Spice Mill -- Lunch -- Quick Service -- SeaWorld Orlando

*This gluten free dining experience took place in December 2017.

Lunch at Spice Mill

Spice Mill is a quick service restaurant at SeaWorld Orlando. It offers burgers, fries, and salads in a cafeteria-style setting. Whenever we visit SeaWorld, this is usually my go-to spot for a meal since it offers burgers that are both tasty and can be accommodated easily gluten free. Recently, we went to SeaWorld for their holiday festivities and stopped by Spice Mill for a quick lunch.For those who aren't as familiar with SeaWorld's special diets accommodations, they are good but not quite as good as Disney World. One of the things that I like the most is that they have worked with FARE to ensure proper training of staff on how to handle food allergies. They have allergy cards that are provided to guests. And, they even have a designated food allergy dining facility, Sharks Underwater Grill, a table service restaurant with a lot more options for guests with special dietary needs. You can read more about SeaWorld's food allergy and special diets accommodations on their website.

Atmosphere

Spice Mill is designed in a Spanish architecture style. You'll see this reflected on both the inside and outside of the restaurant.One of my favorite things about Spice Mill is the outdoor seating area with really nice views of the water. It's a great spot to sit, especially during the holiday season when you can watch the Sea of Trees decorated with holiday decorations and placed on the water.On this visit, we opted to eat inside which has lots of booths and tables to choose from.

The Food

When we arrived at Spice Mill on this visit, I noticed that the menu had changed quite a bit. I wasn't actually sure if they could accommodate me anymore. So, we went to the cash register and asked for a chef or manager. The chef on hand told me that they could still make me a cheeseburger or hamburger on a gluten free bun and that they still had a dedicated gluten free fryer. She also mentioned that every dining location at SeaWorld is required to have at least one gluten free dish available, which is nice to know.Once I placed my order, the chef went to prepare my food in the back.Because I've reintroduced dairy back into my diet in limited amounts, I decided to get a Cheeseburger with Bacon on a Gluten Free Bun with French Fries. This could be made dairy free by omitting the cheese.Overall, I have to say that the burgers at SeaWorld are actually pretty good. They were thick and have a lot of nice flavor to them. Both Brandon and I thought they were a step up from the standard burgers at Disney World and heads and tails above the ones at Universal Orlando (which we think are the worst of the bunch). The French fries were also really well cooked. And, Brandon liked mine better than his (they looked a bit thicker than the ones he had).

Overall

While I wouldn't say the food options at SeaWorld are super impressive as far as culinary variety goes, their burgers and fries are nice options for a solid and safe meal. I hope to go visit Sharks Underwater Grill someday to see what other options might be available there. I've dined at Seafire Grill there too, and didn't really enjoy my meal there. So, Spice Mill is definitely a good go-to for me.Want to learn more about SeaWorld with special dietary needs? Check out the Gluten Free Options at SeaWorld guide that I have here on the blog.Have you been to SeaWorld Orlando? What dining options did you try when you went there?