Steakhouse 71 Lunch Review
*This gluten free dining experience took place in February 2022 and March 2022. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut, hazelnut, cabbage, and chicken & turkey allergies.
Lunch at Steakhouse 71
Steakhouse 71 takes the place of the restaurant the Wave at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Opening up in 2021, we have enjoyed dinner at Steakhouse 71 and finally made it to the restaurant for lunch. We have been hearing rave reviews about the lunch options, especially the Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger, so we knew we needed to make a visit to check it out. This review will include information from two visits for lunch.
Atmosphere
Steakhouse 71 has a decidedly mid-century vibe to it. The description on the Disney website says the design is meant to harken back to the Contemporary Resort’s theming when it first opened in 1971.
Steakhouse 71 Entrance / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The restaurant’s entrance is pretty familiar with a slight update to the signage area — focusing on dark woods versus the metals and “wave” like structure featured at the Wave’s entrance.
Steakhouse 71 Waiting Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
From an aesthetic perspective, it is definitely very mid-century modern. You’ll see lots of bright colors and stylish furniture — that is popular both now and back when the resort originally opened. Above, you can see the main waiting area of the restaurant features chairs and couches with that mid-century flair.
Steakhouse 71 Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Inside the restaurant, you’ll find the same carpeting and brightly colored chairs and decor. In many ways, it’s really just a refresh of the restaurant space versus a full redesign. We do miss The Wave’s older design, but have found the new theming to be growing on us.
The Food
Like most restaurants owned and operated by Disney, Steakhouse 71 does have an allergy-friendly menu. Of course, you can always speak to a chef to discuss options too. On our first visit, we did speak directly to a chef. On our second visit, we did not since we were very familiar with the options having dined there a few weeks before.
Steakhouse 71 - Bacon & Eggs Appetizer / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
The Wave’s classic Bacon & Eggs appetizer has been reimagined at Steakhouse 71. This updated dish at Steakhouse 71 is marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies. It is also safe for Brandon’s chicken and turkey allergies.
Brandon says this is a must order appetizer at Steakhouse 71! Of course, I love this dish too. The pork belly is super tender and falls apart easily. The maple glaze is sweet, salty, and the perfect balance of flavors for the rich pork belly. Combine that with the salty, creamy, rich cheesy grits and a perfect poached egg, and you have a winning combination.
Steakhouse 71 - Gluten Free Plant-Based Burger / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On our first visit, I decided to get the Plant-Based Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger. This is not listed on the menu but is available if you ask. This dish is safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, and Peanut/Tree Nut Allergies. It is also vegan.
On our visit, the waffle fries made in the fryers were not a safe option for guests who are gluten free. This is because the restaurant is facing some supply chain and some of the fries being served at the restaurant contain gluten. The restaurant does carry a few different French fry options, and I could have had them baked in the oven on our visit. The chef offered to make me some baked fries, breakfast potatoes, or I could have also ordered the side wedge salad. On our first visit, I decided to get the pan fried breakfast potatoes.
The plant-based burger was made gluten free by serving it on a GF bun. All other ingredients were both gluten free and dairy free. The plant-based beef was IMPOSSIBLE Foods brand. The non-dairy cheese used was Follow Your Heart brand. I did forget to ask what the plant-based mayo was.
Omigosh, wow! This plant-based burger was amazing. It was hands down the best vegan burger I’ve ever eaten. The combination of flavors and the way the IMPOSSIBLE patties were cooked make it a winner. I was super impressed that the plant-based cheese was melted! The double-stack patties were super crispy and flavorful. The sweet pickles, red onion, and mayo were all great too. Even Brandon thought it was an incredible burger. If you are vegan, dairy free, or just want a plant-based option — this burger is a must get. We both recommend it highly.
Steakhouse 71 - Gluten Free Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On our second visit a few weeks later, I decided to try the beef Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger after Brandon raved so much about it. This dish was marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Fish/Shellfish, and Peanut/Tree Nut Allergies. It can be made dairy free by omitting or swapping the cheese for a non-dairy cheese option.
On this visit, you can see that the restaurant was continuing to struggle with supply issues. They had run out of gluten free buns on this visit, so the burger was served with Bloomfield Farms bread toasted in a dedicated toaster. I had asked for the wedge salad as my side this time, but the chef decided to also give me a side of bonus parmesan fries.
The wedge salad contains egg and dairy, but it can be made vegan by removing the diced egg and swapping out the dressing. So, if you’re plant-based this is an easy modification. The fries were made in a dedicated gluten free fryer but were not the waffle fries usually served.
The wedge salad was super flavorful. A classic steakhouse salad. We had this as an appetizer during our dinner last year at Steakhouse 71 and really enjoyed it. I would definitely get this again as a side. The French fries were good — though I will be glad when the waffle fries are back in action.
But, the true winner of this meal was the burger. This is another omigosh from me. Now, it’s been 13+ years since I’ve eaten a McDonald’s burger because of being gluten free, but there was something about this burger that evoked McDonald’s burgers to me. It might have been the cheese they used or the combination of toppings. But, it felt close to something in between a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Big Mac to me — only plussed up! The flavors were great, and I would definitely get this again. As Brandon and I did discuss though, I might actually prefer the plant-based burger over this one. Both were great though, and if you like diner style burgers you won’t be disappointed by this one.
Steakhouse 71 - Stack Burger (NOT Gluten Free) / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On both our visits, Brandon also ordered the regular Steakhouse 71 Stack Burger, which was made safe for Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, Chicken/Turkey, and Cabbage allergies.
Brandon said this is definitely one of the best burgers on Disney property. We both thought about this, and we both think that this ranks a close second behind the burger served at Three Bridges Bar & Grill which is just a fantastic burger. Brandon said his waffle fries were great on visit #1; on the second visit, he was served the same fries as me.
Steakhouse 71 - Plant-Based Onion Rings (NOT Gluten Free) / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On our second visit, Brandon and his mom split the Steakhouse 71 Onion Rings which are listed as plant-based and marked safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, and Peanut/Tree Nut Allergies. However, if you’re vegan or have a poultry allergy, be aware that the onion rings are fried in a fryer with chicken tenders. Because Brandon is allergic to chicken and turkey, the chef did make him a batch of these in a pot of oil versus the fryer. We believe, based on what we were told, that our fries may have been also made in this pot, as well.
Both Brandon and his mom raved about these onion rings. I was so bummed they contained gluten and hope that maybe someday they’ll update the recipe so that it can be made gluten free. They looked so good! If you can have gluten, these are a high recommend from Brandon.
If you want to hear more about our experience at Steakhouse 71, check out the vlog we did for our YouTube channel for more information.
Overall
We were both blown away at how good both the regular and plant-based Steakhouse 71 stack burgers along with all the other food we got at lunch at Steakhouse 71. We kept hearing that the burgers were the best on Disney property, and they definitely rank high for us. The plant-based burger is by far the best vegan burger we’ve ever had and a not to be missed sandwich. The regular stack burger also ranks really high in our must order burgers at Disney. Given that we went to the restaurant twice in a few weeks is a testament to how much we enjoyed the food. We can’t wait to go back for lunch again — and while we do want to try some of the other dishes, it might be hard to go there and not get one of the Steakhouse 71 stack burgers!
Have you been to Steakhouse 71? Do you prefer breakfast, lunch, or dinner there?