REVIEW: This Might Be THE Restaurant for Fast Food HATERS in Disney World

From four Disney parks to dozens of hotels to a shopping and dining district called Disney Springs, there is no shortage of places to eat when it comes to Disney World.

Here at AllEars, we know all the ins and outs of Disney World restaurants — including where you should definitely eat, and where you should skip. We recently stopped by Gasparilla Island Grill at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and are bringing you our FULL review!

Background

The Gasparilla Island Grill is a quick-service restaurant located at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, one of the three resorts on the Monorail line connected to the Magic Kingdom. At this spot, you can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Here’s what you need to know about dining at this restaurant.

Atmosphere

The Grand Floridian is one of Disney’s most beautiful resorts. When you’re getting to the quick service spot, you can either walk through the fancy lobby, or along the paths outside by the resort’s pools. The entrance to the Gasparilla Island Grill is at the back of the main building of the resort!

When you get inside the dining location, you’ll see it’s built in a food court (ish) design. You can go up and order your food at one of the counters — there are two order spots. Once you get your food, you’ll put it on a tray and walk over to the registers to pay. You can also Mobile Order at this location!

There is a lot of seating both inside and outside, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a spot. There isn’t really a theme; it’s essentially just a chill place to eat with some subtle Victorian theming. We loved the nice old-fashioned music that they played!

But enough about that, what are we eating?!

Food & Drinks

First up, we grabbed the Barbacoa Bowl for $16.49. This is made with black bean and corn salad, lemon rice, and cilantro-lime sauce on barbacoa. The barbacoa was pretty dry, which was a little disappointing. The meat was also a little salty.

All that said, there was quite a bit of meat that came with this one, which was nice for getting that protein. The cilantro-lime sauce was nice and herby; it had a sweet taste to it. It reminded us of guacamole, but thinner and less chunky.

The lemon rice was the best part of this dish. It’s very fluffy and savory! Unfortunately, there just wasn’t a lot of it, which is too bad because it was so good. Pairing the rice with both the veggies and the barbacoa was a great mix.

The veggies were fresh and flavorful as well! They were served cold and had beans, corn, and peppers — it was a tasty mix. Mixing it with the rice was the right move, but the veggies are good on their own as well.

Next up, we grabbed the Chicken Bowl for $16.49. This dish is made with black bean and corn salad, lemon rice, and a cilantro-lime sauce, served with chicken. The chicken was also a little dry, but not nearly as dry as the barbacoa bowl. It was honestly only the chicken on the top that was most dry-tasting; the more you ate, the better it got!

We wish there had been more chicken in this bowl! The cilantro-lime sauce was on top of the veggies this time, and we preferred that over on top of the meat. It gave the veggies a nice, sweet taste.

The lemon rice was great again; we just needed more of it! The cilantro piece on top of the rice was a great addition, although we know cilantro isn’t for everyone! Overall, we really liked this bowl and prefer it over the barbacoa.

Last, we got the Roast Beef Sandwich for $13.99. The sandwich had roast beef, horseradish aïoli, caramelized onion jam, crispy onions, Swiss cheese, and arugula on house-made ciabatta. Right off the bat, the bread was amazing. It was soft and crisp at the same time, just baked perfectly with a great taste. The bread was also thick, so it really balances out the flavors of the sandwich.

There was a lot of roast beef on this, which makes the price a little more worth it. Some bites of the roast beef were a little too chewy, but still good and juicy regardless. You can’t really taste the horseradish or the onion jam that much, so if you don’t like those, you still might be able to have this sandwich. Considering the sandwich was advertised with onion jam and crispy onions, there wasn’t a lot of onion flavor. You could taste it on some bites, but it wasn’t overwhelming. The crispy onions added a little crunch to the sandwich, but really not that much.

The Swiss cheese was great as well. It wasn’t anything special, but you can never go wrong with cheese on a sandwich. The dish came with a side, you could choose between fries or house-made chips. We went with the fries!

If you’re tired of all the basic fast-food type of meals you’ll find around Disney World, this restaurant is a great place to go. Between the fresh protein bowls and that hearty sandwich, we really enjoyed this meal, and the food didn’t leave us feeling weighed down, sluggish, or overly caffeinated from a sugar rush.

Magic or Tragic?

This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if…

• You need something quick and easy! Quick service restaurants are built for that, and this is the same. You can just walk up to the counter, order, and go. You can get your food in “to-go” boxes when you order as well.
• You’re staying at the Grand Floridian! This is a simple breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack option for resort guests. It’s easy and quick before you make your way to the park or need a break from the pool.
• You’re looking for some protein bowls. There aren’t a lot of places at Disney World that offer those types of bowls, and the ones here were good enough to go get.

You should skip this Disney World spot if…

• You want something more unique! Again, Disney World has so many food options. If you want something more unique, there are 100% better options for you.
• You want something more Disney! Whether it’s a Disney-themed snack or a Disney-themed environment, we totally get when guests want to experience that. There are other dining places that are more Disney-themed.
• You aren’t close by! This spot isn’t really worth stepping out of your way for, to be honest.

We want to hear YOUR thoughts! Leave a review right here on AllEars for the restaurants you’ve been to so you can help out fellow Disney lovers planning their next trip!

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news and more!

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Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments.

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