Columbia Harbour House Dinner Review
*This gluten free and dairy free dining review took place in February 2019.
Dinner at Columbia Harbour House
Columbia Harbour House, located in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, has long been one of my go-to quick service restaurants for gluten free and dairy free options. Well, really, it's my go-to spot for allergy-friendly chicken tenders. I don't know what it is about this location, but I've always just loved the way they cook their allergy-friendly chicken tenders. The rest of the special diets options are pretty limited. But, the chicken tenders are just so good, they're hard not to order anyway!
On this particular visit, we stopped by Columbia Harbour House before attending the Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic event held in the park that night. As a part of the event, we were given a voucher to redeem a complimentary quick service entree and beverage at select locations. Thankfully, Columbia Harbour House was on that list, which meant free allergy-friendly chicken tenders!
Atmosphere
Unlike other Liberty Inn in Epcot, which is also colonial America themed, Columbia Harbour House is a beautifully themed restaurant with a sea faring colonial village theme.
Colubmia Harbour House - Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Although I didn't snag many photos that night, you can see a lot of the colonial theming and touches throughout the restaurant.
Columbia Harbour House - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Although the photo here highlights more traditional theming, both Brandon and I always love the nautical touches and even the sea shanty songs you can hear in the background when you dine here.
The Food
Of course, our big reason for going to Columbia Harbour House is always the allergy-friendly chicken tenders and the huge portion sizes they serve at the restaurant. Like most Disney owned restaurants, Columbia Harbour House does carry an allergy-friendly lunch and dinner menu. You can also always ask to speak with a manager to discuss any concerns and additional options for special dietary needs. The location is pretty limited on options. So if you don't want a salad, baked salmon, or chicken tenders, I would recommend dining at another location.
Columbia Harbour House / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Last summer, Brandon and I discovered that the restaurant had changed the brand of allergy-friendly chicken tenders they were using. Most locations on Disney property still serve the Ian's brand allergy-friendly chicken tenders. But, at this location, you'll find the Chef's Line brand being served. If you want to know more about this brand and ingredients, check out the post I wrote back in July 2018 about it, which includes photos of the ingredients that the manager shared with me.
Overall, these particular chicken tenders remind me a lot of the AllergyFreeFoods brand that Disney used to serve. These are more chicken nugget style, and they do have a lot of breading on them. Brandon prefers the Ian's brand over this one. I like both, but after this last visit, I think I lean slightly towards the Ian's brand in preference -- only because I found these chicken tenders to be a lot saltier. They're still really good though, and we both agreed we'd still order these any time. And, as you can see from the photo, my portion was pretty large too.
Overall
No matter what brand of allergy-friendly chicken tenders they are serving, Columbia Harbour House always does a great job of frying the allergy-friendly chicken tenders to perfection (and in a dedicated fryer too). It's a great go-to spot if you're craving allergy-friendly chicken tenders or even a healthier option, like baked salmon, when you're in the Magic Kingdom.
Have you been to Columbia Harbour House? What did you think of the food options there?