Maya Grill Dinner Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in May 2023. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut, hazelnut, cabbage, and chicken & turkey allergies.
Dinner at Maya Grill
Maya Grill, located at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, is a table service restaurant owned and operated by the Palmas Restaurant Group. It serves up authentic Mexican cuisine along with Tex-Mex style options so there’s plenty of great options to choose from. It’s one of our favorite restaurants for a low-key and safe meal as Orlando locals, and we were excited to dine there recently after they launched their new updated menu.
Atmosphere
Maya Grill has been at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort for years. You can find it a short walk from the old lobby area of the original side of the resort (not Gran Destino Tower).
Maya Grill - Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Because it’s been around for so long, it does a bit of a dated theme. However, that theme does really blend in well with the resort’s general theme and aesthetic, so it never looks out of place.
Maya Grill - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The interior has plenty of seating options from booths to tables. The restaurant is inspired by Mayan culture with motifs representing fire, sun, and water. Yes, everything feels a bit on the dated side, but we both actually quite like the retro feel.
Though not shown in our photos, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that this restaurant has live music with a guitarist every single night, which really adds to the theme and vibe.
Maya Grill - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
In the main dining room area, you’ll see large towers and even architecture that looks like a Mayan temple. The restaurant also has lots of windows around the restaurant for natural lighting.
The Food
Because Maya Grill is not owned and operated by the Disney Company, they do not have an allergy-friendly menu. But, you can always speak directly to a chef to discuss options, including modifications. The new menu does have a few notes about special dietary needs such as fish/shellfish, pork, and nuts. However, we would highly recommend speaking to a chef, because the menu is new and it’s possible ingredients and dishes may change (and some dishes may not be listed as containing an ingredient like fish/shellfish but actually do…more on that later).
Maya Grill - Brandon with the Menu / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Normally, we tend to prefer Disney owned restaurants, because of their special diets protocols. But, we have been consistently impressed with our experiences at Maya Grill. The chefs and the servers have always been very good at making sure our special diets are accommodated, and we feel safe about options.
On this visit, we spoke with Chef Gilberto who reviewed some of the menu items with us and made recommendations. There are definitely options or easy modifications, so it’s always worth talking to a chef.
Maya Grill - Chips & Salsa Trio / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
One of the things we love most about Maya Grill is that you can get safe tortilla chips. Being gluten free, I have found that getting safe tortilla chips isn’t always the easiest — even at Disney — because of restaurant’s not using or having a dedicated fryer. It’s gotten better at WDW over the years for this, and I’m so glad that Maya Grill has a dedicated fryer just for tortilla chips.
We decided to order the Chips & Salsa Trio which came with three salsas: Salsa Roja, Smokey Chipotle, and Avocado Verde. This is probably the most allergy-friendly appetizer and is gluten free, dairy free, fish/shellfish free, peanut/tree nut free, chicken/turkey free & cabbage free. It’s also plant-based/vegan.
Chips and salsa are always a hit with us, but this version was outstanding. The avocado salsa verde was my favorite — it’s tangy and only moderately spicy. The chipotle salsa is Brandon’s favorite — it’s smoky and definitely very spicy. The salsa roja is probably our least favorite (and it’s still very good!) mostly because it’s so mild. If you’re a non-spicy fan, the salsa roja will be the winner for you.
We used to always get the chips, salsa, and a side of queso. But, with three salsas in this appetizer, we definitely felt the portion and options were plentiful.
Maya Grill - Golden Zama / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
In addition to a new food menu, the restaurant also has a new expanded drink menu. We visited on Cinco de Mayo, so we had to try drinks — to celebrate!
I ordered the Golden Zama with Bacardi Ocho Rum, charred pineapple, fresh squeezed lemon juice, & orgeat. This is essentially a Mai Tai and was really good. I loved the fresh pineapple and combination of flavors. I would definitely recommend it and get it again.
Note: If you are allergic to nuts, especially almonds, you’ll want to avoid this drink as orgeat contains almond and is not recommended for those with nut allergies.
Maya - The Serpent / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For Brandon’s drink, he ordered The Serpent which the menu described as coming with Michters Bourbon, Ancho Reyes Verde, Aperol, Pineapple chunks, lemon juice, three chile organic simple syrup, lemon bitters & fresh mint. However, when his drink arrived, it looked totally different than it was described. We couldn’t find another drink on the menu that had fresh thyme, so we’re wondering if they’re still working on the drinks and supplies.
Brandon said this drink was good and definitely had bourbon and aperol in it. He liked it a lot but did note that it was on the small side.
Maya Grill - Yuca Fries / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Because the restaurant’s menu is entirely new, we wanted to try out a few options. We confirmed with Chef Gilberto that the yuca fries were safe for both of us and made in a dedicated fryer. These are not listed on the menu as a side dish, but you can request them easily.
The yuca fries are gluten free, dairy free, fish/shellfish free, peanut/tree nut free, chicken/turkey free, and cabbage free. We did not confirm they are vegan, but I would guess that the chimichurri is also vegan and safe.
Overall, we liked these but didn’t love them. That’s mostly because the yuca fries got cold and hard very quickly. We both agreed that the chimichurri sauce was very good and super flavorful. A word of caution on garlic. If you are garlic sensitive or have a garlic allergy, you’ll want to avoid the chimichurri. There was a lot of fresh garlic in it, and it was very strong.
Maya Grill - Fresh Catch / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For my entree, I wanted to try something new on the menu and ordered the Fresh Catch. This rotates whatever seasonal fish is available and on this visit it was mahi mahi. This dish is gluten free and can be modified to be dairy free.
I really enjoyed this dish a lot. The fish was very well seasoned and cooked — falling apart and very flaky. The roasted potatoes were crispy on the outside and super tender on the inside. The broccolini was good (although never my favorite vegetable). I loved the cilantro crema and the pickled onion and radish on top of the dish, which added great flavor and texture. I would definitely recommend this dish and will be getting it again.
Maya Grill - Steak Quesadillas (NOT Gluten Free) / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For Brandon’s entree, he chose the steak quesadilla tacos. The version he ordered was made using flour tortillas, but if you’re gluten free, you can make this dish GF by swapping out the tortillas for corn. This is Brandon’s go-to entree at the restaurant, and he was SO glad it was still on the menu. He said everything was very flavorful and just as good as always.
One note for those who are allergic to fish/shellfish or can’t have gluten. The steak marinade currently being used by the restaurant is no longer safe as is for either of these special dietary needs. The steak contains both oyster sauce (gluten & fish/shellfish concern) and Worcestershire sauce. Luckily, Chef Gilberto said they can make a version of the steak safe for both of these special dietary needs by cooking plain steak instead a marinated version, so be sure to ask a chef or server about this. The steak is the same for the fajitas too, so you’ll need to modify that dish, as well.
On this visit, Brandon got a side of cilantro rice and refried beans instead of his normal favorite French fries. Though not on the menu, you can still get fries, but you’ll need to request them (and they are made in a dedicated fryer). Brandon didn’t really love the rice, and he skipped the refried beans and gave the dish to me. We had asked the chef to put them in a container so that I could try them, because both the rice & beans are both gluten free.
I personally loved the refried beans and would recommend them, if you like pork fat flavored refried beans. The pork in this is prominent, so skip if you don’t like that flavor profile. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, these beans won’t be a safe option currently.
Maya Grill - Akan’s Mule / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Brandon capped out our meal with another drink — Akan’s Mule. This was the restaurant’s take on a classic Moscow Mule and was made with Milagro Reposado, Lapsang Souchong smoked black tea syrup, guava puree, fresh lime juice & ginger beer.
Brandon is a fan of mules and said this was good but that he preferred his first drink over this. Next time, he’d probably get a different drink.
If you want to hear more about our experience at Maya Grill, check out the vlog we did for our YouTube channel for more information.
Overall
Maya Grill continues to be a favorite for us at Disney. We love going here for a low-key, safe, and tasty meal. The servers are always friendly and helpful, and the chefs have always been very accommodating too. We love that there is live music, and the restaurant never feels overly crowded. So, if you’re looking for an easy-going restaurant, you can’t get more chill than Maya Grill. We really enjoyed the new menu and are looking forward to going back again soon to check out more options. If you’re staying at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, we definitely recommend Maya Grill for one evening of your visit.
Have you been to Maya Grill? What was your experience dining there?