Rix Sports Bar & Grill Breakfast Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in August 2023. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut, hazelnut, cabbage, and chicken & turkey allergies.
Breakfast at Rix Sports Bar & Grill
Rix Sports Bar and Grill, located at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, is a 3rd party owned and operated restaurant that serves up casual fare at breakfast, lunch & dinner. We have eaten at Rix Sports Bar and Grill on multiple occasions for lunch and dinner but never for breakfast. On this visit, we decided to check out the gluten free and food allergy friendly options for breakfast.
Atmosphere
In terms of theming and atmosphere, Rix Sports Bar and Grill is a bit on the basic side. It does have some elements of a sports bar with lots of TVs but otherwise, the theming is pretty lackluster all around. It feels like this location could definitely use a refurbishment in the coming years.
Rix Sports Bar and Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The restaurant is located near the resort’s quick service restaurant, El Mercado, and Maya Grill — one of our go-to’s on Disney property for safe Mexican food options.
Rix Sports Bar and Grill Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
As you can see from the photo here, the dining room is pretty basic. There’s not a lot of theming, but then again, if you’re just looking for a good sports bar and a quick bar type meal, this could be a great go-to option if you’re staying at Coronado Springs. Brandon’s parents really enjoy it, and we can see how the no frills and casual vibe could appeal to many.
The Food
Because Rix Sports Bar and 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. On this occasion, we did speak to a chef to discuss options.
We’re glad that we did too, because we found out that most of our meal would need to be prepared over at El Mercado due to a lack of a dedicated fryer for safe breakfast potatoes and dedicated waffle maker for the GF and allergy-friendly waffles. Because of this, the chef did let us know that the meal would take a bit more time to prepare. This was great information to know about, and honestly, after our meal, we both said next time we’d just go get breakfast over at El Mercado instead, since many of the same options are available and for a somewhat lower price point.
Gluten Free Rix Omelet from Rix Sports Bar and Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For my entree, I opted for the custom omelet. I got ham, spinach, and onion in my omelet, and it was topped with regular cheese. The chef did note that they have non-dairy / vegan cheese options at El Mercado that he could use if I wanted it. That was great to know that there is a dairy free cheese option on hand too! My omelet also came with the gluten free and allergy-friendly hash browns made at El Mercado in a dedicated fryer instead of the herb butter house potatoes which are coated in gluten (why are we putting gluten in breakfast potatoes?!).
Overall, I liked the omelet. I thought it was tasty but nothing too special. The star of my entree were the hash browns. They were super crispy and reminded me of the McDonald’s hash browns from my childhood and pre-gluten free days.
Gluten Free Toast from Rix Sports Bar and Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
I was also served gluten free toast with some prepackaged butter and jam. It was a nice addition to the breakfast, and I’m always glad to see a 3rd party owned restaurant offering GF bread options.
Gluten Free Country Beef Skillet from Rix Sports Bar and Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Brandon ordered the Country Beef Skillet served with scrambled eggs and sirloin steak. Instead of the breakfast potatoes that are normally served, he was also served gluten free hash browns so that we could share our entrees. His entree had a chipotle salsa on it that was smoky and spicy. We were told by the chef that it was the same one served at Maya Grill (but that has been recently taken off the menu there). Overall, Brandon really liked his entree, and we both agreed he had the winning dish of the meal.
Gluten Free and Allergy-Friendly Mickey Waffles from Rix Sports Bar and Grill / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
We decided for a bit of sweetness to split the gluten free and allergy-friendly Mickey waffles. These were made in a dedicated fryer over at El Mercado. I did ask if we could get the plantains and Dulce de Leche sauce that comes with the French Toast entree on the menu and the chef said that was an easy addition. The waffles themselves were gluten free and allergy-friendly but the sauce did contain dairy. Unfortunately, the restaurant does not serve 100% pure maple syrup and only had table syrup on hand that was corn syrup based (and that wasn’t very tasty, in my opinion).
The waffles themselves had some cinnamon in them which added a more unique twist. While we both liked the flavor, we both felt the waffles themselves were a bit undercooked and gooey. I’m not sure that I would recommend these or would get them again based on the ones that we had.
If you want to hear more about our experience at Rix Sports Bar and Grill, check out the vlog we did for our YouTube channel for more information.
Overall
While we are glad that Rix Sports Bar and Grill fills in a need for a table service breakfast option at Coronado Springs, it’s not one of our favorite breakfast options at Disney. Most of the food was just OK, and we found that most of our meal actually had to be prepared at El Mercado next door which added a bit more of a wait time to the meal. That being said, the chef there was super accommodating and so helpful, and we appreciate that they are working hard to ensure safe options. However, we’d probably recommend El Mercado overall at Coronado Springs for breakfast, unless you’re looking specifically for that table service experience or a slightly larger menu.
Have you been to Rix Sports Bar and Grill? What was your experience dining there?