Rosa Mexicano Breakfast Review
*These gluten free dining experiences 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 Rosa Mexicano
Located at Disney’s Dolphin Resort, Rosa Mexicano is the resort’s newest restaurant — opening in 2023 and replacing Fresh Mediterranean Market. It is a chain restaurant that originally opened in 1984 and serves authentic Mexican cuisine with several locations across the U.S. Brandon and I went with his parents and sister shortly after they opened, and we didn’t have the best experience. But, we wanted to give it another chance after the restaurant had a bit of time to get more settled at its Disney location. This review covers two different visits for breakfast including one with our friend Gina from Gluten Free Disney World.
As an important note: The Swan & Dolphin Resorts do not have complimentary parking. Typically, if you dine at a restaurant at the resorts, you can get your parking validated to cover any charges. However, as of the writing of this blog post, the resort is not validating parking for breakfast. They will validate your parking ticket for dinner (i.e. after 5 p.m.) only. Parking is expensive at $34, so we recommend either taking Disney transportation or a ride share to this location if you are interested in breakfast specifically.
Atmosphere
Rosa Mexicano has a modern aesthetic highlighting Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It’s bright, inviting, and has ample seating for large and small parties. We especially like some of the corner nooks further back in the restaurant.
Rosa Mexicano Entrance / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The entrance does feel a bit retrofitted given the space and design of the Dolphin resort, but once you are seated in the restaurant, it is very different aesthetically from the original Fresh Mediterranean Market restaurant.
Rosa Mexicano Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The only slight negative that Brandon and I feel about the restaurant’s seating is the location of some two-top tables. We’ve had a few less than ideal seats in this restaurant and feel that two-top tables are wedged in places where there probably shouldn’t be a table.
Rosa Mexicano Bar Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
If you’re a fan of bar seating, the restaurant offers a large wrap-around bar where you can order drinks, small bites, and full menu items.
The Food
Because Rosa Mexicano 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.
Rosa Mexicano Menu / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Rosa Mexicano does have GF notes in their menu along with information about nut allergy warnings. On the first visit for breakfast, Gina and I did ask to speak to a chef, because we had several questions about the menu, especially if the churro waffles could be modified to be gluten free.
Now that the restaurant had been open for a bit, we found the servers to be much more attune to special dietary needs and offering to have a chef come and speak with guests. On this first visit, the chef was so helpful and talked through options, including making a GF churro waffle hack for us!
Gluten Free Chilaquiles Divorciados at Rosa Mexicano / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Gina and I both knew we wanted to order a sweet and savory option on our first visit. We split the Chilaquiles Divorciados which were marked gluten free and vegetarian on the breakfast menu. The version we were served did include dairy. We didn’t ask about dairy free modifications, but I suspect that this could be easily made dairy free.
Both Gina and I really enjoyed this dish. The tortilla chips (made in a dedicated fryer) were so flavorful, and the verde and guajillo sauces were both delicious. These are the same ones used for enchiladas at dinner and pack a lot of flavor in every bite. And of course, anything topped with lots of avocado is good by me. We both agreed that we liked this dish and would get it again.
Gluten Free Huevos Rancheros at Rosa Mexicano / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On my second visit with Brandon, I got the Huevos Rancheros which were also marked gluten free and vegetarian on the menu. Between the two breakfast entrees, I have to admit that I think this one was just a bit better. The crispy tortillas (made in a dedicated fryer), the refried black beans, and fresh salsa all made it a perfect flavor combination. The crispy potatoes were also exceptional and were extra crispy. This is a dish I would order at every breakfast at Rosa Mexicano. So good!
If you’re dairy free, this breakfast entree would need some modifications but could probably be easily made DF if requested.
Gluten Free Eggs Your Way at Rosa Mexicano / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Brandon tends to prefer a standard breakfast option, so he decided to order the Eggs Your Way on our visit. He got scrambled eggs, a ton of bacon, and the same breakfast potatoes that I got with my entree. This was marked gluten free on the menu and can be made vegetarian by swapping out the breakfast meats and easily made dairy free too.
Brandon absolutely loved the breakfast potatoes with this entree, and he said the rest of the dish was great too. I think we both said the breakfast here was one of our new favorites at Disney World.
Gluten Free Churro Waffles at Rosa Mexicano / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The absolute star of both breakfasts that we had were the gluten free, egg free, fish/shellfish free, dairy free, and peanut/tree nut free Churro Waffles. The waffle mix is made in-house at the restaurant and does contain soy (and cannot be made soy free).
These are available if you ask your server or a chef and include GF waffles made in a dedicated waffle maker with fresh cinnamon sugar sprinkled on the waffles and served with various sides including a Mexican chocolate sauce, fresh fruit, fruit sauce, and whipped cream. The restaurant also makes plain GF Mickey waffles too, but we do highly recommend the churro waffles because of how incredible they taste!
Note: Some of the sides do contain dairy (the Mexican chocolate sauce and whipped cream). If you’re dairy free, you’ll want to order with fresh fruit and fruit sauce. The restaurant also has 100% pure maple syrup in individual bottles available for guests too.
Gluten Free Churro Waffles at Rosa Mexicano / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
In terms of flavor, omigosh. These are absolutely outstanding. Best GF Mickey waffles at Disney?! Based on our experiences that answer is yes! Gina and I were in GF Mickey waffle heaven on our first visit. They were so good that I had to make reservations for me and Brandon to go ASAP after that visit. They were just as good as the first time. If you want a slightly different Mickey waffle experience and some amazing toppings, you won’t be disappointed by the GF Churro Waffles at Rosa Mexicano.
If you want to hear more about our experiences at Rosa Mexicano, check out the vlog we did for our YouTube channel for more information.
Overall
We can’t say enough good things about our breakfast experiences at Rosa Mexicano. The food was outstanding and the addition of the GF Churro Waffles is probably the highlight from 2023. They were that good. Our service on multiple visits to the restaurant have been excellent too, and our experiences with the chefs have also been great. The only downside to breakfast at Rosa Mexicano is the lack of validating parking for non-resort guests who are driving. It’s such a deterrent from us wanting to go again, because we can’t justify paying close what our meal cost just to park there. If we were staying on property or going to a park nearby, we would definitely recommend it for a unique GF Mickey waffle experience and fantastic breakfast offerings.
Have you been to Rosa Mexicano? What was your experience dining there?