Disney’s Port Orleans — Riverside Resort was one of the last hotels to reopen to guests back in October. But, not everything was available immediately.
While the general store, lounge, and Quick Service restaurant welcomed guests on reopening day, there was one restaurant that still remained closed — Boatwright’s Dining Hall. But, the wait is finally over! The restaurant is once again serving up their signature “Southern specialties” and we’re taking you along with us to check it out!
Atmosphere
Tonight is the restaurant’s reopening night, and the party kicked off at 5PM!
Inside, you’ll find decor inspired by boats, including hulls of ships hanging from the ceiling and boat tools hanging from the walls. It’s definitely a unique look, but we appreciate the laid-back vibe.
We arrived early (our reservation wasn’t until later) but the Cast Member at the front desk let us know that they were accepting walk-ins for parties of 6 or less. We were able to be seated right away!
If you don’t have a reservation and there’s availability, you may see this sign at the check-in counter. Leave your phone number, and you’ll be texted when your table is ready.
Our table was already set with bread plates and silverware, plus napkins. We got a QR code to access the menu and a paper menu with the drink options.
Now, who’s ready to dig in?!
Boatwright’s Dining Hall is officially OPEN! pic.twitter.com/hLFijD366s
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) December 14, 2021
Menu
Right now, Boatwright’s Dining Hall is only open for dinner, and the menu looks a little different (and pricier) than you might remember.
First up, on the appetizer menu, the Crawfish Bisque, Andouille Sausage-Cheese Dip, and Fried Green Tomatoes have all been removed and now you can find two new dishes — the Boudin Balls and Amelia’s Salad (which is a plant-based option and is similar to the salad that used to be on the entree menu).
The entree menu also features some changes! For example, the Turbodog Barbecued Ribs have been removed and the Nashville Hot Chicken is not listed as being served on a Southern honey biscuit. Plus, if you order The Big Easy, it will now come with dirty rice, seasonal vegetables, pickled onions, and brown butter beurre blanc rather than crawfish mac & cheese, and blackberry port demi.
And, for sides, you’ll now find only three options (as the Red Beans and Rice, Crawfish Macaroni & Cheese, and Lump Crab Cakes have all been removed).
Thinking about dessert? They’ve got that too! Disney has removed the Traditional Bread Pudding and Lemon Chess Bar dishes but now you’ll find a Banana Cream Pie Bread Pudding and Sorbet.
If you’re dining with kids, they’ll be able to choose from a variety of appetizers, entrees, and sides…
…and you can make your kids’ meal (or your own) a little more exciting with the EARidescent Sip-a-bration that Disney has added in honor of the 50th Anniversary.
Plus, if you’d prefer something boozier, there’s also a selection of Specialty Cocktails and Dessert Cocktails (though the menu is much more limited than it was previously).
For our meal, we decided to start off with the new Boudin Balls as an appetizer. These are a mix of Andouille Sausage, Smoked Sausage, and Dirty Rice Breaded and Fried that is served with Remoulade, Creole Mustard, and Pickled Vegetables for $13.
And, we just couldn’t resist the Mardi Gras Fritters either! They cost $12 and come served with House-made Pimiento Cheese Fritters with Pepper Jelly.
Don’t those look SO good? Yum, x 3.
Mardi Gras Fritters with house-made pimiento cheese 😋 pic.twitter.com/7FdwUETil3
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) December 14, 2021
For the main course, we opted for the All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Chef’s Platter. And, when they say all-you-care-to-enjoy they mean it! For $35 this entree comes with Ribs, Nashville Hot Chicken, Smoked Sausage, Barbecued Beef Brisket with Mashed Potatoes, Macaroni and Cheese, Street Corn, and Green Beans.
We then wrapped up our meal with the new Banana Cream Pie Bread Pudding which is a House-made Bread Pudding with Fresh Bananas, Vanilla Crème Anglaise, Caramel Sauce, Bourbon-soaked Golden Raisins and Vanilla Ice Cream. It costs $7.
And, that’s it for our first meal back at Boatwright’s Dining Hall! We’ll be exploring the returning character dining experience over at Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge soon too, so be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for more!
Disney World’s Story Book Character Dining Will Reopen With an UPDATED Menu! Learn More HERE!
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Have you ever eaten at Boatwright’s Dining Hall? Let us know in the comments!
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