Sci-Fi Dine In -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Hollywood Studios
*Note: This review includes a gluten/dairy free review and a gluten/dairy/soy free review.
There's nothing like taking a nostalgic trip back in time...I love the retro themes at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Second only to 50's Prime Time Cafe is Sci-Fi Dine In. It's a little hidden restaurant nestled near Star Tours at WDW. I've only been once, back in 2004 and prior to food allergies. We loved the theming, but I've been reluctant to go back since allergies, not sure how good it would be. I wish I had more pictures to share of the inside--it looks like a 50's Drive In theatre complete with cars turned into tables. It's really dark in there though! Pictures are hard to take. However, I was able to get some food shots in, so enjoy!We were greeted by Chef Richard, who quite honestly, seemed a wee bit cranky that day. He was very helpful for me with the gluten/dairy allergies, but not quite as helpful for my friend who is gluten/dairy/soy free. Basically, if you have a soy allergy, this may not be the best restaurant for you. I was able to get most offerings, or modified offerings, but my friend was told that if he had a problem with Soy Lecithin, which he does, that he could not have anything grilled, due to the soy spray they use on the grill. They also use a soy based oil for the fryers, so even though they have a dedicated fryer, he couldn't have the french fries. My friend said in the past he was able to have both the grilled items and fries, so maybe this has changed. In addition, he didn't really have a lot of options for shakes for him. He ended up "gambling" (perhaps I would not have done and the chef told him he probably shouldn't do) with the grill and ordered a burger (which looked pretty good) and got a salad with olive oil instead of the fries. His burger looked good, nice and juicy. I don't recall if he got the mushrooms and sauteed onions with this. I know he did have the tapioca roll and bacon on it. He said it was really good. Not sure on the sick part, but at the time he seemed OK. The salad was nothing special. It was shredded lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes.
For my options, I could order a lot of things. I got a chocolate "milkshake" which was Tofutti (I believe from the taste) and probably soy milk or rice milk. It was a bit soupy, rather than a thick milkshake, but it was good. Nothing special, but good. Heck, it was a milkshake, so I was happy. It's nice to have something nostalgic like this. I wish they weren't so stingy on the portions of the milkshake (what happened to the spare tin with extra shake?!), especially for $4.99 at the current price.
I got a custom order for my lunch. I got a grilled chicken sandwich, with no bun, lettuce, tomato, and bacon. I also got the avocado mayonnaise that accompanies the turkey sandwich on the menu. The chef said it had egg in it--another one of those, eggs are not dairy conversations...I am always amazed by this. He gave me a large portion on the side! Good thing, I could dip fries in it..yummy! The sandwich was good. Nothing special, but good. I liked being able to mix and match from the menu. The burger was out, since I really rarely (as in once a year have a burger) eat beef. I didn't want deli turkey and the chicken dish came w/bruscetta toppings and it did not sound good to me. So, this was a great option.
Overall, this is a basic burger and fries kinda joint. It's the ambiance that really brings you there. Food was OK, chef was a bit cranky, but overall a fun experience. Expect a wait for this place--it's almost always packed. I'd give this a 7 out of 10.