REVIEW: Gasparilla Island Grill Returns with Exquisite Entrees & Desserts, Quick Service Goes Upscale

WDWNT on January 16, 2017

Following a short refurbishment, the Gasparilla Island Grill at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa reopened recently featuring a number of interior changes and a drastically new menu.

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The restaurant is tucked in the back of the main building, towards the marina area, so many guests are not even aware that it exists. This often makes it a quiet getaway from the rest of Walt Disney World, but it can get busy from time to time.

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A completely new station was built featuring desserts, pastries and sweets from the Grand Floridian Bakery, as well as a selection of coffee and specialty beverages.

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The self serve dessert case is well stocked with amazing looking treats.

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There are also assorted pastries available.

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A look at the overall menu.

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Next up is the sandwich and pizza station.

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And of course, there is the much improved sandwich bar. No more hot dog served in a baked potato here…

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Gasparilla Island Grill is the latest counter service establishment to receive Coke Freestyle machines and they have tow of them which work using the Rapid Fill technology in Disney cups.

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Coffee, hot cocoa, iced teas, and more are also available.

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Not much has changed over at the condiment station.

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Some quick grab and go options by the registers.

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You can sit indoors and outdoors here and they will bring your food to when it is ready either way.

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I prefer outdoors if the weather is nice as the atmosphere in the marina area is always really enjoyable.

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OK, enough of that, let’s talk about the food!

Sausage and Mozzarella Pizza ($11.29)

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One of the big selling points of the new Gasparilla Island Grill is the new pizza-making process…

Each pizza—which cooks in 90 seconds at 840 degrees—is served on pizza dough made in-house daily by Chef Erich’s team at the Grand Floridian Bakery.

You could really taste the difference here and this was a big step u in quality for counter service pizza at Walt Disney World. The sauce was really sweet, so don’t expect New York-stlye here, but the overall flavors of the personal pie were really good. The distribution of the toppings could have been a little better, but really I’m just nitpicking here. If you want a quick pizza, I would highly recommend getting one here.

Chicken and Brie ($12.99)

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Described as “Grilled Chicken and Ham on a Brioche Bun served with French Fries”, there is actually a whole lot more going on in this sandwich. There is also some sort of strawberry jam in here and a good amount of arugula. Jam of any sort isn’t my favorite thing to eat, but overall I thought this sandwich was really good. The bread was nice and fresh and the ingredients in the sandwich all blended together really nicely. Grilled chicken sandwiches at Walt Disney World’s counter service restaurants aren’t often very good, but this is one that I would order again.

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Coconut Pot de Creme ($4.29)

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Now, for what you have all been waiting for… dessert! This coconut pot de creme might be my favorite dessert I have ever had from a quick service establishment. I love coconut, so if you don’t, obviously don’t order this, but I can’t imagine a scenario where anyone wouldn’t think this is amazing. The crust holds together a rich coconut creme, which is accented nicely by the whipped cream and coconut shavings on top. I will be back for this over and over again. Grand Floridian Executive Chef, Scott Hunnel personally recommended this to us as his favorite when we were picking out desserts, and I can see why.

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German Chocolate Cupcake ($5.49)

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As good as this cupcake looked, it did not have a taste that matched. Overall, I found it to have little chocolate flavor and the coconut material in the middle did little to enhance it. Next time, I think I’ll have to go for the Minnie Mouse Cupcake, because this just did not deliver the promises made by its beautiful exterior. It wasn’t dry or poorly made, it just didn’t have any flavor.

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Overall

I have always loved Gasparilla Island Grill, but this new menu is a giant leap forward in quality, putting this restaurant towards the top of the list for the absolute best counter service eateries in all of Walt Disney World.It is also one of the few that offers some sort of late night menu and remains open 24 hours a day. I am anxious to try more of the new menu soon, so expect another review (if I can keep up, there are literally dozens of reviews I have in process waiting to be posted) in the not-too-distant future.

REVIEW: Jungle Cruise Skipper Canteen Undergoes Another Menu Change

WDWNT on December 26, 2016

Recently, the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen at the Magic Kingdom underwent another menu change, so we decided to go and check it out. If you haven’t, be sure to check out our last review which covers some of the past menu changes.

The souvenir mugs have made it onto the menu finally.

The cachapas replace the arepas appetizer, utilizing the same ingredients in a completely new preparation.

Thr preperation and sides with the grilled steak have changed.

The pork chops are also prepared a little differently with new sides as well.

Orinico Ida’s Cachapas ($10)

A new take on the former arepas appetizer, this dish comes preassembled now with way more of the pork and less of the accompaniments. The mix of the pre-existing flavors with the avocado cream is glorious. The arepas were good, this new version is PHENOMENAL.

Dr. Falls Signature Grilled Steak ($34)

The steak was the only dish at Skipper Canteen that I haven’t had before, so provided there was a change in the preparation, I figured that it might be blogable to order it today.

The steak was much better that I expected, cooked and seasoned very well. If you don’t want seafood, I’d still order the pork over this, but it is a viable option at least.

The mashed plantains as a side were great and the vegetable slaw was adequate as well.

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REVIEW: Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory Re-Opens with New Look & Menu

WDWNT on November 29, 2016

After being closed for several months, the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory recently reopened at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter. Besides undergoing a massive overhaul in design, the menu has also seen several changes over the time of the closure.

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More props are scheduled to arrive and be hung from the ceiling of the restaurant, but until then, the interior is fairly plain.

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One of the columns that separates the ordering area from the seating area was removed in favor of additional register space. It is a little strange to see a spot where a column clearly belongs but is simply devoid of it.

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The remodeled condiment and drink station features a first for a Walt Disney World Resort counter service: a permanent installation of a Coke Freestyle machine.

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For now, it kind of just looks like a neutered version of its former self.

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The tile-work near the drink station was the one part of the remodel that I liked. The rest… well…

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Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory Menu

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Well, enough talking about it, let’s eat it…

Crawfish Mac and Cheese Burger ($13.49)

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The Crawfish Mac and Cheese burger was heavily publicized and seemed to garner the most interest from you, the reader, so I went ahead and ordered it. I don’t know where the crawfish flavor was, but I couldn’t find it. It was basically a mac and cheese hamburger, which is fine, but it really didn’t taste like anything unique or different. The fries were great, but otherwise I was fairly unimpressed with the dish.

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For my second side, I chose the macaroni salad, which was surprisingly good for being at a counter service restaurant.

Crispy Fried Chicken on a Biscuit ($10.99)

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Once I saw that this chicken sandwich had Voodoo sauce, I became insanely excited about it. In the one vacation in my life that wasn’t to a theme park, I visited New Orleans and fell in love with the cuisine there, especially anything with Voodoo sauce, which can be on the spicy side. This sandwich was good, but the sauce had little heat and just not enough flavor. The biscuit also crumbled once we tried to pick this thing up.

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The coleslaw was good enough, but nothing crazy.

Mardi Gras King Cake ($4.49)

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I did thoroughly enjoy the king cake and the pastry was of a good enough size that more than one guest could share it after a meal. Again, it isn’t going to be of the quality (or even style) you would find in real New Orleans, but it is good enough that I would order the doughy treat again.

Overall

In review, I wasn’t really blown away with much that we ate here, and beyond that the time we waited for food to be prepared and then to checkout on this particular visit was absurd (20-25 minutes). Honestly, I would just take a short trip down the road to Riverside Mill at Port Orleans Riverside if you are looking for an often exceptional counter service dining experience in this area. Three new hamburgers offered over there (which I will have a review of really soon) are among the best I have had anywhere at Disney World and truly blow away the sandwiches we had at the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory.