to order this instead next time!   

For my entree, I asked for gluten free and dairy free fried chicken as did Alexis. Chef Tony turned her entree into an amazing version of chicken and waffles and asked me if I wanted to do the same. I decided to opt for the dirty rice with my entree, as I’m a huge fan of Boatwright’s version. However, after seeing Alexis’ chicken and waffles, I really wished I would have ordered that instead. Note to self…get chicken and waffles next time! You can see Alexis’ full review with pictures on Gluten Free in Orlando. I dare you not to want to order it after you see her photos!  

Amanda ordered the jambalya, a real favorite for me too. You can read her full review, including her review of the gluten free and dairy free version of French Onion Soup on her site. 

I have to say, I really enjoyed this. A lot. Crispy and crunchy with a gorgeous peach sauce on top (stone fruit being a huge favorite of mine), this was perfectly fried and well seasoned. The dirty rice was amazing as always, and I love that it’s made authentically. I have to be honest, I just kept going back to the chicken. It was so good.

Chef Tony mentioned that his recipe for gluten free fried chicken was inspired by a recipe from Posana Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina, and he tweaked my version to be dairy free as well. 

There are so few locations on property that can do something like this. Of course, there’s 50’s Prime Time and allergy chicken tenders at quick service locations. To have another spot that really hit the spot with a comfort food favorite, well that’s golden to me! I also quite liked that the chicken used was boneless. It made for a tender piece of nicely fried chicken. And the seasoning of course was fantastic, made simply and with a touch of Cajun seasoning, as Chef Tony told us. The base for the coating is Namaste, and they only different between mine and Alexis’ version was the addition of buttermilk to hers (which produced a more rich dark color and puffed up the coating).

This was a fantastic meal, and I was entirely too stuff by the end to order dessert. We also as a group took a leisurely stroll to Port Orleans French Quarter for beignets. One of my favorite things to do post-dinner at Boatwright’s is walk the resort. It’s really gorgeous and will make you feel like you’ve been transported somewhere else.   

Overall, I can’t say enough good things about Boatwright’s. It has consistently been one of the best Disney restaurants I’ve been to. The food is always outstanding, the chefs amazing, the servers excellent, and the prices really reasonable. 

I’d give this dining experience a solid 9.5 out of 10. Next time I have got to request the gluten free and dairy free chicken and waffles! If you have special requests, you’ll need to make arrangements at least 14 days in advance with Disney’s Special Diets Department. A huge shoutout to Chef Tony for making our meal experience extra magical, as always! 

Have you been to Boatwright’s? What are your favorite special diets menu offerings there?