Olivia’s Cafe Breakfast Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in February 2022. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut, hazelnut, cabbage, and chicken & turkey allergies.
Breakfast at Olivia’s Cafe
Olivia’s Cafe, located at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, has long been a favorite for my family for the relaxed atmosphere, tasty food, and affordable prices. It’s been quite a while since we’ve been here for breakfast, so Brandon and I decided to head here for brunch with my mom after what seems like years since we’ve dined here. We were looking forward to current brunch menu and made a reservation for around 12:30 p.m.
Atmosphere
If you’re craving island vibes, Old Key West is the resort for you. You’d swear you’re someplace even more tropical than Central Florida — and that Jimmy Buffett could be just around the corner.
Olivia’s Cafe Entrance / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Both Brandon and I always say that the music here reminds us of Disney’s Castaway Cay. Anything that makes us think of DCL and Castaway Cay is alright by us!
Olivia’s is a bright and cheery restaurant, and you’ll find lots of great photos of Disney Vacation Club families around the restaurant’s entrance and inside. It is the oldest DVC resort after all — and a longstanding favorite of many DVC members.
Olivia’s Cafe - Outdoor Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
We absolutely love that Olivia’s Cafe has both indoor and outdoor seating. While Florida does tend to be hot and humid, we couldn’t resist sitting outside on our visit. We always find the temperatures in February in Central Florida to be perfect for outdoor dining, and we take advantage of it as much as we can!
The Food
Like most restaurants owned and operated by Disney, Olivia’s Cafe does have an allergy-friendly menu. Of course, you can always speak to a chef to discuss options and modifications for your special dietary needs. We always recommend this, especially if you have multiple dietary needs.
On this visit, we spoke to Chef Jeremy who was so helpful and very accommodating — answering questions we had about mixes and ingredients. As an aside, huge shoutout to our server Al who was just above and beyond phenomenal. Al was previously at Victoria & Alberts as a server but is currently at Olivia’s Cafe while V&As is closed. If you get a chance to meet him, we have no doubt you’ll be just as impressed as us!
Olivia’s Cafe - Allergy-Friendly Waffles & Eggs Entree / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For Brandon’s entree, he chose the Allergy-Friendly Waffles & Eggs which came with Small Mickey-shaped Waffles and Two Eggs-Any Style with choice of Bacon, Ham, or Sausage and Maple Syrup or Mixed Berry Sauce. This was marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies. The restaurant is currently using the Bloomfield Farms brand allergy-friendly pancake and waffle mix.
Brandon said his entree was very solid. All tasty and an entree that he would get again. And, of course, he enjoyed the Mickey waffles.
As an aside, Brandon did ask about getting regular gluten-filled pancakes but was told that they cook pancakes on a shared surface, so the chef recommended the waffles to be on the safe side for Brandon’s special dietary needs (I believe the primary concern was peanut/tree nut allergies).
Olivia’s Cafe - Breakfast Potatoes / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Brandon also ordered a side of Olivia’s Breakfast Potatoes. These are marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies. They do contain dairy; however, Chef Jeremy did say that regular breakfast potatoes are also available both for those guests with dairy allergies. The chef had to check to ensure there was no chicken in the base used for the potatoes and had noted that if the Olivia’s potatoes contained chicken that he could make plain potatoes for him. Thankfully, there was no chicken in the potato sauce base!
Brandon did enjoy these. We somehow managed to get a few sides of the potatoes thanks to Chef Jeremy’s kitchen magic, and Brandon — ever the potato lover — happily ate lots of these.
Olivia’s Cafe - Sombrero Beach Omelet with Allergy-Friendly Mickey Waffles / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For my entree, I ordered the Sombrero Beach Omelet with a side of Allergy-Friendly Mickey Waffles. The main entree was marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies.
The Allergy-Friendly Mickey Waffles are safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies. They are also vegan.
If you’re dairy free, the omelet can easily be made dairy free by omitting the cheese and sour cream and swapping out the potatoes for plain potatoes.
I really enjoyed the omelet. For the most part, it was a Denver omelet with pico de gallo. Everything was tasty, well cooked and filling. The Olivia’s potatoes were probably my least favorite part of the meal. They weren’t bad, but I think I would prefer regular breakfast potatoes next time. And, of course, the allergy-friendly Mickey Waffles were terrific.
As an aside, I did ask about the Banana-Rum Syrup and if it was safe for those who are gluten free. Chef Jeremy indicated that the syrup was probably OK but was not made with 100% maple syrup. If you’re interested in that syrup option, I would definitely ask more questions and look at the ingredients. I got 100% pure maple syrup which was great, as always.
If you want to hear more about our experience at Olivia’s Cafe, check out the vlog we did for our YouTube channel for more information.
Overall
You really can’t go wrong with breakfast at Olivia’s Cafe. Between the relaxed atmosphere, solid food options, and a variety of special dietary needs options, you’re sure to leave the restaurant with happy bellies. We were so appreciative of how attentive Chef Jeremy was and his flexibility at customizing options. We will definitely be back sooner rather than later for another brunch.
Have you been to Olivia’s Cafe? What do you think of the breakfast and brunch options?